Time for a brief follow up.
Coming off Cotopaxi it was very steep and I could feel my second toe on my left foot hitting the end of the boot with each step. I knew what this would mean down the road and I was too tired to care...
Now the results of that apathy have come to fruition... My toe nail finally came off last weekend. It was actually pretty cool. didn't hurt or anything. just came off.
2.25.2008
12.19.2007
Photos!
I'll try to update this post, or maybe just add another post after others send out their pics:
Ray's Pics: Ray on Picasa
Cyril's Pics: Cyril on Kodak.com
Gerry's Pics: Gerry on Picasa
R
Ray's Pics: Ray on Picasa
Cyril's Pics: Cyril on Kodak.com
Gerry's Pics: Gerry on Picasa
R
12.17.2007
Re-Assessment
Okay, I've been back a week and have had some time to reflect on some things. I imagine due to the scale of this trip I'll have some reflection for some time to come. However I've have found some things that I want to commit to bytes to remember in the future.
First I've thought about my two summit attempts. The second on Cayambe seems to make a lot of sense regarding turning around. The mountain dictates who will climb her and when. This day was simply not our day and I have complete peace with that decision.
Cotopaxi vexes me only slightly but let me explain why. I was suffering pretty hard on that climb, but so was everyone else. Though at the time it did seem like I was having more difficulty than some.
One point that gives me some contention is that the rope leading to the climber behind me went taught quite often on the 1800 foot initial face and then again often on the higher pitches that were even steeper. At the risk of calling someone out this was my situation: I was breathing incredibly hard, though not as technically efficient as I should have been. Each step was an effort often preceded by 3 and even 4 pressure breaths. I would physically and mentally prepare myself for my next step, galvanizing myself for the effort, then perform the act. And then, midway through this effort the rope would go taught and I could not complete my step. The effect of this was that I would make a sort of half step, and the rope in front of me would potentially also go taught. Further, since we were on 60 degree or so ice, foot placement was crucial.
On this type of terrain you must be very efficient with your effort, in this vain you look for the optimal place to put your foot. A spot that will allow you to be secure and stable while allowing minimal effort to hold yourself there. If you can't make a step like this it doesn't take but a few seconds for your calves and other leg muscles to start a major burn. Couple this with the fact that you are processing maybe half the oxygen you are at sea level and now you have a situation where you are incapable of processing and eliminating the lactic acid.
This was my situation for most of the day on Cotopaxi and I was not strong enough to help get two people up that mountain. Now I can't say that this was the single cause of my need to turn around, but I doubt it helped my effort. I did not say anything to the guides, and perhaps I should have, but I didn't want to call anyone out on the mountain. However I think the root of my issues was simply a lack of acclimatization or lack of cardio-fitness, perhaps both. In retrospect I think Diamox might have helped the former, but the guides were adamant that I not take any. It seems that diamox is a good preemptive treatment and not so good at reactive treatment. In other words, if you are going to take it, it seems like the most benefit is during acclimatizing not after. I'll keep this nugget of knowledge put away for next time...
Now about that Cardio-Fitness issue. I knew all along that I wasn't sure whether stair climbing was Cardio-intensive enough for this climb. Here's how fitness played out. Basically I could not get my muscles enough oxygen to do their work. When I turned around on Cotopaxi I was not sore, or fatigued. I was dizzy and seeing stars. This wasn't the result of my muscles or my resolve or my energy giving out, it was the direct result of not having enough oxygen. I think the only way to prepare myself for that situation at sea level is to improve my cardio-fitness. I wasn't the only one coming from sea level so I wasn't the only one dealing with this situation.
After my 10 hour attempt on Cotopaxi going up 3500' and back down I was tired sure, I'd been up since 11PM, but I was not fatigued and the next day I was not sore anywhere. Muscles need fuel. That fuel is oxygen. My muscles were running on empty because I was incapable of providing that fuel. I was not diligent or efficient enough in my breathing methods, and perhaps my Cardio-fitness level was not where it needed to be.
On Cayambe I knew, and was coached repeatedly by Jake, that I needed to be completely focused on my breathing. I needed to put maximal effort into it. I did this. I was pressure breathing on every breath on summit day. There are varying levels of effort in pressure breathing and sitting around was one level, climbing up 50 degree ice was a whole other level. I stayed focused on this but putting this much effort into breathing can wear on you. I remember at one point on Cayambe that I was just so tired of breathing. My legs felt great, even my neck wasn't too sore from carrying a helmet and head lamp, but my head and breathing parts were very tired of the effort that absolutely had to be put into breathing. And I could feel the difference. If I forgot, or chose not, to breath with maximal effort I got tired quickly and when I'd start to pressure breath really hard my head and legs would feel better.
So the hardest part for me at these elevations was simply the act of breathing itself. Secondary to that was eating. At these elevations you simply don't want to eat. In fact some foods you scarf on at home actually seem revolting up there. I had a hard time eating Poptarts, Peanut butter, and I didn't want anywhere near the amount of candy I'd brought.
So in a nutshell I suffered primarily from lack of fuel, be it O's or Sugar.
Now I just got back from the gym a little while ago where I rode the bike for 20 minutes and ran on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Running on the treadmill was a revelation! I've been climbing thousands of stairs for months. My walking and stair climbing muscles are very strong and fit! Running is nearly purely a cardiovascular exercise. There is muscle involved but not the level of climbing stairs or riding a bike. When running you work your heart and you work your lungs. In my 20 minutes on the treadmill I could feel my lack of cardiovascular fitness. WOW! What a surprise! As I was running I thought to myself "Wow, just doing this 3 times a week after the stairs probably would have made the difference of my summiting or not...". I now think that is a true statement.
I know everyone is different and the way one's body responds to work will be different than another's. However way back when I put up my survey on cardio exercises, I probably knew the truth. I needed to make my lungs and heart stronger and while stairs whipped my lower body into shape it simply was not enough punishment for the these blood oxygenating tools I have.
Another discovery from my trip down south is that I lost 10 pounds. Despite all the beer and fats and hi-carb foods. That gives some indication to what we were doing to ourselves down there.
I feel I am a better climber now than before this trip and I think I have a better understanding what it takes to prepare for a trip like this. I did not have any HAPE, HACE, or AMS issues down there. So it would seem my body will accept life in these altitudes for at least a short duration. I think I improved on my stepping and breathing techniques due to an abundance of practice time... I also bugged the guides regularly about the terrain so I learned more about how some things look under certain conditions. I also learned some new knots so that was fun.
Overall the guides allow for a level of expertise that I very likely will not attain. Mountains of this size require respect. However local mountains in the lower 48, I feel many of them are now within my reach. I'm no pro mountaineer but I feel I have improved my competence somewhat, plus I've always been comfortable in a pack on my back or in a tent or on a trail...
So the future is bright. There are other mountains I want to climb and I DO still want to climb! I wasn't sure if my interest or drive would wane after this trip but if anything the opposite has happened! More than likely to the chagrin of Mandi...
Ciao,
Ray
First I've thought about my two summit attempts. The second on Cayambe seems to make a lot of sense regarding turning around. The mountain dictates who will climb her and when. This day was simply not our day and I have complete peace with that decision.
Cotopaxi vexes me only slightly but let me explain why. I was suffering pretty hard on that climb, but so was everyone else. Though at the time it did seem like I was having more difficulty than some.
One point that gives me some contention is that the rope leading to the climber behind me went taught quite often on the 1800 foot initial face and then again often on the higher pitches that were even steeper. At the risk of calling someone out this was my situation: I was breathing incredibly hard, though not as technically efficient as I should have been. Each step was an effort often preceded by 3 and even 4 pressure breaths. I would physically and mentally prepare myself for my next step, galvanizing myself for the effort, then perform the act. And then, midway through this effort the rope would go taught and I could not complete my step. The effect of this was that I would make a sort of half step, and the rope in front of me would potentially also go taught. Further, since we were on 60 degree or so ice, foot placement was crucial.
On this type of terrain you must be very efficient with your effort, in this vain you look for the optimal place to put your foot. A spot that will allow you to be secure and stable while allowing minimal effort to hold yourself there. If you can't make a step like this it doesn't take but a few seconds for your calves and other leg muscles to start a major burn. Couple this with the fact that you are processing maybe half the oxygen you are at sea level and now you have a situation where you are incapable of processing and eliminating the lactic acid.
This was my situation for most of the day on Cotopaxi and I was not strong enough to help get two people up that mountain. Now I can't say that this was the single cause of my need to turn around, but I doubt it helped my effort. I did not say anything to the guides, and perhaps I should have, but I didn't want to call anyone out on the mountain. However I think the root of my issues was simply a lack of acclimatization or lack of cardio-fitness, perhaps both. In retrospect I think Diamox might have helped the former, but the guides were adamant that I not take any. It seems that diamox is a good preemptive treatment and not so good at reactive treatment. In other words, if you are going to take it, it seems like the most benefit is during acclimatizing not after. I'll keep this nugget of knowledge put away for next time...
Now about that Cardio-Fitness issue. I knew all along that I wasn't sure whether stair climbing was Cardio-intensive enough for this climb. Here's how fitness played out. Basically I could not get my muscles enough oxygen to do their work. When I turned around on Cotopaxi I was not sore, or fatigued. I was dizzy and seeing stars. This wasn't the result of my muscles or my resolve or my energy giving out, it was the direct result of not having enough oxygen. I think the only way to prepare myself for that situation at sea level is to improve my cardio-fitness. I wasn't the only one coming from sea level so I wasn't the only one dealing with this situation.
After my 10 hour attempt on Cotopaxi going up 3500' and back down I was tired sure, I'd been up since 11PM, but I was not fatigued and the next day I was not sore anywhere. Muscles need fuel. That fuel is oxygen. My muscles were running on empty because I was incapable of providing that fuel. I was not diligent or efficient enough in my breathing methods, and perhaps my Cardio-fitness level was not where it needed to be.
On Cayambe I knew, and was coached repeatedly by Jake, that I needed to be completely focused on my breathing. I needed to put maximal effort into it. I did this. I was pressure breathing on every breath on summit day. There are varying levels of effort in pressure breathing and sitting around was one level, climbing up 50 degree ice was a whole other level. I stayed focused on this but putting this much effort into breathing can wear on you. I remember at one point on Cayambe that I was just so tired of breathing. My legs felt great, even my neck wasn't too sore from carrying a helmet and head lamp, but my head and breathing parts were very tired of the effort that absolutely had to be put into breathing. And I could feel the difference. If I forgot, or chose not, to breath with maximal effort I got tired quickly and when I'd start to pressure breath really hard my head and legs would feel better.
So the hardest part for me at these elevations was simply the act of breathing itself. Secondary to that was eating. At these elevations you simply don't want to eat. In fact some foods you scarf on at home actually seem revolting up there. I had a hard time eating Poptarts, Peanut butter, and I didn't want anywhere near the amount of candy I'd brought.
So in a nutshell I suffered primarily from lack of fuel, be it O's or Sugar.
Now I just got back from the gym a little while ago where I rode the bike for 20 minutes and ran on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Running on the treadmill was a revelation! I've been climbing thousands of stairs for months. My walking and stair climbing muscles are very strong and fit! Running is nearly purely a cardiovascular exercise. There is muscle involved but not the level of climbing stairs or riding a bike. When running you work your heart and you work your lungs. In my 20 minutes on the treadmill I could feel my lack of cardiovascular fitness. WOW! What a surprise! As I was running I thought to myself "Wow, just doing this 3 times a week after the stairs probably would have made the difference of my summiting or not...". I now think that is a true statement.
