I now firmly believe that there are just some things which should remain the purview of youth, for example hiking. That theory was tested on my trip last year to Cotopaxi.
What a joy it is to be young fit and adventurous! Sadly I’m unable to check the boxes for all.
Cotopaxi is an active stratovolcano in the Andes Mountains, located in the Latacunga canton of Cotopaxi Province, about 50 km (31 mi) south of Quito, and 33 km (21 mi) northeast of the city of Latacunga, Ecuador, in South America. It is the second highest summit in Ecuador, reaching a height of 5,897 m (19,347 ft). It is one of the world’s highest volcanoes.
There is a refuge/lodge (Refugio José Rivas) about 4,800 metres up, on the way up to the summit.
Usually, a tour with a licensed guide, would take you in a 4WD up to a certain point and then you hike the rest as the route really consists of shifting volcanic ash and pebbles.
The climb to the refuge takes about an 1 hour, but I did it in a panting 1.5 hours with the guide Geraldo, literally pulling me up. If I was 50lbs lighter he would have carried me on this back, such was the pathetic state in which I was, on embarking on this adventure. There was a group of 15 of us on this tour plus a driver and a guide.
We made it to the refuge, hung around for a little while, stomping on snow and with me drinking lots of coca leaf tea for the altitude.
The descent wasn’t too bad, even though it took a toll on my knees as it was steep.
We got back to the “truck” to begin another adventure, that is the bike ride down to the Limipiopungo lake. Sensibly, I passed on this one. I can’t even ride a stationary bike properly, lest riding a dirt bike down a steep hill. I did my descent to the lake on the truck, but two of the “riders” gave up on the way down and joined me on the truck.
Cotopaxi takes your breath away literally!
About the writer:
A Private Wealth Manager by day who recently started blogging about her travels. For now she captures special memories with her iPhone or iPad . There are still many countries to visit on her bucket list. Where do you recommend that she visits next?
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Andes mountains are on my bucket list!! This looks absolutely fantastic
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Hope you get there soon!
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Wow, this looks like quite a unique experience to have.
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Yes it is. Thanks for stopping by to read.
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Im in decent shape and this looks though! both the hike and the altitude! But beautiful, I hope it was worth it. I have never been to South America! Maybe head to Antarctica next 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by to read.
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Sounds like your trip to Cotopaxi was a real adventure. It was nice of your guide Geraldo to “drag you up the mountain”!
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Lol. Thanks. And thank you for taking the time to read about my adventure.
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Your pictures are breathtaking – I love how the clouds are covering the mountains! It reminds me of when I went up to the top of Mount Vitosha in Bulgaria
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Thank you Elle. I’ve never been to Bulgaria. I now take note.
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What an incredible hike! Looks like quite the experience. Isn’t it weird how the descent is sometimes the scarier bit?! Thanks for sharing your story 🙂
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Yes Suzy. The descent can be scary. Thanks for reading.
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Love your photos, especially the third one. The fog makes the shot so much more dynamic. I’ve only begun hiking recently, but i’m hoping to make it a more frequent hobby.
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Thank you JC. I’m humbled because the photos were taken with my IPad. Hiking can become addictive. I don’t do it enough.
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Yes, it is indeed a joy to remain fit and adventurous, though I believe that age is just a number. The place looks ethereal.
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Thanks fir reading Amrita.
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Oh this SO would have been me! I am terrible at climbing uphill, even at 22 I was terrible and now I have a few more years on me, it’s getting worse. Well done for making it up and for such fab snaps.
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Thank you.
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This is near the top of my bucket list. I appreciate the info and the photos. Luckily I live at a very high elevation, so altitude is no issue. I really feel inspired to start saving and planning now. Gotta make this happen!
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Yes Deirdre make it happen! Thanks for stopping by to read.
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What an amazing experience! I visited Bolivia about 15 years ago and this brought back some fond memories. I really like your photographs and the pun on the last time (it takes your breath away, literally) made me laugh out loud 🙂
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Thank you Ali. I’ve never visited Bolivia and would like to especially to see the salt flats. All the best. I am now going to check out your blog. I like the name of it.
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Thanks – hope you like the content too 🙂
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Nice story, I really like the photos as well. Keep it up 🙂
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Thank you Thanks for stopping by to read.
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