• SKIING THE ANTARCTIC PENINSULA PART 1
• GETTING INTO WINTER CLIMBING SHAPE WITH FA GUIDE CHAD PEELE
• CARSTENSZ PYRAMID THE HEROES PROJECT EXPEDITION IN THREE ACTS
• KYLE MILLER ON FIRST FILM PREMIERE AND TRANSITIONING FROM SKI BUM TO PRO ATHLETE
• BE FIRST RECIPIENT JON TURK RECAPS HIS EPIC, FIRST CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF ELLESMERE ISLAND
• TAHOE GUIDE MEETING DAY 2 THE GUIDE BUILT PROCESS

By Melissa Arnot

The alarm beeping alerted me that it was now midnight – time to get up and start the hot water. I wake up Jeff (though he assures me he never really slept). As I peek outside, I can see the city of Quito far below us as well as the infinite universe above us, a good sign. We try to eat some food at this early hour and head out around 2:00 a.m. An hour of switchbacks through dirt leads us to the toe of the glacier. This is my fifth time here and the climbing route has completely changed. We are significantly further to the east than normal, but I am excited to see this side of the mountain.

We stop to put on our crampons, tie into the rope, and begin the steep and continuous ascent up the glacier above. After a few hours of weaving past crevasses, the sun begins to peek out. On the equator, the sunrise is very fast, but we have a moment to see the shadow of Cotopaxi cast into the sky before the light hits.

The climbing is steep, and the wind has picked up, forcing us to keep our attention on the slope and our feet. We crest the final hill and see the magnificent crater that is the summit at 19,340 feet! After a few photos at the summit, I sense it is time to descend as the wind continues to blow around us.

An hour into the descent, the mountain lets us know that our timing was critical. Clouds move in fast, the wind picks up and precipitation begins below us. We keep moving, happy to see the Refugio, happy to have some tea and continue down to the jeep. We are mostly happy to know that another hacienda (and hot food and cold beer) are in our future. I am very proud of Jeff’s climbing today. Summiting in a narrow weather window makes the climb feel like an even bigger accomplishment.

[nggallery id=93]

Comments