Greetings once again from Climb Ecuador.  I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, exploring new, high altitude frontiers.  We are a newsletter behind here at “CE” so I’m going to TRY to keep things brief.  Plus, I realize it is a lot more fun to have your own climbing adventures rather than read about someone else’s.  So with this in mind, here we go.
       Climb Ecuador has run two trips so far this year.  The first one was to Ecuador – December 28, 2007 to January 12, 2008.  We had a great group of 9 clients and once again the trip went off without a hitch.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate (one of the few things CE has no control over), so we were denied the kind of stunning views we are so accustomed to on our trips, but the entire group returned home in one piece, with some exciting memories of this great country.  Full details, including day-by-day itinerary, given below.  And, my humblest apologies to this group for taking a “mere” 5 months to get this newsletter out. 
       Our second, and more recent trip went to Bolivia.  May 26 to June 12.  For this we had a colorful cast consisting of 3 former clients (who between them have now taken a total of 10 trips with Climb Ecuador), and two “newcomers.”  Again, full details given later in this newsletter.
       Upcoming trips?  Glad you asked.  Ecuador – December 28 to Jan. 12 at the end of the year – our “New Year’s Climb” – is ON!!  See details below.  Mexico – November 28 to December 11 is a possibility, but not yet confirmed.  As is Aconcagua – January 14 to February 5, 2009.  More news about these trips to come.

IN MEMORIAM -- LYGON STEVENS (1987 -- 2008)

 

LYGON STEVENS (1987--2008)	Lygon on the summit of Chimborazo in Ecuador.

 

 

        It brings me great sadness to report that 20-year-old Lygon Stevens, a former client of Climb Ecuador who participated in our trip to Ecuador from Dec. 28, 2005 to January 12, 2006, perished in an avalanche in her home state of Colorado on January 10, 2008 while climbing Little Bear Peak in Alamosa County with her older brother, Nick.  Nick survived the avalanche but Lygon was swept away and buried by the snow.   The search for Lygon went on for many grueling days with no success.  For Sarah and Nick Stevens, Lygon’s parents, and the entire Stevens’ family, these days searching for their beloved daughter were the longest and most emotionally trying days of their lives.   Eventually the difficult decision was made to call off the search as the snows were too deep and to wait out the long months for warm weather to melt the snows and reveal Lygon’s location.

 

For a detailed description of the accident, please visit:  http://www.climbingforchrist.org/Default.aspx?tabid=2443.

 

       Lygon’s father, Nick, just wrote me an email reporting that Lygon was finally found on June 24.  Nick followed up that email with another fascinating email providing further detail of the rescue efforts after the avalanche, and some other information about Lygon’s (and her brother, Nick) successful climb of Denali in Alaska.  This email ends with some compelling words that Lygon wrote in her diary a few days before being swept away by the avalanche.  I have copied and pasted both emails below:

 

EMAIL #1 (from Nick Stevens):

 

       “Lygon was found Tuesday, 6/24. We were at the base of Little Bear Peak with a few of our friends on the ridge above the basin as the search and rescue teams were being transported by helicopter into the avalanche area. Our friends on the ridge actually were the first to discover her body. We have many miracles that can only be explained by the hand of an active and present God. The greatest of which is that despite being exposed for very few days, maybe only 2, Lygon was untouched by the elements. She lay in a prone position facing up with a perfect peace on her face according to both the search and rescue team present and the coroner. After extensive research, the coroners have listed “asphyxia” as the cause of death because they have no pathological cause: absolutely no broken bones head to toe, no internal bruising, no damaged organs … nothing … except that she was buried by 4 – 10 feet of snow. Her body from a pathological point of view was less injured than her brother who was spared in the avalanche and was able to extract himself after about 24 hours with 3 broken ribs, punctured lung, head injury, and slightly dislocated knee.
She wrote in her journal that God told her when she started climbing big mountains that God would use her to be a witness of His goodness and glory. It has been fulfilled.
We had a graveside service on Saturday, 06/28, with over a hundred in attendance in Estes Park at the Estes Valley Memorial Garden. We planted a Linden tree in her honor next to her grave.

       For more information you can go to the website that a friend built for her: www.lygonstevens.com

       Thanks for staying in touch. We are also planning a Lygon Memorial Climb on 07/28/08 where a good number of people are going to climb Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park. Any of your Climb Ecuador connections are of course welcome. Again, check out the website for more detail.”

 

EMAIL #2 (from Nick Stevens):

       “Roger, this is so amazing and thoughtful. I forwarded this to our other children as well, and each of us was blessed by your praise of Lygon and her impact on you. You, of course, can use what I wrote and we love the Memoriam as is. Anybody that I have ever met that took the time to look beneath Lygon’s surface was similarly struck. She was an amazingly pure, guileless and strong young woman.

