Otavalo City Archives

Ecuador 2022.03.01

Chimborazo Summit!

Yesterday our team reached the summit of Chimborazo (6263m/20,543ft) – Ecuador’s highest peak and the closest point to the Moon and furthest from Earth’s center! Garrett, Victor (@VictorVescovo), and Estalin left their high camp on Chimborazo (5304m/17,400ft) at midnight and climbed through a mild electrical storm (lightning) to reach the summit at 6 AM on a clear morning.

They had some nice views at the top of this massive glaciated volcano, then made their way down and are now safely back in Quito. They feel very lucky as the previous week the weather and route conditions (snowstorms, deep and unstable snow) made it impossible for climbers to reach the summit of Chimborazo.

This concludes our private expedition to Ecuador, next up is our Mount Everest and Lhotse expedition in Nepal that kicks off in a couple of weeks! Stay tuned!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

March 11, 2022/0 Comments/by Garrett

Ecuador 2022.03.01

Cotopaxi Summit!

Victor V. and Garrett on the summit of Cotopaxi!

The Madison Mountaineering team of Victor Vescovo (@VictorVescovo), Estalin Suarez, and Garrett Madison had a great climb of Cotopaxi (5897m/19,347ft)! Despite some challenging weather conditions over the last few days their summit morning was nice with some great views from the top!

Victor’s ice axe has been with him to the top of Everest, the bottom of the ocean (Mariana Trench Challenger Deep) during his Five Deeps Expedition and now the summit of Cotopaxi. The climbers were also able to test out their Omega Speedmaster Moonwatches on the climb, the first watch worn on the Moon! Thanks to Omega for helping sponsor the climb!

The team is resting in Banos for a day before heading off to Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest peak and the closest point to the sun. Fingers crossed for good weather and route conditions, as recent teams have turned back on their Chimborazo summit attempts due to deep snow.

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

March 8, 2022/0 Comments/by Garrett

Ecuador 2022.03.01

Greetings from Ecuador!

Our team of Garrett Madison, Victor Vescovo (@VictorVescovo), and Estalin Suarez have begun their mountaineering program by acclimatizing on some ancient and extinct volcanoes before heading to their first objective, Cotopaxi (5897m/19,347ft)! They’ve trekked up Pashachoa, Ruminahui, and are heading to Cotopaxi tomorrow evening to make their first summit attempt. Cotopaxi is a stratovolcano, the second-highest peak in Ecuador and one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.

So far the team has enjoyed some cool and moist weather in the lush countryside.

Stay tuned as they make their way up Cotopaxi and later Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest peak and also the furthest point from the center of the Earth.

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

March 4, 2022/0 Comments/by Garrett

Ecuador 2021.01.10

Lake Cuicocha – Wow!

Mark and Estalin hiking around Laguna Cuicocha

Our Ecuador Volcanoes team continued their acclimatization today with a hike around Laguna Cuicocha just west of Otavalo. They enjoyed some really good weather with some cooling clouds but no rain. It was a nice, relaxing hike over six hours between 3000 and 3512 meters (over 11,500 ft. MSL). The views of Laguna Cuicocha are beautiful all the way around the looping trail.

Everyone is feeling good and getting stronger at altitude. Tomorrow they will hike Imbabura volcano with a summit over 15,000 ft.

Acclimatizing around Cuicocha Lake

The crater lake of Cuicocha set among volcanic mountains

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

January 13, 2021/0 Comments/by Kurt

Ecuador 2021.01.10

Fuya Fuya For Acclimatizing

Today our second Ecuador expedition (of four in a row), got going with the team making the drive up from Quito and starting out with their acclimatizing on the extinct volcanic peak, Fuya Fuya (~14,000 ft.) just south of the town of Otavalo. Everyone is feeling good – healthy and strong!

Tonight they will spend the evening at the Hacienda Pinsaqui before another great day of acclimatizing as they get ready for the first major volcano climb of Cayambe.

A beautiful view of Mojanda Lake

Reaching the top of Fuya Fuya

Mojanda Lake

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

January 11, 2021/0 Comments/by Kurt

Ecuador 2020.12

Chimborazo Summit!

With the Chimborazo summit success yesterday, our very successful Ecuador 16-day expedition concluded today and everyone is headed home safe. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, provides this final dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Ecuador Volcanoes program. Yesterday we summited Chimborazo, the highest volcano, highest peak in Ecuador, and closest point to the Sun, furthest point from the center of the Earth as well.

