Thanks, you're fast! I'm still working on positioning the pictures, but I'm almost done. You know how it is, you have to see the result and fiddle around a bit to get the pictures just right ...
Hi Rob! Great report! Very well illustrated! Congratulations on Illiniza Sur! Nice story! You know, we were in Ecuador at the same time. I just uploaded my Cotopaxi TR :-)
Yes, the weather was very funny those two weeks in the beginning of December. On the 5th we had excellent conditions on Cotopaxi. Later we also climbed Chimborazo. But ok, it was my THIRD try!! groetjes. André
Boriss told me you were climbing, so I followed your progress through him, in a manner of speaking, and your successes on Cotopaxi and Chimborazo gave me hope. Perhaps I would be lucky at my first tries?
Alas, the hail and snow on the night before I climbed Iliniza Sur turned out to be only the start of a really, really wet week, so there I was, somewhat acclimatized, ready to go ... only to be thwarted by the freaky weather! It's la Niña, so I'm told.
Anyway, at least I managed to climb Cotopaxi in the end, but I want to come back to have a go at Chimborazo sometime.
And enjoy it! Really nice. And looking at the picture from just outside the Illinizas hut, "heading to Illiniza Norte", well, when i upload my own you'll see it. There was 1m of fresh snow!!!!
That means that close to the summit of Norte, at Paso De La Muerte, there was fresh snow all the way up to the waste line. No summit for me, too much avalanche danger...
As i was climbing solo, decided to get back down. Boris were there with one client and decided to get back too.
In the middle of a storm (eletric storm!) i got back really fast...half an hour later other guided groups also returned before the summit.
And for Illiniza Sur, i not even bother to try, at the base there was 1m of fresh snow too...
Bad luck for me my friend hehehe
Anyway, great photos and great TR.
Boris told me all about the car!
Ah, about the big cross at the summit, it's very common here in South America! Especially in Argentina and Chile!
Cheers
Paulo
I'm not surprised about the snow on Iliniza Norte. Just two days later, Boriss and I found ourselves in a really early thunderstorm on nearby Sincholagua, it already started before noon. We ran down the mountain to get to safety! This storm dropped a lot of fresh snow higher up the mountains, and the weather didn't improve all that much in the days after that.
So far, in South America I have only hiked in Chile and Argentia. Before Ecuador, I climbed in Bolivia, but didn't see any summit crosses there.
By the way, did you plan on soloing Iliniza Sur? I mean, physically, it's easier than Cotopaxi, but it's more technical and that brings certain risks. I wouldn't want to solo there!
No...i got a damn cold and my throat is badly infected...
So i have to avoid extreme cold and that means to walk far far away from glaciers...too bad for me.
I'm gonna do now some easier peaks but equaly beautiful. Altitude (bigger or not) doesn't matters that much to me, i really enjoy to climb nice mountains, i don't care if the mountain is 3000m or 6000m.... :)
In 5 days i have a flight back home so, i'll try to enjoy these last days...for at least one or two more hikes and city photography!
Too bad we couldn't meet!
Cheers Rob
Paulo
Sure, it was a bit busy, but I have an excuse ... there are no mountains in Amsterdam, or anywhere in the Netherlands for that matter, so whenever I go somewhere, I want to do as much as I can. I can rest and recover when I'm home again, right?
Still, the acclimatization climbs were not really physically demanding by their own right. The biggest issue was the altitude and my lack of acclimatization. After the Ilinizas I was more or less acclimatized to think about the big four, but then La Niña really started messing with the weather, so, unfortunately, I had to adjust my goals and ended up being less busy.
On my next trip, I plan to take longer to acclimatize, but after that, I'm going to get busy again!
SoCalHiker - Jan 9, 2011 8:20 pm - Voted 10/10
Very nice reportI liked reading it. Beautiful pictures. Congratulations. Cheers.
rgg - Jan 9, 2011 8:27 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Very nice reportThanks, you're fast! I'm still working on positioning the pictures, but I'm almost done. You know how it is, you have to see the result and fiddle around a bit to get the pictures just right ...
andre hangaard - Jan 10, 2011 5:52 pm - Voted 10/10
December 2010Hi Rob! Great report! Very well illustrated! Congratulations on Illiniza Sur! Nice story! You know, we were in Ecuador at the same time. I just uploaded my Cotopaxi TR :-)
Yes, the weather was very funny those two weeks in the beginning of December. On the 5th we had excellent conditions on Cotopaxi. Later we also climbed Chimborazo. But ok, it was my THIRD try!! groetjes. André
rgg - Jan 10, 2011 6:22 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: December 2010Hi André, thanks!