       One thing about the search for her in your first section – the “rescue” effort was really intense for only 2 days. During that time two snowmobiles were damaged and two of the search and rescue volunteers had to be evacuated to the hospital for exposure and/or slight injury. The avalanche professionals that came to the sight … there were many … including 2 from the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (with I believe Class 3 avalanche certifications) … after viewing the basin where the avalanche took place, deemed there was no chance of survival. They also deemed probing and extended searching in the basin which was surrounded by snow-laden steep slopes was extremely high risk. Additional avalanches were going to come down - it was just a question of when and what would trigger them. So when the effort was changed from a “rescue” operation to a “recovery” operation, the acceptable risk levels changed drastically, and the search had to be called off. Using explosives to bring down the laden slopes of snow was feasible – probably using helicopters to deliver the blasts, but then we’d be dropping several additional feet of snow over the top of the existing slide area making retrieval even more difficult or impossible. … So this long explanation is to help understand the difficult terrain where the slide took place and the decision that had to be made to simply wait until the avalanche danger subsided and the basin snow started to reduce. And then we could begin probing. The website shows pretty well our first attempts to get into the area starting at the end of March and the following laborious efforts to simply reach the site and the searches that were done.

       Another thing: I know Lygon did not consider herself the strongest climber. The fact that she joined Charles as the only climber to have peaked all 4 was, in her words, more a result of timing and good fortune with no injury than of climbing ability. (However, I think she was always humble and did not like being compared … but she was definitely strong … So call it the way you see it! J I’m sure you’ve heard of her experience on Denali: very similar. 9 guys this time rather than 10, but still only 1 girl. Jim Doenges in her eulogy at the memorial service said the same thing … same results … 9 boisterous, rather crass mountaineering men and 1 gentle, quiet spirited young lady … who many considered the strongest. 2 of those strong adult men were complaining and were convinced they should go back, but each had quiet, alone conversations with Lygon and neither ever complained again and both made the summit. She was an amazing encourager.) Concerning her strength, I’ll share one more story: She told me of the ascent to the Chimbarazo summit: she was anxious to get started and somebody was slowing her down a little as they all packed and “suited” up … but they finally got started and it seemed like an eternity. She was saddened and very worried as she heard of different ones pealing off to return. As the night lingered on and she got more tired and more tired … and more and more cold … she began to question herself. Finally it was just her guide, her in the middle, and Charles had joined her team at the rear. She admitted to me wanting to turn back. It had been so many hours … seeing nothing … just blackness … and the only sound hour after hour in the black coldness was the crunch, crunch, crunch of her crampons. She said she had decided to call it quits. She was spent … but then she heard the crunch, crunch, crunch of Charles’ crampons behind her. If she turned back, that would mean he would have to turn back. She couldn’t do that. “’ll just go a few more steps … a few more steps … I can do that … a few more steps.” There is the heart of great mountaineer and a great human being: just a few more steps.

       I didn’t add the previous notes asking you change anything … these are here simply for your understanding. Feel free to use anything you’d like, but don’t feel obliged to change anything you’ve written.

       Thanks for all this and the added note of the Whymper Summit. I was not aware of the rarity of that. Her silhouette on the Whymper Summit and the cloud scene on the west buttress ridge of Denali are her 2 most used photos.

       Blessings on you, Roger, and “Climb Ecuador.” If you could make it next weekend, that would be amazing. Just let us know if that comes about how we can serve you.

Gratefully,
Nick and Sarah

"The time to live is now.
The time to run and wake up every morning excited
about what the world might throw your way is now."
Lygon Stevens, 01/09/2007

 

BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER:

 

