CLIMB ECUADOR NEWSLETTER – Part One
MEXICO – Nov. 26 to Dec. 9, 2006
ECUADOR – Dec. 28 to Jan. 12, 2007
Welcome to the next installment of the Climb Ecuador Newsletter. Climb Ecuador (www.climbecuador.com) is a climbing company based out of New York City that organizes climbing trips to Ecuador, Mexico, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina, as well as nonclimbing trips to Cuzco and Machu Picchu in Peru and cruises in the Galapagos Islands. We are entering our 9th year of operation, and continue to offer quality climbing trips at prices that are well below those offered by bigger, better known companies. Our Newsletters help us stay in touch with people on our email list by describing how our recent trips went, as well as announce our upcoming schedule. Anyone who wishes to be removed from our email list, just hit “Reply” and type in the word “Remove” in the subject line. Climb Ecuador recently ran two trips: Mexico (Nov. 26 to Dec. 9, 2006) and Ecuador (Dec. 28 to Jan. 12, 2007). Part One of this Newsletter will talk about the Mexico trip, and Part Two will follow with details about Ecuador. The Mexico trip had 7 climbers: Allen Fedor, 34, Holdingford, MN, Herman Kreiley, 62, Dansville, NY, Jon Maranville, 55, Bolton Landing, NY, Grover Rose, 60, Saratoga Springs, NY, Ed Sheridan, 58, Bolton Landing, NY, Russell Stark, 45, Henderson, NV, and Richard Jones, 38, Cork Ireland. This was the first time Climb Ecuador has run a trip to Mexico and in short – it was a blast. Herman, Jon, Ed, Grover and Russ are all former CE clients so at first it felt more like a reunion than a climbing trip. And logistically, everything went perfectly, so this helped to make the overall experience quite enjoyable. A day-by-day description of this trip is given below. Our Ecuador group numbered 6 total – 3 men and 3 women (for the first time in CE history, a gender-balanced group) – Gaute Loge Pedersen, 42, Oslo, Norway, Liv Rottingen, 48, Oslo, Norway, Emilie Johnson, 35, Cincinnati, OH, Joe Neiheisel, 36, Cincinnati, OH, Carole Phelan, 43, Middletown, CT, and Alec Harper, 46, Arnold, MD. This group bonded and got along like no other CE group I can remember. The weather cooperated and logistically, once again, everything went according to plan. Detailed description of this trip is given below.
UPCOMING TRIPS
Our trips for 2007 are as follows. All trips need a minimum of 4 climbers. DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE so if you are interested in one of our trips, and our proposed dates don’t work for you, contact us anyway: www.climbecuador.com, rkovary@aol.com, rkovary@gmail.com, (646)812-6407 (cell) or (212) 362-4721 (home).
BOLIVIA: May 21 to June 6, 2007. 17 days/$2700. Climbs of Chacaltaya, Pequeño Alpamayo, Huayna Potosi (19,974 feet) and Illimani (21,125 feet) -- Bolivia Trip #1 as it appears at www.climbecuador.com. This is our "bread and butter" Bolivia trip. We have run this itinerary successfully now each year since 2001 (missing only last year). Bolivia is a hotbed of alpine adventure. The Cordillera Real (“Royal Range”), Bolivia’s main mountain range, stretches for 100 miles has many snowcapped peaks from 18,000 to 21,000 feet high.) Trip price includes 8 nights, single occupancy, at the beautiful 5-star Hotel Europa in La Paz. All climbs are fully supported with private van transportation, guides, porters, mules, cooks, tents, all group climbing gear, etc. La Paz, the world's highest capital city, is an experience not to be missed.
PERU: June 8 to 28, 2007. 21 days/$2900. Climbs of Ishinca (18,138 feet), Urus (18,023 feet) and Huascarán (22,205 feet) Peru's highest mountain, and the 3rd highest mountain in South America -- Peru Trip #1 as it appears at www.climbecuador.com. Trip is based out of the town of Huaraz in Peru’s stunning Cordillera Blanca (“White Range”). The Cordillera Blanca mountain range in Peru, with more than 30 peaks over 20,000 feet is, in my opinion, the most impressive range in all of the Andes. We begin with acclimatization climbs of Ishinca and Urus, then move onto Huascarán where the expedition lasts 8 days as we ascend 12,000 total vertical feet from the warm valley floor to the frigid summit of this famous mountain, and back down. All climbs will be fully supported using the same excellent support staff of guides, drivers, porters, and cooks we always use. The climbing is challenging and varied with only one short technical section on Huascaran -- 30 feet of 60 degree snow and ice. Read the 2003 Newsletter (www.climbecuador.com, under “Newsletters”) which recounts our most recent Huascarán expedition.
