Ecuador II

This is Ecuadors highest mountain, the Volcan Chimborazo, standing impressive 6268m above sealevel. After my unsucessful attempt to climb Cotopaxi I first needed a rest in Latacunga. After a couple of days my fever was gone and I was ready to make another attempt. I teamed up with Henning from Germany in Quito and soon it was clear that we both were commited to summit Chimborazo!



Chimborazo again, viewed from our starting point Refugio Carrel (4850m). We climbed from the left side onto the ridge and then proceeded ascending the seemingly endless snowfield to the top.





View from the Refugio Carrel, already pretty high...



Nighthike! It took us 10h straight to get to the summit and we didn´t make a lot of breaks. We started at 10pm at night, flicked on our headlamps and went on a long journey!

Hiking up that snowfield in the morning. It seems to be just another hundred meters more, but when you get there the view ist still exactely the same. No end in sight!  Getting to 6000m the air is already pretty thin and breathing got harder and harder!



Summit Ventemilla (6225m). Holding some sunscrene in my hand, which I couldn´t use because it was frozen solid! The temperature was around -15º to -20º C. Henning told me he still lacks feeling in some of his fingers today. Two pairs of gloves were essential!




I can´t describe the feeling at the summit! I couldn´t eat anything during the ascent, my stomache just wouldn´t accept food in that hight! We were a bit too late to reach the main summit, only another 50-60m higher, but still an hour away! It was such an emotional experience being up there, having an airplane view from more than 6000 meters hight, hence the only thing I felt was joy! We were the only ones on that day to reach the summit, two other groups had to turn back.
I learned some of things in the mountains of Ecuador. If I ever make an attempt to climb a mountain of that category again (which I most possibly will...), I´ll do it with a good friend.  Knowing one another, being able to rely on each other make such undertakings safer and simple the fact of sharing such an experience with someone close can add so much.  




Voila! Back to the coast! After Chimborazo I felt saturated, there wasn´t any higher to go. So I went to Montañita to buy a board, got sucked into partybusiness and surfed a good righthander at La Puente. Montañita was probably the wildest place I visited so far, tons of Chilenas, Argentinians and probably half of Guayaquil (Ecuadors second largest City) go there to get naughty. The night I arrived I couldn´t even get a place to sleep! Quite a contrast after the isolation in the mountains for two weeks! I got to know the barkeepers of Hola Ola Bar that night and stayed at their place, for some reason things always work out. I managed to surf the point at first light 6am a couple of times when it was headhigh and almost no people in the water. Usually saying hello to all the people in front of the hostel who were still up and raging... I didn´t intend to stay for two weeks, but then you never leave a spot as long as the waves are good, the party is on and the girls are hot.
Wait, why did I leave?!?! Oh yeah, the waves were getting bad and then there´s this great country called Perú that I couldn´t await to visit anymore...


The reason for not posting more fotos from Montañita is not pure obscenity of content, but the fact that I lost my camera on a bumpy road in Perú! The lastes fotos are gone, the rest is secured on my USB-pen and my i-pod still makes nice little videos... I guess that´s life!

Ecuador I

 Ecuador has captured me completely! After returning from Galapagos, I am traveling the Sierra, the highlands now. What a contrast!

Hiking up Rucu Pichincha (4784m) after taking a cable car from Quito.

 

I´m amazed how green the landscape is on 4500m!

View of Quito down in the valley. A charming city, despite all the fumes and potential danger of getting robbed. I stayed there for five days, living cheap, eating good and getting prepared for the mountains.

Papallacta is a small town 2 hours from Quito, known for it´s thermal baths and great landscape! In the valley you can see the road we hiked and in the background snow covered Antisana (5758m).

Guides are offered for almost any thinkable excursion. And people make believe you need them. Off the beaten track with Aurelie and Leon, exploring the enchanted forest.

Ecuador is called Ecuador because it is on the Equator...
Of course there is a monument located at Mitad del Mundo and of course once visiting Ecuador you cannot miss out on this site!

Standing on the equator! Left leg north, right leg south, it´s so incredible...

 I managed to balance an egg on a nail and got a diploma for the achievement. Have been tested harder, but I´m sure without exception this can only be accomplished on the equator...

Volcán Corazón (4790m) was my next acclimatisation hike after climbing Rucu Pinchicha twice. I went to a town called Machachi, south of Quito, to be close to the mountain. It turned out to be the most untouristy place. Had a good time at the fruit market, talking to a nice couple and their daughter who attended German classes!! Well, her German was even worse than my Spanish, but her parents found that 27 was a good age. Whatever that means...

Summit Pic at Corazón

The Ilinizas! Seen from the small village of El Chaupi (3300m), a place comparable to my hometown Giessenbach. The Iliniza Norte on the right side of the picture is 5126m high.

Most people do the Iliniza Norte in two days and take a guide. My homeboy Holzi told me that he had done the tour without. I also met a guide who told me the tour could easily be done in one day. His name was Estalin. Funny facial expressions by a Polish group of climbers after he introduced himself as E-Stalin! Reached the refuge after 2 hours walk and had a magnificent view:

The sun rising next to the massive Volcán Cotopaxi (5897m), my next goal after Iliniza Norte.

