¨Live passionately, even if it kills you, because something is going to kill you anyway.¨
Well, it has been a while since I last wrote so this post is just going to be a quick summary of what I have been up to in the last few weeks. The day after my last climb I did a 60km bike ride to a small town in the jungle, which would have been great except for the fact that a dog bit me about half way there. Luckily, I was able to clean and wrap the five puncture wounds there and then with my handy first aide kit, but seeing as I am in a developing county, I then had to take a trip to the hospital for rabies shots. At the hospital they gave me a shot in my stomach (doctors did this decades ago, needless to say they are not quick up to date with their medical practices) so I then found a clinic where they gave me the first of what mightbe the proper series. For the following days I couldn´t do much as my leg was very sore, but I still managed to bridge jump (like bungee jumping) and go canyoning (repelling down waterfalls) so all in all, it was a pretty good week.
My next adventure was the Quilotoa loop, a four day backpacking and hitchhiking trek in the mountains that I did with a Swiss guy I met a few weeks earlier in Quito (who I have continued to travel with ever since). We started out by bussing and hoping on the back of a milk truck in order to get to the Quilotoa crater, a lake high in the mountains (at over 4,000m) surrounded by nothing but a few indigenous houses. Over the next few days, we hiked through the mountains and little mountain communities (sleeping in them along the way) and saw the true indigenous way of life for the people here. This was one of my favorite parts of Ecuador.
After that was the monkey house! Imagine walking into a large inclosed yard and having a little monkey come up to you, grab your hand, and pull himself up to sit on your shoulders. That is what happened here. It is a monkey rescue facility that you can visit and play with the friendly monkeys, and if I hadn´t been pulled away, I would probably still be there. From there, we took a bus to the next town, Cuenca, where we found an amazing hostel to call home for the next week. It was only an hour bus ride to the national park, so we went hiking two days. The first day it was dry until we hitchhiked home on the back of a pick up truck in the rain, and obviously got soaked, and for the next hike it poured the whole time, so we ended up hiking through streams and mud (I even fell straight on my face, literally). On our way out of Cuenca, the bus broke down, and after waiting two hours for them to fix it, we ended up hitchhiking in the back of a truck (with eight people inside and nine in the back) for three hours, also in the rain. Looks like I found a place that rains as much as Eugene!
After spending two days in the south of Ecuador ata nice resort (only ten bucks a night, including a huge breakfast with fresh fruit and crepes) reading in hammocks, playing pool, and hanging out at the bar, we headed off to Peru. The boarder crossing involved a six hour bus ride, then an hour long ride in the back of a truck, then an uncomfortable ride with eight people in a small taxi, and then finall we arrived. Unfortunately, that was just the beginning of our bus rides as we wanted to head straight away to Huraz, a town about a thrid of the way down Peru. After two overnight 14h bus rides, we finally arrived here and boy was it worth it! There are 33 peaks over 6,000m, and countless others over 5,000, it is a climber and trekers paradise (literally, it is known to be one of the best places in the world for treking and climbing). Looking out the window here you seee a chain of enormous snowy mountains, I couldn´t ask for a better town. Tomorrow, Philippe (my Swiss buddy) and I are headed off on a 12 day trek around and through some of these amazing mountains. Since we didn´t want to go with a group, we are going to do it by ourselves, and rent a mule to carry our tent and food. This is going to be the backpacking trip of a lifetime!
Showing posts with label Ecuador. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ecuador. Show all posts
October 3, 2011
September 12, 2011
Most tiring nine hours of my life: Climbing Chimborazo to 6,250m/20,505ft
"Life is brought down to the basics: if you are warm, regular, healthy, not thirsty or hungry, then you are not on a mountain... Climbing at altitude is like hitting your head against a brick wall - it's great when you stop."
I walked into a tour agency on Saturday to book a canyoning day trip, and instead walked out having booked a guide to climb Chimborazo, Ecuador's tallest mountain, the following day. Chimborazo, though in a technical sense is not much harder than Cotopaxi, it isn't considered a beginners mountain, and I knew at the time that I shouldn't even think of attempting it. But I booked it anyways. I figured you have to learn somewhere right, and where better to do so than on the tallest mountain. I had no plans to summit, I just wanted to see how far I got, and learn a bit more about ice climbing.
The first person to summit Chimborazo in over two weeks was the morning before my climb because the weather had been so bad in the last few weeks. Luckily, that changed for us (there were two other climbers and guides who went up the same night as my guide and I), and by eight, the full moon was peaking behind the mountain in a clear sky, probably the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. When we took off at midnight after semi trying to sleep at the highest refuge in the world (sleeping at 5,000m is impossible), we didn't even need our headlamps the moon was so bright, and I was very excited for the climb. For the first two hours I felt great, it was beautiful out and I was not tired, yet, I felt like I could go on forever. But by four, I was ready to give up. Chimborazo was longer, steeper, taller, and all around harder than Cotopaxi in every way. Instead of walking on ice and building a rhythm, we were climbing on snow, and snow slides. At that altitude, everything takes more energy, so when half your steps are sliding back down, it is the most frustrating thing in the world. I knew it was too hard for me, but I felt like a wimp giving up after just four hours, so I kept going. The next two hours were hell. It had become windy, my cloths and eye lashes were frozen chunks of ice, and we were in the clouds, so I couldn't see anything. I was walking so slowly, and stopping so often, I didn't think I was making any progress at all. Every few steps I would stop, the guide would tug on the rope gently to get me moving again, but I would just stand there like a stubborn puppy who didn't want to be moved, debating whether I should just head back down or not. Finally I stopped, sat down, and asked my guide how much longer because I had absolutely no idea how long we had been climbing for, and I was about to tell him that I was done. Once he told me thirty minutes, that was it, I knew I could make that, so I started out again, still slow, but with a purpose, and that made all the difference. As we came up over the edge at 6h30, the other two climbers and guides were coming over the other side (from the real summit), so we all met at the top. Sadly, I don't have bragging rights for this mountain as I did not truly summit. I arrived at the false summit, which is 50m lower than the real one, and my guide rightfully told me that this was as far as I would go because I was already too exhausted and needed to make it back down. The Irish guy I had been with the previous day was shocked I had made it, he figured I would have given up hours ago, and with good reason. I was exhausted by this point, my body didn't feel tired but I just couldn't get it to do what I wanted it to anymore. Going down was treacherous, but unfortunately, once you go up, you have no choice but to come back down. I kept slipping and sitting down, I didn't have the energy to care that I was going so much slower down than the others. Finally at nine I arrived back at the refuge, exhausted but very happy that I had made it up, probably to the highest point I will ever be, and now I can check climbing a mountain over 20,000ft off my bucket list.
