Ecuador: Climbing Volcanos

We went to Ecuador in 1990 to visit my daughter Frances who was doing a term there as part of her degree. We planned to climb as many volcanoes as we could, acclimatising slowly, starting from Loma Lumbisi at 3039 m and building up to Chimborazo at 6,268 m.

Acclimatisation

After we climbed Rucu Pichincha, near Quito, and Rumiñanhui, we went to Baños, a beautiful, gentle town surrounded by green mountains, where we had a rest and met up with Hans, my climbing friend from Venezuela.

Volcanoes

Together we went on the climb Tunguragua, Cotopaxi, Carihuarazo and Chimborazo. Although not technically difficult, they weren’t easy. In 1990, they were largely snow-covered. Today, with global warming, there is likely to be much less snow, and some slopes may comprise loose ash and be uncomfortable to climb. In 1990, only the ascent of Tunguragua was particularly tiresome. There was a steep, rutted path up to the refuge, and the lower slopes were unstable. Although not good at altitude, Scharlie nevertheless climbed Cotopaxi, nearly 20,000 feet high

Quito

In Quito, we stayed with Ecuadorian friends who introduced us to Ecuadorian culinary delights such as calf’s foot soup (good for hangovers), cow’s udder (like eating Pirelli tyre rubber) and guinea pig (like roast chicken on a spit).  We visited the old town and saw the statue of the Virgin of Quito, which is chained and standing on a snake, supposedly because directly below the monastery, there was a street of prostitutes and the Virgin was chained so she wouldn’t go down and join them.

Reflections

The account describes our struggles to cope with altitude sickness and to find a foothold on the loose ash slopes. It describes our relations with my German friend Hans from Venezuela, whose slow, measured pace Steve found frustrating but whose rhythm suited Scharlie. And between climbs, we relaxed and recovered in the hot thermal springs and the rejuvenating calm of the spa town of Baños and the jungle pools of Papallacta.

Published  29 May 2017, 54 pages, ISBN 9781912460021.