| Imbabura, Andrea's last climb. Trip Report |
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| Imbabura, Andrea's last climb.   | 
| Page Type: Trip Report Location: Imbabura, Ecuador, South America Date Climbed/Hiked: Mar 13, 1999 Activities: Hiking, Scrambling Season: Summer | Page By: HIGH EXPEDITIONS Created/Edited: Aug 11, 2008 / Nov 6, 2008 Object ID: 430608 Hits: 405 Loading... Page Score: 87.69% - 8 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
PreparativesAndrea and I had been climbing for almost a whole year throughout the north of Ecuador. We passed by San Pablo Lake many times while traveling north and luckly saw Imbabura towering above its shores. It looked huge, tall and amazing.
There are a couple of options and routes to climb Imbabura; one is by the village of La Esperanza at the eastern side of the mountain, and the other one by the Town of San Pablo, at the western side of the mountain... the side Andrea and I chose to climb.
So, we started planning the 2-day Imbabura climbing, bought all the supplies for the trip and got ready for the climb.The ClimbWe left Quito early and took a bus to the town of Otavalo. We got off the bus at the San Pablo entrance, switched to another bus and rode on it to the Trailhead.
 Andrea. Camping site below the summit.
Our hike started through an easy path always going uphill and through muddy terrain. We kept hiking up towards the summit and walked up for at least 9 hours through the highlands until we decided to set up our tent at the very base of the summit.
The night was extremely cold but being up there with Andrea was the best I could wish for. We enjoyed of the beautiful views of the surroundings, lighten by the soft sparks of shooting stars and a perfect full moon above the Andean highlands.Scrambling up  Andrea, near the camping site.
I continued scrambling up not stopping. I climbed completely straight forward to the top. I could see huge cliffs at my right side, trying to eat me like big monsters. Just ten more meters and I found myself beneath the summit. I was feeling great and nervous at the same time. Suddenly a huge overhanging rock above me stopped my progress. I tried to climb it up but big pieces of loose rock came off from the wall while I tried to gripp them.
I decided to turn back and headed safely down to where Andrea was wating at.I found Andrea crying deeply, imagining it was my body what caused a loud noize as it felt down through the cliffs (it was a rock I pulled out while trying to reach the top). We headed down very close to each other, and in fact...this made us being closer to each other than ever.
But we both needed to take that thorn off of ourselves. We couldn't have piece of mind without summitting Imbabura. So Andrea and I decided to go back to the mountain the following week and give it a try.Second ChanceThis time we did exactly what we did a week ago. Left Quito at same time, hiked up by the same trails and camped at the same place.
We had a beautiful night, windless and starlighted. Imbabura's summit was clearly visible up above our tent, well... its summit sillhuette.
Next day, we left our tent early in the morning and kept climbing up towards the summit. We roped up together and avoided a few exposed passes very carefully.
Finally, after just and hour of scrambling we reached the summit of Imbabura by the western side. It was a great moment for both of us. Up there, together, no one else but ourselves and the mountain..an awesome experience I'll never forget.Andrea  Andrea and I in Cotopaxi.
Sometimes I still can't believe she's not here with me climbing all these tall mountains of my beloved Andes as before. But somehow I still feel her prescence while I'm pushing for a summit or hiking through the magestic Andes. I'm sure she is looking upon me at all times and enjoying of those great moments though she's not physically with me. I miss her greatly! PhotographiesI don't have to many shots of our great moments together. Just those memories that I keep in my mind, countless moments!!
I've posted these few pics taken by Andrea and by me with a film camera during our Imbabura's ascent and a few others of our visit to Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. Images
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