On Cotopaxi, climbers and tourists alike looked at me funny when they saw me walking up to the refuge with my crampons and ice axe strapped to my pack. They obviously didn't believe I could climb it, and granted, I'm not sure how many eighteen year old girls do. On Chimborazo it was even funnier, someone even asked if they could take my picture. My guide gave me the name of "little baby," and the climbers I was with on Cotopaxi teased me that all my stuff was kid sized. This was all fun light hearted teasing, but it shows how out of place I am up there, I am definitely not the typical climber. I think part of the reason I was so set in getting to the false summit on Chimborazo is because no one thought I could (myself included), and I wanted to prove them wrong. And it worked! Now though, I really am done with ice climbing until I reach Peru, but from what I have heard, I might just get stuck there forever because of all their amazing mountains.
I walked into a tour agency on Saturday to book a canyoning day trip, and instead walked out having booked a guide to climb Chimborazo, Ecuador's tallest mountain, the following day. Chimborazo, though in a technical sense is not much harder than Cotopaxi, it isn't considered a beginners mountain, and I knew at the time that I shouldn't even think of attempting it. But I booked it anyways. I figured you have to learn somewhere right, and where better to do so than on the tallest mountain. I had no plans to summit, I just wanted to see how far I got, and learn a bit more about ice climbing.
The first person to summit Chimborazo in over two weeks was the morning before my climb because the weather had been so bad in the last few weeks. Luckily, that changed for us (there were two other climbers and guides who went up the same night as my guide and I), and by eight, the full moon was peaking behind the mountain in a clear sky, probably the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. When we took off at midnight after semi trying to sleep at the highest refuge in the world (sleeping at 5,000m is impossible), we didn't even need our headlamps the moon was so bright, and I was very excited for the climb. For the first two hours I felt great, it was beautiful out and I was not tired, yet, I felt like I could go on forever. But by four, I was ready to give up. Chimborazo was longer, steeper, taller, and all around harder than Cotopaxi in every way. Instead of walking on ice and building a rhythm, we were climbing on snow, and snow slides. At that altitude, everything takes more energy, so when half your steps are sliding back down, it is the most frustrating thing in the world. I knew it was too hard for me, but I felt like a wimp giving up after just four hours, so I kept going. The next two hours were hell. It had become windy, my cloths and eye lashes were frozen chunks of ice, and we were in the clouds, so I couldn't see anything. I was walking so slowly, and stopping so often, I didn't think I was making any progress at all. Every few steps I would stop, the guide would tug on the rope gently to get me moving again, but I would just stand there like a stubborn puppy who didn't want to be moved, debating whether I should just head back down or not. Finally I stopped, sat down, and asked my guide how much longer because I had absolutely no idea how long we had been climbing for, and I was about to tell him that I was done. Once he told me thirty minutes, that was it, I knew I could make that, so I started out again, still slow, but with a purpose, and that made all the difference. As we came up over the edge at 6h30, the other two climbers and guides were coming over the other side (from the real summit), so we all met at the top. Sadly, I don't have bragging rights for this mountain as I did not truly summit. I arrived at the false summit, which is 50m lower than the real one, and my guide rightfully told me that this was as far as I would go because I was already too exhausted and needed to make it back down. The Irish guy I had been with the previous day was shocked I had made it, he figured I would have given up hours ago, and with good reason. I was exhausted by this point, my body didn't feel tired but I just couldn't get it to do what I wanted it to anymore. Going down was treacherous, but unfortunately, once you go up, you have no choice but to come back down. I kept slipping and sitting down, I didn't have the energy to care that I was going so much slower down than the others. Finally at nine I arrived back at the refuge, exhausted but very happy that I had made it up, probably to the highest point I will ever be, and now I can check climbing a mountain over 20,000ft off my bucket list.
On Cotopaxi, climbers and tourists alike looked at me funny when they saw me walking up to the refuge with my crampons and ice axe strapped to my pack. They obviously didn't believe I could climb it, and granted, I'm not sure how many eighteen year old girls do. On Chimborazo it was even funnier, someone even asked if they could take my picture. My guide gave me the name of "little baby," and the climbers I was with on Cotopaxi teased me that all my stuff was kid sized. This was all fun light hearted teasing, but it shows how out of place I am up there, I am definitely not the typical climber. I think part of the reason I was so set in getting to the false summit on Chimborazo is because no one thought I could (myself included), and I wanted to prove them wrong. And it worked! Now though, I really am done with ice climbing until I reach Peru, but from what I have heard, I might just get stuck there forever because of all their amazing mountains.