       I did not know Lygon long but news of this tragic accident affected me deeply.  She was only 18 when she first contacted me in 2005 to inquire about our climbing trip to Ecuador later that year.  At first I was a bit hesitant as Lygon was the youngest person who had ever expressed interest in joining one of our trips.  But after talking with her father, Nick, on the telephone, and getting reassurance from him that he and Sarah, Lygon’s mother, were giving Lygon full permission to go, Lygon joined the group.  This group consisted of 9 men, most of whom were in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and 18-year old Lygon.  I was a bit anxious about how this would all play out, but after meeting Lygon at the airport in Quito on Dec. 28, 2005, and seeing her in action on our first climb (of 15,700 foot Rucu Pichincha), my concerns went away.  When I first met Lygon at the airport, I saw a tall, thin, attractive, intelligent, strong young woman, with a broad smile that came from within.  At the time, and all during the subsequent 16 days of the climbing trip, I had no idea of Lygon’s deep spirituality and love of God, as she never spoke about it.  As we went from one mountain to the next, it became obvious that not only was she a strong and capable climber, but that she was THE STRONGEST climber in our group – a group of grown, mature men with many more years of climbing experiences than she had.  The group came to be deeply fond and respectful of Lygon, and we all were amazed at her climbing prowess.  She was always in front, and never showed any signs of fatigue or unhappiness.  Even our Ecuadorean guides, who have worked with hundreds of climbers from all over the world, were amazed.  Our head guide, Efrain, suggested that I assign one of the guides just for Lygon, due to the innate strength and speed she possessed.  He said that she was like a “maquina nueva” (“new machine”) in comparison to the rest of us . . . .well. . . . “not so new” machines.  She climbed with a purpose which at the time noone in the group, other than she, knew what that was.  I guess, if I had to describe this “purpose,” knowing what I know now, it would be that she sought out the heights of the mountains to be closer to God, and to feel the freedom and love of life that fills us when we ascend the heights of the mountains of the world.
        Another recollection about Lygon was that for the most part, she was quiet when the group was together, particularly during the long bus rides, and at the dinner table.  As the wine began to flow (of course, Lygon never touched a drop), and some of the saltier members of our group began to leak out an off-color joke or two in Lygon’s presence, first I would fire a quick, reprimanding glance at the offending group member as if to say “remember that Lygon is sitting right here.”  Then I would look at Lygon, feeling somewhat fatherly and concerned (I have an 8-year-old daughter) to see her reaction.  She took it all in stride and seem totally unaffected by this “locker room” digression.  Her bright, thoughtful, glowing demeanor, and the smile that I first saw at the airport in Quito always shined through and seem to transcend whatever was happening around her.
        Lygon had incredible strength, stamina, speed and ability in the mountains.  The summits “fell” before her relentless pursuit: Rucu Pichincha (15,700 feet), Iliniza Norte (16,818 feet), Cotopaxi (19,348 feet) (Lygon summitted Cotopaxi roped with Pavel Dolgonos, the youngest and oldest (66) members of the group, respectively) and finally Chimborazo (20,703 feet).  When the time came for our final climb of Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest peak at 20,703 feet, everyone in our group knew, without a doubt, who would reach the top of this difficult mountain.  That’s how much we had to grown to respect Lygon as a person and as a climber.  Lygon reached the Whymper summit of Chimborazo with one other climber – Charles Fournier, a climber from Canada.  Noone else in our group was able to reach this highest point on Chimborazo.  In general, many climbers are able to reach the first summit of Chimborazo, called the “Veintimilla” summit, 20,550 feet, but not many have the strength and stamina to cross the deep snows that separate Chimborazo’s two summits to reach the higher Whymper summit at 20,703 feet.  Lygon and Charles became the only members of this group to have reached the summit of all four mountains on our 16-day itinerary.  Plus, Lygon and Charles are still, as of the writing of this newsletter, the only CE clients EVER (in our 10-year history)  to reach the Whymper summit of Chimborazo.  For a detailed account of Lygon’s trip to Ecuador, please visit www.climbecuador.com, click on “NEWSLETTERS” then “ECUADOR 2006.”
       When I first learned of this tragic accident, I immediately emailed the other members of the 2005/2006 Ecuador group.  Most everyone responded to express how shocked and saddened they were.  “Anyone but her” seemed to be the unspoken response.  For weeks I struggled with the news, not sure what to do.  I knew I needed to write the next newsletter (for the 2007/2008 Ecuador trip), and wanted to include an “IN MEMORIAM” section in it honoring Lygon and her life, but I felt inadequate in some way, as if I would not be able to find the right words to express the depth of this tragedy and how it has affected Lygon’s family and friends.  I’ve done what I could here to express some thoughts and recollections about Lygon and hope they will lead to others sharing in young Lygon’s remarkable life.  In retrospect, I feel it was a privilege that I got to meet and climb with Lygon.  Others who have known Lygon much longer than I did, motivated by their love for Lygon, have created some beautiful work, particulary websites now posted on the internet, which I would strongly recommend you visit.  A good way to access these sites is to do a Google search for “Lygon Stevens.” Two such sites have been given above: www.lygonstevens.com and www.climbingforchrist.org
       Lygon was buried Saturday, June 28 in a cemetery in Estes Valley Memorial Gardens in Estes Park, Colorado.  She is resting peacefully now with the one whom she spent most of her life seeking out on her many trips to the mountains – the mountains where she always felt free.

 

From Ecuador
January  2006
By Lygon Stevens:

 

       Then there was me. I felt miles away from really relating to anyone there. Rusty a little bit, but that was all. We did, however, all share a love for the mountains and in that there were no exclusions, only comrades. I never said much, especially during dinner. But I think it turned out okay. I never had to admit that all of their jokes went way over my head and the ones that didn’t I didn’t necessarily have to laugh at. My favorite times were by far the miles and miles, of sometimes breathless silence spent lost in our own thoughts ascending higher and higher until we were no longer in Ecuador, we were in the mountains.
       They are owned by no one, only by giving certain points names does this vast and untamable place assume a size and might that our minds are able to face. The mountains are always the same, no culture has shaped them, no man ever controlled them. We are all visitors to this place whether we be the president of the country it resides in or a foreigner. There are those from far away that come to the mountains to feel that they belong, then there are those that live at their feet or won the land below them that come to the mountains only to leave them.
       So see, though we were in Ecuador, the air I breathed was the air my lungs knew so very well. Though the house I loved lay miles away, I found my heart in simply another area of the land in which it had grown up and come to love. What is it? It is the freedom of the mountains that remains because they are free.

