15 May
Days 13/14 Ecuador. Very active rest days. We hiked to the top of Cumbre del Ilaló, a little peak near Quito. Todd climbed to the top of the cross! We ate lots of amazing food. We went to Cotopaxi national park and rode horses, and we got to ride next to *wild* horses, it was so cool. We also saw condors! They are *huge* and so beautiful. We also hiked up to Cotopaxi base camp around 16,000 feet. Cotopaxi is the second highest summit in Ecuador and it’s not possible to climb right now because it’s active AF. But it was cool walking to base camp and smelling the sulfur fumes pummeling down the mountain. Next up is Chimborazo… wish us luck!!
15 May
15 May
Day 11/12 Ecuador - Antisana! Before this climb, I read the following on SummitPost: “Antisana is Ecuador's 4th highest volcano and one of the least climbed. It has a reputation for being a difficult and dangerous mountain… Its active glaciers make routefinding a significant problem and it is easy to find yourself lost in a city of seracs on the upper glacier. It doesn't help that the "Standard Route" described in the lasted editions of the climbing guides isn't the standard route any longer due to its length and crevasse difficulties.” Reading this had me freaked me out. And it was all pretty on point! We didn’t make the summit for a variety of reasons, me being scared shitless, running out of time before the sun hit the seracs that might fall and kill us, and (most importantly) giant crevasses literally blocking the route to the summit. This was a *wild* experience. I “learned” to ice/snow climb next to the biggest glacier I’ve ever seen… at 17,000 feet… while I was screaming my brains out thinking I was gonna plunge into the abyss! 😂 Huge thanks to our *amazing* guide @fabianbustillosmancheno for navigating this glaciated labyrinth in the pitch black, keeping us safe, and for being patient with me while I freaked out while yielding ice picks! And thanks to @toddlesnbits for choosing this adventure. I ended up loving it so much! Even though we didn’t summit, it still felt like such an epic success! I will always remember this day in the mountains.
15 May
Days 8/9 Ecuador. Attempt of Cayambe. We arrived at the Cayambe Refugio around 1pm and spent some time resting, after taking in the views of the glacier and the mountain. We woke up at 11pm and started climbing at midnight. Once we roped in and started our ascent on the glacier, the snow was noticeably punchy, at times we were sinking into our knees. We crossed multiple small crevasses. At around 5,000 meters (16,000 feet), Fabian dug a snow pit and we discovered two very week layers (caused by recent rain and warm conditions) with hard slab between them, making for very dangerous avalanche conditions. All parties on the mountain decided to turn around and it was a smart decision. On the way back, both Fabian and Todd sunk hip/waist deep into small crevasses at different times. While I’m sad we didn’t make the summit, being safe in the mountains means knowing when to turn around. We made it back to the Refugio alive, a success in itself. All the guys went to sleep and I stayed awake and watched the sunrise. It was mind blowing. The plum of Cotopaxi looked like it was on fire at one point. Huge thanks to @fabianbustillosmancheno for making smart decisions while guiding on the mountain. ❤️❤️❤️
15 May
Days 7 & 8 Ecuador - We stayed with a Kichua family near Cotacachi. We learned about this opportunity through our guide of the Mindo Cloud Forest. The family speaks no English, so we had to try very hard to practice our (very bad) Spanish. Sara, the 9-year-old daughter, introduced us to all their animals and taught us the names of all the plants and animals in Spanish. We also met her grandmother who speaks only Kichua and we helped retrieve their lost cow who was eating the neighbor’s garden. The next day, we walked around the Cotacachi crater lake with another Kichua woman (Wari) who taught us about the indigenous history and culture of the Cotacachi and Otavalo regions. We then travelled to Otavalo, to explore the artisan market, and sleep in a beautiful cabin on the hill, owned by a Mestizo woman, who told us about her viewpoints, very different from the view of the Kichua people we met. I really enjoyed speaking in depth with the local people from these regions. Gearing up now to climb Cayambe (if the weather participates with us!)
15 May
Days 6 & 7 Ecuador. Holy shit! We got higher than ever before summiting Illiniza Norte. (16,818 feet / 5,126 meters) We hiked in and slept at the Illiniza Refugio, which is around 15,600 feet. That night, it stormed with thunder and lightning. We woke up and the mountain was covered in snow, which made the 4th-class exposed climbing a little bit spicy! I really had to practice managing my fear with this one. And we finally had *views* of all the surrounding volcanoes - Cotopaxi (while erupting), Antisana, Cayambe, El Corazón, and more. It was truly one of the most epic days we’ve ever experienced in the mountains. We are pumped! Best honeymoon ever so far! Click for video: Subtitles Subtitles for video
15 May
Day 5 Ecuador. Summited El Corazón! 15,708 feet. We had great views of Cotopaxi and Illiniza on the approach and then we climbed right into the clouds again. Today was our first day climbing with our *amazing* guide Fabián and we had so much fun! We felt strong and acclimated! We are stoked to keep getting higher! Tomorrow we leave for Illiniza!
15 May
Day 4 in Ecuador. Rest/eating day in Quito. Spent the day eating all the food (including Guinea pig!), lounging around Tres Gatos Cafe with our books, and reading up on the political events of the week. Just 3 days ago, the president (Lasso) dissolved the legislature that was trying to impeach him. The constitutional power, which had never been used in Ecuador before, allows Lasso to rule by decree until new elections can be held. Wild shit. Stoked to get back into the mountains tomorrow. Keep getting higher!
15 May
Day 3 in Ecuador. Summited Ruca Pichincha at 15,354 feet (taller than anything in the states!) just before 11:30am. We took the Telefariqo to the trailhead and climbed straight into the clouds. It was cold, wet and slippery. At the summit, the view (of the white-out fog) was superb, unfortunately we didn’t see any nearby volcanoes! We felt really good and acclimated, we climbed fast! And we met some very cute (and stylish) llamas on the way down. Ended the day in a meat coma after an enormous Argentinian feast. The food here is so freaking good! We are happy high-elevation bunnies!
15 May
Day 2 in Ecuador - Into the Mindo Cloud Forest. About 2.5 hours outside of Quito, the Mindo Cloud Forest feels like a different world completely. We started the day having breakfast looking out at the jungle, surrounded by hummingbirds. There are just over 200 varieties in the area. After that we visited a butterfly preserve and watched butterflies hatching from their cocoons. Next, we took the “Tarabita” (an air tram) across a beautiful canyon in the cloud forest and hiked to six different waterfalls. The trees were covered in bromeliads and ancient-looking vines. On the drive out, we saw a tucan! Next, we ate local trout and pork for lunch in the town of Mindo and then went chocolate tasting, where we had the most delicious brownie we’ve ever had - it was truly mind blowing (Ecuador is known for its high quality cocoa and even exports much of it to places like Switzerland). Finally, we drove back to Quito where we met our mountain guide (Fabian) for dinner - the first time we met him in person - to discuss our upcoming mountain expeditions. Getting psyched to get high!
15 May
Day 1 in Quito! We walked over ten miles exploring the city, visiting multiple beautiful parks, the Plaza de la Independencia, the San Francisco Church, and made an attempt to top out Panecillo, where two guys tried to mug us with a knife! We were able to escape, pushed ‘em off and sprinted down hundreds of steps to get away. We also visited not one but two cat cafes (thank you Todd for entertaining my desires) and ate our way across town (the food here is hella good). It was a big first day in Ecuador! 🗡️🙀🥐🚶♀️⛪️🐈🍹🌞
15 May
It’s the final countdown! Enjoying the sunshine, the sand, and good friends before we kick off our wedding weekend! 💒🌞🐕