September 10, 2011
My First Glacier: Cotopaxi- 5,897m
I did it! I climbed my first glacier! With crampons, ice axes, and ropes, I summited Cotopaxi (highest active volcano in the world) at just under 20,000 ft/6,0000m. On Thursday I was outfitted for my gear (apparently I'm small, because I took the smallest they had in everything), and then we hiked up to the refuge at 4,800m. From there, we (there were six of us climbers and three guides) hiked about forty minutes to the glacier in order to practice using our equipment. Up until this point, I was very unsure how the climb would go. In the past few weeks, I have talked to countless people who hadn't made it due to weather, fallng routes, or just because it was too hard, so I was seriously doubting whether I would even have a chance at making it. But, I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn't at least try, and thank god I did. They showed us how to use our crampons and ice axes, and I thought it was really fun being able to climb straight up a sheet of ice. After having so much fun just playing around on the glacier, I knew I was going to make it so long as I didn't get sick from the altitude. We tried to go to bed at about eight, but between being excited for the climb, and trying to sleep at that high of an altitude with about twenty five people in the same room, it was impossible to get more than just a few minutes rest. At eleven thirty (at night) we got up, packed out gear, ate breakfast, wished the other clmbers luck, and set out with our headlamps to climb the mountain.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with high altitude climbing, here is how it is classified:
High altitude = 1,500–3,500 metres (4,900–11,500 ft)
Very high altitude = 3,500–5,500 metres (11,500–18,000 ft)
Extreme altitude = above 5,500 metres (18,000 ft)
Cotopaxi, at just under 20,000ft, is definitely considered an extreme altitude climb, hence it being so painfully slow. For those of you who have never experience what it feels like to climb in these circumstances, read Greg Hamilton's (an everest climbers) suggestion for an altitude training method: "I suggest going out to the nearest pub and getting completely, and utterly, wasted. Make sure you smoke at least 1 pack of unfiltered Camel's. Get the full ashtray, pour a drink in it and then pour the mixture into a water bottle. When you get home (ideally around 3:30am) stick the vile mixture into your freezer. Put on your best goretex and thermal layer. Climb in. At 5:30am, get out, drink (chew?) the mixture and go run the biggest flight of stairs you can find. Run until your heart threatens to explode. Your dehydration caused by the alcohol should adequately simulate what you may experience at higher altitudes. Your lung capacity should be sufficiently impaired by the smokes to simulate a oxygen poor environment. The freezer episode should adequately replicate a bivy. Drinking the booze/butt mixture should simulate your lack of appetite."
That is pretty much how you feel. Even taking a drink of water leaves you out of breath, everything is a thousand times harder when you are so high up. We were all in groups of three, two climbers and a guide, hooked together with ropes and harnesses (two meters away from each other) so that if someone slipped and couldn't stop them-self with their ice axe, they wouldn't go sliding down the glacier. We had amazing weather, and by moon light you could see the mountain ahead, and a sea of clouds far below us covering the rest of the world. We slowly, very very slowly, climbed up, without taking breaks, through the night and early morning. You got into a rhythm, side step... Cross foot over... Ice pick in. Over and over and over. Though at first it was awkward, after about an hour I got the hang of it and could change up how I was stepping a little so I wouldn't get one side so tired. To give you an idea of how slow we were going, it took us an hour to do 200m, that is painfully slow. At the top, it was even slower as it got steeper and we had to use our ice axes to pull ourselves up instead of just to help us walk. The last hour and a half was really hard, and I was exhausted, but it was just as the sun was coming up and it was by far the most amazing sunrise I have ever seen (no picture sadly, you just gotta trust me that nothing could ever beat it). Then, finally, we made it at. At six thirty, along with the three other groups who made it that day, wea celebrated the fact that we were there. I felt like I was standing on top of the world (well in a way I was, Cotopaxi is the closest point on earth to the sun). After about twenty minutes up there, we started to get cold so we headed back down. I had all my energy back at this point, and wanted to just run the whole way down (ok, speed walk, you can't really run down a glacier). After a fun (I think I was the only one having fun, everyone else just was dead) and fast walk down, not going against the altitude for once, we made it back to the refuge at nine, we had officially done it, and I thought it was really fun. Hardest part? Trying to pee while attached to two guy, while wearing a harness, leggings, shorts, and two pairs of pants, oh, and while on a glacier you really don't want to slide down.
I loved it. It was so much more fun then normal hiking (which is quite boring and frustrating) and seeing as I love the snow, ice climbing seems like the perfect sport for me. I plan on doing as much of it as I can on this trip. Now though, it is going to be all about the mountain biking as I'm in Banos, a small town of 14,000 people known for its biking and adventure sports. Though it is more touristy than I would like, people keep telling me this town is perfect for me, and I now see why. While I am here (probably for a few weeks), I plan on paragliding, bridge jumping, canyoning, white water rafting, and, of course, mountain biking everyday (including a 60km decent to Puyo, a town in the jungle, and hopefully another overnight biking trip).
For those of you who are unfamiliar with high altitude climbing, here is how it is classified:
High altitude = 1,500–3,500 metres (4,900–11,500 ft)
Very high altitude = 3,500–5,500 metres (11,500–18,000 ft)
Extreme altitude = above 5,500 metres (18,000 ft)
Cotopaxi, at just under 20,000ft, is definitely considered an extreme altitude climb, hence it being so painfully slow. For those of you who have never experience what it feels like to climb in these circumstances, read Greg Hamilton's (an everest climbers) suggestion for an altitude training method: "I suggest going out to the nearest pub and getting completely, and utterly, wasted. Make sure you smoke at least 1 pack of unfiltered Camel's. Get the full ashtray, pour a drink in it and then pour the mixture into a water bottle. When you get home (ideally around 3:30am) stick the vile mixture into your freezer. Put on your best goretex and thermal layer. Climb in. At 5:30am, get out, drink (chew?) the mixture and go run the biggest flight of stairs you can find. Run until your heart threatens to explode. Your dehydration caused by the alcohol should adequately simulate what you may experience at higher altitudes. Your lung capacity should be sufficiently impaired by the smokes to simulate a oxygen poor environment. The freezer episode should adequately replicate a bivy. Drinking the booze/butt mixture should simulate your lack of appetite."
That is pretty much how you feel. Even taking a drink of water leaves you out of breath, everything is a thousand times harder when you are so high up. We were all in groups of three, two climbers and a guide, hooked together with ropes and harnesses (two meters away from each other) so that if someone slipped and couldn't stop them-self with their ice axe, they wouldn't go sliding down the glacier. We had amazing weather, and by moon light you could see the mountain ahead, and a sea of clouds far below us covering the rest of the world. We slowly, very very slowly, climbed up, without taking breaks, through the night and early morning. You got into a rhythm, side step... Cross foot over... Ice pick in. Over and over and over. Though at first it was awkward, after about an hour I got the hang of it and could change up how I was stepping a little so I wouldn't get one side so tired. To give you an idea of how slow we were going, it took us an hour to do 200m, that is painfully slow. At the top, it was even slower as it got steeper and we had to use our ice axes to pull ourselves up instead of just to help us walk. The last hour and a half was really hard, and I was exhausted, but it was just as the sun was coming up and it was by far the most amazing sunrise I have ever seen (no picture sadly, you just gotta trust me that nothing could ever beat it). Then, finally, we made it at. At six thirty, along with the three other groups who made it that day, wea celebrated the fact that we were there. I felt like I was standing on top of the world (well in a way I was, Cotopaxi is the closest point on earth to the sun). After about twenty minutes up there, we started to get cold so we headed back down. I had all my energy back at this point, and wanted to just run the whole way down (ok, speed walk, you can't really run down a glacier). After a fun (I think I was the only one having fun, everyone else just was dead) and fast walk down, not going against the altitude for once, we made it back to the refuge at nine, we had officially done it, and I thought it was really fun. Hardest part? Trying to pee while attached to two guy, while wearing a harness, leggings, shorts, and two pairs of pants, oh, and while on a glacier you really don't want to slide down.