MEXICO: November 24 to Dec. 7, 2007. 14 days/$2300. Exact same itinerary as we just ran this past November. 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, 2007 to January 12, 2008. 16 days/4 mountains/$2300. 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. Check out day-by-day itinerary given below.
ACONCAGUA: January 14 to February 5, 2008. 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 roundtrip from Mendoza to trailhead, experienced Argentinean mountain guides, mules to carry all our gear roundtrip to Plaza de Mulas base camp, 3 fully catered meals, per day, while on the mountain, extra steaks and wine at base camp, personal porters available (extra charge) to carry personal gear to higher camps, tour of local winery near Mendoza, and lavish Farewell Dinner. Acclimatization climbs to Aconcagua’s famous 10,000 foot South Face, and of the side peak, Bonete (16,000 feet). Climb Ecuador gives its clients every advantage needed to summit!!
NEWSLETTER
MEXICO: Nov. 26 to Dec. 9, 2006. Grover, Alan, Herm (the “Herminator”), Russ, Ed, Jon and I were together for the first time in Mexico City the night of Nov. 26. Richard flew in from Ireland the next day on Nov. 27. As I mentioned before, Grover, Herm, Russ, Ed and Jon are all former Climb Ecuador clients (Grover, Russ and Herm having been on multiple CE trips in the past) so our first night on the town was like going out with old friends. Most of the rooms we had at the Hotel Gillow (in the historic section of Mexico City) came with a large outdoor terrace so we met at Grover’s terrace first (it being the largest), with bottles of wine to discuss life and figure out where to go have dinner. (We repeated this ritual every night we were in Mexico City. Life at the Gillow was good.) For expediency’s sake, I’ve copied and pasted the day-by-day itinerary below and written in details of what transpired. Here goes:
DAY 1: Fly to Mexico City. Arrive at night. Check into the 3-star Hotel Gillow located in the “Centro Historico,” (Old Town), declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Each client gets a private double room with an outdoor terrace.
6 out of the 7 clients were in Mexico City by now. We began exploring the sights, sounds, and yes, smells of this amazing city. After dinner, we headed to the “Zocalo,” Mexico City’s enormous main plaza and watched what we later learn were “Aztec dancers,” a group of people of all ages who meet in the Zocalo every night to dance to the driving rhythm of drums, as the Aztecs used to do. Many in the group were dressed in traditional Aztec clothing. It was a stirring sight.
DAY 2: Group buffet breakfast (included) overlooking the “Zócalo,” Mexico City’s central plaza and one of the biggest public plazas in the world. Private guided van tour of the city.
Who ever said “an army marches on its stomach” could very well have been talking about mountaineers as well. Knowing this, Climb Ecuador always arranges (and springs) for what is now called the “Welcome Breakfast” for the entire group. We went to the beautiful terrace restaurant of the Majestic Hotel which overlooks the Zocalo and puts out an extensive buffet spread. We waddled out of the restaurant about 90 minutes later and started the city tour. After meeting our guide, Jose, by the humongous flagpole in the middle of the Zocalo, I knew right away that we had a good guide on our hands. He was bright, articulate, entertaining, spoke excellent English and was extremely knowledgeable about all things Mexican. Jose took us first to the Templo Mayor which was once the great temple of the Aztecs. Built in the 14th and 15th century, remains of Templo Mayor were discovered recently in 1978 during construction of Mexico City’s subway system. We then entered the “Catedral Metropolitana” – Mexico City massive main cathedral and centerpiece to the Zocalo. This cathedral took almost 3 centuries to build, from 1525 to 1813 and is an impressive sight both inside and out. We tried to get into the National Palace, which extends along one side of the Zocalo, but because of some political function that day, tourists were not being allowed inside. The National Palace stands on the site where Montezuma’s palace once stood, which became the home of Hernan Cortez after he conquered the Aztecs in 1520. We then got into Jose’s van and continued our tour of other historical sites in Mexico City. Later, we stopped a supermarket to buy wine, in anticipation of our visit to Xochimilco. Xochimilco is a fascinating and beautiful place. It is the only part of Mexico City which still has canals and artificial islands built centuries ago for agricultural purposes and used by different civilizations, including the Aztecs. The area that is now Mexico City used to be one large lake – called Lake Texcoco – and the waterways of Xochimilco are what is left of this ancient lake. (The land under Mexico City is essentially an old lake-bed and many of the city’s buildings, especially the main cathedral in the Zocalo, are slowly sinking and shifting into this soft, unstable land.) Locals, tourists, newlyweds, partygoers all like to come here to ride in one of the many colorful wooden boats, navigated by a man with a long wooden pole. We rode the canals for a couple of hours, drinking wine, enjoying a Mariachi band that boarded our boat to play a couple of songs, taking pictures – it was great fun. Later that night, Richard arrived and our group was at full strength.
