Climbing Volcano Chimbarazo

We arrived in Riobamba, where we met some difficulties hailing a cab for one dollar. I guess we just looked too gringo with our bike backpacks, getting right of the bus from Banos. A nice lady on the street hopped in the cab with us she got for one dollar, which we were happy to pay as she rode with us to the Hostal Oasis. Oasis is a very cute, family run place with a very quirky, kitschy feel. We asked some questions about going to an agency to find out about hiking up (or around) dormant Volcano Chimborazo, which is the highest Volcano in Ecuador, the furthest point from the center of the Earth (due to the Earth’s equatorial bulge), and the closest point on Earth to the Sun. Because of our proximity to it and James’s encouragement and certainty about climbing up it, we decided to go speak with someone about it. Although it was Sunday and almost everything in Riobamba was closed, we were really surprised when the English-speaking owner of Julio Verne Expediciones, Popgye (pronounced Pop-gea) from The Netherlands, offered to pick us up at the Hostal and take us over to the office to talk about possibilities with Chilborazo. JJ and I were very happy to meet her and she was incredibly thorough at answering all of our questions. Even though we have never done a technical mountain climb before, and Chimborazo Is even higher than Cotopaxi, we decided to sign up for the overnight tour and attempt to summit Chimborazo at over 6,268 meters (20,564 feet above sea-level), while climbing over-night. We are in good shape, we are feeling good, once in a life-time right?

After a very nice pizza dinner at El Chacacero and a good sleep, we woke up the next day and packed our bags for Pulingui San Pablo, an indigenous village Popgye recommended we spend the night at one day prior to our climb in order to properly acclimatize for the high-altitude climb. At the village, we stayed at Casa del Condor, an eclectic and almost run-down lodge where we were the only ones staying, but the sheets were clean, there was hot water for tea, and a heater in the room. We made lunch in the kitchen and then relaxed for a bit, I am finally getting confident at the knitting and did that for a while. Then, we packed our water and headed up the hill (small mountain) that rose steeply in front of the hostal. We headed up at over a 40 degree angle for about 45 minutes, until we could no longer see the Casa del Condor below. Realizing that we hiked way higher than we thought because we could not see the top of the ridge from below, we decided to just keep going to the top. Reaching the ridge 45 minutes later, we felt very accomplished. The clouds that had surrounded Chimborazo all day had cleared and we had perfect views of the volcano. We hiked down, and while relaxing outside looking at the mountain, two Quechua-speaking indigenous ladies from the community came to visit with us (Rosa and Manuela) because they saw I was knitting and wanted to see what I was doing. I made out that they knew the stitch and wanted to help me along, so Manuela took over the knitting while we talked. Her hands moved as fast as an electric mixer. When I looked down, she had doubled what I had been working on all day! She tried to show me a different way to hold the knitting needles so that I would do faster and I sort of got it, but I need to practice! They were both very nice and told us that we would have good weather on the mountain. After they wished us luck on the climb, we made a very high-calorie dinner of mac and cheese then headed to bed. JJ perfected the heater in the room and when we had to go out to use the bathroom, we realized it was about 25 degrees cooler outside our room!

In the morning, a truck came to pick us up from Julio Verne and take us up the mountain to the first refugio. We saw our Ecuadorian mountain guide, Eloy, in the front, and in the back was a big surprise, JAMES! He decided he would climb up the mountain with us and he and Sam came to Riobamba the day prior. Heading up the volcano and through the misty clouds, noticed wild vicuña’s, a relative of the llama. We reached the first refuge, the Carrel Hut at 4, 850 meters and had a nice and filling lunch. Then, we strapped on our boots loaded up our packs with food and gear for our climb, and made our way one kilometer up with the stuff to the next refugio, the Whymper Hut at 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). This was already higher than we had reached at Cotopaxi, and we were feeling good. We picked our beds and spent the rest of the day drinking hot tea and playing the card game, “shit head” with James. I. As more climbers reached the hut, we visited with them and learned that most of the men (they were all men) had been up Chimborazo before or had serious mountaineering experience. At dinner time (5:30 pm) we estimated there were about 20 men there, including the guides. None of us were hungry (you usually lose your appetite at this altitude), but we shoveled down our soup and pasta in order to get calories needed for the climb. Attempting to sleep was next on the tour agenda, which included whimpering in the cold, and rubbing my feet together to make sure they we still there until I drifted off for about an hour).