I loved it. It was so much more fun then normal hiking (which is quite boring and frustrating) and seeing as I love the snow, ice climbing seems like the perfect sport for me. I plan on doing as much of it as I can on this trip. Now though, it is going to be all about the mountain biking as I'm in Banos, a small town of 14,000 people known for its biking and adventure sports. Though it is more touristy than I would like, people keep telling me this town is perfect for me, and I now see why. While I am here (probably for a few weeks), I plan on paragliding, bridge jumping, canyoning, white water rafting, and, of course, mountain biking everyday (including a 60km decent to Puyo, a town in the jungle, and hopefully another overnight biking trip).
September 5, 2011
Mountains and Markets
Pictures: https://picasaweb.google.com/109164353544358903729/Ecuador
Once again, this week has been all about the mountains. To start it out, a friend took me up a mountain, first driving up a deserted dirt path, and then on foot, to some of the most amazing views around. The best part was that it was completely deserted, it was one of those places that only some of the locals know about. Another day I hiked up Rucu Pichincha (4,698m/15,400ft), an active volcano in Quito, which turned out to be an easier hike than I thought. Though the last part involved some rock climbing, for the most part it was just a very slow trudge uphill in the surprisingly strong wind. Had it been clear from the top, I would have been able to see all of the mountains surrounding Quito. Sadly though, that was not the case, so I have very few pictures from that hike. I also took a very lazy day in Quito and relaxed in the "living room" of the hostel, watching Friends and hanging out with the crazy people there. I then left for Otavalo, a small village known for its huge traditional market. I had been in Quito (and the surrounding area) for almost three weeks, and it had already started to feel like home. I knew some people and places there, and even had some routines (like where to buy the cheapest food or which internet cafe I used), so going to Otavalo was almost like starting a new trip, because once again, I was somewhere completely new.
Otavalo is much more my kind of town. It is small and traditional (most people here are dressed traditionally), and once you leave the center of town, you find yourself wandering amongst cows, chickens, and sheep instead of cars. Speaking of wandering, my first day here I set off to explore the city, and ended up on an all day adventure. I started by just going up one of the hills around the town, and from there I continued going up on the dirt roads, through small farms and little villages, until I ended up at the base of one of the mountains and a lake. I had no idea where I was headed (I was not lost, I purposely was unsure where I was, and contrary to popular belief, I do know how to read a map), but I ended up passing through an amazing area. It was nice to have a day alone just to wander (this was the first time I had been alone since starting this trip, though now after almost a week completely alone I'm ready for people again), and I encountered many friendly locals along the way (I have a feeling not many tourists wander through those villages). A small boy called out to me, "good morning teacher, and how are you today?" before bursting into giggles and waving to me as I walked by. I much prefer this scene to the endless bars and clubs that surrounded me in Quito.
On Saturday, I haggled my way through the enormous market, and if I didn't have to carry everything I buy with me for the next year, I probably would have bought just about everything. There is no way to describe how big the market is, every street is filled with people selling jewelry, food, alpaca sweaters, chickens, and everything in between. The whole town turns into one giant market, no wonder it is considered the best one in South America!
On Sunday I left (with a guide) at 5h in order to climb Imbabura (4,630m/15,190 ft). The first few hours were a slow trudge up a pretty steep path, while the last few were spent first scrambling over boulders, then rock climbing in order to reach the summit. There were even sections on the way up that were so windy I couldn't walk in a straight line. We were lucky, and had an amazing view from the top, for once we were not in the clouds. Then we began the hike down, which I hated. I was tired and ready to be done, but instead I had to keep walking in the very hot sun. Parts were even so steep going down that we had to butt slide (in the tall grass), and I ended up wearing a hole right through my leggings. Finally we made it back to the car, and after an amazing shower, I crawled in bed and passed out before even having dinner.
There is another mountain in this area I had hoped to climb, but seeing as I am traveling solo, and you always need at least two people for a trip, it makes it awfully hard for me to get the trips I want. And plus now I have now booked a guide for climbing Cotopaxi on the 6th, so I have to head back to Quito for another night. I hope the weather and route holds up (they had to find a new one last week as the old one collapsed) as that is a big contribution to the 50 percent success rate on that mountain. Oh, and of course the small detail of altitude...
Oh right, and I have now officially stood on the equator. It's one of those stupid things that you just kinda have to do, and since it was on my bucket list, I really had no choice.
Once again, this week has been all about the mountains. To start it out, a friend took me up a mountain, first driving up a deserted dirt path, and then on foot, to some of the most amazing views around. The best part was that it was completely deserted, it was one of those places that only some of the locals know about. Another day I hiked up Rucu Pichincha (4,698m/15,400ft), an active volcano in Quito, which turned out to be an easier hike than I thought. Though the last part involved some rock climbing, for the most part it was just a very slow trudge uphill in the surprisingly strong wind. Had it been clear from the top, I would have been able to see all of the mountains surrounding Quito. Sadly though, that was not the case, so I have very few pictures from that hike. I also took a very lazy day in Quito and relaxed in the "living room" of the hostel, watching Friends and hanging out with the crazy people there. I then left for Otavalo, a small village known for its huge traditional market. I had been in Quito (and the surrounding area) for almost three weeks, and it had already started to feel like home. I knew some people and places there, and even had some routines (like where to buy the cheapest food or which internet cafe I used), so going to Otavalo was almost like starting a new trip, because once again, I was somewhere completely new.