DAY 3: Guided day trip to the 2000-year-old pyramids and archaeological sites of Teotihuacán. Climb to the tops of Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. Return to Mexico City.
Teotihuacan was one of the largest and most impressive cities of the ancient world. The civilization that lived here constructed two large pyramids – Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon between roughly 100 AD and 200 AD. This civilization for some unknown reason destroyed much of the city (many believe by an internal uprising against the elite class) and vanished around 650 AD. Jose led us on a fascinating 5- hour walking tour to the tops of both pyramids (early acclimatization!) and of the archaeological ruins of the surrounding areas. Later that night we visited the “Beer Museum.” Mexico makes more beers than we could count and the Beer Museum, near our hotel, has them all – Corona, Dos Equis, Sol, Tecate, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial, Carta Blanca, Pacifico, Superior, Indio, Bohemia, Noche Buena, Leon, Montejo, Estrella – to name but a few. After dinner, we packed our bags in preparation of our journey the next day to our first mountain – La Malinche.
DAY 4: Drive to the base of the mountain La Malinche (14,640 feet). Check into the IMSS Campground, a modern government-run facility with full-service cabins, a restaurant and store.
First stop before any trip to the mountains is of course the supermarket – in this case Walmarts – to stock up on supplies. We then continued south to the government-run IMSS campground situated at 11,000 feet at the base of La Malinche. We rented two cabins, each with 9 beds, so our group of 9 (7 clients, our driver, Marco, and I) could spread out. After a spirited game of basketball, Marco drove us down the mountain to the nearby town of Huamantla for dinner.
DAY 5: Climb to the summit of La Malinche (14,640 feet). 4500 feet vertical rise, 9 hours roundtrip. At night, drive to the nearby town of Huamantla for dinner. Return to cabins.
My 9-hour estimate for the roundtrip hike from the IMSS cabins to the summit of La Malinche, 4500 vertical feet rise, proved to be way off. Most of this fleet-footed group finished this first acclimatization hike in 5 to 6 hours. What can I tell you – my mojo is not at the level it used to be. It was a beautiful day and the views from the summit ridge and from the top itself were exceptional, even with the haze that tends to be a common problem in Mexico. We could see the mountains of Izta (17,126 feet), Popo (17,887 feet)(the active volcano currently closed to climbers), and Pico de Orizaba (18,405 feet) in the distance. After our descent, CE treated everyone to seafood hors d”oeuvres and wine before heading back to Huamantla for dinner.
DAY 6: Drive to the town of Amecameca located near Iztaccíhuatl (“Izta”)(17,126 feet) and Popocatépetl (“Popo”)(17,887 feet). Check into the Hotel San Carlos.
The town of Amecameca sits at 8000 feet in close proximity to both Izta and Popo. Locals say that Amecameca used to be called just “Ameca” but after it was destroyed by an eruption of Popo, it was rebuilt and renamed “Amecameca. Two things that are easy to get in this town: bike taxis and hot tacos. After checking into the Hotel San Carlos, I (for one) loaded up on the latter (35 cents each!!). Ruben Garcia, our head guide for Izta, met us later that evening to work out the logistics for tomorrow. DAY 7: Drive up to the “Paso de Cortés,” the pass between Ixta and Popo. Continue to the trailhead at La Joya. Climb to high camp (15,000 feet), assisted by porters. Camp.