I know everyone is different and the way one's body responds to work will be different than another's. However way back when I put up my survey on cardio exercises, I probably knew the truth. I needed to make my lungs and heart stronger and while stairs whipped my lower body into shape it simply was not enough punishment for the these blood oxygenating tools I have.
Another discovery from my trip down south is that I lost 10 pounds. Despite all the beer and fats and hi-carb foods. That gives some indication to what we were doing to ourselves down there.
I feel I am a better climber now than before this trip and I think I have a better understanding what it takes to prepare for a trip like this. I did not have any HAPE, HACE, or AMS issues down there. So it would seem my body will accept life in these altitudes for at least a short duration. I think I improved on my stepping and breathing techniques due to an abundance of practice time... I also bugged the guides regularly about the terrain so I learned more about how some things look under certain conditions. I also learned some new knots so that was fun.
Overall the guides allow for a level of expertise that I very likely will not attain. Mountains of this size require respect. However local mountains in the lower 48, I feel many of them are now within my reach. I'm no pro mountaineer but I feel I have improved my competence somewhat, plus I've always been comfortable in a pack on my back or in a tent or on a trail...
So the future is bright. There are other mountains I want to climb and I DO still want to climb! I wasn't sure if my interest or drive would wane after this trip but if anything the opposite has happened! More than likely to the chagrin of Mandi...
Ciao,
Ray
12.11.2007
Cayambe
The final few days in Ecuador began with a visit to the 0.0.0/0.0.0 point on the face of the earth. That is 0 latitude, 0 longitude. Pretty cool, but our compasses and GPS' still worked fine... We took a few pictures and headed to Otavalo.
Otavalo is a small town with a huge market. We first went to the livestock section. Basically people standing around with their animals waiting for people to come up and make an offer. There were goats, cows, pigs, sheep, I think that was about it. You needed to be careful where you walked... I wanted to buy a goat but I wasn't sure where I would keep it so I skipped that this time.
We then headed over to the street market section. Basically dozens of blocks of people selling their wares. I believe this area was affectionately called the Gringo Market. I picked up a few items and had fun in bargaining. Bartering is certainly expected, and sometimes it's kind of done for you.
Take the blankets I bought for example: I really wanted to find these heavy wool, Alpaca?, blankets we had used at Hacienda El Porviner. The were so warm and comfy! I'd found some in the Quito market but the dude wanted $45. That might have actually been a deal in the US, but we weren't in the US! So when I found some I pulled Gerry over and asked the lady, Quantos?. She told me Trente(30). I asked her to show me how big the blanket was so we pulled it open. Then before I could say anything else she said - Vente! (20). Well, okay that sounds like a deal to me, I'll take it! Bueno! Then I asked Gerry if he wanted to get in on this deal of a lifetime? He said sure. So I asked - Quantos para dos? She said Vente quatro (24). I'm sorry??? Vente para uno e vente quatro para dos??? SI! Woot! We scored! We were happy, and when we looked back the two ladys selling the blankets were laughing. It seemed like they felt they'd gotten the better of the deal. I remarked to Gerry that perhaps this was the definition of a good deal, all parties are satisfied... We shopped a bit more and I picked up some other sundries and some Pan Dulce.
We met everyone back at the van and headed out to Cayambe Refugio which meant another long, bumpy road. However since the road was pretty wet at least it wasn't dusty. After a few hours the van had gotten as far as it could go. The gear would now be brought the rest of the way by Jaime in the Land Cruiser. However climbers now start hiking. It was a pleasant walk up the road to the Refugio. Jaime passed us on the way up and we met him at the Refugio a little while later.
By now we all understood the deal. We moved in, hydrated, rested and prepped our gear for our attempt tonight. I read, wrote in my journal, drank water and breathed. I also decided to check my pulse. At Jose Ribas Refugio on Cotopaxi my heart rate while seated was over 100 (my normal resting heart rate is in the low 50's). While sitting on Cayambe at 15,000' I was now registering 70. Hmmm, seems some physiology is occurring inside Ray... Strangely I would from time to time forget to breath. I don't mean forget ABOUT breathing. I mean forget completely. I'd suddenly gasp and breath deep a few times to catch up. Man! Altitude is weird stuff!
Our scheduled wake up time of midnight came and I heard Dave get up and go outside. He came back a short time later and said it was raining and lightning outside so we were going to wait 1 hour and check again. Didn't matter to me since I'd been up since 9PM anyway...
At 1am, he came back and said the lightning was still going off so we'd wait some more.
I checked my watch at 2AM and figured since we hadn't gotten the GO we weren't going, I think I might have started to relax a bit...
Two minutes later Dave came in and said weather looks good, lets go! OKAY! Lets go! :|
I packed up with the others in the dark and cold, got our plastics and gaiters on. Downstairs we had some oatmeal and tea to warm up and hydrate a bit. I took some caffeine pills so I wouldn't get a headache later. The route up Cayambe starts with about 1000' of Class 2 scrambling. For the neophytes out there, that's basic rock climbing. Facil! I did fall at one point because the rock I was standing on moved. I remember thinking how funny it was that i was on my back and my feet were way over my head. Dave didn't think it was so funny and pointed out that we were just a few feet from a cliff. FINE Mr. Reality! Burst my bubble! ;)
So after an hour of scrambling, slipping, lurching, and traversing we topped out on the rock and were on flat snow. I remarked on my preference for this kind of terrain. With no reply I started to think people weren't appreciating my dry humor around here...
The terrain eventually un-flattened so we roped up and put on the spikes. Where Cotopaxi starts with a sort of kick-in-the-crotch assault with 1800 feet of 55+ degree slope to negotiate, Cayambe is much more deceptive and crafty. The trail gradual steepened over a long time. It was so beautiful, we could see city light below us and some lightning to our east. There was a huge halo around the moon. The climbing was basic and straight forward and more than once I mentioned out loud how amazing this evening was! This was why I climbed! We transitioned onto a ridge line where Dave told Jake, who was leading, to stay toward the middle because this ridge is often corniced, huh?
As the sun started to come up around 5:30am we began to be able to see a bit more. My world became more than Kurtiss' boots in front of me and the crunch breath crunch breath of crampons and ice axe on glacier. But I could now start to also see how little visibility there was. We were in the clouds.
After the ridge we dropped into the crevasse fields below the upper headwall. We continued on above 17,000' and I was feeling good. This day was going to be my day. We could see crevasse's all around and Jake and Dave were diligent in testing for them with probes and ice axe. When they found one they'd enlarge it to get a feel for where it went and how big it was. I began to see how you could follow the snow bridges covering the crevasse's and I got more comfortable here. The snow was a bit flat over these bergschrunds, and perhaps not always but often you could see where not to step. Up we went and the terrain steepened closer to 40 degrees.
While I wouldn't say I was hurting I was starting to feel the affects of the altitude and the increasing difficulty of our path. After my problems on Cotopaxi I knew I needed to put in a concerted effort into my breathing. That means I had to forcefully pressure breath nearly every breath and above 17,000 certainly every breath. Pressure Breathing is basically breathing really hard in then out through pursed lips where by you create a bit of artificial pressure in your lungs and give them a chance to squeeze out just a little bit more oxygen from the oh so thin atmosphere. Now normal breathing for most people is at most an afterthought. It is a very low effort affair. At altitude this changes. As I found on Cotopaxi you MUST pressure breath. You MUST put effort into breathing. And this effort takes, well, effort.
As we neared 18 I knew I needed to put even more effort into my breathing, that this was imperative to my summiting. As you make your way up this mountain you must move your feet, each wearing 5 pounds of plastic boot and crampon; you must place your axe in a safe and defensive way so as to optimize your chances of self arrest should your feet or the ice fail; you must manage the rope to keep it out of your crampons and those of your team-mates; and you must put a substantial effort into breathing. In other words mountaineering is hard...
I had a chance to think about a few more things as we cruised through that crevasse field. I would check my watch not only for altitude checks but also to check our rate of ascent. On Mt. Baldy with 50 pounds I might make 25 feet per min (fpm). A very good pace on a mountain might be 12 to 15 fpm. When it gets really steep you might see 4 to 6 fpm. We were currently going 6fpm and I thought about that for a few minutes (I had nothing else to do but breath, and walk, and manage the rope and ice axe...). I was thinking in terms of the Spots 10 minute updates in the Track mode it was in. Six feet per minute is sixty feet in ten minutes. So I was thinking about my living room which is about 20 feet long. In 10 minutes we were walking 3 times the length of my living room. Here's a little piece of homework for you. Go outside, mark off 60 feet and then try to cover that distance in 10 minutes. You'll get my point... And we really couldn't have gone much faster.
As we got to a break point near 18,200 feet, we had been smelling sulfur for an hour from the Volcano, the visibility was getting really bad. At that point we had three more wands to mark our back trail and we had about 800 feet above to cover to get to the summit. The crevasse's were still all around us. Dave went forward to commiserate with Jake while the three of us, Kurtiss, Jim and my self, ate, drank and breathed. They came back to us and we had a discussion about the trail ahead, the visibility (we could not see more than 15 feet), what kind of terrain we were going to have to cover, and how long that was going to take.
We had 2 to 3 more hours to get to the summit and it had been snowing steadily for two hours. There were 2 tough sections above us; one a pitch of 55+ degrees and a 15 foot section of about 80 degrees to gain the summit itself. It seemed our fitness and pace were not being questioned, just the safety of going up into what we could not see and then coming back down again. As everyone knows the summit is only 1/2 way. Ed Viesturs says that summiting is optional, coming home is mandatory.
So for the second time in three days I turned around a few hundred feet below the summit if a 19,000 foot mountain. And for the second time in three days it was the right decision. We all agreed that going down was the right thing to do. It was only melancholy in that I felt strongly that today, given decent weather, the summit was within my reach. But it was not to be today.
Down we went with Jake leading the way. It snowed steadily until about 16,000 where it turned into more of a slushy rain. Going down the class 2 rocky section was just as un-fun as I thought it might be but not as hard as Disappointment Cleaver on Rainier.
Back at the hut Gerry and Jaime were outside waiting for us and had hot water for tea inside. I was tired and only mildly disappointed. In fact I was quite satisfied. In the last three days I'd touched 19,100 and 18,200 and I still felt pretty damn good.
We went up and packed our gear and loaded the Land Cruiser. But it was raining pretty good outside and we had a 1/2 hour walk to get to the van. Jaime told us he could fit three people in the SUV with him and 3 had to walk. Jake and Dave quickly volunteered to walk and so did Gerry. Cool - Jim, Kurtiss and I would ride.
At the van we loaded climbers and gear and headed back to Quito. Tired but pretty satisfied. It was again a long bumpy ride. I texted Mandi that we were off the mountain, safe and headed back to the hotel in Quito. She wrote back that she was glad I was safe...
A few hours later we get back to the Hotel Mercure Quito and we unload our gear. I go inside to find out which room I'm in and up walks Mandi in the lobby of the Hotel in Ecuador! It took several seconds for me to realize she was really there! In Ecuador! My mind was having trouble processing this... After hugs etcetera she started to tell me about her adventure, which I was amazed to find out had been in the planning stages since October! I'll let the readers get that story from her website and blog: New Heights
Wow, was my head spinning! First I'm breathing reasonably thick air and now my wife is standing in front of me in Ecuador. We went up to the room and I told her many brief stories and showed her some of my souvenirs. She told me some of her stories and showed me her souvenirs. We had some of the exact same pictures... Then she showed me a website she'd made and the guest-book she made so people could sign it and send me messages of encouragement or whatever. I can only say I was very touched by all those messages, thank you to all of you who partook in that little surprise!
