Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi is the worlds highest active volcano at 5897m, at least this is what you read in all the tour agencies in Quito. With a bit of googling I found out it can be considered the highest because it is closest to the sun (as its so close to the equator). Using height above sea level its about the 5th highest. However technicalities aside, in summary its bloomin high and is crowned with a spectacular glacier making it an awesome sight.

I'd heard about Cotopaxi when i first arrived in Quito and looked at what things there were to do in Ecuador. At that time I didn't have any interest in climbing it. However during my time in Ecuador it was something I continued to hear about and the idea of this challenge slowly grew on me. Helene (see previous post) had spent a lot of time during our trek in Quilotoa talking about other treks she had done in South America as well her plans to attempt a climb of Cotapaxi. This was all inspiring stuff and proved to be the final tipping point - i was in. Both Helene and I knew that we'd be roped together lead by a guide and therefore if either one of us couldn't make the summit (because of altitude sickness or exhaustion etc) we'd both have to turn back. The weather also was going to be a complete gamble. During the same week other groups had failed to make the summit because the weather was so bad having not got very far at all. We waited a day or so until the news that there had been a break in the weather and then that was it, we were off to climb a mountain!

The first morning we were taken to get fitted out with all the gear and introduced to our guide, Christian. We were given waterproof thermals, mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axe, head torches.. you name it!!! It was a leisurely couple of hours drive on tarmac to get to the national park and then another hour or so off-road, slowly ascending towards the volcano. The car park we eventually stopped at was 4,600m above sea level and then its a slow trek up to 4,800m carrying all the gear to the refuge. At that altitude though ever step is tough on the body so it took us a while to reach the refuge, our guide deliberately setting a very slow pace to help our bodies acclimatise. After dropping off our sleeping gear we then trekked up from the refuge to the glacier where Christian taught us the techniques we'd need using crampons and the ice axe; how to walk up, how to walk down, as well as how to fall!! After this we headed back down to the refuge to conserve energy, eat an early dinner and get to bed before 7pm. Christian told us we needed to get up for breakfast at 11:35pm.

I hadn't been feeling good since returning to the refuge. During dinner I was feeling really light-headed. By the time I got to bed i was feeling nauseous and was so cold I couldn't stop shaking even though i was wearing almost all my clothes. I lied there for about an hour like this, all the time listening to the wind and snow battering the refuge and thinking 'what the hell am i doing?!?' and clinging to the hope sleep would give me an escape. It was clear to me that it was the altitude that was affecting me and I started to worry about the climb and the possibility of letting Helene down by having to turn back early. After an hour of shivering and with no sleep I was time for me to seek help, so I went to the dining area where only a few people were left. They realised I needed help, gave me aspirin and a hot drink and woke our guide Christian. Rather embarrassingly Christian made me a hot water bottle... but at the time it was the best thing in the world!! I headed back to bed already thinking there's no way i'd be climbing the next morning or even if I wanted to Christian would probably not allow me to because of the nights events. Thankfully I stopped shivering, felt a little better and drifted into sleep.

The alarm went at 11:35pm and then it was up for tea and breakfast. It was very very surreal with the wind still howling against the refuge and pitch darkness outside. I'd slept pretty well and was feeling much better. I talked things through with Christian about how i felt before compared with now, and he seemed optimistic about my chances and left the decision to climb to me. After an internal pep talk my decision was made - i was going to do it and give it my best shot and and hope I didn't let Helene down.

We left the refuge about 00:30am in the pitch blackness with only head torches to illuminate our way. The weather was poor from the start - howling winds combined with snow. The gear we had been given was great and I kept warm and felt sheltered. Christian, Helene and myself quickly established a steady rhythm and surprisingly it wasn't long before we had overtaken all the groups who had left before us. Some of these people looked much more professional climbers than us amateurs! After an hour of trekking on dirt we got to the glacier where it was time to put on the crampons and get roped together before continuing the ascent.

For several hours we trekked in silence, concentrating only on the next step and trying not to think about how much more further we had to climb, or paying to much attention to the sheer drops into darkness either side of where we were walking! We'd hardly taken any breaks during the first couple of hours through just taking it slow and steady. Climbing in crampons through the snow and ice at an ever increasing altitude became really hard work so towards the end both myself and Helene were becoming very exhausted and having to take more and more breaks. We finally made the summit about 7am both extremely fatigued. It was daylight but the weather at the top was very poor so we couldn't see very much at all and it was bitterly cold. In good conditions the view over Ecuador is supposed to be incredible but also there is an opportunity to peer down into the crater and see it smoking. For us the weather didn't allow this but it really didn't matter. It felt so incredible just to be at the summit and the added bonus that we were the first group to make it that morning!! We didn't stick around and slowly made our descent. It took about 3 hours to return to the refuge, tracing our steps but this time with the daylight being able to view into crevices and underground ice caves only feet away from the path we had taken!

After some hot tea and snacks in the refuge it was time to pack up the gear and head back down to the car park. Everything felt a struggle. It was 11am which felt very strange. We had achieved so much yet still had most of the day ahead of us. England vs USA were going to be playing that afternoon in the first world cup group match which meant we had a leisurely afternoon ahead of us in the bar recovering!

I ran the London Marathon in 2007 which was a hard challenge but I think Cotapaxi has probably trumped it as the hardest thing i've done so far in my life!!! It was incredible!