We left Amecameca in two vans, with 3 guides, 7 porters, camping gear for everyone, and food for 2 days. The hike up to high camp brought us through some wet paramo, onto dry scree, and finally to a wide, rocky ledge at around 14,500 feet where we set up camp. The view at night of the endless sea of lights of Mexico City down below and stretching as far as the eye could see was spectacular. DAY 8: Climb to the summit of Izta (17,126 feet). Enjoy fantastic views of Popo and the surrounding Mexican plains. Descend to our vehicles in La Joya. Drive back to Amecameca.
We set out for the top of Izta at around 4 AM. The weather wasn’t too bad when we first set out but by sunrise, it was snowing and raining and absolutely miserable. We all managed to reach the summit but got thoroughly soaked as the wind and rain, coming in from all directions, continued all day long. The summit was very windy and exposed, and visibility was virtually nil. I can’t wait to go back to Izta to climb it on a clear day! By the time we got back to our tents at high camp we were all as wet as if we had we jumped in a lake. We struggled to change our clothes, take down our tents and hike back to La Joya for our ride back to the Hotel San Carlos. We were a group badly in need of a day off!!
DAY 9: Drive to the beautiful colonial city of Puebla. Check into the 3-star Hotel Royalty. Each client gets a private double room with a balcony. Guided bus tour of Puebla.
The warm sun of Puebla made up for the cold and rain of Izta. We checked into the Hotel Royalty, situated right on the main plaza (“Zocalo”), hung out our soaking wet clothes and gear, grabbed cold beers and enjoyed a day of R&R.
DAY 10: Drive to the town of Tlachichuca, near Pico de Orizaba, Mexico’s highest mountain. Spend the night in a mountaineers’ lodge.
Before driving to Tlachichuca, we took a guided tour of the historic sections of Puebla. Puebla is a beautiful city, with a very impressive, tree-filled “Zocalo,” and I would recommend it to anyone traveling to Mexico. We had another warm, sunny day for our drive towards Pico de Orizaba. (As it turned out, summit day on Izta was the only day the entire trip we had rain.) We arrived in Tlachichuca and checked into the climbers lodge run by the Reyes family (who have been assisting climbers on Pico de Orizaba for generations). As luck would have it, this usually quiet town was exploding with festivities (a religious celebration of some kind) and the main plaza was filled with people, food vendors and amusement park rides. It was a surreal introduction to rural Mexico!
DAY 11: Drive in 4x4 vehicles to Piedra Grande. Climb up to and establish high camp on Pico de Orizaba at 16,000 feet, assisted by porters. Camp.
We set our early in 2 4x4 vehicles. Guides Alejandro and Israel, with 6 porters rode in one vehicle. Our third guide, Luis, (Luis is one of the few Mexican climbers to have summitted Mt. Everest) 7 clients and I rode up in another vehicle. After 2 bumpy hours, we arrived at the climbers hut at Piedra Grande (14,000 feet) on the northern flank of Pico de Orizaba. We continued climbing, with the assistance of porters to our high camp situated at about 16,000 feet. Spending the night at the hut at Piedra Grande was another possibility, but we decided to shorten tomorrow’s ascent (by 2000 vertical feet) by setting up this high camp. We all agreed afterwards that this was a good call. Plus, many felt that camping by ourselves higher up the mt. was a lot nicer than staying in the often crowded Piedra Grande hut.
DAY 12: Climb up the Jamapa Glacier to the summit of Pico de Orizaba (18,405 feet) – the “top of Mexico.” Descend to Tlachichuca. Return to the mountaineers’ lodge.
We arose early, at 2 AM, downed some oatmeal, cookies and coffee and started our ascent. Ed was not feeling well so he decided to stay in his tent. When we got to the Jamapa Glacier, we put on our crampons, roped up and began the long slog to the top. Richard, Allen, Russ, Jon, Herm and I all reached the top. Grover unfortunately ran out of time, and perhaps, gas, and had to be turned around. The weather was perfect that day – sunny and clear in all directions – and the view from the “top of Mexico” was fantastic. On the way down, Russ slipped and slid about 20 feet into some rocks, banging his wrist badly. He learned later that he had broken it. Being a pilot for United Airlines, this was not the kind of injury he needed. The guides assisted him down and he was later treated by Jorge Reyes, our climb organizer, who happens to be a medical doctor. Latest word from Russ is that he had to take a few weeks off from work but is now fine and back flying the friendly skies. That night, after showers, wine and dinner (at “La Casa Blanca”), some of us, took Tlachichuca by storm, diving headfirst into the nighttime celebrations which by now were reaching feverish proportions. Allen showed off his impressive dancing skills in the main plaza, surrounded by very curious onlookers, which was by far, the highlight of the evening.
