Ecuador · Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi Volcano

A long, cold climb on one of the great volcanic peaks of the Andes, followed almost immediately by sea level, surf, and the Galápagos.

Cotopaxi Volcano, Near Quito, Ecuador

Cotopaxi rises to 5,897 meters, just under 20,000 feet. I spent about a week in Quito, at roughly 10,000 feet, trying to get acclimatized to the elevation and hopefully get the hemoglobin levels in my blood up a bit.

The timing for this climb was perfect. Once I got down off this frozen volcano, I was planning to head to sea level and the tropical Galápagos Islands.

Entrance to Cotopaxi Volcano Parque Nacional
Entrance to Cotopaxi Volcano Parque Nacional.
Tim and Austrian climber at 13,000 feet
“The highest active volcano in the world!” It has erupted about 50 times in the last 200 years. We spent a day driving around the park, then drove the truck as far as we could and loaded up our gear. Photo of me and one of the guys from Austria on the approach to the refugio at about 15,300 feet. The roof is visible in the center of the photo, but it was a long, slow approach even to the hut.
Climbing the scree slope to the refugio
Approach to the refugio. Very slow and tiring due to elevation, steepness of the slope, and scree underfoot. We were also very aware that, if conditions allowed, we would be headed up the final 4,000 feet starting at midnight, using headlamps until sunrise.

The José Ribas Refugio

Inside the José Ribas Refugio at 15,300 feet, we had supper and copious quantities of mate de coca. Besides pulmonary and cerebral edema, the major problems at this elevation are dehydration, continuous headache, fatigue, and exhaustion. The tea really helped with all of those.

It was still plenty cold in the refugio, and the whole building was shaking from the intense wind. After supper we all climbed into our sleeping bags and tried to rest for a couple hours until midnight, when the alarm clock would tell us it was time to suit up and head out into reality.

Supper in the refugio
Inside the José Ribas Refugio: Tim, guide, and two climbers from Austria.

Roped Up in the Dark

We spent a couple hours before supper practicing our roped climbing and self-arrest techniques. The mountain was relatively safe, but if one of us fell into a crevasse, or slipped in a critical spot, it would be up to the others on the rope to stop the slide and/or perform the rescue.

Halfway up, still hours to go
Somewhere in this photo there are a couple of guys picking their way through the icefield.
After a long night climbing; sunrise
Halfway up, just at sunrise, stopping for a break.
Our rope party at sunrise
Stopped for a break right after sunrise. We had been climbing in the dark for about seven hours.
Tim at 17,000 feet
Tim at about 17,000 feet.
Tim near the summit with frozen eyes
Tim near the summit. The wind was screaming, and at one point we stopped to wait out a particularly strong gust. I closed my eyes for about a minute to give them a break from the wind and UV light, and the darn things froze shut!

So Close to the Summit

After eight hours of steady climbing, we stopped to rest 250 meters from the summit. It was close to 9 a.m., and the sun was shining brightly, but conditions were still horrendous — windy, but beautiful. The other three parties that were on the mountain that day had all turned back a long time ago.

Myself and the guide were still feeling strong, and we were ready for the final push to the summit. We knew we had to move quickly, because the sun would soon be tearing up the mountain, causing icefall, avalanche conditions, and other hazards. It is usually way too dangerous to be up that high after mid-morning.

We had another problem. The Austrian climber was hurting real bad. His friend had turned back several hours before sunrise, and now it was just the three of us left on the mountain. The guy said his head was about to explode, and he felt like he was bleeding from his ears, nose, and eyes. We got him to drink and eat some stuff, but he was just too weak to continue.

The guide agreed that he and I could probably summit if we moved fast, but we all knew it was time to turn back.

I started thinking about the hot and sunny Galápagos, and how I would be there in a couple days. But we were so close to the summit. We could almost touch it. So I said to the guide, “take me off the rope, I’m gonna solo this thing.” The guide gave me a big smile, made the sign of the cross, said something in Spanish, and started to untie the rope.

He knew I was only kidding. But we still had fun making up stories to tell the authorities and all the relatives back home. We secured the rope, sat down for a while, ate the rest of our chocolate and snacks, and just enjoyed the view from the top of the world. We could see the tops of many other peaks, and the guide enjoyed pointing summits out and telling us stories about some of his favorite climbs.

Luckily we were still roped on the long slog down, since I fell into a crevasse. It was narrow but deep, and I used my elbows and the rope to keep from going in too deep. There were huge crevasses everywhere, and most were big enough and easy to avoid. The smaller ones were covered by snow bridges, and the one that got me was invisible under the snow. They got me out quickly. We glissaded most of the rest of the way down, and after 12 hours on the snow we were sure glad to be back at the refugio.

From Frozen Volcano to Sea Level

Two days later I had hooked back up with Yfat, and we were on a flight to the Galápagos. That afternoon we were swimming in the ocean, chatting with just about everyone we met, putting together information, and trying to handpick some new friends, a boat, and a crew to spend a week visiting the incredible islands of the Galápagos.

Yfat and Eric at the ocean near our hostel
Two days after Cotopaxi, Yfat and I headed back down to sea level and the Galápagos Islands. We met Eric our first day there, and the three of us spent the next few days checking out different boats, guides, cooks, boatmates, and options. We spent a few hours every day at this beach, body-surfing in the huge waves and just loafing as much as possible.

Go For It

If you ever get a chance to climb Cotopaxi, or any other big frozen mountain, go for it! Of the dozen climbers attempting the summit that day, none of us made it, but I think most of us had an awesome time.