Boriss told me you were climbing, so I followed your progress through him, in a manner of speaking, and your successes on Cotopaxi and Chimborazo gave me hope. Perhaps I would be lucky at my first tries?
Alas, the hail and snow on the night before I climbed Iliniza Sur turned out to be only the start of a really, really wet week, so there I was, somewhat acclimatized, ready to go ... only to be thwarted by the freaky weather! It's la Niña, so I'm told.
Anyway, at least I managed to climb Cotopaxi in the end, but I want to come back to have a go at Chimborazo sometime.
PAROFES - Jan 16, 2011 5:01 pm - Voted 10/10
Just finish reading RobAnd enjoy it! Really nice. And looking at the picture from just outside the Illinizas hut, "heading to Illiniza Norte", well, when i upload my own you'll see it. There was 1m of fresh snow!!!!
That means that close to the summit of Norte, at Paso De La Muerte, there was fresh snow all the way up to the waste line. No summit for me, too much avalanche danger...
As i was climbing solo, decided to get back down. Boris were there with one client and decided to get back too.
In the middle of a storm (eletric storm!) i got back really fast...half an hour later other guided groups also returned before the summit.
And for Illiniza Sur, i not even bother to try, at the base there was 1m of fresh snow too...
Bad luck for me my friend hehehe
Anyway, great photos and great TR.
Boris told me all about the car!
Ah, about the big cross at the summit, it's very common here in South America! Especially in Argentina and Chile!
Cheers
Paulo
rgg - Jan 16, 2011 8:24 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Just finish reading RobHi Paolo,
Glad to hear you like it.
I'm not surprised about the snow on Iliniza Norte. Just two days later, Boriss and I found ourselves in a really early thunderstorm on nearby Sincholagua, it already started before noon. We ran down the mountain to get to safety! This storm dropped a lot of fresh snow higher up the mountains, and the weather didn't improve all that much in the days after that.
So far, in South America I have only hiked in Chile and Argentia. Before Ecuador, I climbed in Bolivia, but didn't see any summit crosses there.
By the way, did you plan on soloing Iliniza Sur? I mean, physically, it's easier than Cotopaxi, but it's more technical and that brings certain risks. I wouldn't want to solo there!
Ciao, Rob
PAROFES - Jan 17, 2011 10:26 am - Voted 10/10
Re: Just finish reading RobNo...i got a damn cold and my throat is badly infected...
So i have to avoid extreme cold and that means to walk far far away from glaciers...too bad for me.
I'm gonna do now some easier peaks but equaly beautiful. Altitude (bigger or not) doesn't matters that much to me, i really enjoy to climb nice mountains, i don't care if the mountain is 3000m or 6000m.... :)
In 5 days i have a flight back home so, i'll try to enjoy these last days...for at least one or two more hikes and city photography!
Too bad we couldn't meet!
Cheers Rob
Paulo
Liba Kopeckova - Jan 20, 2011 6:17 pm - Voted 10/10
great reportThanks for letting us know about your adventures. Sounds like a busy climbing schedule.
rgg - Jan 21, 2011 7:23 am - Hasn't voted
Re: great reportThanks.
Sure, it was a bit busy, but I have an excuse ... there are no mountains in Amsterdam, or anywhere in the Netherlands for that matter, so whenever I go somewhere, I want to do as much as I can. I can rest and recover when I'm home again, right?
Still, the acclimatization climbs were not really physically demanding by their own right. The biggest issue was the altitude and my lack of acclimatization. After the Ilinizas I was more or less acclimatized to think about the big four, but then La Niña really started messing with the weather, so, unfortunately, I had to adjust my goals and ended up being less busy.
On my next trip, I plan to take longer to acclimatize, but after that, I'm going to get busy again!