 

UPCOMING TRIPS

 

       In the face of struggling economies, both here and abroad, CE forges on.  It looks like the August trip to Ecuador, advertised on our website will not run, due to lack of interest.  Same for our Peru 2008 campaign (although Peru 2009 looks VERY promising, as a few people have already expressed interest.  Stay tuned.)  As of this writing, the only trip that is confirmed to go is the December 28 to January 12 trip to Ecuador.  These dates have proven to be reliable each and every year since 2003 and it looks like once again, we will have enough people for our famous “New Year’s” climbing adventure.  Mexico in the fall remains a possibility as well, although only one person has contacted me about this trip so far.  Aconcagua is also on the schedule.  Here are the “official” writeups, with dates and prices, of these trips:

 

 MEXICO:  November 28 to Dec. 11, 2008.  14 days/$2400.  Exact same itinerary as we ran in 2006. If it aint broke, don’t fix it. Climbs of La Malinche (14,640 feet), Izta (17,126 feet), and Pico de Orizaba (18,405 feet), Mexico’s highest peak, with tours of Mexico City, Xochimilco, the pyramids at Teotihuacan, and the colonial city of Puebla.   The CE itinerary is a MAJOR improvement over many of the commercial climbing tours to Mexico offered by “our competitors” for more money where you are run up, run down, and run out of the country in 9 short days.  There is simply too much to see in Mexico for such a short trip.  Our trip dates allow group members to enjoy both the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays at home.  Check out the day-by-day itinerary given below.

 

ECUADOR: December 28, 2008 to January 12, 2009.  16 days/4 mountains/$2500.  Climb Ecuador’s most popular itinerary.  Climbs of Rucu Pichincha (15,700 feet), Iliniza Norte (16,818 feet), Cotopaxi (19,348 feet) and Chimborazo (20,703 feet), Ecuador’s highest mountain.  In addition to the climbs, we enjoy an exciting variety of sidetrips including a city tour of Quito, tour of Mitad del Mundo (equator), shopping trip to the Indian market towns of Otavalo, Cotachachi and San Antonio, and a tour of the waterfalls near Banos.  Experience Ecuador in a way you will never forget.  Read some client references (www.climbecuador.com under “References” for some client perspectives on this trip.  Also, check out the day-by-day itinerary given below.

 

ACONCAGUA: January 14, 2008 to February 5, 2009.  23 days/$3200.  Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside of Asia and is one of the most coveted peaks in the world.  Climb Ecuador’s expedition follows the Normal Route and is fully supported from start to finish.  Four- star hotel in Mendoza, Argentina before and after the climb, private transportation round trip from Mendoza to trail head, experienced Argentinean mountain guides, mules to carry all our gear round trip to Plaza de Mulas base camp, 3 fully catered meals per day while on the mountain, extra steaks (Argentinean beef, baby) and group wine at base camp, personal porters available (extra charge) to carry your personal gear to higher camps, tour of local winery near Mendoza, and lavish Farewell Dinner.  Itinerary includes acclimatization climbs to Aconcagua’s famous 10,000 foot South Face, and of the side peak, Bonete (16,000 feet).

 

ECUADOR NEWSLETTER  (Dec. 28, 2007 to Jan. 12, 2008)
      

       This year’s Ecuador group consisted of 9 people: Tom Everitt, 42, and his son Aaron, 17, from Houston, Texas, but living and working in Cairo, Egypt; Karl Froyd, 34, from Colorado; Keith Herndon, 48, from Houston, Texas, but living and working in the Netherlands; Bud Ottosen, 59, from Alberta, Canada; Wesley Page, 27, from California;  Deborah Quick, 36, from Colorado; Bret Rowland, 49, from Houston, Texas, but living and working in Scotland; and Larry Williams, 45, from Nevada.  Larry is an avid bird watcher and after getting hold of the Ecuadorean “bible” of bird watching (a mammoth and very heavy catalog listing every bird in existence in Ecuador, and there are a lot of them!!) he carried it with him EVERYWHERE.
       Here’s the day-by-day itinerary, with some comments about how this particular trip unfolded:

 

DEC. 28, 2007:    Fly to Quito, Ecuador.  Arrive at night.  Check into the Hotel Ambassador.

 

       I arrived on Dec. 26, some clients on Dec. 27, and everyone else on Dec. 28.  The Hotel Ambassador accepted us all, as usual, with open arms.

 

DEC. 29:    Guided city tour of "Old Town" Quito.  Lunch.  Afternoon free.

 

       The city tour through Old Town Quito is always makes for an interesting, exciting and educational day.   The tour includes a final stop atop “El Panecillo,” the hill that overlooks this expansive city.  We caught a glimpse of the lofty summit of Rucu Pichincha – our goal for tomorrow.

 

DEC. 30:    Climb to the summit of Rucu Pichincha (15,706 feet).  Return to hotel at night.

 

       This actually turned out to be the best climbing day – weather-wise – of the whole trip.  It was sunny and warm all day long, making our first acclimatization climb a very enjoyable event.  Everyone made it to the top and enjoyed views of Guagua Pichincha (the active volcano), all of Quito, and some distant snow-covered mountains.

 

DEC. 31:    Visit the Mitad del Mundo monument at the equator, then onto the crater at Pululahua.  Later, prepare for climb of Iliniza Norte.

 

       The traditional trip to the equator, for the obligatory photo of straddling two hemispheres.  After the tour, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant and returned to Quito.  That evening we staged our own New Year’s celebration with champagne at our hotel followed by fireworks in the parking lot, courtesy of Climb Ecuador.  We then strolled out onto Amazonas Avenue to see what we would see.  By midnight, the streets looked like downtown Bagdad after shock and awe.

