February 2024 Ecuador Climbing School Expedition Recap
Skills and Challenge on Cayambe
First off, we had a fantastic Ecuador Climbing School. We started off doing skills on Cayambe, and everybody got a chance to hop on the glacier including a few folks using crampons, helmets, and ice axes. We tromped around talking about glacier travel and the features of the glacier.
After that, we rested before going for the summit that night. A lot of folks found it difficult with the altitude, and we also had really poor weather, so we didn’t make it all the way up. Some teams got really close, but all the fog and mist made it hard to see, so we had to call it.
Prepping for the Next One
We had a few great rest days, stayed in some really nice places, and spent time dialing more skills like rope ascension, equipment, backpacks, how to pack, and just quality overall educational things to know in the mountains. Afterwards, we headed over to Antisana, where it rained basically the entire time and snowed a ton up on the mountain. We didn’t even attempt it, it was just never in the cards.
We thought about going from there to Chimboraza, but figured we’d encounter the exact same conditions: steep terrain, avalanche hazard, bad weather, and tricky navigation.
Switching it Up on Cotopaxi
We had great success on Cotopaxi. Although not every team member summited, everyone worked hard and was really stoked. We had such a great crew, and I think everyone is really excited to continue, especially the few who are preparing to go to Aconcagua in December!
Are You Ready for Ecuador?
Chat with our team by grabbing a spot on our calendar or shooting an email over to Griffin (griffin@alpenglowexpeditions.com).
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Expeditions
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