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Wharton Summits Cotopaxi and
Cayambe!!
Account by Adrian Ballinger, Earth
Trek Guide, March 21, 2002
Wharton took Ecuador’s mountains by storm this past
week, putting climbers on the summit of both Cotopaxi (at 19,348 feet, the
tallest active volcano in the World) and Cayambe (an 18,997 foot peak that
culminates with a 200 foot technical headwall). It was the perfect week
for both groups- the skies were clearer than we’ve seen all season and
the climbers were strong.
There were many highlights.
Here are just a few:
The Cayambe group was spoiled by basing themselves
out of the luxurious Ali Shungu hotel in Otovalo.
Their foray to the mountain was surrounded by time resting in the
garden enjoying strong Ecuadorian coffee and incredible food. Once on the
mountain they practiced skills for 2 days, one on the broken foot of the
glacier, and one on the rock walls surrounding the hut.
When summit day came, it was a beautiful one. The route did not lead easily to the summit though. Two
hundred feet below the top, a 55 degree headwall stopped both rope teams.
As the first led up, they realized the anticipated soft snow was actually
almost pure ice, and it was capped by a 20 foot wide, thinly veiled,
crevasse. While they did
continue on to the summit, they advised the second rope to stay below- the
conditions were too dangerous, and the bright sun was only worsening
things every minute!
As the Cayambe group stood on the summit, they could
clearly see the 40 miles across to Cotopaxi. The two mountains, along with
a half dozen others, were the only landmarks above the blanket of clouds
that filled the valleys. A quick call on our walkie-talkies surprisingly
put the two groups in contact. The team on Cotopaxi summitted within
minutes of the Cayambe gang. A contest ensued, of course- who could
collect more lung power to congratulate the other team!
The Cotopaxi team put 14 people on the summit, with
efforts that varied from a six hour summit push posted by “Team Spicy”
to the 14 hour round-trip marathon of my climbing partners. The climbing
included everything from soft sand down low, to hours of perfect glacier
climbing punctuated by massive crevasses, to a steep headwall climbed with
the smell of sulfur from the steaming summit crater filling our noses.
Saturday found us all back in Otovalo, shopping and
celebrating. Cayambe and Cotopaxi stories flowed as we relived the pain
and the rewards of the week. It
will not be a trip quickly forgotten, if only for the sunburned noses we
all left Ecuador with! |