We had a great climb, concluded a wonderful program here in Ecuador – three volcanoes, three summits (!) and we’re all heading home safe. It’s been a wonderful trip!

Heading up Chimborazo

Dinning at Chimborazo’s high camp

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

https://madisonmountaineering.com/maps/ecuador-2020-12

January 11, 2021/0 Comments/by Garrett

Ecuador 2020.12

Cotopaxi Summit!

Congratulations are in order to our Ecuador team as they made a fantastic ascent of Cotopaxi. Here’s expedition leader Garrett Madison‘s recap of the day and what’s next:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ecuador Volcanoes program. Today’s January 6th and we were fortunate and lucky to have climbed Cotopaxi today, Ecuador’s second highest peak, with great weather, fantastic conditions on the mountain, both route conditions and weather. We had views of Cayambe, which we climbed a few days before, and also of Chimborazo, our next objective, Ecuador’s highest peak and the furtherest point from the center of the Earth.

We came down to the Tambopaxi Lodge here in the national park, had a restful afternoon, a nice dinner, and now we’re getting ready for bed for some much needed sleep.

Tomorrow we’re off the Baños for a couple days of rest in the thermal hot springs and then off to Chimborazo! All’s well here in Ecuador!

Cotopaxi climbing

Nearing the summit of Cotopaxi

Garrett Madison on top of Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi summit team!

Heading down from the top of Cotopaxi

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

https://madisonmountaineering.com/maps/ecuador-2020-12

January 7, 2021/0 Comments/by Garrett

Ecuador 2020.12

Cayambe Summit!

Congratulations Ecuador team on yesterday’s summit of Cayambe (5790m/18,996ft)! Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, called in this expedition dispatch with the details of the climb:

Hello! This is Garrett calling in for the Ecuador Volcanoes team in Quito, Ecuador.

We just climbed Mount Cayambe yesterday – over 19,000 ft. It was a snowy day. We were in the clouds most of the day and then had a view near the top on New Year’s Day. It was a full-on climb! We had some snow, a little wind, but we made it and got back down to the hut last night, celebrated, spent the night there at 13,000 ft. in the Cayambe Hut.

Today we drove back to Quito for a brief rest. The day after tomorrow, we’re going to make our way towards Cotopaxi.

Everyone’s doing well! We had a great first climb. Happy New Year 2021!

Cayambe Hut – Refugio Ruales Oleas Bergé

Climbing Cayambe

Getting above the clouds on Cayambe

Celebrating summit number one – Cayambe

Enjoying the Cayambe Hut

Sunset on the Cayambe Hut

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

https://madisonmountaineering.com/maps/ecuador-2020-12

January 2, 2021/0 Comments/by Garrett

Ecuador 2020.12

Imbabura Volcano

One last day of acclimatization hiking around Otavalo before the team heads to Cayambe tomorrow. Garrett provides the details of today’s hike up the Imbabura volcano:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Ecuador Volcanoes program. Today we hiked up the volcano Imbabura – 15,000 ft.! It was a beautiful hike up this inactive stratovolcano in northern Ecuador. It hasn’t erupted in over 14,000 years, but its intermittently capped with snow – no permanent glaciers. Very fertile slopes around Imbabura.

We got back down this evening, had a nice dinner here at the Hacienda Pinsaqui for our last night. Tomorrow we’re gonna pack up and drive to Cayambe, up to the mountain hut on the volcano and get ready for our first glaciated climb.

All’s well here in Ecuador! We’ve been having a great time and are excited to head to our first mountain soon.

Acclimation hike on the Imbabura volcano

Nearing the summit of Imbabura

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

December 31, 2020/0 Comments/by Garrett

Ecuador 2020.12

Lake Cuicocha and more acclimatizing

Our Ecuador team continued their acclimatization today with a hike around Laguna Cuicocha just west of Otavalo. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, has today’s dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Ecuador Volcanoes program. Today we hiked around Lake Cuicocha and it was nice weather, we got to see the lake and some nice views overlooking the hills around including the summit we did yesterday and tomorrow’s objective as well. Another great day here acclimitizing in Ecuador. We’re staying at the Hacienda Pinsaqui, which is a great accomidation.

We are excited for tomorrow’s hike and then heading over to Cayambe, the first glaciated volcano in our program. Everyone’s doing well and all’s good here in Ecuador!