View from the Refuge, the summit still covered in clouds.

Tracking up the ridge, Cotopaxi in the background.

Close to the summit!

Standing on top of Iliniza Norte, my first summit over 5000m!

Looking down south...

...to impressive Iliniza Sur

Stoked!!!

Home sweet home! This is the Hacienda San José, 3km from El Chaupi, a cosy place to stay after serious mountaineering!

The place was kind of hippie!

Definitely no need for a lawn mower!

I guess her name is Nocho, she was my best friend at the Hacienda, always good accompany on my walks to El Chaupi.

Parque Nacional Cotopaxi

Standing in front of Volcán Cotopaxi! At least double overhead...

I made this short video on the same day, standing at the parking lot underneath the refuge of Cotopaxi, on 4600m, just where the snow begins. I had my backpack with all necessities with me and decided to make a spontaneous attempt to summit Cotopaxi. It wasn´t possible to hire crampons and an icehack from the refuge, but I managed to organize a truck that brought the gear from the valley. I had to decent to the parking lot and wait there. And since this is Ecuador, the guy came an hour late, I was standing there and it wasn´t getting warmer on 4600m...

I got my equipment in the end and hiked back to the refuge. The deal with Cotopaxi is that you need to start hiking at midnight in order to reach the summit for sunrise. Unluckily I got pretty sick that night, stomach cramps and fever made it impossible to make the attempt.
Got through that night alright, caught a free ride back to the valley in the morning and now I´m resting, trying to get well soon. In any case I have the time now to write the blog...

Sometimes while traveling not everything works out as smooth as you would like. But ultimately I realize that I was born in a rich country, am blessed with caring parents and friends, I possess more money than the majority of people in this country and am able to travel and don´t need to work (for now...). So I wouldn´t dare complain, but rather smile about the fact of being gifted and having the opportunity to make such valuable experiences.

So go, but be kind
you have love on your side
born into a family with 

food in their bellies
and a car 

for them to drive
People sleeping on the concrete
still smile 

behind their signs
So go now be happy and be free you, 

you have so much time

If you go, chances are you'll come again
if you come, chances are you'll go
so be mellow let it flow, let it bend
I'll see you somewhere at the end

So go, but be kind

By Xavier Rudd

Galapagos Islands!

I´m sitting here in Quito, Ecuador and whilst writing this blog I´m still humbled by the experience of Galapagos Islands. The incredible animal world, the breathtaking scenery of the islands, the heat of the sun burning down on the equator, the shivering cold pacific water 1000km off the mainland, a bunch of inspiring people and of course the worldclass surf!

I arrived on Isla Baltra on the 3rd of January after a decent flight on an Aerogal Boing 757. My intention was to stay for one week, but since the airline only charges 10US dollars to change flights I changed my plans pretty soon and stayed for two. I spent three days on Isla Santa Cruz, sadly I have no pictures from this great place, I sencerely hope to get some footage off of my travelmates some day soon!

After catching some waves at Playa de los Alemanes, seeing the magnificent Tortuga Bay and jumping the cliffs of Las Grietas on Isla Santa Cruz I proceeded to Isla San Christobal. A peak through the binoculars revealed a proper set coming through at a point called Canon. It´s only accessable by passing through a Navy Base and in addition it´s a pretty fast wave. No wonder it´s called Canon...

The Surf Caballeros are on the hunt for waves.

Young Sea Lions having a discussion here. If one thing is sure on Galapagos, then it´s the fact that you´ll never be alone in the water! In addition to that noone´s afraid of you hence will have much respect.

Hey ther little fellow!

One thing I noticed about Sea Lions is that they are the indeed masters of lying around all day, doing absolutely nothing and having a grand time!

Getting close! Mama is giving me a little stare though...

This is my wave! Land Iguana and his sidekick the Crab are having a close eye on the crowd.

The view from our balcony. After a litte search we found the shittiest accomodation in all Puerto Baquerizo. It featured all our requirements: cheap rooms, a shower that looked like it could produce warm water (which it didn´t) and a balcony!

This is Mr. Timmi Fresh from Australia, with whom I had the the honor of spending my time on San Christobal! Always pushing the limits, be it in the waves or at the bars!

A little nightshot from the hot spot in town... our balcony!

You´ve guessed it, even in paradise people need gas to run their cars.

The electric sockets seem to come from China.

That´s the stance! Got to implement that into my surf repertoire!

Taking a walk around San Chirstobal. Associations with a Moonlandscape come to my mind.

Mr. Charles Darwin! His voyage on the HMS Beagle startet on December 27th 1831 and lasted for five years. He kept detailed notes and gathered specimens that lateron led to the therory of evolution and the publishing of ´The Origin of the Species´ in 1859!

Have I already mentioned that See Lions are the hardest chillers?

Big Saturday at Tongo Reef. A lot of  water moving, and Blas Rodriguez from Buenos Aires was ripping! I cought the biggest wave of the session right on my head, got battered, survived and smiled.

Catching a fun wave at Tongo Reef!

A little impression of a random Dude´s ride...

Best day of my life... again!!