Volcano trekking

  Quito (ish), Ecuador
Saturday, July 21, 2007

Regular readers of this column will recall my previous attempt to climb a volcano just outisde quito - gua gua pichincha, well folks the hughes wasn't going to be put off my a mere two days of attempting to push and pull a two tonne truck up a very wet muddy slope. No. Did Hilary turn back when it got a bit high? No. Did Amundsen decide a nice sit down and a cup of tea back on the ship would be a good idea when it got a bit chilly? No. Did Einstein think, this quantum stuff is a bit tricky, maybe I won't bother? No.

Did the Hughes get somebody to drive him most of the way up a nice clear, tree/landslide free track and then walk the remaing 2-3 hours to the summit? Yes.

Yep, one volcano down, few more to go.

Really cool walk up, the top being at 4781m - quite tough going at parts, bloody freezing at times, very windy but a great view down into the smoking crater, which also luckily didn't decide to explode - which was good.
We left the hostel where we were staying after a very nice eat as much as u can brekkie at about 8 and took about 2 hours to drive to the point where we were dropped off. Then we walked up to the refuge and had a break for some very nice tea and biccies then started up to the summit. 

a. view from the refuge

 

b. view OF the refuge heading up

The first 2 mins of this walk was pretty knackering but after that my body kinda understood what was going on and allowed me to breath again, we got to a little ridge where there was anice monument for some festival the locals come up to celebrate. At thsi point the wind struck and I kind of realised that a few extra layers were called for. Then it was off to the summit and great views down into the crater. The guide was ace and really helpful and I even managed to speak a fair bit of Spainsh with him. The weeks of reading La Guerra de los Mundos (War of the worlds) with a dictionary in one hand and a verb book in the other i think is paying of - up to page 22 now!

c. made it

d. all at the top

e. see that, thats a volcano that is

f. Proof!

g. its a volcano

h. some lazy git

We had a nice break at the top, some more tea and biccies and then headed back to the refuge for soup. THe way back down was pretty cool too, basically surfing down really loose rubble and shingley type stuff. 

i. what goes up...

j. just point me in the direction of the terrorist

On the way back we popped to see the Virigin of Quito (panecillo). Which you can see in the background in some of the next load of photos...

The next day me and Tom decide to have a wonder up the Basilica in Quito, which was pretty cool, and after climbing up numerous, not that safe looking ladders and stairs and planks and stuff I almost felt I was about the same height as the volcano again. Tom wasn't because he's a big girls blouse who refused to climb to the top, muttering something about the Health and Safety Executive would never allow that...

k. one very safe staircase - not

l. view from one tower

 

m. now inside the clock tower

  

n. thats where i just was

 

o. view from the top top top

6 all in the footie this week, but I didn't play due to a combination of knee injuries recieved in previous games and coming down the volcano plus a gashed thigh from an attempt to jump for an orange. I have know constructed a much better, safer way of getting fruit using a combination of a very long stick and a coat hanger - works pretty well - went hunting yesterday and got 6.