Ecuador High Altitude Holiday Expedition: Dispatch 6

Ecuador High Altitude Expedition: 

Dec 17-31, 2010
Climbers: Tim Turay, Kat Lange, Stuart Lowden, Tamsin Ainscow, Ahmad Baasiri, John Davis, and Ruth Hartmann.

Lead Guide: Pepe Landazuri


December 25, 2010

Pepe called on Christmas evening from the Jose Ribas Hut on Cotopaxi with the following update:

Hello and Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the team to everyone.

Yesterday we went to the lodge of Tambopaxi in Cotopaxi National Park.  It was a good rest day for us. [right]

Today we drove to the end of the road on the side of Cotopaxi and made the 50 minute backpack with all our gear to the hut.  Everyone is doing well, and we are looking forward to the climb of Cotopaxi.  Kat twisted her ankle a little on Cayambe,  It's doing pretty well, but she decided to not try for Cotopaxi and instead let the ankle rest more so she is ready for Chimborazo.  So she is staying at Tambopaxi Lodge tonight.  [At this point in the message there was some information about Stuart not climbing, but we couldn't understand the detail of the explanation.]

So tonight we will again get up at about 11:00pm and start the climb at midnight.  The weather is pretty good, so we are excited and optimistic about our chances to climb this big mountain.  The team is really ready to go.

[At this point we believe Pepe said he would try to call from the summit on Sunday morning, and after that the transmission was cut off.] [Tampopaxi below left, Jose Ribas hut right}