 

JAN. 1, 2008:    Travel south along the Pan American Highway (also known as the "Avenue of the Volcanoes") to the base of Iliniza Norte.  Hike up to high mountain refuge (15,200 feet).

 

       We drove south, passing one lofty volcano after the other on our way to the trailhead for our climb of Iliniza Norte.  Instead of hiking up to the high mountain refuge, we decided to sleep lower, in a hostal in the town of Chaupi.  This has become the preferred routine as the high mountain refuge is small, dirty and almost always crowded.  It makes for a longer summit day, but a more restful sleep the night before.

 

JAN. 2:    Climb to the summit of Iliniza Norte (16,818 feet).  Descend to hut.  Return to Quito.

 

       Everyone reached the 16,818 foot summit of Iliniza Norte except Bud and I.  The weather started out okay, affording us stunning views of Cotopaxi and the valley below, but by the time the group reached the top, the clouds had completely closed in.  We descended back to Chaupi, met up with our bus and drove back to Quito.

 

JAN. 3:    Visit market towns of Otavalo, Cotacachi (leather), San Antonio de Ibarra (wood).

 

       Our famous “shop til you drop” day.  High finance and intense negotiations filled the day as we scoured the Indian markets looking for good deals on clothing, artwork, jewelry, wall hangings, woodwork, leather goods, etc.  Before returning to Quito, we had dinner at Puerto Lago on the banks of beautiful Lake San Pablo.

 

JAN. 4:    Travel south to 400-year-old Hacienda La Cienega.  Prepare for climb of Cotopaxi.

 

       Time to sever the umbilical cord to Quito.  We packed up all of climbing gear and headed south once again to the historic Hacienda La Cienega.  We held the traditional “ultimate frisbee” competition in one of the grassy fields on the side of La Cienega, accompanied by numerous bottles of wine.

 

JAN. 5:    Drive through Cotopaxi National Park.  View wild horses.  Hike up to the Jose Ribas high mountain refuge (15,500 feet).  Glacier travel seminar.

 

       That morning, we met our guides Rodrigo, Efrain, Jose and Carlos in the town of Lasso, picked up dinner – 7 roasted chickens with all the fixings, drove into the park and up to the upper parking lot at 15,000 feet, and hiked up to the Jose Ribas hut.  Rodrigo and Carlos led the glacier travel seminar on a nearby glacier.

 

JAN. 6:  Climb to the summit of Cotopaxi (19,348 feet).  Return to Hacienda La Cienega.

 

       Unfortunately, our excitement about beginning our first glacier climb was quickly dampened by the weather.  The infamous “white wind” of Cotopaxi was all around us.  The white wind is a phenomenon that occurs occasionally on Cotopaxi where the air is filled with freezing, invisible precipitation that slowly coats everything in thick layers of ice.  People who completed the long, arduous ascent to the summit included: Wesley, Larry, Keith and Bret.  Tom, Aaron, Keith and Debbie made it very high on the mountain but eventually turned around.  The weather conditions were just awful.  Everyone should have received a purple heart.  We were able to dry out, warm up and rest back at La Cienega later that afternoon.

 

JAN. 7:  Leisurely morning.  Travel in van to the town of Baños.  Check into the Hotel Palace.

 

       Aaahhh!  Banos.  My favorite town in Ecuador.  After checking in to the Palace, we headed to one of our usual haunts for pizza and beer.  Long soaks in the thermal baths of the hotel, followed by dinner and a couple of beers, rounded out the day.

 

JAN. 8:  Visit waterfalls near Baños.  Enjoy canyon views.  Soak in thermal hot springs.

 

       We toured the 4 or 5 waterfalls that line the canyon near Banos.  One exhilarating highlight: a rickety cable car ride across the canyon to the other side passing directly over a huge waterfall. The final waterfall – “Pailon del Diablo” (Devil’s Cauldron”), as usual, was the biggest and most impressive. 

 

JAN. 9:  Travel to Chimborazo, Ecuador's highest mountain.  View wild vicuñas.  Enjoy a fresh trout dinner!  Hike up to high mountain refuge (16,500 feet).

 

       Final climb – Chimborazo.  We drove about 4 hours, from Banos, through some very scenic terrain to arrive at the lower hut on Ecuador’s highest mountain.  Efrain, our head guide and chef extraordinaire, and Rocio our cook, prepared an absolutely scrumptious dinner for us of fried fresh trout, boiled potatoes, salad and steamed broccoli.  Later we put our large backpacks on and  hiked up to the upper hut at 16,000 feet in preparation for tomorrow’s climb.  Bud decided he did not want to attempt Chimborazo so he and I stayed in the lower hut.

 

JAN. 10:  Climb to the summit of Chimborazo (20,703 feet/6310 meters).  Descend to hut.  Return to Baños.

 

       Once again, the weather did not cooperate.  It snowed all night and into the morning, making the ascent via the steep, loose rocks on the lower portion of the mountain too dangerous.  The guides decided to lead short hikes on the sides of the mountain instead.  Noone made it to the summit.  So goes life in the mountains.  Back in Banos, we had dinner at a local French restaurant, listened to some local music, took in the night life and returned to the hotel.