Otavalo is much more my kind of town. It is small and traditional (most people here are dressed traditionally), and once you leave the center of town, you find yourself wandering amongst cows, chickens, and sheep instead of cars. Speaking of wandering, my first day here I set off to explore the city, and ended up on an all day adventure. I started by just going up one of the hills around the town, and from there I continued going up on the dirt roads, through small farms and little villages, until I ended up at the base of one of the mountains and a lake. I had no idea where I was headed (I was not lost, I purposely was unsure where I was, and contrary to popular belief, I do know how to read a map), but I ended up passing through an amazing area. It was nice to have a day alone just to wander (this was the first time I had been alone since starting this trip, though now after almost a week completely alone I'm ready for people again), and I encountered many friendly locals along the way (I have a feeling not many tourists wander through those villages). A small boy called out to me, "good morning teacher, and how are you today?" before bursting into giggles and waving to me as I walked by. I much prefer this scene to the endless bars and clubs that surrounded me in Quito.
On Saturday, I haggled my way through the enormous market, and if I didn't have to carry everything I buy with me for the next year, I probably would have bought just about everything. There is no way to describe how big the market is, every street is filled with people selling jewelry, food, alpaca sweaters, chickens, and everything in between. The whole town turns into one giant market, no wonder it is considered the best one in South America!
On Sunday I left (with a guide) at 5h in order to climb Imbabura (4,630m/15,190 ft). The first few hours were a slow trudge up a pretty steep path, while the last few were spent first scrambling over boulders, then rock climbing in order to reach the summit. There were even sections on the way up that were so windy I couldn't walk in a straight line. We were lucky, and had an amazing view from the top, for once we were not in the clouds. Then we began the hike down, which I hated. I was tired and ready to be done, but instead I had to keep walking in the very hot sun. Parts were even so steep going down that we had to butt slide (in the tall grass), and I ended up wearing a hole right through my leggings. Finally we made it back to the car, and after an amazing shower, I crawled in bed and passed out before even having dinner.
There is another mountain in this area I had hoped to climb, but seeing as I am traveling solo, and you always need at least two people for a trip, it makes it awfully hard for me to get the trips I want. And plus now I have now booked a guide for climbing Cotopaxi on the 6th, so I have to head back to Quito for another night. I hope the weather and route holds up (they had to find a new one last week as the old one collapsed) as that is a big contribution to the 50 percent success rate on that mountain. Oh, and of course the small detail of altitude...
Oh right, and I have now officially stood on the equator. It's one of those stupid things that you just kinda have to do, and since it was on my bucket list, I really had no choice.
August 29, 2011
Mountain biking: Three days, 100km, Ecuador's two tallest mountains, and lots of throwing up
"My church is on top of the mountains, and nature is my religion."
Bucket list check off time: 3+ day mountain bike trip! After finishing up my second week of Spanish school in Quito, I left my first host family (who was amazing) at 6h30 Friday morning for an amazing bike trip. Along with an Irish couple and our guide, we started our trip by biking down Cotopaxi (the second time for me). This time, instead of heading home, we rode another 15km after eating lunch by a stream (in the middle of the mountains with no one in sight, it was awesome). That's when the downhill spiral of my evening began. Right after lunch, we biked uphill (at 4000m), and then jumped in the car for a very twisty road trip up and down the mountains. Let's just say that didn't go over too well, and I threw up. By the time we arrived in Quilotoa, a small indigenous community high in the mountains, I was feeling worst and worst. Throughout the evening, altitude sickness hit me and I progressively got worst and worst. I had the text book signs: very dizzy, horrible headache, and throwing up all the time (basically it felt like being super drunk and super hungover at the same time, not fun). At night, I started to get a bit better, I had stopped throwing up at least, but I couldn't sleep at all so it was a very long and restless night. The next morning, everyone else hiked down the crater to see the lake at the bottom, but I was too weak and stayed in bed instead. After that, we started out descent for that day, and the biking seemed to cure me. It was one of the prettiest rides possible, through the mountains with small indigenous huts scattered along the way, and traditionally dressed people hard at work on their land. As we were on a paved road for this part, we were going down at 80km an hour, faster than the few cars we saw. That night we stayed in a small hostel (for trekkers) near the base of Chimborazo, Ecuador's tallest mountain. In the morning, we drove to the first refuge and hike up to the second at 5,000m, the highest one in the world! Then we got on our bikes and biked down a very fun dirt path. After a lunch break, we started a 40km descent on the most beautiful mountain road possible. Once again, we biked past indigenous communities scattered along the mountain as we biked down through a never ending valley. It was probably the most scenic bike ride I will ever do. Unfortunately, I have almost no pictures from this trip as I was either too busy biking or throwing up. As I'm in a cafe right one I can't load the few pictures I did take, do you will just have to wait a bit for those.
Originally I was planning on leaving Quito today in order to do some hikes (more like climbs as they are all over 4.500m) from a few other towns, but I became friends with my guide from the bike trip and he is going to take me on a few hikes around this area so I will stick around a few more days. I am currently staying in a great youth hostel, where everyone just hangs out in the "common" room all the time, and as it's only 5.50 a night (includes a free breakfast too), it attracts young backpackers doing the same kind of trip as me, so its perfect. In the next week, I hope to climb Rucu Pichincha (4,698m/15,400ft), Quito's very own active volcano, as well as Cotacachi (4,944m/16,200ft) and Imbabura (4,630m/15,190 ft), both of which I will do as two day trips with a guide from a small village called Otavalo. I also plan on doing a 50km mountain bike descent from the Andes to the rainforest, and for a day of rest in between all this, I will be visiting Otavalo's market, because not only is it known to be the best in South America, but the beginning of September is also their huge celebration, meaning it will be even more impressive and festive than normal. If my acclimatization goes as planned on those three peaks over 15,000ft, I will attempt to climb Cotopaxi (at just under 20,000ft), my first ice climb yet! Though attempt might be the key word after hearing other climbers stories...