Well, that evening we had a team farewell dinner at a place Jaime recommended in Gringo-town. Food and drinks were great and Mandi got to listen as we told stories about our adventures. Afterwards we were all obviously tired so we headed back to the hotel and hit the sack.
We woke early for our flight home the next morning and we got home last night about 7PM tired and happy.
I know I'll have at least two more posts before this blog goes dormant - until I start planning my next adventure.
Stay tuned just a bit longer and I'll share more about this adventure. :)
Adios
Ramon
Otavalo is a small town with a huge market. We first went to the livestock section. Basically people standing around with their animals waiting for people to come up and make an offer. There were goats, cows, pigs, sheep, I think that was about it. You needed to be careful where you walked... I wanted to buy a goat but I wasn't sure where I would keep it so I skipped that this time.
We then headed over to the street market section. Basically dozens of blocks of people selling their wares. I believe this area was affectionately called the Gringo Market. I picked up a few items and had fun in bargaining. Bartering is certainly expected, and sometimes it's kind of done for you.
Take the blankets I bought for example: I really wanted to find these heavy wool, Alpaca?, blankets we had used at Hacienda El Porviner. The were so warm and comfy! I'd found some in the Quito market but the dude wanted $45. That might have actually been a deal in the US, but we weren't in the US! So when I found some I pulled Gerry over and asked the lady, Quantos?. She told me Trente(30). I asked her to show me how big the blanket was so we pulled it open. Then before I could say anything else she said - Vente! (20). Well, okay that sounds like a deal to me, I'll take it! Bueno! Then I asked Gerry if he wanted to get in on this deal of a lifetime? He said sure. So I asked - Quantos para dos? She said Vente quatro (24). I'm sorry??? Vente para uno e vente quatro para dos??? SI! Woot! We scored! We were happy, and when we looked back the two ladys selling the blankets were laughing. It seemed like they felt they'd gotten the better of the deal. I remarked to Gerry that perhaps this was the definition of a good deal, all parties are satisfied... We shopped a bit more and I picked up some other sundries and some Pan Dulce.
We met everyone back at the van and headed out to Cayambe Refugio which meant another long, bumpy road. However since the road was pretty wet at least it wasn't dusty. After a few hours the van had gotten as far as it could go. The gear would now be brought the rest of the way by Jaime in the Land Cruiser. However climbers now start hiking. It was a pleasant walk up the road to the Refugio. Jaime passed us on the way up and we met him at the Refugio a little while later.
By now we all understood the deal. We moved in, hydrated, rested and prepped our gear for our attempt tonight. I read, wrote in my journal, drank water and breathed. I also decided to check my pulse. At Jose Ribas Refugio on Cotopaxi my heart rate while seated was over 100 (my normal resting heart rate is in the low 50's). While sitting on Cayambe at 15,000' I was now registering 70. Hmmm, seems some physiology is occurring inside Ray... Strangely I would from time to time forget to breath. I don't mean forget ABOUT breathing. I mean forget completely. I'd suddenly gasp and breath deep a few times to catch up. Man! Altitude is weird stuff!
Our scheduled wake up time of midnight came and I heard Dave get up and go outside. He came back a short time later and said it was raining and lightning outside so we were going to wait 1 hour and check again. Didn't matter to me since I'd been up since 9PM anyway...
At 1am, he came back and said the lightning was still going off so we'd wait some more.
I checked my watch at 2AM and figured since we hadn't gotten the GO we weren't going, I think I might have started to relax a bit...
Two minutes later Dave came in and said weather looks good, lets go! OKAY! Lets go! :|
I packed up with the others in the dark and cold, got our plastics and gaiters on. Downstairs we had some oatmeal and tea to warm up and hydrate a bit. I took some caffeine pills so I wouldn't get a headache later. The route up Cayambe starts with about 1000' of Class 2 scrambling. For the neophytes out there, that's basic rock climbing. Facil! I did fall at one point because the rock I was standing on moved. I remember thinking how funny it was that i was on my back and my feet were way over my head. Dave didn't think it was so funny and pointed out that we were just a few feet from a cliff. FINE Mr. Reality! Burst my bubble! ;)
So after an hour of scrambling, slipping, lurching, and traversing we topped out on the rock and were on flat snow. I remarked on my preference for this kind of terrain. With no reply I started to think people weren't appreciating my dry humor around here...
The terrain eventually un-flattened so we roped up and put on the spikes. Where Cotopaxi starts with a sort of kick-in-the-crotch assault with 1800 feet of 55+ degree slope to negotiate, Cayambe is much more deceptive and crafty. The trail gradual steepened over a long time. It was so beautiful, we could see city light below us and some lightning to our east. There was a huge halo around the moon. The climbing was basic and straight forward and more than once I mentioned out loud how amazing this evening was! This was why I climbed! We transitioned onto a ridge line where Dave told Jake, who was leading, to stay toward the middle because this ridge is often corniced, huh?
As the sun started to come up around 5:30am we began to be able to see a bit more. My world became more than Kurtiss' boots in front of me and the crunch breath crunch breath of crampons and ice axe on glacier. But I could now start to also see how little visibility there was. We were in the clouds.
After the ridge we dropped into the crevasse fields below the upper headwall. We continued on above 17,000' and I was feeling good. This day was going to be my day. We could see crevasse's all around and Jake and Dave were diligent in testing for them with probes and ice axe. When they found one they'd enlarge it to get a feel for where it went and how big it was. I began to see how you could follow the snow bridges covering the crevasse's and I got more comfortable here. The snow was a bit flat over these bergschrunds, and perhaps not always but often you could see where not to step. Up we went and the terrain steepened closer to 40 degrees.
While I wouldn't say I was hurting I was starting to feel the affects of the altitude and the increasing difficulty of our path. After my problems on Cotopaxi I knew I needed to put in a concerted effort into my breathing. That means I had to forcefully pressure breath nearly every breath and above 17,000 certainly every breath. Pressure Breathing is basically breathing really hard in then out through pursed lips where by you create a bit of artificial pressure in your lungs and give them a chance to squeeze out just a little bit more oxygen from the oh so thin atmosphere. Now normal breathing for most people is at most an afterthought. It is a very low effort affair. At altitude this changes. As I found on Cotopaxi you MUST pressure breath. You MUST put effort into breathing. And this effort takes, well, effort.
As we neared 18 I knew I needed to put even more effort into my breathing, that this was imperative to my summiting. As you make your way up this mountain you must move your feet, each wearing 5 pounds of plastic boot and crampon; you must place your axe in a safe and defensive way so as to optimize your chances of self arrest should your feet or the ice fail; you must manage the rope to keep it out of your crampons and those of your team-mates; and you must put a substantial effort into breathing. In other words mountaineering is hard...
I had a chance to think about a few more things as we cruised through that crevasse field. I would check my watch not only for altitude checks but also to check our rate of ascent. On Mt. Baldy with 50 pounds I might make 25 feet per min (fpm). A very good pace on a mountain might be 12 to 15 fpm. When it gets really steep you might see 4 to 6 fpm. We were currently going 6fpm and I thought about that for a few minutes (I had nothing else to do but breath, and walk, and manage the rope and ice axe...). I was thinking in terms of the Spots 10 minute updates in the Track mode it was in. Six feet per minute is sixty feet in ten minutes. So I was thinking about my living room which is about 20 feet long. In 10 minutes we were walking 3 times the length of my living room. Here's a little piece of homework for you. Go outside, mark off 60 feet and then try to cover that distance in 10 minutes. You'll get my point... And we really couldn't have gone much faster.
As we got to a break point near 18,200 feet, we had been smelling sulfur for an hour from the Volcano, the visibility was getting really bad. At that point we had three more wands to mark our back trail and we had about 800 feet above to cover to get to the summit. The crevasse's were still all around us. Dave went forward to commiserate with Jake while the three of us, Kurtiss, Jim and my self, ate, drank and breathed. They came back to us and we had a discussion about the trail ahead, the visibility (we could not see more than 15 feet), what kind of terrain we were going to have to cover, and how long that was going to take.
We had 2 to 3 more hours to get to the summit and it had been snowing steadily for two hours. There were 2 tough sections above us; one a pitch of 55+ degrees and a 15 foot section of about 80 degrees to gain the summit itself. It seemed our fitness and pace were not being questioned, just the safety of going up into what we could not see and then coming back down again. As everyone knows the summit is only 1/2 way. Ed Viesturs says that summiting is optional, coming home is mandatory.
So for the second time in three days I turned around a few hundred feet below the summit if a 19,000 foot mountain. And for the second time in three days it was the right decision. We all agreed that going down was the right thing to do. It was only melancholy in that I felt strongly that today, given decent weather, the summit was within my reach. But it was not to be today.
Down we went with Jake leading the way. It snowed steadily until about 16,000 where it turned into more of a slushy rain. Going down the class 2 rocky section was just as un-fun as I thought it might be but not as hard as Disappointment Cleaver on Rainier.
Back at the hut Gerry and Jaime were outside waiting for us and had hot water for tea inside. I was tired and only mildly disappointed. In fact I was quite satisfied. In the last three days I'd touched 19,100 and 18,200 and I still felt pretty damn good.
We went up and packed our gear and loaded the Land Cruiser. But it was raining pretty good outside and we had a 1/2 hour walk to get to the van. Jaime told us he could fit three people in the SUV with him and 3 had to walk. Jake and Dave quickly volunteered to walk and so did Gerry. Cool - Jim, Kurtiss and I would ride.
At the van we loaded climbers and gear and headed back to Quito. Tired but pretty satisfied. It was again a long bumpy ride. I texted Mandi that we were off the mountain, safe and headed back to the hotel in Quito. She wrote back that she was glad I was safe...
A few hours later we get back to the Hotel Mercure Quito and we unload our gear. I go inside to find out which room I'm in and up walks Mandi in the lobby of the Hotel in Ecuador! It took several seconds for me to realize she was really there! In Ecuador! My mind was having trouble processing this... After hugs etcetera she started to tell me about her adventure, which I was amazed to find out had been in the planning stages since October! I'll let the readers get that story from her website and blog: New Heights
Wow, was my head spinning! First I'm breathing reasonably thick air and now my wife is standing in front of me in Ecuador. We went up to the room and I told her many brief stories and showed her some of my souvenirs. She told me some of her stories and showed me her souvenirs. We had some of the exact same pictures... Then she showed me a website she'd made and the guest-book she made so people could sign it and send me messages of encouragement or whatever. I can only say I was very touched by all those messages, thank you to all of you who partook in that little surprise!
Well, that evening we had a team farewell dinner at a place Jaime recommended in Gringo-town. Food and drinks were great and Mandi got to listen as we told stories about our adventures. Afterwards we were all obviously tired so we headed back to the hotel and hit the sack.
We woke early for our flight home the next morning and we got home last night about 7PM tired and happy.
I know I'll have at least two more posts before this blog goes dormant - until I start planning my next adventure.
Stay tuned just a bit longer and I'll share more about this adventure. :)
Adios
Ramon
12.07.2007
The attempt on Cotopaxi
Okay, im not sure in what order everthing has happened and Im sure ill forget something, but here goes...
I think the last time I posted was when we were getting ready to leave Quito. The next day we took an acclimatizing hike to Illiniza Norte. We hiked to a sub-peak at about 15,800´. It was cold and we popped into the hut there which wasn´t the nicest Ive seen. We hustled back to the van for our ride out to the Hacienda. This hacienda was like a ranch house. it was very cool, lots of character. Only one shower but the beds were very comfy and had 3 heavy blankets on each. The food was wonderful!
