Day 9: Ascent of Cotopaxi [19,332’ / 5,892m]
Author’s Note: The elevation of Cotopaxi cited on this page is from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) survey of Ecuador peaks conducted in 2016. This survey used GNSS data to update measurements derived from barometric and trigonometric triangulation methods used in the 19th century.
Our long day began very early with a 2300 wake up call, so we could have adequate time to prepare ourselves and our gear for the scheduled departure from the Refugio at midnight. The hour was spent busily getting dressed in the dim light of the 8 person bunk room we were sharing. All the bunk rooms were full and the Refugio was overflowing with climbing teams all hoping to take advantage of the good weather window.
The routine to get ready is to get dressed, eat something light, and drink a warm beverage. After that it’s time to hit the bathroom, because nature calls during the next 9-10 hours will be a bit more challenging. The final item to put on, over all the various layers, is the climbing harness.
Our climb began with a clear sky, little wind, and a chill in the air. As we began the first portion of the climb up the loose volcanic sand slope that we climbed on day 6, we set a slow, but deliberate pace. With the effort to climb, our core feels warm enough. In fact, too much warmth is bad since it causes one to sweat, which can make you cold when you stop.
At this point we are not roped together and we don’t have our crampons on. After our first hour of climbing we reach the snow line, so we take a short break to put on our crampons. After another 20 or 30 minutes, the snow got deeper and the terrain got steeper, so we roped together into our rope teams for the remainder of the climb.
The rest of the climb is on steep ice and snow, so it is important to always consider proper ice axe placement and mentally review self-arrest techniques in the event that anyone on the team slips.
When the guide senses that we need a break, we stop for just a couple of minutes. During the breaks we have to be efficient with our time in order to take care of anything we need to do… sip water, have a snack, adjust layers, etc.
We were definitely blessed with the weather today. We were informed that the weather on the mountain can be temperamental and unpredictable due to the influence of moisture rising from the Amazon. But we are enjoying mild temperatures, clear skies with a half moon illuminating the snow covered slopes, and what amounts to an occasional light breeze. Of course, as we ascend higher it gets colder, but the effort to climb the steep terrain warms our bodies.
Our climb to the summit took a little over 5 1/2 hours. The final hour to the summit was the steepest section, and we were certainly feeling some exhaustion seeping into our legs. On the way up I kept reminding myself of the many challenging training hikes completed in preparation for this mountain… they definitely paid off!
With one final push we reached the summit just as the eastern horizon was glowing orange before the sun appeared. Camilo had targeted our arrival time for this moment and we hit it on the spot!
We spent over an hour at the summit, an unusually long time, but the temperatures and lack of wind made it possible. During our time on the summit we were provided respirators to breathe through due to the sulphur laden steam rising from the crater of this active volcano.
Although Derrick and Allison did not summit, they succeeded in climbing to over 18,000 feet on the mountain, before making the tough decision to turn around.
After Chad and Rebecca summited, we spent a few more minutes at the top to congratulate their achievement, then began our 3-hours descent back to the Refugio to pack our things and head out for some well deserved R&R in the own of Baños de Agua Santa, where their natural hot springs will undoubtedly rejuvenate our tired bodies.
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Destination: Adventure 
Hi! Thanks for an awesome week. You said no one rarely comments 😀 Its a fun blog and enjoyed reading it. Sounds like you had a great time. 😄 All due to the great people you were with!! Can’t wait for the next update.
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No doubt our enjoyment was largely based on getting to know the Longson clan! Thanks for the comment and enjoy Bora Bora!!
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