Bucket list check off time: 3+ day mountain bike trip! After finishing up my second week of Spanish school in Quito, I left my first host family (who was amazing) at 6h30 Friday morning for an amazing bike trip. Along with an Irish couple and our guide, we started our trip by biking down Cotopaxi (the second time for me). This time, instead of heading home, we rode another 15km after eating lunch by a stream (in the middle of the mountains with no one in sight, it was awesome). That's when the downhill spiral of my evening began. Right after lunch, we biked uphill (at 4000m), and then jumped in the car for a very twisty road trip up and down the mountains. Let's just say that didn't go over too well, and I threw up. By the time we arrived in Quilotoa, a small indigenous community high in the mountains, I was feeling worst and worst. Throughout the evening, altitude sickness hit me and I progressively got worst and worst. I had the text book signs: very dizzy, horrible headache, and throwing up all the time (basically it felt like being super drunk and super hungover at the same time, not fun). At night, I started to get a bit better, I had stopped throwing up at least, but I couldn't sleep at all so it was a very long and restless night. The next morning, everyone else hiked down the crater to see the lake at the bottom, but I was too weak and stayed in bed instead. After that, we started out descent for that day, and the biking seemed to cure me. It was one of the prettiest rides possible, through the mountains with small indigenous huts scattered along the way, and traditionally dressed people hard at work on their land. As we were on a paved road for this part, we were going down at 80km an hour, faster than the few cars we saw. That night we stayed in a small hostel (for trekkers) near the base of Chimborazo, Ecuador's tallest mountain. In the morning, we drove to the first refuge and hike up to the second at 5,000m, the highest one in the world! Then we got on our bikes and biked down a very fun dirt path. After a lunch break, we started a 40km descent on the most beautiful mountain road possible. Once again, we biked past indigenous communities scattered along the mountain as we biked down through a never ending valley. It was probably the most scenic bike ride I will ever do. Unfortunately, I have almost no pictures from this trip as I was either too busy biking or throwing up. As I'm in a cafe right one I can't load the few pictures I did take, do you will just have to wait a bit for those.
Originally I was planning on leaving Quito today in order to do some hikes (more like climbs as they are all over 4.500m) from a few other towns, but I became friends with my guide from the bike trip and he is going to take me on a few hikes around this area so I will stick around a few more days. I am currently staying in a great youth hostel, where everyone just hangs out in the "common" room all the time, and as it's only 5.50 a night (includes a free breakfast too), it attracts young backpackers doing the same kind of trip as me, so its perfect. In the next week, I hope to climb Rucu Pichincha (4,698m/15,400ft), Quito's very own active volcano, as well as Cotacachi (4,944m/16,200ft) and Imbabura (4,630m/15,190 ft), both of which I will do as two day trips with a guide from a small village called Otavalo. I also plan on doing a 50km mountain bike descent from the Andes to the rainforest, and for a day of rest in between all this, I will be visiting Otavalo's market, because not only is it known to be the best in South America, but the beginning of September is also their huge celebration, meaning it will be even more impressive and festive than normal. If my acclimatization goes as planned on those three peaks over 15,000ft, I will attempt to climb Cotopaxi (at just under 20,000ft), my first ice climb yet! Though attempt might be the key word after hearing other climbers stories...
August 22, 2011
Mountain biking and a bit of climbing
I'm even more in love than when I arrived, this place is truly amazing. On Saturday, I went mountain biking at night. There were fifty or so of us who participated in this event, which started out by biking down (for what seemed like hours) into the valley. The rest was all on a small dirt path, often with a mountain on one side, and a huge drop off on the other (let's just say I wish I had brought a better headlamp as there were no lights whatsoever). Though I was exhausted by the end, I am happy to announce that I finished in three hours with the first group (some took an hour more). I got home at one that night, only to wake up five hours later to mountain bike down Cotopaxi, Ecuador's second highest peak, and the highest active volcano in the world! Cotopaxi, which is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, is special because it has one of the few equatorial glaciers in the world, and it is an almost perfectly symmetrical cone (which is rare for volcanos). Before coming on this trip, I had decided I wanted to try and climb it. How cool would it be to have climbed, with crampons and ice axes, a mountain 20,000ft tall? Now, after seeing and climbing a bit of it, there is no doubt about it, I have to climb it. Sunday started out with a long car ride down a very bumpy dirt road to the mountain. From the parking lot (which is pretty high up the mountain, almost at the snow level), we hiked to the refuge at 4,800m. Though the hike looked like it would take about ten minutes, that was not at all the case. With the altitude, you are forced to slowly put one foot in front of the other, moving at a snails pace the whole time. During our hike up, we were walking through the clouds, and it even snowed a bit. Luckily, by the time we made it back to our bikes, it had started to clear up and we were finally able to see the amazing mountain, a very cute fox, and many wild horses. It was all down hill from there! After a fun bike ride down, then some cross country, then down again, we arrived at the bottom for a well earned meal.
Once again, I can't seem to figure out how to post pictures, so I added them to this page:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109164353544358903729/Ecuador
In the short time I have been here, I have met some of the most astounding people, people who live life by traveling, exploring, climbing, biking... And doing the things they love. I have done nothing and been nowhere compared to many of them, and it has been such an amazing experience to meet them, hear their stories, and become friends. That is the best thing about traveling alone, not only can you decide what you want to do and when, but you make instant friends with the people you meet. I wouldn't want it any other way. Before leaving for this trip, I had made a loose plan... Where I would go and even a guess as to when. Now though, I see that is just stupid. The best way to do this kind of trip is to just go with the flow, travel with the people you meet, and take all the opportunities you can get. Who knows where I will be in a week, heck, even tomorrow!
Once again, I can't seem to figure out how to post pictures, so I added them to this page:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109164353544358903729/Ecuador
In the short time I have been here, I have met some of the most astounding people, people who live life by traveling, exploring, climbing, biking... And doing the things they love. I have done nothing and been nowhere compared to many of them, and it has been such an amazing experience to meet them, hear their stories, and become friends. That is the best thing about traveling alone, not only can you decide what you want to do and when, but you make instant friends with the people you meet. I wouldn't want it any other way. Before leaving for this trip, I had made a loose plan... Where I would go and even a guess as to when. Now though, I see that is just stupid. The best way to do this kind of trip is to just go with the flow, travel with the people you meet, and take all the opportunities you can get. Who knows where I will be in a week, heck, even tomorrow!
