December 13th Dispatch
Guide: Fredy Tipan
Climbers: Mike S., Andrew F., Deli F., Jacques P., David F., Patricia A., Galen P., Jeffrey S.
This is Fredy and the team calling to let you know that we summited on Antisana (18,874 ft / 5752m)! We had a spectacular day with perfect weather.
We traveled back to Quito after the climb and had a wonderful farewell dinner for part of our team that is heading home. We have had so much fun together on this trip, we are going to miss them.
Here is David with some words for friends and family back home:
Antisana was really an amazing climb, and it was so great to summit together. This whole trip has really been amazing! Both Cayambe and Antisana were such good climbs and so beautiful to be up there on those majestic peaks.
The climbing was perfect – excellent weather and excellent snow conditions. It was great cramponing. The climbing was great, the guiding was great, and everybody enjoyed it. And we really had fun with our final dinner together.
Here's Fredy again:
Yes, as David said, we couldn't have asked for better conditions. The snowpack on the glaciers was perfect.
Someone asked in an email if we have been seeing many birds. I was hoping that we would see some condors around Antisana, but on this climb we didn't. I was surprised, though, that we saw two black eagles. Usually they are seen roughly between 5,000 and 11,500 feet, but we saw them just below Antisana. They are big and they are beautiful with about a 5-foot (1.5 m) wingspan. That was very special.
OK - so now some of us are continuing to do Chimborazo. This will take us several days, and I don't know if we will be able to make a connection to give you news until the end, but we will try. Wish us good luck and continued good weather!
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