Hiking Cotopaxi

The day started as many do on this kind of trip... the tour van arrived at the hotel at the exact time, and the guide had my name on his list. So off we went heading south out of Quito.

We had a driver plus our guide, Victor, who spoke Spanish, English and French. My fellow travellers were a guy from Madrid, and his girlfriend from Guayaquil (who took her MBA at U.B.C.). Also joining us was a nice women from New Zealand, Andrea, who was travelling the world for 7 months. We had some great conversations.

The plan was to hike up to the edge of the glacier. Our guide said it would take about an hour and a half, and would be quite strenuous. We all agreed to give it a try.

Some good luck and bad. The snow level was so low, it would not be possible for our van to get us to the parking lot to start the hike - only a four wheel drive could do that.














The good luck... the weather. Cotopaxi is usually covered in clouds, and indeed was for the whole time we drove south towards it on the Pan-American Highway. As we entered the park, the clouds partially cleared to reveal a flank of the volcano. By the time we reached the point where we planned to take pictures, the clouds opened up like curtains to reveal the magnificent Cotopaxi volcano.



We snapped pictures and scanned the mountain with binoculars... yup, too much snow to drive to the parking lot. Plan B, hike around a high mountain lake at the foot of the volcano.

So remember, we are on the equator, but at an elevation of about 15,000 feet, so in spite of the intense sun, we have layers and jackets to protect from the wind and cold. I put on 2 layers of 30 sunscreen, and covered my head, but even with that, my face is a little pink right now.

The theme of the hike now became bird watching. Victor is working on his Masters in Biology, and is very knowledgable about birds. He would spot one, describe what is was, show us a detailed picture in his "Birds of Ecuador" guidebook, and hand us the binoculars to take a closer look. We saw about 15 to 20 different species, which is amazing considering the harsh terrain.


















But the focus now became a specific bird. The above picture is of one of the few things that can flower at this altitude and cold. The flower depends on one species of hummingbird, the world's third smallest, to pollinate it. We became obsessed with finding one, and with a lot of patience, eventually spotted the elusive bird. I kind of understand birders a bit better now. It was quite rewarding, and it was great to be with like-minded people who appreciated the discovery.














We hiked all the way around the lake, Cotopaxi looming above us, the clouds still at bay... it was so rugged and beautiful. I am proud to say I did very well on the hike, never out of breath, no headaches or dizzyness. This is a good test for Peru and Bolivia in the future, should be no problem.

After lots of walking and exporing, we left the park in our van, and headed to a 400 year old hacienda for a late lunch. The rich landowners of 17th century Ecuador had huge farms anchored by massive houses in the countryside - they even had their own churches. This one has been converted to a hotel, and giant restaurant - it was beautiful.

































After a late lunch, it was back to Quito, with just enough time to stop by an internet cafe to keep you guys up to date. Can still likely make happy hour at Q bar for a couple of kiwi caipirinhas, my new fave.

I am having such a great trip so far, cannot believe the GAP Adventure does not even start for a couple of days!