Leaving there the next morning we drove along a very bumpy road to Cotopaxi Parque de National. Its a huge park with no paved roads. We drove quite a ways till we got to the parking lot below the Jose Ribas Refugio. We needed to take all our gear plus team gear up the 800´ hike, about 45 minutes. I decided to be a good team mate so I loaded a 5 liter bottle in the top of my pack plus a 10 pound bag of food and carried another 5 liter bottle in my hand. This little walk was a butt kicker. It was only 800 feet but at 15,000 feet carrying an 80 pound pack is a chore...
So we got there and moved in for a few days. Its a 30ish bed affair laid out like a barracks. Racks 3 high and in two large rooms. When we got there, there were only a few people in the place so we had our pick of beds. I chose a bottom unit on the end. We were asked to make a small footprint but we, being typical Americans, took all the room we needed...
The Refugio: its basically a climbers hut, but a darn nice one. There is a full kitchen, a store where you can buy beer, water, gatoraid, and other sundries. However it is unheated. It was 40 inside when we got there and it only got colder. Within an hour of getting there I had on every piece of clothing Id brought including my down jacket!
So we basically kicked it there. everyone goes to bed because climbers attempting the summit each night usually start between 11 and 1am. Plus its so cold the only place you can get really warm is in your sleeping bag. I did not sleep well though. Never more than an hour at a time. I would get to sleep then wake up panting as if Id stopped breathing. Weird. I asked the guides and they said that was a common thing... Nice.
The next day I felt horrible! Headache, neasua, fatigue, I didnt want to eat.... I went outside, walked around and did a lot of pressure breathing. that helped. Then I started drinking water every minute or so and started to feel better. We had a mini snow school that day and walked roped without crampons on up to 16,440´ ugh... The summit was another 3000´ feet higher...
Okay, early dinner of yummy burritos, makes for a musical refugio, then to bed at 6pm. We woke at 11pm, got ready and were on the trail by 12am. The sky was beautifully clear. you could see all the stars! All of them!
After an hour on the trail we got to the glacier where we put on crampons and roped up. I also turned on the tracking feature of the spot. Up we went. Here´s the gist of this mountain. the walking distance from the hut to the summit is probably 2 miles, maybe a little less. In this distance you go from 15,800 to 19,347! 3500 feet in 2 miles = STEEP! The first main face took us 3 hours to get up and you can see that entire face from the hut. Above that it eased up for only a few dozen meters then back up it goes. One team mate puked at about 18,000´, I thought about it but decided not to. We kept going. At about 18,500´ we hit a particularly steep section. We cruised up it but at the top I was nearly hyper-ventilating. Jake, the guide helped my get my breathing under control but I told him if there was another section like that that I could not make it. He coached me some more on my breathing pattern and said lets give it a try. So we did.
I checked the tempature, it was 25f. Every time I went to get a drink of water it was frozen inside my backpack. I would shiver at every break, but had on appropriate clothes for the climb...
So we kept trying. I got to 19,000´. I felt like my legs could go on. In fact I felt rather strong. But I could not breath. I tried my hardest to pressure breath but air didn´t seem to be coming in. At this break it was determined that Gerry should go down. He was coughing very hard. With a guide going down with Gerry I decided to turn around too. Given all the time in the world I probably could have gotten to the summit, but it simply wasn´t safe. With not being able to take in O2 i was seeing stars. Literally. It was a smart decision to go down there because when we started down I kept falling down. Not from fatigue but from my inability to get my legs to listen to my head. I was fuzzy to say the least.
So Gerry, Jake and I took our time and headed down. As we went I felt better but I still couldn´t breath well. there was just more oxygen in the air. We finally got back to the refugio and I laid down for about 1/2 an hour. I woke up weezing and coughing. The others all summited, congratulations to them all! When they got back we packed up our gear and made that 800 foot descent to the parking lot. What a long walk that was...
Back in the fan we drove on another long, bumpy and dusty dirt road. Eventually we ended up at Hosteria La Cienaga. The place was wonderful. I took the longest hottest shower in a long time! After that Gerry, Chris and I had some lunch and some beer then took a little walk around the place.
We got back to the room and I read for a bit but was having trouble focusing so I laid down, as chris was doing. We got up at 7 for dinner. Dinner was average but after dinner we went back to our rooms and went to bed. With the exception of one wakeup at about 3am I slept all night! That was the first full night of sleep I´ve gotten since I´ve been down here! I feel so much better today!
Today we came to Hacienda De Guachala, this place was first built in 1580 and is very cool! I´m rooming with Kurtiss and Gerry. We have a fireplace in our room, and the grounds are beautiful! Dinner is at 6:30 and we´re getting up early to go see an Equator monument, then we´re going to a major farmers market. After the market we head up to the refugio at Cayambe for our attempt on that mountain. Three of our team went back to the states today so we´re down to 4 climbers and 2 guides.
I may not feel like updating this on Sunday because we´ll be walking off Cayambe and heading back to Quito for our flights the next morning...
So thats all for now.
R
I think the last time I posted was when we were getting ready to leave Quito. The next day we took an acclimatizing hike to Illiniza Norte. We hiked to a sub-peak at about 15,800´. It was cold and we popped into the hut there which wasn´t the nicest Ive seen. We hustled back to the van for our ride out to the Hacienda. This hacienda was like a ranch house. it was very cool, lots of character. Only one shower but the beds were very comfy and had 3 heavy blankets on each. The food was wonderful!
Leaving there the next morning we drove along a very bumpy road to Cotopaxi Parque de National. Its a huge park with no paved roads. We drove quite a ways till we got to the parking lot below the Jose Ribas Refugio. We needed to take all our gear plus team gear up the 800´ hike, about 45 minutes. I decided to be a good team mate so I loaded a 5 liter bottle in the top of my pack plus a 10 pound bag of food and carried another 5 liter bottle in my hand. This little walk was a butt kicker. It was only 800 feet but at 15,000 feet carrying an 80 pound pack is a chore...
So we got there and moved in for a few days. Its a 30ish bed affair laid out like a barracks. Racks 3 high and in two large rooms. When we got there, there were only a few people in the place so we had our pick of beds. I chose a bottom unit on the end. We were asked to make a small footprint but we, being typical Americans, took all the room we needed...
The Refugio: its basically a climbers hut, but a darn nice one. There is a full kitchen, a store where you can buy beer, water, gatoraid, and other sundries. However it is unheated. It was 40 inside when we got there and it only got colder. Within an hour of getting there I had on every piece of clothing Id brought including my down jacket!
So we basically kicked it there. everyone goes to bed because climbers attempting the summit each night usually start between 11 and 1am. Plus its so cold the only place you can get really warm is in your sleeping bag. I did not sleep well though. Never more than an hour at a time. I would get to sleep then wake up panting as if Id stopped breathing. Weird. I asked the guides and they said that was a common thing... Nice.
The next day I felt horrible! Headache, neasua, fatigue, I didnt want to eat.... I went outside, walked around and did a lot of pressure breathing. that helped. Then I started drinking water every minute or so and started to feel better. We had a mini snow school that day and walked roped without crampons on up to 16,440´ ugh... The summit was another 3000´ feet higher...
Okay, early dinner of yummy burritos, makes for a musical refugio, then to bed at 6pm. We woke at 11pm, got ready and were on the trail by 12am. The sky was beautifully clear. you could see all the stars! All of them!
After an hour on the trail we got to the glacier where we put on crampons and roped up. I also turned on the tracking feature of the spot. Up we went. Here´s the gist of this mountain. the walking distance from the hut to the summit is probably 2 miles, maybe a little less. In this distance you go from 15,800 to 19,347! 3500 feet in 2 miles = STEEP! The first main face took us 3 hours to get up and you can see that entire face from the hut. Above that it eased up for only a few dozen meters then back up it goes. One team mate puked at about 18,000´, I thought about it but decided not to. We kept going. At about 18,500´ we hit a particularly steep section. We cruised up it but at the top I was nearly hyper-ventilating. Jake, the guide helped my get my breathing under control but I told him if there was another section like that that I could not make it. He coached me some more on my breathing pattern and said lets give it a try. So we did.
I checked the tempature, it was 25f. Every time I went to get a drink of water it was frozen inside my backpack. I would shiver at every break, but had on appropriate clothes for the climb...
So we kept trying. I got to 19,000´. I felt like my legs could go on. In fact I felt rather strong. But I could not breath. I tried my hardest to pressure breath but air didn´t seem to be coming in. At this break it was determined that Gerry should go down. He was coughing very hard. With a guide going down with Gerry I decided to turn around too. Given all the time in the world I probably could have gotten to the summit, but it simply wasn´t safe. With not being able to take in O2 i was seeing stars. Literally. It was a smart decision to go down there because when we started down I kept falling down. Not from fatigue but from my inability to get my legs to listen to my head. I was fuzzy to say the least.
So Gerry, Jake and I took our time and headed down. As we went I felt better but I still couldn´t breath well. there was just more oxygen in the air. We finally got back to the refugio and I laid down for about 1/2 an hour. I woke up weezing and coughing. The others all summited, congratulations to them all! When they got back we packed up our gear and made that 800 foot descent to the parking lot. What a long walk that was...
Back in the fan we drove on another long, bumpy and dusty dirt road. Eventually we ended up at Hosteria La Cienaga. The place was wonderful. I took the longest hottest shower in a long time! After that Gerry, Chris and I had some lunch and some beer then took a little walk around the place.
We got back to the room and I read for a bit but was having trouble focusing so I laid down, as chris was doing. We got up at 7 for dinner. Dinner was average but after dinner we went back to our rooms and went to bed. With the exception of one wakeup at about 3am I slept all night! That was the first full night of sleep I´ve gotten since I´ve been down here! I feel so much better today!
Today we came to Hacienda De Guachala, this place was first built in 1580 and is very cool! I´m rooming with Kurtiss and Gerry. We have a fireplace in our room, and the grounds are beautiful! Dinner is at 6:30 and we´re getting up early to go see an Equator monument, then we´re going to a major farmers market. After the market we head up to the refugio at Cayambe for our attempt on that mountain. Three of our team went back to the states today so we´re down to 4 climbers and 2 guides.
I may not feel like updating this on Sunday because we´ll be walking off Cayambe and heading back to Quito for our flights the next morning...
So thats all for now.
R
12.02.2007
First couple days in Quito!
Okay, we´re here! The flight was uneventful. I met Gerry in Houston and we had a quick lunch. While we were waiting at the gate for the flight to Quito it started to sink in that we were leaving the country... Primarily because I could feel my personal space shrinking....
The flight was not full and Gerry and I had an empty seat between us, pretty nice. I read the whole way down, I think gerry watched the movie.