We “woke up” at 10:30 pm to eat more “breakfast”, packed up our day packs, put on our harnesses, grabbed our ice-axes and made our way through the dark, slowly following Eloy, the mountain goat (who has been up Chimborazo over 470 times and is 40 years old). We made our swiftly to a point below the glacier about an hour later to put on our cramp-ons and have a snack. Soon after, we got to a place below the glacier where there were frequent rock slides because of the little snow pack. Eloy told us that we would have to move quickly through the area and the next 200 meters. Well on we went, almost running! At this altitude, JJ and I were dog-tired from the energy we needed to do this. We finally got to the start of a very steep slope and took another rest to hydrate and eat. We caught our breath and continued on using the ice-ax as a walking pole and breathing every step- while roped to Eloy. We were moving slow and steady, trying to maintain a rhythm, but Eloy kept trying to make us go faster or without as frequent as the breaks we needed. We realized that he was nervous about the sun coming up in a few hours and melting more on the snow, causing increased rock slides for the way down. We had been going about five and a half hours up the very steep slope (over 40 degree slope) of us and snow as sun began to make its first light in the sky. We demanded a rest and had some of a cliff bar we had saved. Both of us were extremely tired and out of breath, but had the will to keep going. We continued to 5,800 meters (19, 028 feet) until I just could not go anymore and the sky was almost full of light. I was out of energy, even though JJ definitely could have reached the summit 500 more meters (almost one mile) up above us. I could not believe how far I had climbed, how tired I was, how little it seemed we had to go (but at this altitude it is no easy task), and that now I had to go down. I felt terrible that JJ had to sacrifice the summit for me, but he was so proud and happy of what we had accomplished. For having no prior mountaineering experience, we actually did fantastic. Eloy thought that it was time to go down a while before and was very surprised with how well we had done. Going down was a huge task and because of my lack of energy and the feeling of craziness I had about seeing what we climbed up overnight, I was pretty out of it. I needed JJ and Eloy to slowly help me down the mountain. When I got more with it, after chugging two gator-aides and making it down to the first refuge, I was so glad we were down safe and I could rest. Some other guys heading down took my stuff so I did not have to take anything more. I was so happy to be with JJ and James and off that crazy Chimborazo! Looking up at it, I thought about how the conditions were perfect (no wind, no rain, etc), but it was still the most physically challenging thing JJ and I have ever done (way more than a 100 mile century bike ride). I think I am pretty tough, but Chimborazo kicked my butt! At that altitude, and the degree of difficulty, I realize that was no easy under-taking and I am proud to have climbed probably higher than I ever will again in my life! We tiredly made our way back to Riombamba, where we met up with Sam at the hostal. I was so happy to see her we talked about our big adventure, took a big nap, and went out to Mexican food and ice cream (bars) for dessert.

This morning, we said our last goodbye (I think?) to James and Sam. We decided to spend the rest of the day in Riobamba hydrating and resting. We just had a great lunch at a place called “Bonne”, which was the fanciest restaurant we have been to in South America so far. JJ got the plate of the day for lunch which was 3 courses and a whopping $3.57! Can you believe that? Tomorrow we head to Cuenca, Ecuador on a 6 hour bus ride. I know for a fact that JJ and I are ready to do Machu Picchu in 2 weeks from this last adventure! We hope you are all wonderful and if you are climbing mountains of your own, we hope they are easy and safe for you. Enjoy the view!