Day 10: June 29, 2007 Around El Reventador

  El Reventador, Ecuador
Friday, June 29, 2007

Day 10: June 29, 2007 Around El Reventador

The drizzle continued all night and was still going as we walked to our 8:00 breakfast. It abated somewhat as we ate. At 8:30 we gathered just below the hostería

Volcán El Reventador

and were able to see the Reventador summit just above the trees on the nearby ridge. Then we crossed the bridge over the Río Reventador and walked a few hundred meters down the road to the San Rafael Trailhead.

The trail is good and wide, running over a 1997 lahar. It cost us $2/person at the park gate. It is only a couple of kilometers to the fall. There are two narrow log bridges that cross streams. I crossed them easily by placing my hand on someone's shoulder in front of me.

San Rafael Waterfalls

JR at San Rafael Waterfalls

The falls are reputed to be the third highest in South America after Angel and Iguazú. There was a lot of water running through there, averaging 4000 L/sec. We shot our fotos and then returned to the hostería for lunch. Some of us swam in the river-fed pool before eating. Lunch was good but not memorable.

We hung around taking a siesta until 3:00 when those of us who wanted to go bird watching assembled in a light to moderate rain, eight of us went accompanied by Victor and Ivan. Most of the others went into the "town" of Chaco.

The Rain Forest at El Reventador

Andean Cock of the Rock

The trail starts right across the road from the hostería. It descends into a steep quebrada but it is on a lahar so it's gritty and not slippery. Then it climbs up a steep slope before getting into an up and down area along the edge of the forest. By the time we entered the forest we were in a heavy downpour. I didn't have a raincoat so I was already as wet as I would get. We stood there for about 15 minutes when suddenly we started hearing cock-of-the-rock calls. Soon one bird appeared. Then another and another until there were six or seven of them returning to the roost. I got a couple of distant stills but it was too wet to mess with the video camera. We left after fifteen minutes. Everyone was as wet as I was, in spite of their raincoats.

Just outside the forest two of the birds rested briefly on a branch less than ten meters from us. It was the best view I had of this beautiful bird.

The descent went quickly. I kept my hand on Ivan's shoulder the whole way. I was surprised at how soon we were back at the road. Those who were ahead of us had seen some monkeys so John and Russ went back to see if they could find them.

I was beat and soaked. I dried off and changed clothes. I was told I had a phone call so I went down to the lounge and talked, snacked, and drank wine, waiting for a callback that never came. The people who went to town stayed about 15 minutes saying it was only about a block long.

Between the two hikes and the laps that I did in the pool, in addition to generating heat to warm my body I was beat. I went to bed at 9:30 and was asleep immediately.