I´m going to stop using capitals because í´m using a difficult keyboard...
we landed and had to go find our bags, but before that we had to stand in line for imigration. of course neither of us brought a pen so we had to find one to borrow to fill out the papers first. while we were doing that 2 more planes landed and completely filled the queue to the officials! took about 45 minutes to get through that then we had to sort through all the bags strewn about the floor to find ours. after my second round through i found mine. then through customs which was just an xray of our bags.
we met the guides and the rest of the team right away and hustled out to the waiting van. we briefly met the other guys, there are 7 climbers and 2US guides and a local guide.
since we came in on friday night there was quite a party going on everywhere. buses with people on top playing horns and whistles and yelling. it was interesting. the streets are very small and cobblestone. (a party bus just went by...) our hotel is pretty nice. my roomie is a guy from phillie named jim. there are, in addition to us, chris from new jersey, pete from mississippi, and cylis from california. i went to my room, met jim and headed to bed. it was midnight but only 9pm for me.
saturday morning we woke for a group breakfast where we officially met everyone. food is good. everything is cheap.
yesterday was a mellow day. we walked to old quito and saw two very old churches. one we went all the way up to the bell tower. something you could never do in the US. we went to the national museum and then had lunch in front of a 16th century mission called mission de san francisco. again, food was great and cheap.
after lunch we decided to climb the hill of the virgin of ecuador. it was about 1000 steps. we are at 9300´ here... it hurt a bit. after that we came down, caught a trolly back to near the hotel and split up. a few of us wanted to go to an outdoor market to shop. i went with pete and chris to the market. we found some fun things to buy. bartering is the norm but i don´t think i´m very good at it. i never paid their first price but usually paid their second...
after shopping we thought a beer sounded good. there is an outdoor cafe across the street from the hotel where we went for ONE beer. but then it was good so we had another. then we shared two more. about that time we saw kurtiss and gerry crossing the street and we called them over. we already had our check but we couldn´t be rude and leave now. so we stayed for a few more...
by the time we met the guides in the hotel lobbby for dinner we were quite, uh, happy...
dinner was amazing! i had a filet mignon wrapped around asparigas and ham with smashed taters. it was $7.80.
we picked up a couple things in a market on the way back to the hotel.
today we got up early, had breakfast and were in the van at 7.30 (no colon on keyboard) we headed up to pasochoa and climbed that peak to 13605´ it took about 3 hours. good hard hike and everyone did well. the hike down was easy and we all chatted away like girls.
tomorrow we head to the first hacienda but before we do that we´ll detour to the illiniza sur to climed to around 16000´, higher than i´ve ever been! then we´ll go to the hacienda.
i have to head back to the hotel for dinner in a bit so that is my story so far. I hope those of you who made your requests are getting your gps updates.
a few quick observations - $20´s are nearly useless here because nothing is more than a few dollars and nobody has change except the big grocery stores. gas is $1.45 a gallon. thats right! road laws don´t exist. they may have some suggestions though. Ecuadorians are a hansome people. ladies stand on corners selling their wares wearing fidora type hats. children come running up to you selling candy, hawking show shines, or just asking for money. they are very persistant! we have been warned numerous times about picpockets and we often wear our backpacks backwards.
next time i have internet í´ll post again. that may not be until next sunday. (if that is the case then my posting also depends on how i feel and how my legs are working....)
until then,
adios.
R
The flight was not full and Gerry and I had an empty seat between us, pretty nice. I read the whole way down, I think gerry watched the movie.
I´m going to stop using capitals because í´m using a difficult keyboard...
we landed and had to go find our bags, but before that we had to stand in line for imigration. of course neither of us brought a pen so we had to find one to borrow to fill out the papers first. while we were doing that 2 more planes landed and completely filled the queue to the officials! took about 45 minutes to get through that then we had to sort through all the bags strewn about the floor to find ours. after my second round through i found mine. then through customs which was just an xray of our bags.
we met the guides and the rest of the team right away and hustled out to the waiting van. we briefly met the other guys, there are 7 climbers and 2US guides and a local guide.
since we came in on friday night there was quite a party going on everywhere. buses with people on top playing horns and whistles and yelling. it was interesting. the streets are very small and cobblestone. (a party bus just went by...) our hotel is pretty nice. my roomie is a guy from phillie named jim. there are, in addition to us, chris from new jersey, pete from mississippi, and cylis from california. i went to my room, met jim and headed to bed. it was midnight but only 9pm for me.
saturday morning we woke for a group breakfast where we officially met everyone. food is good. everything is cheap.
yesterday was a mellow day. we walked to old quito and saw two very old churches. one we went all the way up to the bell tower. something you could never do in the US. we went to the national museum and then had lunch in front of a 16th century mission called mission de san francisco. again, food was great and cheap.
after lunch we decided to climb the hill of the virgin of ecuador. it was about 1000 steps. we are at 9300´ here... it hurt a bit. after that we came down, caught a trolly back to near the hotel and split up. a few of us wanted to go to an outdoor market to shop. i went with pete and chris to the market. we found some fun things to buy. bartering is the norm but i don´t think i´m very good at it. i never paid their first price but usually paid their second...
after shopping we thought a beer sounded good. there is an outdoor cafe across the street from the hotel where we went for ONE beer. but then it was good so we had another. then we shared two more. about that time we saw kurtiss and gerry crossing the street and we called them over. we already had our check but we couldn´t be rude and leave now. so we stayed for a few more...
by the time we met the guides in the hotel lobbby for dinner we were quite, uh, happy...
dinner was amazing! i had a filet mignon wrapped around asparigas and ham with smashed taters. it was $7.80.
we picked up a couple things in a market on the way back to the hotel.
today we got up early, had breakfast and were in the van at 7.30 (no colon on keyboard) we headed up to pasochoa and climbed that peak to 13605´ it took about 3 hours. good hard hike and everyone did well. the hike down was easy and we all chatted away like girls.
tomorrow we head to the first hacienda but before we do that we´ll detour to the illiniza sur to climed to around 16000´, higher than i´ve ever been! then we´ll go to the hacienda.
i have to head back to the hotel for dinner in a bit so that is my story so far. I hope those of you who made your requests are getting your gps updates.
a few quick observations - $20´s are nearly useless here because nothing is more than a few dollars and nobody has change except the big grocery stores. gas is $1.45 a gallon. thats right! road laws don´t exist. they may have some suggestions though. Ecuadorians are a hansome people. ladies stand on corners selling their wares wearing fidora type hats. children come running up to you selling candy, hawking show shines, or just asking for money. they are very persistant! we have been warned numerous times about picpockets and we often wear our backpacks backwards.
next time i have internet í´ll post again. that may not be until next sunday. (if that is the case then my posting also depends on how i feel and how my legs are working....)
until then,
adios.
R
11.29.2007
Less than 12 hours
Well, the bags are packed, the wine is flowing, and the steaks are on the grill!
I met Kurtiss at REI today to get something from him and he decided to buy a SPOT: Spot Satellite Messenger. If you want updates email Mandi and she'll forward them to you.
Okay... My nervousness is slowly converting to excitement! I've chatted with Gerry and talked to and saw Kurtiss. When I said goodbye to Kurtiss at REI I shook his hand and said "See you in Ecuador..." hehe, sounds pretty cool.
Alright kids, I fly out at 8:15 in the morning. My next update will be from Ecuador, provided I can find internet access.
Until then...
R
I met Kurtiss at REI today to get something from him and he decided to buy a SPOT: Spot Satellite Messenger. If you want updates email Mandi and she'll forward them to you.
Okay... My nervousness is slowly converting to excitement! I've chatted with Gerry and talked to and saw Kurtiss. When I said goodbye to Kurtiss at REI I shook his hand and said "See you in Ecuador..." hehe, sounds pretty cool.
Alright kids, I fly out at 8:15 in the morning. My next update will be from Ecuador, provided I can find internet access.
Until then...
R
11.28.2007
Reflections on training
Okay, we're down to the nitty gritty. I'll be in the gym at least one more time before Friday morning but that work out is probably more to keep me sane and help me sleep than anything else.
I started this blog all those months ago to help me track my progress through my training. Well, lets take a look at where we've come from and where we are.
In May when I started this my weight was exactly the same as it is now. I have not lost more than 5 pounds in the 6+ months of training.
I started training on the stationary bike and stair mill at the gym. 30 minutes at level 10 on the stairs was painful and difficult to finish. Last week I did 60 minutes at level 11 and 12 and while I was worked I went back the next day and did 45 minutes of intervals at level 13. This week I did 50 minutes at level 11 and read the whole time.
It's harder to quantify any gains I've made in my ability to hike with a backpack because I didn't do any hiking early on. However a day walking around NYC and Yellowstone did tucker me a bit... I have done Mt. Baldy several times now with loads from 35 to 50 pounds and I have cruised right up that mountain.
When I go up and down stairs my legs feel loose and springy. I just feel a little different when I walk around. In the mirror I notice more definition and mass in my leg muscles.
My back still hurts in the mornings but 20 to 30 minutes of walking around or a shower and it starts to loosen up. It never stays tight all day which it used to for days at a time. So while I'm not pain free I do feel better.
I have strengthened my neck and core muscles somewhat but again it's hard to quantify that.
Do I feel I am where I wanted to be? No. But the way I am I'm not sure I ever could be.
Do I feel ready? Yes, I do. Last weekend on Baldy was not challenging at all other than the weather. I knew then that I was ready.
Will I suffer and feel pain in Ecuador? I'm absolutely certain of it. That's how this game works.
What would I have liked to have done differently? The biggest thing I can think of is I wish I could have modified my diet and have stuck with it. Really my weight is the only thing I wish I could have done better with. I'm not unhappy with my weight, I'm just going to be carrying a few more pounds up these mountains than I had hoped.
Ciao,
R
I started this blog all those months ago to help me track my progress through my training. Well, lets take a look at where we've come from and where we are.
In May when I started this my weight was exactly the same as it is now. I have not lost more than 5 pounds in the 6+ months of training.
I started training on the stationary bike and stair mill at the gym. 30 minutes at level 10 on the stairs was painful and difficult to finish. Last week I did 60 minutes at level 11 and 12 and while I was worked I went back the next day and did 45 minutes of intervals at level 13. This week I did 50 minutes at level 11 and read the whole time.
It's harder to quantify any gains I've made in my ability to hike with a backpack because I didn't do any hiking early on. However a day walking around NYC and Yellowstone did tucker me a bit... I have done Mt. Baldy several times now with loads from 35 to 50 pounds and I have cruised right up that mountain.
When I go up and down stairs my legs feel loose and springy. I just feel a little different when I walk around. In the mirror I notice more definition and mass in my leg muscles.
My back still hurts in the mornings but 20 to 30 minutes of walking around or a shower and it starts to loosen up. It never stays tight all day which it used to for days at a time. So while I'm not pain free I do feel better.
I have strengthened my neck and core muscles somewhat but again it's hard to quantify that.
Do I feel I am where I wanted to be? No. But the way I am I'm not sure I ever could be.
Do I feel ready? Yes, I do. Last weekend on Baldy was not challenging at all other than the weather. I knew then that I was ready.
Will I suffer and feel pain in Ecuador? I'm absolutely certain of it. That's how this game works.
What would I have liked to have done differently? The biggest thing I can think of is I wish I could have modified my diet and have stuck with it. Really my weight is the only thing I wish I could have done better with. I'm not unhappy with my weight, I'm just going to be carrying a few more pounds up these mountains than I had hoped.
Ciao,
R
Packing
Man, I feel a bit overwhelmed... Not sure why but I think it's mostly work. I'm trying to get things to where I can leave them for two weeks.
I have started packing things. I packed my food last night. I also have a big pile in the garage and a big pile in my bedroom. Those will start to go into backpack and duffel tonight. I plan on being packed tonight. I don't want to stress on packing tomorrow night. We have to get up early Friday morning so I can be at the airport by 6:15AM. My sleep has been a bit restless the last couple days.