August 19, 2011
In the heart of the Andes, Quito
"But that’s the glory of foreign travel... Suddenly you are five years old again. You can’t read anything, you have only the most rudimentary sense of how things work, you can’t even reliably cross a street without endangering your life. Your whole existence becomes a series of interesting guesses.”
Wow. This place is amazing! I am literally surrounded by mountains on all sides, and I can't seem to get use to how cool it is. Every time I step outside, I am amazed all over again, and point out the mountains (with the city creeping up them) to whomever I am with. They just look at me like "yes, you are right, the mountains haven't disappeared since last night..." At first I was afraid I would not get any pictures of this beautiful city because it would not be safe for me to take out my camera, but lucky for me, I made an Ecuadorian friend (who has lived in Portland for years, small world) who has taken me to some amazing places (and since I was with him, it was much safer for me to take out my camera). One night, we walked around the old town, with it's amazing buildings and thousands of churches, and then we went to a cafe on top of a tall building, which had amazing views. There is no way to capture how amazing Quito is at night, you just have to be there, but my photos will give you an idea (I can't figure out how to post them on here, so if you go down to the bottom of this post there is a link to my pictures, and if that doesn't work, let me know).
My favorite thing as of yet has been taking the teleferico up to 4,200m (14,000ft), by far the highest I have ever been! Imagine standing that high up, looking down at a city that seems to stretch forever (literally, even from up there you can't see both ends, it is now over 20km long) and looking in front and around you are the Andes. It is heaven. We took pictures, watched the sunset, and watched the city lights spread throughout the city as it grew dark. It was magical. A fox even came right up to us as we were standing there, a few feet away, and just watched us. Once again, I could never capture the beauty of this place, but there are many pictures in the album to give you an idea of what it is like.
Quito. Where buses don't stop for you to get on, where everyone puts on a sweatshirt or two once it hits 20c (70f), where everyone rides mountain bikes, even on the street, and where even I can kind of find my way around because of the huge towering mountains that help serve as landmarks. My home stay family is very nice, and though we can't say too much because of the language barrier, we have managed to communicate. Quito is very different from what I am use to. Here, not only can I not go out at night alone, but even during the day it can be iffy. Good thing I have made a few friends, and have been able to go out everyday day and night since I arrived. The next towns I will be staying in will be much smaller, and hopefully a little safer. As for the Spanish school, it is great. A lot of information and a lot of Spanish at once, but I can tell that even with just a few weeks of these one on one classes, I will be well on my way to understanding at least the basics. As an optional part of the class, I took a salsa lesson, because salsa is not only part of the culture, but practically mandatory when you go out. Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done about my lack of dancing skills, I am not sure if the teacher has ever had someone so untalented and unable to do even the simplest steps. Also with the school, we took a field trip to a valley about thirty minutes away to eat cuy, or guinea pig.
I can't believe it has only been a week considering how much I have gotten to do, from walking around the market, to taking pictures at 14,000ft, to meeting some of the most interesting and amazing people that exist. Here are a few of the differences I noticed right away. Just because there is a stop sign, that does not mean the cars actually stop, or even slow down. The rules for driving here are very different because, well, there are no rules! At night, stop lights turn into stop signs, their kind of stop sign, meaning slow down a bit if you want, and no one uses seat belts. Oh, and lanes and turning signals are optional, and are rarely used correctly. Another difference is that lunch, not dinner, is their biggest meal, and that the weather here is bipolar. It will be sunny and warm, and five minutes later, hailing, only to be sunny again within the hour.
Well, that is all for now. This weekend I am going biking (not sure where, some organized thing) at night, and then I am going to mountain bike down Cotopaxi, Ecuador's second highest peak (20,000ft). I can't wait! Oh, and, it's official. I am never coming back. So far I have had fresh passion fruit and mango juice, as well as coconut milk. What more could you ask for.
Here is a link to some of my photos thus far:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109164353544358903729/Ecuador#
Wow. This place is amazing! I am literally surrounded by mountains on all sides, and I can't seem to get use to how cool it is. Every time I step outside, I am amazed all over again, and point out the mountains (with the city creeping up them) to whomever I am with. They just look at me like "yes, you are right, the mountains haven't disappeared since last night..." At first I was afraid I would not get any pictures of this beautiful city because it would not be safe for me to take out my camera, but lucky for me, I made an Ecuadorian friend (who has lived in Portland for years, small world) who has taken me to some amazing places (and since I was with him, it was much safer for me to take out my camera). One night, we walked around the old town, with it's amazing buildings and thousands of churches, and then we went to a cafe on top of a tall building, which had amazing views. There is no way to capture how amazing Quito is at night, you just have to be there, but my photos will give you an idea (I can't figure out how to post them on here, so if you go down to the bottom of this post there is a link to my pictures, and if that doesn't work, let me know).
My favorite thing as of yet has been taking the teleferico up to 4,200m (14,000ft), by far the highest I have ever been! Imagine standing that high up, looking down at a city that seems to stretch forever (literally, even from up there you can't see both ends, it is now over 20km long) and looking in front and around you are the Andes. It is heaven. We took pictures, watched the sunset, and watched the city lights spread throughout the city as it grew dark. It was magical. A fox even came right up to us as we were standing there, a few feet away, and just watched us. Once again, I could never capture the beauty of this place, but there are many pictures in the album to give you an idea of what it is like.
Quito. Where buses don't stop for you to get on, where everyone puts on a sweatshirt or two once it hits 20c (70f), where everyone rides mountain bikes, even on the street, and where even I can kind of find my way around because of the huge towering mountains that help serve as landmarks. My home stay family is very nice, and though we can't say too much because of the language barrier, we have managed to communicate. Quito is very different from what I am use to. Here, not only can I not go out at night alone, but even during the day it can be iffy. Good thing I have made a few friends, and have been able to go out everyday day and night since I arrived. The next towns I will be staying in will be much smaller, and hopefully a little safer. As for the Spanish school, it is great. A lot of information and a lot of Spanish at once, but I can tell that even with just a few weeks of these one on one classes, I will be well on my way to understanding at least the basics. As an optional part of the class, I took a salsa lesson, because salsa is not only part of the culture, but practically mandatory when you go out. Unfortunately, there is nothing to be done about my lack of dancing skills, I am not sure if the teacher has ever had someone so untalented and unable to do even the simplest steps. Also with the school, we took a field trip to a valley about thirty minutes away to eat cuy, or guinea pig.
