Posts Tagged ‘Cotopaxi National Park’

Ecuador – Day 9 – Cotopaxi (19,347 ft)

Friday, November 28th, 2014

Antisana and Chimborazo from Cotopaxi Summit
Antisana and Chimborazo from the summit of Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi Victors
Tilden and Clare on the Summit of Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi Shadow and Ilinizas at Sunrise
The Shadow of Cotopaxi and the Illinizas (see the previous day’s post!)

Cotopaxi Map
The Map

Rafael Descending Cotopaxi
Our Guide, Rafael (photo courtesy of Tilden)

Times
12:00am: Trail Head at 15,100 ft
01:20am: Hut at 15,750 ft *took a 10 minute break
02:20am: Snowline at 16,000 ft *took a 10 minute break to don crampons and rope up
06:05am: At 18,600 ft Watched Sunrise and shadow of Cotopaxi appear by the Illinizas
07:45am: At 19,347 ft On Summit!
08:25am: Began Descent
11:25am: Back at Trail Head

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Ecuador – Day 8 – Rest Day at La Rinconada Campsite, in Cotopaxi National Park

Thursday, November 27th, 2014

La Rinconada Campsite
La Rinconada Campsite in Cotopaxi National Park

Tilden and Cotopaxi
Tilden Admiring Cotopaxi

From the Swiss Lodge, we drove 45 minutes to the La Rinconada Campsite in Cotopaxi National Park. We have left everything at the hotel except a sleeping bag, change of clothes, and our mountaineering gear which we need for climbing Cotopaxi. Dressed in our mountaineering garb, Rafael drives us to the campsite. It rained the entire drive.

La Rinconada has a huge open space where people can pitch tents, a covered picnic table area, and a bunkhouse with a mess hall. The bunkhouse has ~6 bunks, which are 3 beds high, and also some mattresses for the floor. So, at full capacity, there is probably room for up to 25 people. There were two bathrooms, but one did not have a sink and no shower facilities (that I could see). (more…)