 

JAN. 11:  Spend the morning in Baños.  Return to hotel in Quito.  Farewell dinner.

 

       Final morning in Banos followed by the 3 hour drive back to Quito.  Our Farewell Dinner was the usual gastronomically pleasing affair, this time held at the Terraza del Tartaro, high up on the 12th floor of an office building, with great views of Quito by night.  Alas, another CE adventure came to a close.  Thanks again to everyone who was part of this group.

 

JAN. 12:  Fly home.  Buen viaje !!

 

BOLIVIA NEWSLETTER (May 26 to June 11, 2008)

 

       I really looked forward to this year’s Bolivia trip because the client list included 3 good friends and former CE clients: John Church, 64, New Orleans (CE trips:  Ecuador 2003 and Aconcagua 2005); Grover Rose, 61, Sarasota, NY (CE trips: Ecuador 2005, Aconcagua 2005 and Mexico 2006); and Paul Hickman, 43, Springdale, Arkansas (CE trips: Ecuador 2005 and Bolivia 2007).  With these 3 gentlemen on board, I knew there would never be a dull moment!!  Rounding out this illustrious cast of characters was Jamie Acutt, 31, Scotland; and Michel Etchebarne, 55, California.  Michel planned to follow an independent track and a different itinerary, which was to include climbs of Parinacota (20,807 feet) and Sajama (21,486 feet), Bolivia’s highest mountain.  In addition to the above trip members, a good friend of mine from Ecuador -- Jose Marquez -- flew to La Paz from his hometown of Ambato, Ecuador to join the trip.  Jose has worked as Climb Ecuador’s head mountain guide in Ecuador for the past 10 years, so I invited him to climb in Bolivia with us on an assistant guide’s salary.  He readily accepted as he had never been to Bolivia before.  My plan was for me to climb with Jose leaving the Bolivian guides free to assist John, Grover, Jamie, Paul and Michel.
       Here’s how the trip unfolded:

 

MAY 26:   Fly to La Paz, Bolivia (overnight flight).

 

       John and Grover arrived a few days early to acclimatize and explore the wonderful city of La Paz.  Paul also arrived early.  Jamie and I arrived today.  Michel was scheduled to arrive on June 4.  The night of May 26 set the tone for the rest of the trip – it was Jamie’s birthday and we celebrated far and wide with food, wine and cake in abundant quantities.

 

MAY 27:   Arrive in La Paz.  Check into the five-star Hotel Europa.  Guided city tour.

 

       Just a quick nod of appreciation to the Hotel Europa and the people who work there.  They always treat Climb Ecuador groups GREAT.  This year was no different.  Between the luxurious rooms, breakfast buffet each morning, health spa (with swimming pool, steam room, sauna, jacuzzi and exercise room) and impeccable service, we are always extremely happy to be there.  For the city tour, we visited a couple of overlooks (“mirador”) for expansive views of La Paz and snow-capped Illimani (21,125 feet) in the distance, Valley of the Moon, Plaza Murillo, the Presidential Palace, Supreme Court building, some historic churches and the Witches Market.  We ended the tour with a buffet lunch.      

 

MAY 28:   Guided day trip to Lake Titicaca and the Island of Suriqui.  Enjoy seafood lunch.

 

       The day trip to the town of Huatajata on Lake Titicaca and subsequent boat ride to several nearby islands is always fun and exciting.  The highlight of the day: Grover stripping down to his Calvin Kleins and jumping into the lake’s frigid waters.  We ended the day with a trout lunch and cold “Pacena” beer in a restaurant overlooking the lake.

 

MAY 29:   Drive to Chacaltaya.  Hike to summit (17,530 feet).  Trek down to transport.

 

       We drove out to the mountain Chacaltaya for our first acclimatization hike.  Chacaltaya is the location of the “world’s highest ski resort,” although the glacier where skiing is done during the winter is disappearing fast.  After summitting Chacaltaya, we enjoyed a cup of hot “mate de coca” in the ski lodge and descended via the valley on the other side of the mountain.

 

MAY 30:   Trek to Condoriri Base Camp.  Prepare for climb of Tarija and Pequeño Alpamayo.

 

       Our guides Elio, Agustin and Ruben, our cook, Lydia (Elio’s wife), and Edwin, our driver, met us at the Europa early in the morning with two transports (Elio’s 4x4 and Edwin’s van).  After loading our gear, we drove to the open air market to buy fresh fish, chicken, meat, eggs, produce and fruit.  The 3-hour approach hike, with the Condoriri group of mountains in the distance is one of the most scenic around.  Condoriri, also known as “the Bolivian Matterhorn” is the centerpiece of this part of the Cordillera Real, and, visually, is one of the most striking peaks in the range.  Base camp is situated directly under Condoriri.  After setting up camp and having dinner, we broke out the frisbees.

 

MAY 31:   Climb to the summits of Tarija (17,272 feet) and Pequeño Alpamayo (17,618 feet).