I'm nervous too. I just got an email from the lead guide, Dave Conlan. In addition to his welcome message he sent at link to his website, David B. Conlan. I checked his website and I'm hoping I didn't get myself in over my head on this thing... That's probably just nerves talking though... ;)
Looks like there are eight climbers on this trip plus two guides. I'm hoping these are cool people. I remember Kurtiss and I talking before our Rainier trip. We had two concerns, not including summiting. One that we would be the slow pokes on our team and two that we'd be on a rope with an asshole. Neither happened so it was a good trip, but now I'm having the same worries hehe...
I am not normally a worrier so this is a new experience for me.
Dave's email also stated three goals he has for every adventure:
- Come back alive
- Come back friends
- Come back successful (like summiting).
Sound like great goals to me!
R
I have started packing things. I packed my food last night. I also have a big pile in the garage and a big pile in my bedroom. Those will start to go into backpack and duffel tonight. I plan on being packed tonight. I don't want to stress on packing tomorrow night. We have to get up early Friday morning so I can be at the airport by 6:15AM. My sleep has been a bit restless the last couple days.
I'm nervous too. I just got an email from the lead guide, Dave Conlan. In addition to his welcome message he sent at link to his website, David B. Conlan. I checked his website and I'm hoping I didn't get myself in over my head on this thing... That's probably just nerves talking though... ;)
Looks like there are eight climbers on this trip plus two guides. I'm hoping these are cool people. I remember Kurtiss and I talking before our Rainier trip. We had two concerns, not including summiting. One that we would be the slow pokes on our team and two that we'd be on a rope with an asshole. Neither happened so it was a good trip, but now I'm having the same worries hehe...
I am not normally a worrier so this is a new experience for me.
Dave's email also stated three goals he has for every adventure:
- Come back alive
- Come back friends
- Come back successful (like summiting).
Sound like great goals to me!
R
11.25.2007
Final training hike
I got up yesterday morning at 4AM. I hadn't slept well, perhaps 4 hours, and that restless...
But I had a mission, to train, and I wasn't to be deterred. I ate my bagel and drank my coffee alone watching whatever tv is on at 4:30am on a Saturday. Actually I watched a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean hehe... I drank a Redbull, packed the truck and hit the road.
The Santa Ana's started just past Temecula but I didn't realize it till I started having a hard time keeping my truck in the lane. I did notice that I had to turn the vent to cool after needing the heater in San Diego.
At the Baldy Schoolhouse Visitor Center it was chilly but not terribly so. Higher up at the trail head it was windy and cold, but nothing I hadn't seen before. However my hands hurt when I locked the truck and headed up. I quickly warmed up on the trail and a Japanese couple passed me chattering away trying to warm themselves as well.
When the trail steepened I passed a large group. I makes me feel good to pass people who are carrying only day packs or less as I lug my 40 pound load. I caught the Japanese couple as they took a break to adjust their clothes.
It was cold and windy and I felt very strong. I hardly noticed my backpack. I was moving good on the steep trail but I knew if I stopped I'd get chilled quickly. I decided not to stop after one hour as has been my habit on these hikes. I felt good enough to keep going and I thought I could get to the Ski Hut with an hour and a half of hiking from the trail head. I got there in 1:25. I felt good. I appreciated the fact there is a bathroom there...
I sat down with my pack, ate and quickly got cold. Very cold. It was 38 degrees and very windy.
I packed my stuff up and left my gortex windbreaker on. I crossed baldy bowl and headed up the switchbacks to the saddle at Devils Backbone. It took 15 minutes of hard hiking on those switchbacks to warm up and have my fingers not hurt anymore.
I got to the saddle and it was 35 degrees and the wind was blowing even stronger. It had taken a half hour from the ski hut to get here. I was moving very well. As I had hiked over and behind the ridge I would alternate between freezing and cooking. On the ridge I sat down.
I thought about a few things. I felt very strong. I was passing people with much lighter loads, no one had passed me since the Japanese couple two hours earlier. I was cold and had on nearly all the clothes I brought. I knew it would be colder up higher because on this trail the exposure only increases as you go up. I thought about the fact that I was leaving in a few days for almost two weeks and my family was at home doing whatever it was they were doing without me. That was the clincher. I thought to myself that I should be home with my family before this upcoming trip and not up here on this blown out and too cold mountain. I thought my fitness was where it needed to be and another couple hours in this unfriendly place wouldn't make the difference of my summiting or not in Ecuador.
I headed down.
The hike out took about an hour and I felt great the whole way, despite going down the steep scree laden trail that I hate.
I got to my truck feeling pretty good actually. I thought coming down was the right decision and I headed home with much haste. The Santa Ana's blew me all over the road until I got to Temecula again.
This week I plan in being in the gym most every day and I've already started preparing my gear. I'll start actually packing tomorrow night or Tuesday but I've really already started. My pile in the garage grows, I have a small pile in my bedroom that needs to go down to the garage and I have a few items in the hamper that will need washing.
I went by T-Mobile on Friday and talked to them about cell service and Blackberry service in Ecuador. We looked at their map and it looks like cell service will be best in Quito, where I'll be for a total of four days. The other areas we'll be look as if they are not covered at all. My phone will work, where I have coverage, but the roaming will cost 4.99 a minute. I think my phone conversations will be brief in the extreme! It would cost $19 for a month of international Blackberry service. Since it doesn't look I'll even be able to get a signal outside of Quito I won't be getting this service. So it looks like any updates I'll do will be from Quito where there's both a business center in the hotel and an internet cafe less than a block away that is also a bar and restaurant... :D
I'm sure I'll have a few more updates before Friday, so until then...
R
But I had a mission, to train, and I wasn't to be deterred. I ate my bagel and drank my coffee alone watching whatever tv is on at 4:30am on a Saturday. Actually I watched a bit of Pirates of the Caribbean hehe... I drank a Redbull, packed the truck and hit the road.
The Santa Ana's started just past Temecula but I didn't realize it till I started having a hard time keeping my truck in the lane. I did notice that I had to turn the vent to cool after needing the heater in San Diego.
At the Baldy Schoolhouse Visitor Center it was chilly but not terribly so. Higher up at the trail head it was windy and cold, but nothing I hadn't seen before. However my hands hurt when I locked the truck and headed up. I quickly warmed up on the trail and a Japanese couple passed me chattering away trying to warm themselves as well.
When the trail steepened I passed a large group. I makes me feel good to pass people who are carrying only day packs or less as I lug my 40 pound load. I caught the Japanese couple as they took a break to adjust their clothes.
It was cold and windy and I felt very strong. I hardly noticed my backpack. I was moving good on the steep trail but I knew if I stopped I'd get chilled quickly. I decided not to stop after one hour as has been my habit on these hikes. I felt good enough to keep going and I thought I could get to the Ski Hut with an hour and a half of hiking from the trail head. I got there in 1:25. I felt good. I appreciated the fact there is a bathroom there...
I sat down with my pack, ate and quickly got cold. Very cold. It was 38 degrees and very windy.
I packed my stuff up and left my gortex windbreaker on. I crossed baldy bowl and headed up the switchbacks to the saddle at Devils Backbone. It took 15 minutes of hard hiking on those switchbacks to warm up and have my fingers not hurt anymore.
I got to the saddle and it was 35 degrees and the wind was blowing even stronger. It had taken a half hour from the ski hut to get here. I was moving very well. As I had hiked over and behind the ridge I would alternate between freezing and cooking. On the ridge I sat down.
I thought about a few things. I felt very strong. I was passing people with much lighter loads, no one had passed me since the Japanese couple two hours earlier. I was cold and had on nearly all the clothes I brought. I knew it would be colder up higher because on this trail the exposure only increases as you go up. I thought about the fact that I was leaving in a few days for almost two weeks and my family was at home doing whatever it was they were doing without me. That was the clincher. I thought to myself that I should be home with my family before this upcoming trip and not up here on this blown out and too cold mountain. I thought my fitness was where it needed to be and another couple hours in this unfriendly place wouldn't make the difference of my summiting or not in Ecuador.
I headed down.
The hike out took about an hour and I felt great the whole way, despite going down the steep scree laden trail that I hate.
I got to my truck feeling pretty good actually. I thought coming down was the right decision and I headed home with much haste. The Santa Ana's blew me all over the road until I got to Temecula again.
This week I plan in being in the gym most every day and I've already started preparing my gear. I'll start actually packing tomorrow night or Tuesday but I've really already started. My pile in the garage grows, I have a small pile in my bedroom that needs to go down to the garage and I have a few items in the hamper that will need washing.
I went by T-Mobile on Friday and talked to them about cell service and Blackberry service in Ecuador. We looked at their map and it looks like cell service will be best in Quito, where I'll be for a total of four days. The other areas we'll be look as if they are not covered at all. My phone will work, where I have coverage, but the roaming will cost 4.99 a minute. I think my phone conversations will be brief in the extreme! It would cost $19 for a month of international Blackberry service. Since it doesn't look I'll even be able to get a signal outside of Quito I won't be getting this service. So it looks like any updates I'll do will be from Quito where there's both a business center in the hotel and an internet cafe less than a block away that is also a bar and restaurant... :D
I'm sure I'll have a few more updates before Friday, so until then...
R
11.20.2007
Single Digit Midget!
We are now down under 10 days!
Well, I didn't make it to Mt. Baldy on Sunday like I'd planned. So Mandi and I went and ran up Iron Mountain Sunday morning. We didn't exactly run up it but we were moving pretty good. It was pretty darn hot and I was carrying about 40 pounds. The pack was so light I hardly noticed it...
Everyone on the trail seemed to have a comment about the size of my pack. There were a lot of people on the trail too. I haven't done Iron Mountain on a weekend like that in some time so it was somewhat surprising how crowded it was.
I wore my new Hard Shell pants and those things are very comfy to hike in. Very stretchy and they breath pretty well.
So that was a quick 2 hour hike. Later in the day we went by REI because they are having their winter sale and we didn't want to miss out!
I picked up a new beany, a fleece bag for my ski goggles, some socks, my chem hand warmers, Convertible pants, couple shirts, some snowboard pants, a webbing belt and I wanted to get a new down jacket but they didn't have what I was looking for. So I ordered that online yesterday... :D Yeah, we spent way more than we needed too...
Now all I need are some Lithium batteries for my headlamp and camera and my food! And I need to spend some time organizing my stuff and sorting through some travel details. hmmmm...
Out,
R
Well, I didn't make it to Mt. Baldy on Sunday like I'd planned. So Mandi and I went and ran up Iron Mountain Sunday morning. We didn't exactly run up it but we were moving pretty good. It was pretty darn hot and I was carrying about 40 pounds. The pack was so light I hardly noticed it...
Everyone on the trail seemed to have a comment about the size of my pack. There were a lot of people on the trail too. I haven't done Iron Mountain on a weekend like that in some time so it was somewhat surprising how crowded it was.
I wore my new Hard Shell pants and those things are very comfy to hike in. Very stretchy and they breath pretty well.
So that was a quick 2 hour hike. Later in the day we went by REI because they are having their winter sale and we didn't want to miss out!
I picked up a new beany, a fleece bag for my ski goggles, some socks, my chem hand warmers, Convertible pants, couple shirts, some snowboard pants, a webbing belt and I wanted to get a new down jacket but they didn't have what I was looking for. So I ordered that online yesterday... :D Yeah, we spent way more than we needed too...
Now all I need are some Lithium batteries for my headlamp and camera and my food! And I need to spend some time organizing my stuff and sorting through some travel details. hmmmm...
