I decided on hiking to the summit of Cotopaxi, the seventh highest peak of the Andes, sitting at 5,897 m.a.s.l. and one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. It's has an active history having erupted over 80 times in the past 500 years.
I was hoping to ride into the national park, arrange some rental gear and find a compulsory guide who was willing to take me up. Andi, Ellen and I rode in through the back entrance, along a cobblestone road for 25km's only to be told at the gate entrance than motorbikes weren't allowed into the park. Annoyed after riding on bumpy roads to arrive we told the guy we were riding in anyway until these guards forced us to stop a few kilometres further on. I gave up and returned to Quito where I organised transport, gear rental and a guide through a tour agency, the only way to have the chance to hike from the refuge.
Along with six others - three French chefs, two 'all the gear, no idea' Romanian doctors, an older Polish guy and four local mountain guides we set off from Quito and drove up to the car park at 4,600 metres and hiked to the refuge at 4,800 metres where we'd have lunch before having some practice climbing on the glacier with crampons and ice axes. Returning to the refuge for dinner, we then had five hours to rest and try and get some sleep before a midnight breakfast and beginning of the hike. I couldn't sleep of course, due to excitement and it being too early in the evening. With no sleep we took off under starlight. With the uneven numbers I was lucky enough to get my own guide so shortly into the hike we took off ahead on our own and I was able to set my own pace and not be held back by anyone. What followed was six or so hours of uphill climbing and a continuous rythym of ice pick into the snow, two sideway steps forward digging the crampons into firm ground and a deep breath to take in the increasingly thin air. We took occasional breaks for water and snacks, to put on another layer of clothing or gloves and to pass by other groups. Despite being lucky with the weather conditions, it was one of the tougher things I'd ever done, but well worth it when reaching the summit at sunrise.
exhausted!
This group of German guys beat me to the summit
The still air and crater at sunrise
With guide at the top
Coming down was pretty tough, all adrenalin was lost and energy depleted. The sun got warmer by the minute, headaches set in and every step downhill brought pain to the legs.
