We didn't climb Cotopaxi, but we did indeed wander around on that beautiful volcano, mostly in a high altitude delirium. I now look back on it fondly, forgetting most of the misery it entailed. My friend, Janet, and I, were on a 3 week trip in Ecuador, this being our last week which was dedicated to traveling in the highlands. We had entered the highlands from the jungle, on a grueling 12-hour bus trip over landslides and through rivers, which finally delivered us to Banos. Banos is a frequent tourist destination of both Ecuadorians and foreigners alike. We arrived during the height of Carnival without reservations - very bad idea! After wandering the streets searching for an available room, we finally found one, and were additionally rewarded with the availability of massages right on the premises for only $20/hour. A massage was much needed after the 12-hour bus trip. We stayed in Banos for 3 days, horseback riding, riding bikes to waterfalls, and exploring the small town, nestled below Tungurahua, an active volcano. On our way out of Banos, the day was clear and we were able to see Tungurahua erupting, a plume of smoke, curling from the top.

We went north to Latacunga and arranged a day tour to Cotopaxi, a 5800 meter volcano. We had thought about climbing it, but because we didn't have enough time to acclimate during our stay in the highlands and didn't feel like bringing a lot winter clothes with us, we decided against it. But on a day trip, you can drive to a parking lot at 4500 meters and then hike up to the refugio which is at 4800 meters. Our trip was arranged so we could visit the infamous Saquisili market on the way to Cotopaxi. As we drove to the market, we caught our first glimpse of Cotopaxi on the horizon. It loomed in the blue sky and was a perfect conical snow-capped volcano. At the market we bought some wool hats and gloves. We weren't really prepared for winter weather, but I did have several layers of clothes with a fleece and a windbreaker. After visiting the market, we approached the park two hours later and saw that the clouds had come in and obscured the upper part (slightly above the snow line) of the mountain.

We made some stops along the way to acclimate. First at a museum, then near a lake at around 3800 metres. At the lake, we got out of the jeeps and walked for about 15 minutes (not much of an accilmatization!), after which we were treated to some coca de mate tea. This tea apparently helps treat some of the symptoms of altitude sickness. I felt ok for the most part, but if I walked too quickly, I'd become light-headed and feel a little nauseous. We finally arrived at the parking lot which is at the beginning of the snow level and we could see the refugio, which didn't seem very far away. Well, it isn't really, but it takes quite a while to get there as you hike from 4500 meters to 4800 meters (14,800 - 15,800 feet) and it was hell, I tell you. I was reluctant to leave my photography equipment in the jeep, so I took everything with me, and, as such, had a rather heavy backpack to haul up the mountain. I started with the group, but stopped once to take a photo and fell behind - it was impossible to catch up with them again. One of the guides stayed with me. We proceeded slowly up the hill, winding back and forth along the switchbacks. It seemed so slow, so sometimes I tried to walk faster, but then I would have to stop to catch my breath, which seemed to be running slightly ahead of me. Once I stopped as I felt myself beginning to hyper ventilate and became anxious which made it worse. The guide told me to try to breathe slowly, inhale deeply and slowly, then exhale quickly. I began to breathe like that and it worked - I felt much better. I kept breathing that way and it seemed like such an effort to just take slow steps and keep breathing properly. Breathing is something I usually take for granted as a natural process that just "happens." I was never so aware of my breath before and thought about how it's so essential to life. Sometimes I felt like just stopping and laying down in the snow, but the guide would urge me on, saying it was just 10 more minutes or just over that hill. At times when I stopped and felt so exhausted, I would look out over the view, which was beautiful and serene. This helped calm my mind and make me relaxed. Yes, this is supposed to be "fun" not torture! I do love the mountains and it was an amazing place. That quiet solitude and beauty helped me continue on. Finally we arrived at the refugio and went inside.

The refugio was not a warm cozy place at all, although perhaps a bit warmer than outside. The guides brought us a feast and hot drinks and we sat down at a table. All this beautiful food was laid before us and I had no appetite! The day before, they had suggested we bring a bar of chocolate and now that seemed to be the only thing I wanted to eat. It didn't help that I caught Janet's cold the day before, so I was sick on top of the reaction to the altitude. I forced myself to eat some food and talk with an Italian guy in our group. It was very difficult to concentrate and I felt rather intoxicated. Janet also didn't have much of an appetite and after lunch she went outside and threw up.

After a bit, we were told we were hiking to the glacier another 200 meters up. Since it was rather chilly in the refugio, and we weren't that adequately dressed for the conditions, my toes had started to go numb. I wiggled them and kept on trudging along. We reached the glacier at 5000 meters (16,500 feet) and it was really cold and windy up there. While we were there my hands started to go numb too, but in a weird way, not the usual cold fingers, but as if my hands were falling asleep from the outside pinky fingers towards the thumbs. After taking some photos, we soon turned around to head down, and while I was the last one up, I was the first one down (except for two of the guides). It was so much faster to go down and rather fun, leaping down the mountain through the scree. I felt like I was skiing. By the time I was back in the parking lot, my hands and feet had thawed out.

Back at the parking lot, I felt great and energetic, but little did I know that the worst was yet to come. Feeling really exhausted on the drive back to Latacunga, I fell asleep and had rather strange, disturbing and hallucinatory dreams while I was dozing. When I woke up I had a horrible pounding headache and a general miserable sick feeling, kind of like a bad hangover. Both Janet and I also felt a bit hypothermic. It was probably 65 degrees in Latacunga and we were still with our wool hats and gloves and 4 layers of clothes, shivering. We just couldn't warm up until hours later, even after a hot shower. Finally after about 6 hours after our return, I felt normal again.

We didn't really acclimate long enough to go as high as we did. We were in Banos for 3 days at 1800 meters then only one day in Latacunga at 2850 meters. But luckily we didn't try to climb Cotopaxi. The next day we met a Belgian couple who said they paid to climb Cotopaxi and had to leave from the refugio (you sleep there and start climbing at midnight) as they were so sick.

The next day we took a bus to the Laguna Quilotoa, a mysterious crater lake at 3800 meters. We took a bus there, winding through the highlands with small villages and llamas dotting the countryside. This was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. We hiked down to the lake from the top of the caldera and took loads of photos along the way. After our hike the day before, we didn't really feel like hiking back up the hill, so we were happy to find out that we could take some mules back up. Poor mules seemed pretty tired too, but I think they're more used to it than us since they live there. Unfortunately, we couldn't stay very long as we left the next day from Quito. This is one place I definitely want to return to. It was a magical, beautiful place, going so well with the haunting melodies of the High Andes music.

March 2004 Kristin Piljay