Out,
R
11.17.2007
Packing Pictures
I finally pulled some pics off my camera today. I spent a couple hours in the garage today sorting and arranging gear. I still need to get clothes and food put together but this is pretty much all my climbing gear. |
 |
When I got this pic I also got some I took on Baldy last weekend. |
 |
This was after coming down a few feet from the summit. You could see the clouds building to the south. |
 |
And then this was on the summit. These folks got there a few minutes after my striptease... I was huddled in my wind break and they were huddled in the theirs. |
 |
11.16.2007
The 1000 Calorie Lunch Workout
Gerry sent me a couple text messages earlier today.
The First: 14 DAYS!!!
The Second: I just left REI, am going on a 10mi 3500ft hike!
I was motivated... Sort of...
I went to the gym at lunch and saw that somebody was on MY stair climbing machine! I admit it! I was mildly relieved that I would just have to do the bike for a while. Then when I came out of the locker room MY machine was free... Okay... I'll do it...
So I got on MY machine and pecked the numbers it needs. For duration I entered 60 minutes.
I started slow to warm up and as usual if I don't feel I'm getting a good workout I start upping the level. I guess I do hate wasting time in the gym... Eventually I was up at level 10, level 11 and level 12. I checked my heart rate a couple times for 6 seconds. Each time I got to 15 or 16.
After 45 minutes or so I couldn't read anymore and put my magazine away. At this point I was just holding on till the end, changing hand positions every 10 to 20 seconds or so.
60 minutes! Done! 2 Minutes cool down! Done!
As I slowly rode the stairs to the bottom I noticed the calories burned readout. 1021!
Great way to cap a great week of training! And I still have Baldy again on Sunday!
I got an email from Kurtiss yesterday saying he was coming back to the USofA tomorrow. He plans on hiking Baldy every day of the Turkey-day break. Seem a bit aggressive? That's how Kurtiss do... Maybe I can hook with him one of those days. I'd love to get in one more good hike after Sunday!
Ciao
R
The First: 14 DAYS!!!
The Second: I just left REI, am going on a 10mi 3500ft hike!
I was motivated... Sort of...
I went to the gym at lunch and saw that somebody was on MY stair climbing machine! I admit it! I was mildly relieved that I would just have to do the bike for a while. Then when I came out of the locker room MY machine was free... Okay... I'll do it...
So I got on MY machine and pecked the numbers it needs. For duration I entered 60 minutes.
I started slow to warm up and as usual if I don't feel I'm getting a good workout I start upping the level. I guess I do hate wasting time in the gym... Eventually I was up at level 10, level 11 and level 12. I checked my heart rate a couple times for 6 seconds. Each time I got to 15 or 16.
After 45 minutes or so I couldn't read anymore and put my magazine away. At this point I was just holding on till the end, changing hand positions every 10 to 20 seconds or so.
60 minutes! Done! 2 Minutes cool down! Done!
As I slowly rode the stairs to the bottom I noticed the calories burned readout. 1021!
Great way to cap a great week of training! And I still have Baldy again on Sunday!
I got an email from Kurtiss yesterday saying he was coming back to the USofA tomorrow. He plans on hiking Baldy every day of the Turkey-day break. Seem a bit aggressive? That's how Kurtiss do... Maybe I can hook with him one of those days. I'd love to get in one more good hike after Sunday!
Ciao
R
11.15.2007
Cool mountain pictures
Mandi just sent me these links and I thought I'd share. Great pictures of Cotopaxi and Cayambe.
http://www.ecuador-images.net/mountain.cotopaxi.htm
http://www.ecuador-images.net/mountain.cayambe.htm
And training is still going good this week. I'm not sure if I'll get up to Baldy this weekend or not but I hope I can get up there during the thanksgiving holiday.
I also got some helpful information back from one the Guide Supervisors at RMI. I wanted to know if everything we took to the huts would be going to the summit with us in our packs. Also if we needed to hike in plastic boots from the trucks to the huts or if we could use lighter hiking boots.
So first they have private lockers in the huts that we can store extra stuff we won't need on the summit like cooking and eating gear and sleeping bags.
On Cotopaxi the hike to the hut from the trucks is less than an hour so we can just wear plastics for that short walk.
On Cayambe the trucks will pretty much drive us right to the hut!
This is very good news to me all around since on Rainier I suffered the most after we got back to Camp Muir after summiting. We then had to finish the hike out with 6 more miles under full packs. This is were I started to see the frayed end of my rope...
Excited and Nervous...
R
http://www.ecuador-images.net/mountain.cotopaxi.htm
http://www.ecuador-images.net/mountain.cayambe.htm
And training is still going good this week. I'm not sure if I'll get up to Baldy this weekend or not but I hope I can get up there during the thanksgiving holiday.
I also got some helpful information back from one the Guide Supervisors at RMI. I wanted to know if everything we took to the huts would be going to the summit with us in our packs. Also if we needed to hike in plastic boots from the trucks to the huts or if we could use lighter hiking boots.
So first they have private lockers in the huts that we can store extra stuff we won't need on the summit like cooking and eating gear and sleeping bags.
On Cotopaxi the hike to the hut from the trucks is less than an hour so we can just wear plastics for that short walk.
On Cayambe the trucks will pretty much drive us right to the hut!
This is very good news to me all around since on Rainier I suffered the most after we got back to Camp Muir after summiting. We then had to finish the hike out with 6 more miles under full packs. This is were I started to see the frayed end of my rope...
Excited and Nervous...
R
11.12.2007
Fraidy Cat!
Man, I am such a wuss sometimes!
I remember this happening before Rainier last year and before my first marathon. I'm totally paranoid about getting sick or injured! I went to the gym today, good workout by the way - actually loosened up my legs, and after words I was feeling kinda sickly.
I got back to my office and I just wanted to lay down. I had a headache and I think even my throat was sore. Psychosomatic?
Then I ate some lunch and wow, I feel so much better. Blood sugar issue? Wussyness? I dunno but I think I'm going to add some daily echinacea to my daily health regimen! I've just spent way too much time, energy, and money getting ready for this climb and I'd hate to have get screwed because somebody sneezed on me!
And on that note, Chowder!
R
I remember this happening before Rainier last year and before my first marathon. I'm totally paranoid about getting sick or injured! I went to the gym today, good workout by the way - actually loosened up my legs, and after words I was feeling kinda sickly.
I got back to my office and I just wanted to lay down. I had a headache and I think even my throat was sore. Psychosomatic?
Then I ate some lunch and wow, I feel so much better. Blood sugar issue? Wussyness? I dunno but I think I'm going to add some daily echinacea to my daily health regimen! I've just spent way too much time, energy, and money getting ready for this climb and I'd hate to have get screwed because somebody sneezed on me!
And on that note, Chowder!
R
Back into the clouds...
Whew boy! Summit was cold yesterday! But I'm getting ahead of myself...
I went up to Mt. Baldy yesterday. I got up and 4AM and left at 5AM. It was a bit surreal getting up and making breakfast alone while Sam and Mandi slept; and not just a little bit sad and lonely. I was on the road on time and got to the Baldy Visitor Center at 6:45. The Ranger there was already opening up shop so I went in to get my Adventure Pass. I found out that since it was Veterans Day I didn't need a pass. Cool!
On the drive up I decided to listen to the Comedy station on Sirius instead of the Music stations I usually listen to. I couldn't seem to shake my melancholy-ness...
I was at the trail head by 7:15 and on the trail by 7:30. I knew that I wanted to push the pace somewhat but I also knew I was going to be on the trail for 6-7 hours so I wanted to be smart about it. I started with a good steady pace that kept my heart rate up in the 130's to 140's. I can do this pretty much all day. I was carrying a good 50 pounds in my big Gregory pack, perhaps a little more.
I hit the turnoff to the Ski Hut trail and it gets steep here, of course I had to slow down. But I was pushing pretty good and I was feeling strong. I decided my schedule would be to hike for an hour to an hour and a half then rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This is similar to the schedules we'll try to keep on the mountains. I stopped at 1 hour when I found a nice tree to sit on. I recently picked up some Hammer E-Caps so I took one of those and ate a little. I kept my jacket on until it was time to go then I took that off and packed it. Now I really was acting like I was climbing hehe... Since I was alone I listened to my iPod all the way to the top.
I was going good and passed two young couples who were hiking up in jeans. They commented that I was carrying a big pack! I told them it was heavy too... Seems like everyone that I went by remarked on the size of my pack. I was something of the oddball up there.
I got to the top about 10 minutes to 11 in 3 hours and 20 minutes. It was 42 degrees, my shirt was soaked. Interestingly I was on top by myself for about 10 minutes. I changed quickly in the biting wind and huddled down behind a rock wind-break. I tried to eat a little bit but with my gloves off it was just wasn't any fun up there. I had told Mandi I'd call her from the top if I could. The call failed a couple times so I pecked out a quick email with painful hands on my Blackberry then I packed up and got out of there! The summit was completely in the clouds by then.
I headed down at a pretty good pace but I kept slipping on the steep scree and loose rocks. So then I added a profane commentary to my hike down. I got to use all them really good bad words that aren't always appropriate at a dinner party...
I got to my truck right around 1:30PM making the up and down in 6 hours. Pretty good considering last time up, before the fires, I carried 35 pounds or so and whole trip took a little more than 7 hours. Last time with less weight I made it up in 3:45 so I feel pretty good about the effort. I will say I'm a little tighter a day later than last time though. However, if I had to I could go back up today.
Assessments:
I would like to get up Baldy at least once more before my trip, maybe even twice if my schedule will allow.
I think the e-Caps helped somewhat but for about 20 minutes above 9000' I felt like i wanted to puke a bit. I felt better as I got closer to the summit and felt fine, other than cold, on the summit.
No blisters.
I think the food needs more thought. I was hungry when I got down but didn't really want to eat any more of the food I had. I had some pretty good trail mix, some Gouda Cheese, Fig Newtons, and some granola type bars. I really had a craving for Cheezits. I couldn't find my apple either, that would have been good too.
Back in the gym today. I'd really like to get in two solid weeks of training before 11/30 but Turkey Day may get in the way of that just a bit.
R
I went up to Mt. Baldy yesterday. I got up and 4AM and left at 5AM. It was a bit surreal getting up and making breakfast alone while Sam and Mandi slept; and not just a little bit sad and lonely. I was on the road on time and got to the Baldy Visitor Center at 6:45. The Ranger there was already opening up shop so I went in to get my Adventure Pass. I found out that since it was Veterans Day I didn't need a pass. Cool!
On the drive up I decided to listen to the Comedy station on Sirius instead of the Music stations I usually listen to. I couldn't seem to shake my melancholy-ness...
I was at the trail head by 7:15 and on the trail by 7:30. I knew that I wanted to push the pace somewhat but I also knew I was going to be on the trail for 6-7 hours so I wanted to be smart about it. I started with a good steady pace that kept my heart rate up in the 130's to 140's. I can do this pretty much all day. I was carrying a good 50 pounds in my big Gregory pack, perhaps a little more.
I hit the turnoff to the Ski Hut trail and it gets steep here, of course I had to slow down. But I was pushing pretty good and I was feeling strong. I decided my schedule would be to hike for an hour to an hour and a half then rest for 10 to 15 minutes. This is similar to the schedules we'll try to keep on the mountains. I stopped at 1 hour when I found a nice tree to sit on. I recently picked up some Hammer E-Caps so I took one of those and ate a little. I kept my jacket on until it was time to go then I took that off and packed it. Now I really was acting like I was climbing hehe... Since I was alone I listened to my iPod all the way to the top.
I was going good and passed two young couples who were hiking up in jeans. They commented that I was carrying a big pack! I told them it was heavy too... Seems like everyone that I went by remarked on the size of my pack. I was something of the oddball up there.