 

       Paul had participated in CE’s Bolivia trip last year so he wanted to try different climbs this year.  Early on, I had suggested to him that he attempt Condoriri (18,530 feet), a long and challenging climb with some technical sections.  When we finally had the mountain in our sights, he agreed to try it, with our guide Agustin.  15 hours later he and Agustin arrived back in base camp, tired but in one piece, having successfully reached the summit of this famous peak.  Well done, Paul!!!  The rest of us summitted Tarija and enjoyed the great views from this lofty perch.  Jose went on to summit Pequeno Alpamayo by himself.  Back at base camp, we discovered that a  young Bolivian girl from a nearby village, had carried up a case of beer (actually her mule carried it) to sell to campers.  After a long day in the mountains, cold beer was a sight for sore eyes.  And feet!!  A few of us still had some energy to play some more frisbee before dinner.  Mountains, beer and frisbee – life was good.

 

JUNE 1:   Spend the morning in Base Camp.  Trek back to transport.  Return to La Paz.

 

       After breakfast, we broke camp, took the obligatory group photos and descended to our waiting vehicles.  That night we went out on the town in La Paz.      

 

JUNE 2:   Visit 7th century Indian ruins at Tiahuanaco.  "La Paz by Night" tour, dinner, show.

 

       The tour of Tiahuanaco is always an interesting journey back in time.  And the La Paz by Night tour/dinner/show affords us a close-up opportunity to experience Bolivian music, dance and culture, while accompanied by an all-you-eat dinner buffet.

 

JUNE 3:   Drive to Refugio Huayna Potosi (15,000 feet).  Two-hour glacier travel seminar.

 

       The second mountain on our list is Huayna Potosi (19,974 feet/6088 meters) often called “the world’s easiest 6000 meter peak.”  There is a big, brand new climbers hut at base camp on Huayna, so accommodations are first-rate.  Everything was going so well, when my personal situation took a turn for the worse.  I felt a sharp pain in one of my molars while eating lunch.  To make a long story short, one of my molars had gotten infected and turned my Bolivian experience into a Bolivian nightmare.  I left camp early the next day, leaving Elio, our head guide, in charge of the expedition, so I could go to a dentist in La Paz.  The dentist drilled out my tooth, cleaned it, and gave me antibiotics and pain killers.  This helped but did not solve the problem.  For the rest of the trip, I had trouble eating and was in almost constant pain, especially while at altitude.  It was only just recently, almost two months after this day, that my dentist here in New York made the decision to extract the [unprintable expletive] tooth.

 

JUNE 4:  Climb (with porters) to High Camp ("Campamento Argentino") on glacier.

 

       Campamento Argentino, on the open glacier at around 18,000 feet has not been a popular place to camp in recent years due to crevasses and excess snow, so Elio decided (like last year) to stay at a comfortable wooden refuge about 500 vertical feet lower down on the mountain that he and Agustin own and operate.
       Today, Michel flew in from California.  We planned to meet him tomorrow at the Hotel Europa.

 

JUNE 5:  Climb to the summit of Huayna Potosi (19,974 feet/6088 meters).  Descend to High Camp, then to hut.  Load gear into van.  Return to La Paz.

 

        Everyone did well on Huayna.  Paul, with his guide, Agustin, once again led the charge, summitting via the French Route – a technical approach that goes straight up, via a 60+ degree icy face.  John, Grover, Jamie and Jose reached the summit via the normal route assisted by guides Elio and Ruben.
       After returning to the Europa, we immediately ran into Michel, an experienced climber from California and the last member of CE’s 2008 Bolivian campaign.  We were now at full strength, and after enjoying some wine at the piano bar at the Europa, we headed out for a steak dinner.  Michel had just finished a day hike with Hugo, a Bolivian mountain guide who would be Michel’s private guide for the duration of his trip.      

 

JUNE 6:  Rest day in La Paz.  Visit museums, shops, plazas, churches, Black Market, etc.

 

       Rest day!!  Whew!!

 

JUNE 7:  Drive from La Paz to the village of Pinaya.  Hike to Base Camp of Illimani.

 

        Final expedition: Illimani, Bolivia’s second highest mountain.  The drive from La Paz to the village of Pinaya at the base of this massive mountain takes about 4 hours and is scenic the entire way.  This is rural Bolivia at its most, well. . . . rural.  After arriving in Pinaya, we rekindled past friendships with the very friendly and hard working people of this agricultural community.  We loaded up the mules and started hiking up to base camp.  Last year I had left one of my frisbees with Veronica, an adorable 11-year-old girl from Pinaya, and it was obvious she had been practicing because this year her throws were MUCH improved.  Veronica’s father always assists our groups as a porter, and her mother helps Lydia, our cook, in the dining tent.  

 

JUNE 8:  Climb (with porters) from Base Camp to High Camp ("Nido de Cóndores" or "Condor's Nest")(18,200 feet) on Illimani.

 

       John, Paul, Grover and Jamie all cried uncle today.  They were either suffering from some south-of-the-border stomach ailment or were just too worn out from a long and tiring trip.  Or both.  They all decided to remain in base camp and do a day hike.  Michel and I bit the bullet and ascended to High Camp, along with Hugo, Agustin, Ruben and Jose.  Despite constant pain from my tooth, physically I felt good and wanted very much to climb Illimani again (the first and last time I had climbed it was in 2001).  My plan was to use my new camera to record a short video (for CE promotional purposes) from the summit. Unfortunately, things did not work out as planned.