I can't believe it has only been a week considering how much I have gotten to do, from walking around the market, to taking pictures at 14,000ft, to meeting some of the most interesting and amazing people that exist. Here are a few of the differences I noticed right away. Just because there is a stop sign, that does not mean the cars actually stop, or even slow down. The rules for driving here are very different because, well, there are no rules! At night, stop lights turn into stop signs, their kind of stop sign, meaning slow down a bit if you want, and no one uses seat belts. Oh, and lanes and turning signals are optional, and are rarely used correctly. Another difference is that lunch, not dinner, is their biggest meal, and that the weather here is bipolar. It will be sunny and warm, and five minutes later, hailing, only to be sunny again within the hour.
Well, that is all for now. This weekend I am going biking (not sure where, some organized thing) at night, and then I am going to mountain bike down Cotopaxi, Ecuador's second highest peak (20,000ft). I can't wait! Oh, and, it's official. I am never coming back. So far I have had fresh passion fruit and mango juice, as well as coconut milk. What more could you ask for.
Here is a link to some of my photos thus far:
https://picasaweb.google.com/109164353544358903729/Ecuador#
August 13, 2011
Safe and sound in Quito
"Miss, your passport is not valid, it's not signed." Well, that is not exactly how I planned for my trip to start out while checking in at the Eugene airport, but, it did. Luckily, the lady handed me a pen and let me sign it there and then, forgoing any potential problems. You would think that with my history of traveling more than the average person, I would have thought to do that before actually arriving at the airport, but, apparently that detail hadn't made it on my to-do list. I am happy to announce, however, that the rest of my long tedious journey to Quito was otherwise uneventful. After two red eye flights, I arrived in Huston at six (am), which felt like four, only to be stuck there for a thirteen hour lay-over. Thankfully, it was not as bad as it sounds. It let me catch up on a few important things, like say, planning a bit for where I shall be in a few weeks, and sleeping in a corner on the nice hard floor.
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.”- Freya Stark. This pretty much sums it up. I know no one, I have never been here, and I don't even know the language. This is a feeling most people don't know, or at least don't seek out, but for me, it's one of the reasons I have chosen to do this trip. My host family, or rather host grandfather, picked me up from the airport in Quito at midnight when I arrived (thirty hours after leaving my house in Eugene), and I entered into a new way of life, one that will become "normal" for me over the next ten months. We rode back to his house (more like apartment) in a taxi, and were greeted by his wife, their kid in his twenties, and a very old dog. They showed me around their house and then wished me goodnight, as it was already 1am. I have never been somewhere, for an extended period of time, where I really didn't know any of the language. Boy is it weird! I understand bits and pieces of what is said to me, but I always want to answer back in French. I keep saying "oui," instead of "si," which is very unhelpful because at least if I was saying "yes" they would understand it! Well, I have a huge motivation now to learn Spanish, because if not, I won't be talking much over the next year, and, as we all know, that probably wouldn't be possible for me.
From my flight over:
Quito, the capital of Ecuador (1.5 million habitants), is a very historical, lively, and beautiful city found in the Andes at 2850m (10,000ft). As I have never lived (or even been) somewhere this high, it will take some adjusting, especially before I can do anything active. The city is split up into "new town"- more of a tourist area, with guesthouses, restaurants, and lots of nightlife, and "old town"- a Unesco World Heritage Site composed of 17th-century facades, beautiful plazas, and majestic churches. Needless to say, I plan on spending my time in the old town, visiting the huge handicraft market, wandering around the plazas with my camera, and taking the sky tram up to 4100m (and if the coca leaves, which are used for altitude sickness, help me out, hopefully I will get to summit Rucu Pichincha, a three hour hike from the sky tram and 4680m high)!
Well, that is more than enough for today. I am off to explore this amazing place, so I will check in again in a few days!
“To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.”- Freya Stark. This pretty much sums it up. I know no one, I have never been here, and I don't even know the language. This is a feeling most people don't know, or at least don't seek out, but for me, it's one of the reasons I have chosen to do this trip. My host family, or rather host grandfather, picked me up from the airport in Quito at midnight when I arrived (thirty hours after leaving my house in Eugene), and I entered into a new way of life, one that will become "normal" for me over the next ten months. We rode back to his house (more like apartment) in a taxi, and were greeted by his wife, their kid in his twenties, and a very old dog. They showed me around their house and then wished me goodnight, as it was already 1am. I have never been somewhere, for an extended period of time, where I really didn't know any of the language. Boy is it weird! I understand bits and pieces of what is said to me, but I always want to answer back in French. I keep saying "oui," instead of "si," which is very unhelpful because at least if I was saying "yes" they would understand it! Well, I have a huge motivation now to learn Spanish, because if not, I won't be talking much over the next year, and, as we all know, that probably wouldn't be possible for me.
From my flight over:
Quito, the capital of Ecuador (1.5 million habitants), is a very historical, lively, and beautiful city found in the Andes at 2850m (10,000ft). As I have never lived (or even been) somewhere this high, it will take some adjusting, especially before I can do anything active. The city is split up into "new town"- more of a tourist area, with guesthouses, restaurants, and lots of nightlife, and "old town"- a Unesco World Heritage Site composed of 17th-century facades, beautiful plazas, and majestic churches. Needless to say, I plan on spending my time in the old town, visiting the huge handicraft market, wandering around the plazas with my camera, and taking the sky tram up to 4100m (and if the coca leaves, which are used for altitude sickness, help me out, hopefully I will get to summit Rucu Pichincha, a three hour hike from the sky tram and 4680m high)!
Well, that is more than enough for today. I am off to explore this amazing place, so I will check in again in a few days!
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