Yesterday we climbed to the top of Chimborazo, 20,702′, with clear skies above the clouds. The climb started from our high camp at 16,200’ with a brief scramble over rock scree, and then onto the glacier where we ascended up the flanks to the summit of the highest peak in Ecuador. Chimborazo is not the highest mountain […]
Today our team reached the top of Cotopaxi at 19,347′! We began at midnight and climbed through the night, up the glaciated slopes around crevasses and some steep snow to reach the top just after sunrise. We had excellent views of Quito, as well as the surrounding volcanoes Chimborazo, Cayambe, and Antisana. Now we are […]
We spent the day on the glaciated slopes of Cotopaxi reviewing climbing skills such as rope travel, ice axe arrest, and crampon technique. The day was sunny in the beginning but later turned into a moderate blizzard, making it a fun afternoon! We climbed up to 17,000′ to acclimate before returning to our lodge for […]
Today we hiked to the extinct volcano above Quito, utilizing the telepherique to gain some elevation at the start of the hike! The ‘old volcano’ was a pleasant walk up and rocky scramble at the end. The weather was cool today with clouds keeping us out of the hot equatorial sun. We are now enroute […]
Today the team left Quito to hike up the nearby peak, Pasachoa. We hiked through the forest and up the grassy slopes of the extinct volcano, making our way to the 13,800 summit. Clear skies and a warm breeze greeted us at the top. We are back in Quito tonight for dinner then heading out […]
Our Aconcagua climbers had a wonderful climb of the highest peak in the western hemisphere! Now all climbers are back in Mendoza and are in transit or preparing to head home to friends, family, and loved ones. We look forward to returning to Aconcagua in December of 2015 next season! A big congratulations to Vibeke […]
I’m happy to report that today our team made it to the top of Aconcagua (22,834′) at approximately 3:30 PM local time. The conditions today were near perfect, hardly any wind and clear views. It was a long climb up from our high camp, and after about 7 hours we reached the “roof” of South […]
After a long climb today we are now in high camp and preparing for our summit attempt. If the good weather continues we may leave early tomorrow morning and set out for the summit. The views from high camp are amazing, and it feels really good to have come this far. Everyone is doing well […]
Today we climbed up to our Camp 2. It was a good push but everyone did fine today and now we are resting and taking in the spectacular views! We are camped alongside another group of climbers and have become good friends with them over the recent days. Things are looking good and we hope […]
After a few days resting in base camp, organizing gear, and carrying loads, we have now moved up to Camp 1. We have a nice view looking down into the valley below, now we really have begun the climb! This is probably one of the toughest parts of the mountain as there was a lot […]