I got to the top about 10 minutes to 11 in 3 hours and 20 minutes. It was 42 degrees, my shirt was soaked. Interestingly I was on top by myself for about 10 minutes. I changed quickly in the biting wind and huddled down behind a rock wind-break. I tried to eat a little bit but with my gloves off it was just wasn't any fun up there. I had told Mandi I'd call her from the top if I could. The call failed a couple times so I pecked out a quick email with painful hands on my Blackberry then I packed up and got out of there! The summit was completely in the clouds by then.
I headed down at a pretty good pace but I kept slipping on the steep scree and loose rocks. So then I added a profane commentary to my hike down. I got to use all them really good bad words that aren't always appropriate at a dinner party...
I got to my truck right around 1:30PM making the up and down in 6 hours. Pretty good considering last time up, before the fires, I carried 35 pounds or so and whole trip took a little more than 7 hours. Last time with less weight I made it up in 3:45 so I feel pretty good about the effort. I will say I'm a little tighter a day later than last time though. However, if I had to I could go back up today.
Assessments:
I would like to get up Baldy at least once more before my trip, maybe even twice if my schedule will allow.
I think the e-Caps helped somewhat but for about 20 minutes above 9000' I felt like i wanted to puke a bit. I felt better as I got closer to the summit and felt fine, other than cold, on the summit.
No blisters.
I think the food needs more thought. I was hungry when I got down but didn't really want to eat any more of the food I had. I had some pretty good trail mix, some Gouda Cheese, Fig Newtons, and some granola type bars. I really had a craving for Cheezits. I couldn't find my apple either, that would have been good too.
Back in the gym today. I'd really like to get in two solid weeks of training before 11/30 but Turkey Day may get in the way of that just a bit.
R
11.09.2007
The Forest is Open!
Okay... Pretty good week back at training. I had a 45 minutes session on the stairs at level 11, another at level 12 and a 45 minute session on the bike.
I was supposed to go do Iron Mountain last night but the mountain was socked in with fog. The last time I did Iron Mountain in the fog it took 2 hours to come down. That coupled with the fact that due to the recent fires there have been a few Mountain Lion sightings in the area I decided to skip hiking in the dark and fog alone for four hours...
So now it looks like the Angeles National Forest is back open as of yesterday. My plan now is to assault Mt. Baldy for 5 to 6 hours on Sunday. I hope to get an early start and carry about 40 to 50 pounds to the summit. This will be a solo hike since Kurtiss is out of the country and Mandi has to kick it at home with Sam.
I went to REI yesterday and used a gift card I got for my birthday to pick up some adventure clothes that I'll wear on the plane down to Ecuador. :D I picked up some North Face mid-weight convertible pants and a nice long sleeve North Face shirt.
Also earlier this week Al from the Today Show was down in Ecuador. It was cool checking his reports out but I don't think I'll be going anywhere near the places he went.
Looking forward to some good hard hiking this weekend and I'll report back in afterwards.
I was supposed to go do Iron Mountain last night but the mountain was socked in with fog. The last time I did Iron Mountain in the fog it took 2 hours to come down. That coupled with the fact that due to the recent fires there have been a few Mountain Lion sightings in the area I decided to skip hiking in the dark and fog alone for four hours...
So now it looks like the Angeles National Forest is back open as of yesterday. My plan now is to assault Mt. Baldy for 5 to 6 hours on Sunday. I hope to get an early start and carry about 40 to 50 pounds to the summit. This will be a solo hike since Kurtiss is out of the country and Mandi has to kick it at home with Sam.
I went to REI yesterday and used a gift card I got for my birthday to pick up some adventure clothes that I'll wear on the plane down to Ecuador. :D I picked up some North Face mid-weight convertible pants and a nice long sleeve North Face shirt.
Also earlier this week Al from the Today Show was down in Ecuador. It was cool checking his reports out but I don't think I'll be going anywhere near the places he went.
Looking forward to some good hard hiking this weekend and I'll report back in afterwards.
11.05.2007
Fires and Jobs
Wow, it's been a while. Well, training has suffered a bit in the last two weeks. The biggest hit to my schedule has been the fires in Southern California.
Just before my birthday fires came roaring through Rancho Bernardo, where I live, and made not only working out dangerous but even going outside was a health risk! First we spent three days cooped up in our house waiting for the flames to come over the hills. Thankfully for us the fires passed us by to the north, but those neighborhoods were hit hard as the news has shown.
Also due to the self destructive methods of her boss Mandi has lost her job. That has also put a cramp in my training schedule.
Anyway, what that has meant for my training is that I simply haven't been training! I have made it into the gym a couple if times since 10/25, but have done no hiking at all. I called Mt. Baldy visitor center this morning and they, along with the entire Angeles National Forest, are still closed. Though the bored girl there was hoping it might open this week. I hope that's the case because I would REALLY love to get up there on Sunday!
Thursday this week I plan on getting back on Iron Mountain. I checked that trail and someone was on it yesterday so it appears to be open, and I don't believe it actually burned in the fires so the trail should actually be in pretty good shape.
So regardless of jobs and trails and fires etc. Ecuador awaits! She will not care about excuses. Mother Nature is relentless and knows no mercy so it is on me to be prepared regardless of conditions. I am prepared for this, see you in the Gym today. :D
R
Just before my birthday fires came roaring through Rancho Bernardo, where I live, and made not only working out dangerous but even going outside was a health risk! First we spent three days cooped up in our house waiting for the flames to come over the hills. Thankfully for us the fires passed us by to the north, but those neighborhoods were hit hard as the news has shown.
Also due to the self destructive methods of her boss Mandi has lost her job. That has also put a cramp in my training schedule.
Anyway, what that has meant for my training is that I simply haven't been training! I have made it into the gym a couple if times since 10/25, but have done no hiking at all. I called Mt. Baldy visitor center this morning and they, along with the entire Angeles National Forest, are still closed. Though the bored girl there was hoping it might open this week. I hope that's the case because I would REALLY love to get up there on Sunday!
Thursday this week I plan on getting back on Iron Mountain. I checked that trail and someone was on it yesterday so it appears to be open, and I don't believe it actually burned in the fires so the trail should actually be in pretty good shape.
So regardless of jobs and trails and fires etc. Ecuador awaits! She will not care about excuses. Mother Nature is relentless and knows no mercy so it is on me to be prepared regardless of conditions. I am prepared for this, see you in the Gym today. :D
R
10.15.2007
10,064 feet
For the first time in over a year I made it back above 10,000 feet!
We headed up Mt. Baldy, which I found out is actually named Mount San Antonio, yesterday. We were supposed to wake up at 3:45 and meet Kurtiss at 4:30 to get on to road. So when Mandi woke me up at 4:30 saying Kurtiss was calling my phone I freaked out. Stupid alarm clock! I was tired too because my Ass of a neighbor decided to have one of his little concerts Saturday night starting around midnight!
So we scrambled to get ready and I think we were on the road by 5:30.
We got to the Mt. Baldy Ranger Station right at 7AM which happens to be when they open. Picked up our adventure pass and headed to the trail head. Beware, this road is TWISTY! But it's a short drive to Manker Flats where we were to start.
The plan was to take the Manker Flats/Ski Hut trail up and down for total of 8.4 miles and almost 8000 feet elevation gain and loss. The trail starts out pretty mild on a closed road. About 1/2 a mile up there is a barely noticeable trail that takes off on the left. We saw it because a trail runner took off up that trail. From this point the trail is pretty steep and relentless all the way to the top.
We tried to stop about every hour and ate something at every stop. I carried about 40 pounds. 20 pounds of dumbbells, 1.5 gallons of water and some food and sundries. I felt good all way to the top but I definitely felt the altitude near the top! We made it up in 3:45 and I think I could have pushed a little harder.
Near the top where it was steep enough I was able to get into a rhythm with my rest-stepping. I also practiced my pressure breathing quite a bit. I was surprised when I got to the summit because I was expecting a false summit first. When I got there I looked around and there was nowhere to go but down. Plus as I neared the top I could hear crowd noises. Not just a few voices but full on crowd noises! Such is the nature of a wilderness experience in the LA/OC/Riverside area. There were about 40 people on top and one of them was smoking a cigar! It stunk!
The view from the top was great though. We could see in almost every direction and the whole inland empire was covered in a layer of clouds thousands of feet below us. We were bathed in warm sun while on top. Of course I didn't put sunscreen on so I have a burned neck and raccoon eyes from my glacier glasses...
We came down the same way we went up and it was slower than I thought it would be. Descending loose scree on a steep trail is never any fun. It took almost three hours to come down and we were all pretty tired when we got to the truck.
A day later and I feel pretty good. I feel like I could go back up today if I had to. Little sore in the calves and quads and my neck is sore too.
The next time I head up for that hike, or maybe San Jacinto, I'll use the big backpack. I loaded my day pack with 40 pounds and that's just a bit too much to be carrying just on my shoulders. 40 pounds is a lot more comfortable when you can carry a lot of that weight on your hips. I'll also use my sunscreen!
R
We headed up Mt. Baldy, which I found out is actually named Mount San Antonio, yesterday. We were supposed to wake up at 3:45 and meet Kurtiss at 4:30 to get on to road. So when Mandi woke me up at 4:30 saying Kurtiss was calling my phone I freaked out. Stupid alarm clock! I was tired too because my Ass of a neighbor decided to have one of his little concerts Saturday night starting around midnight!
So we scrambled to get ready and I think we were on the road by 5:30.
We got to the Mt. Baldy Ranger Station right at 7AM which happens to be when they open. Picked up our adventure pass and headed to the trail head. Beware, this road is TWISTY! But it's a short drive to Manker Flats where we were to start.
The plan was to take the Manker Flats/Ski Hut trail up and down for total of 8.4 miles and almost 8000 feet elevation gain and loss. The trail starts out pretty mild on a closed road. About 1/2 a mile up there is a barely noticeable trail that takes off on the left. We saw it because a trail runner took off up that trail. From this point the trail is pretty steep and relentless all the way to the top.
We tried to stop about every hour and ate something at every stop. I carried about 40 pounds. 20 pounds of dumbbells, 1.5 gallons of water and some food and sundries. I felt good all way to the top but I definitely felt the altitude near the top! We made it up in 3:45 and I think I could have pushed a little harder.
Near the top where it was steep enough I was able to get into a rhythm with my rest-stepping. I also practiced my pressure breathing quite a bit. I was surprised when I got to the summit because I was expecting a false summit first. When I got there I looked around and there was nowhere to go but down. Plus as I neared the top I could hear crowd noises. Not just a few voices but full on crowd noises! Such is the nature of a wilderness experience in the LA/OC/Riverside area. There were about 40 people on top and one of them was smoking a cigar! It stunk!
The view from the top was great though. We could see in almost every direction and the whole inland empire was covered in a layer of clouds thousands of feet below us. We were bathed in warm sun while on top. Of course I didn't put sunscreen on so I have a burned neck and raccoon eyes from my glacier glasses...
We came down the same way we went up and it was slower than I thought it would be. Descending loose scree on a steep trail is never any fun. It took almost three hours to come down and we were all pretty tired when we got to the truck.
A day later and I feel pretty good. I feel like I could go back up today if I had to. Little sore in the calves and quads and my neck is sore too.
The next time I head up for that hike, or maybe San Jacinto, I'll use the big backpack. I loaded my day pack with 40 pounds and that's just a bit too much to be carrying just on my shoulders. 40 pounds is a lot more comfortable when you can carry a lot of that weight on your hips. I'll also use my sunscreen!
R
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