Tag Archive for: Quito

There is no connectivity currently for our Ecuador Volcanoes expedition team, but our expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checked-in today with a quick inReach satellite communicator message:

Hello from Cotopaxi. We’re sipping coca tea in the Jose Rivas Hut (4855m/15,928ft) and resting before beginning our climb around midnight.

Sounds like good living!  Godspeed team as you make your way tonight to Ecuador’s second-highest point, the 5897m / 19,347 ft. summit 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 our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

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Krisli enjoying the summit of Illiniza Norte

Acclimatization wrapped up today with a successful climb of Ecuador’s Iliniza Norte (5126m/16,813ft).  Next up is Cotopaxi and Chimborazo.  Here’s guide Terray Sylvester’s recap of the two-day climb of Iliniza Norte:

Hello!  This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ecuador Volcanoes expedition on January 28th.  We are just about back to the parking lot after successfully climbing Iliniza Norte over the course of two days.

Yesterday we hiked up to the New Horizons Refuge (Refugio Nuevos Horizontes) at just about 15,500 ft. (4724m) and had a restful night there plus a great dinner of fried trout and guacamole and soup and fresh pineapple.  Then we woak up early this morning – a couple of hours before dawn – and climbed up to the summit of Iliniza Norte, which is 16,800 ft. (5126m).  It’s the eighth highest peak in Ecuador.  It was a great climb, the clouds parted and gave us views of three of Ecuador’s major volcanoes:  Antisana (5704m), Cayambe (5790m), and our next objective, Cotopaxi (5897m).

So now we are right on scheudle to be back at our hacienda for lunch.  We will relax the rest of the day and then tomorrow we will drive into Cotopaxi National Park to begin our ascent.  We’ll be in touch!

Photos by Terray Sylvester @terray_s

Misty conditions on the hike up to Refugio Nuevos Horizontes on Illiniza Norte

Heading up to Refugio Nuevos Horizontes on Illiniza Norte

Enjoying the comforts of the Refugio Nuevos Horizontes at 15,500 ft. elevation on Illiniza Norte

Pre-dawn start for the Illiniza Norte with the lights of El Chaupi and Polivio in the distance below

Heading up Illiniza Norte

Woohoo!  Summit of Illiniza Norte!

Woohoo!  Summit of Illiniza Norte!

Krisli soaks it all in on the summit of Illiniza Norte

Topping out on Illiniza Norte

Cokie surveys the commanding view from the top!

So many Ecuadorean volcanoes in sight.  Cotopaxi, you are next!


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:

Climbers topping out on Corazón

On day three of our 12-day Ecuador Volcanoes expedition, the team continued their acclimatization by climbing the Corazón volcano (4790m/15,700ft).  Here’s expedition leader, Terray Sylvester with today’s audio dispatch:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ecuador Volcanoes expedition.  We are back down at our hacienda in El Chaupi after successfully climbing Corazón volcano today.  That was another beautiful acclimatization hike.  We started out through the lush Ecuadorian highlands, just like yesterday.  This was a fun climb because we gain a rocky ridge about half way up, and some scrambling and a little bit of rope work took us up to the summit at 15,700 ft. (4790m).

Then we returned down to hacienda and the team just finished enjoying a soak in the jacuzzi and some time in the sauna and now we are all just sort of relaxing and waiting for dinner.  So another good acclimatization ascent!

Tomorrow we head up to the refuge between Iliniza Norte and Iliniza Sur where we will spend the night before climbing Iliniza Norte the following day.  So, we’ll be out of touch for a little less than 48 hours until we come back down to El Chaupi and have access to Wi-Fi and cell reception yet again.

Getting going up Corazón

Deep into the mist on the slopes of Corazón

Damp, misty, rocky ridge to the summit of Corazón

Happy Corazón summiteers with a canine friend

Enjoying another great day out acclimatizing


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:

Guides and clients with Madison Mountaineering climb mountains and travel in Ecuador, between January 24 and February 4, 2021.

Our third Ecuador Volcanoes expedition of the season kicked-off today with all of the team arrived in Quito and already tackling their first acclimatization climb.  Here is expedition leader, Terray Sylvester with today’s dispatch:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ecuador Volcanoes trip.  The whole team arrived safely and smoothly in Quito over the last couple of days and today, January 25th, we left Quito and did our first acclimatization ascent on the old, extinct volcano Pasochoa – it’s a couple of hours south of Quito.  The climb went well, went up to the summit at 13,700 ft.  It was a peaceful, beautiful walk through the very lush Ecuadorean highlands here.

Then we drove down to the little town of El Chaupi where we just had a great dinner at the Chuquiragua lodge and now we are going to get to bed early in anticipation of an early start tomorrow for our second acclimatization ascent – that will be another extinct volcano called Corazón.  We’re all looking forward to the two main objectives on our trip, which will be Cotopaxi and Chimborazo.  Those are the two highest points in Ecuador and they are two of the world’s most famous high altitude volcanoes.

So, all is well and we’ll be in touch!

Guides and clients with Madison Mountaineering climb mountains and travel in Ecuador, between January 24 and February 4, 2021.

Heading up Pasochoa for some acclimatization

Guides and clients with Madison Mountaineering climb mountains and travel in Ecuador, between January 24 and February 4, 2021.

Crossing the beautiful heathered slopes of Pasochoa

Guides and clients with Madison Mountaineering climb mountains and travel in Ecuador, between January 24 and February 4, 2021.

Happy guides and happy climbers on their way up Pasochoa

Guides and clients with Madison Mountaineering climb mountains and travel in Ecuador, between January 24 and February 4, 2021.

Krisli, Jonathan, Mary Lynne, and Cokie on the summit of Pasochoa with guide Estalin Suárez


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:

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

Acclimatizing around Cuicocha Lake

The crater lake of Cuicocha set among volcanic mountains

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:

Estalin and Mark hiking on Fuya Fuya

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

A beautiful view of Mojanda Lake

Reaching the top of Fuya Fuya

Reaching the top of Fuya Fuya

Mojanda Lake

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:

On the summit of Chimborazo

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

Heading up Chimborazo

Dinning at Chimborazo's high camp

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:

Summit of Cotopaxi

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

Cotopaxi climbing

Nearing the summit of Cotopaxi

Nearing the summit of Cotopaxi

Garrett Madison on top of Cotopaxi

Garrett Madison on top of Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi summit team!

Cotopaxi summit team!

Heading down from the top of Cotopaxi

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:

Summit of Cayambe

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

Cayambe Hut – Refugio Ruales Oleas Bergé

Climbing Cayambe

Climbing Cayambe

Getting above the clouds on Cayambe

Getting above the clouds on Cayambe

Celebrating summit number one - Cayambe

Celebrating summit number one – Cayambe

Enjoying the Cayambe Hut

Enjoying the Cayambe Hut

Sunset on 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:

On the summit of Imbabura

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

Acclimation hike on the Imbabura volcano

Nearing the summit of Imbabura

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: