To Base Camp
Getting prepped and travelling to the base camp for a climb of Antisana, at 5,753 meters the 4th tallest in Ecuador. A beautiful mountain rising from the paramo on the eastern side of the Andean cordillera, it’s known as a challenging climb for its active glacier and somewhat unpredictable weather.
Preparación y viaje al campo base para intentar alcanzar la cumbre del Antisana. Una hermosa montaña que se eleva desde el páramo de la cordillera oriental de los Andes. El grupo fue preparando por este para las pasado semanas, en particular con acclimitazacion a altituda!
Preparing to Climb
At the high camp we did some scouting and acclimatization. We walked up to the base of the glacier to take a look at what we were heading into. The glacier on Antisana shifts a lot, so our guides wanted to plot out some possible pathways. As soon as the sun set at 6:30, we grabbed a few hours sleep before our 11:30pm departure for the summit!
El tiempo al atardecer estaba claro y tranquilo. La luz era gloriosa, con un resplandor alpino anaranjado en Antisana y una bonita silueta del Cotopaxi al oeste.
To the Summit
We left in the dark at around 11:30 pm, hoping we’d be able to pick our way through the jumbled ice and around the crevices that are characteristic of Antisana. It was a push. We needed to do some route finding along the way. There were some sketchy moments. I’ve had a respiratory infection that didn’t help. I was slow, but made it. And once we hit the top - WOW.
El tiempo estaba perfectamente despejado en el cumbre. Pudimos observar todas las montañas principales del Ecuador: Sangay al sur, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, los Illinazas al oeste, Cayambe al norte y Sumaco y Reventor al este en el Amazonas. ¡Asombroso!
Of course the greatest thing is doing this with my climbing partner, my son Beorn, who continues to amaze me and make me proud everyday. Thanks for doing this with your old man B.
Congratulations to the rest of my climbing crew: Bernie, Tim, and Kevin. And HUGE thanks to our fantastic guides: fabian, Tocayo, y Pepo. You guys RULE.
Next stop Chimborazo, the highest peak in EC. :)
