Ecuador Trip

[feldyinstilly]

Not sure if anyone here is planning to go to Ecuador this December. I am going to Quito on the 12th and will be there 3 weeks. I am looking to do Pasachoa, Rucu Pichincha, Illiniza Norte, Cayambe, and Chimborazo. I went solo to Mexico last year and met some awesome people. If there is anyone on here going down, I would love to at least meet up.

[feldyinstilly]

Just got down to Quito. Anyone around by chance? My friend is one of the too UIAGM cert guides here just said the conditions on Chimborazo are very bad-- very icy and technical. Anyone been there recently??

[Monster5]

A guy on FB 14ers went up Chimbo and Cayambe last week and posted a guide name who might have more detailed beta:

Richard Cost: I used http://www.andeanface.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for logistics. The guide you want is Esteban "Topo" Mena.(redact)

The guides seemed pretty well in touch - I'd be surprised if climbing conditions became drastically more difficult (icier) in a week.

We met a lot of climbers near Plaza Foche. Yuppy, over-priced food, but that seems to be where all the US people hang out.

[feldyinstilly]

Posted in Lost and Found, but also want to put here:


If there is a Mark from Colorado here (don't know the last name)-- I have your iphone headphones you let me use on Cayambe yesterday... and I think I can also track down the picket you gave to my friend on our down-climb (which was a HUGE help btw).

We looked for you at the refuge when we got down, but you were gone

Email me at nate.feldman@okstate.edu if you see this

[Emily]

How did your trip go? Has anyone else been / planning to go to Ecuador this season? I'm heading there the week after next to check out El Altar and Chimborazo...curious if anyone has recent reports on these peaks. Gracias!

[dr_j]

Bump. I didn't want to start another topic, but I will be in Quito over the upcoming weekend and wish to go up Pichincha (via the cable car) on Sunday. The forecast looks like PM storms, and as I recall the Teleferico operates starting at 9 AM.

How long does it take to get up there, does anyone have other info on difficulty, etc. based on their 14er experiences? Safety? Anyone actually down there at the moment and wish to deal with an out-of-shape hiker?

thanks!

[Pops921]

It's basically a hike.

Short section before summit is easy class 3/difficult class 2, depending on your route selection and opinion on what make a class 3. I do not remember significant exposure on this section, but probably is a little.

[Tony1]

Seconded the above. I'd probably call it class 2+ at the top.

This time of year, there will be storms every day in the afternoon, and due to the operating hours of the gondola, you can only start so early. A couple of weeks ago, the operating hours they had posted at the ticket counter said they open at 8am, and I believe we were there around 8:30. We got stormed on during the descent, and it's a situation that anyone who goes up during rainy season will need to accept as typical.

About safety, I thought it was perfectly fine. There were reports in the late 2000s of robberies and assaults happening on the trail a short distance away from the top of the gondola, but practically none since 2010. I honestly don't even know where bandits would hide/stalk since it's just about completely open. There's a line of trees to the south of the trail right as you start, and you might keep an eye on it as you walk by, but we didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Use a cab to get to and from the base of the gondola.

[dr_j]

^^^ Read your trip report, thanks for the detailed info. I'm on my own, so I'll have to take this into account when I go. But it looks doable, and based on your map, pretty much a straight line and a sharp turn at the end.