 

JUNE 9:  Climb to the summit of Illimani (21,125 feet/6439 meters).  Descend to Base Camp.

 

       Michel began to suffer from a bad headache.  It got so bad, that in the middle of the night he decided that he had to go down immediately.  He and Hugo donned head lamps and made the tricky descent to base camp in the dark.  I stuck it out, but my tooth continued to hurt during what turned out to be an interminable evening on the hard ice of High Camp.  Agustin, Ruben, Jose and I arose at around 2 AM, had breakfast, geared up and began ascending.  I did not feel great, but I thought that I might feel better as we hiked along.  This did not happen.  I suddenly got the urge to pull off to the side of the trail IMMEDIATELY, and after experiencing a  bout of explosive diarrhea (did I express that delicately enough?), I decided to call it quits.  Ruben brought me back down to High Camp, and “ran” back up to meet Agustin and Jose who were slowly continuing their ascent.  At around noon, I packed up my tent and gear and descended on my own to base camp.  Agustin, Ruben and Jose and reached the summit of Illimani successfully and we all met at Base Camp in the afternoon.
        Our final cookout and party here at Illimani’s base camp is always a wild, raucous and memorable affair.  This year was no different.  The people from Pinaya cook a variety of Andean potatoes, slaughter and clean a lamb, and pack up about 40 tall bottles of Pacena beer which they carry up to Base Camp from their village on mules.  When I finally arrived, the party had already started.  Icy beers (chilled in a glacier run-off stream) were distributed to everyone over the age of 18 – clients, guides and porters alike, while the lamb continued to sizzle inside the dining tent.  There was no wind and it was a beautiful sunny afternoon so we moved the dining table outside.  After an absolutely delicious meal, I explained the rules for this year’s FRISBEE COMPETITION.  Four groups: BOLIVIAN WOMEN, BOLIVIAN MEN, and BOLIVIAN CHILDREN (UNDER 12), AND GRINGOS, with separate prizes for the winners and runner-ups from each group.  The competition consisted of two parts: accuracy and distance.  It pleased me to no end to see Veronica (remember, the 11-year old girl to whom I had bequeathed one of my frisbees last year?) unload an awesome hurl easily winning the distance competition in her age group.  And there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when she chose a pair of walking shoes (donated by Michel) as her prize which she quickly gave to her father (who still portered heavy backpacks in broken down sandals).   Paul went on to win the accuracy competition, while I repeated as distance champion, although Grover, to his credit, laid down a very impressive throw.  We continued to nosh and drink beer as the sun slowly set, at which time we all moved “indoors” (i.e., inside the large dining tent) and continued partying until the wee hours.           

 

JUNE 10:  Spend the morning in Base Camp.  Return to La Paz.  Farewell Dinner.

 

        Final breakfast at Illimani: pancakes!!  We descended to Pinaya, loaded up the transports, said goodbye to the wonderful people of Pinaya, and drove back to La Paz.  After another wine party at the Europa’s piano bar (when John gave the piano player his “million dollar bill” as a tip, the piano player almost fell off his stool!!), we returned to the Vienna Restaurant for our Farewell Dinner.  I hope this was not the last time I see Paul, John, Grover, Jamie and Michel.  I’m sure it won’t be.

 

JUNE 11:  Fly home.  Buen viaje !!

 

        Another CE trip enters the history books.

 

AFTERMATH:

 

       I stayed in La Paz until June 13 (which happens to be my birthday).  (I’m STILL 37, in case you’re wondering.)  I helped Michel, Hugo and Ruben organize the rest of Michel’s trip.  They drove to Condoriri Base Camp the morning of June 11.  The plan was for Michel to climb either Condoriri or Pequeno Alpamayo, return to La Paz, then make the long drive to the Cordillera Occidental and climb Parinacota (20,807 feet) and Sajama (21,486 feet).  Well, the stars were not aligned properly for Michel this time around.  He again began to suffer again from altitude sickness at base camp/Condoriri and decided that his body, for whatever reason, was not acclimatizing.  I talked about this with Michel, and the only reasons we could think of were that maybe he rushed things too much in the beginning (by going out to Illimani immediately) and that he hadn’t been in a high altitude situation for over a year.  In any case, he decided to cancel the rest of his trip and return to California and his busy practice as an animal nutritionist.  Of course, we here at CE hope to see Michel again, and to have the opportunity to give him a full trip.

 

       That’s it.  Thanks for reading along.  I thought I would throw in a link to a site (written by people in the company where I work) which gives useful hints as to how to live a “greener” life.  That's the LEAST we can do.  Enjoy the rest of your summer.

 

www.morganstanley.com/about/community/littlegreenebook

 

Roger Kovary
CLIMB ECUADOR
147 West 79th Street, #1D
New York, NY 10024 USA
www.climbecuador.com
rkovary@aol.com
rkovary@gmail.com
(646) 812-6407

(212) 362-4721