DAY 13: Drive back to Mexico City. Check back into the Hotel Gillow. Farewell Dinner!!
We drove back to Mexico City today. Marco, our driver, actually shed a couple tears on the way back knowing that our trip with him was ending. Marco was a great guy, a very fine driver, and well . . . . a big baby!! Once back at the Hotel Gillow, we all put it into high gear organizing our bags for tomorrow’s departure and getting ready for our much anticipated Farewell Dinner. I decided that NOW was the time to break out the tequila. We all met at 7 PM and CE had beer on ice, a bottle of tequila to pass around, and wine (a combination known as a “hangover special”). I invited Jose, our excellent tour guide from the early part of our trip, to celebrate with us. After finishing the libations, and blubbering about how much we loved one another, we headed to our restaurant in the infamous “Zona Rosa” section of Mexico City. We were treated to superb dining and entertainment. The floor show included a mariachi band, a variety of singers and dancers, a guy who could do anything with a lariat, and even a cock fighting demonstration. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel.
DAY 14: Fly home. Buen viaje y hasta la vista!!
We said our final goodbyes this morning. Here at CE we never say “goodbye.” Instead “until next time.” Grover, Allen, Russ, Richard and Herm all had flights today to go home. Ed and Jon stayed in Mexico City two more days to continue exploring this great city. I flew to the beach town of Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast, in the province of Oaxaca, about 3 hours south of Acapulco for a week of sun and fun. I hope to include a side trip to Puerto Escondido on one of our next climbing outings because it turned out to be a fabulous beach experience. It boasts one of the best surfing beaches in world. In addition it offers deep sea fishing, affordable hotels (I paid $20 per night for a room with 2 beds, a kitchen, private bath, refrigerator, balcony, hammock, etc.), nightlife, and several other beaches where the waves are not as large so you can swim and not “worry.” But perhaps the best thing about Puerto Escondido is that it is not that developed – certainly nowhere near what you would find at such beach resorts in Mexico as Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Islas Mujeres, etc. “Google” Puerto Escondido to find out more.
Thanks for reading along. Keep an eye out for Part Two of this Newsletter with news about our last Ecuador trip. Safe climbing.
Roger Kovary
Welcome to the next installment of the Climb Ecuador Newsletter. Climb Ecuador (www.climbecuador.com) is a climbing company based out of New York City that organizes climbing trips to Ecuador, Mexico, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina, as well as nonclimbing trips to Cuzco and Machu Picchu in Peru and cruises in the Galapagos Islands. We are entering our 9th year of operation, and continue to offer quality climbing trips at prices that are well below those offered by bigger, better known companies. Our Newsletters help us stay in touch with people on our email list by describing how our recent trips went, as well as announce our upcoming schedule. Anyone who wishes to be removed from our email list, just hit “Reply” and type in the word “Remove” in the subject line. Climb Ecuador recently ran two trips: Mexico (Nov. 26 to Dec. 9, 2006) and Ecuador (Dec. 28 to Jan. 12, 2007). Part One of this Newsletter will talk about the Mexico trip, and Part Two will follow with details about Ecuador. The Mexico trip had 7 climbers: Allen Fedor, 34, Holdingford, MN, Herman Kreiley, 62, Dansville, NY, Jon Maranville, 55, Bolton Landing, NY, Grover Rose, 60, Saratoga Springs, NY, Ed Sheridan, 58, Bolton Landing, NY, Russell Stark, 45, Henderson, NV, and Richard Jones, 38, Cork Ireland. This was the first time Climb Ecuador has run a trip to Mexico and in short – it was a blast. Herman, Jon, Ed, Grover and Russ are all former CE clients so at first it felt more like a reunion than a climbing trip. And logistically, everything went perfectly, so this helped to make the overall experience quite enjoyable. A day-by-day description of this trip is given below. Our Ecuador group numbered 6 total – 3 men and 3 women (for the first time in CE history, a gender-balanced group) – Gaute Loge Pedersen, 42, Oslo, Norway, Liv Rottingen, 48, Oslo, Norway, Emilie Johnson, 35, Cincinnati, OH, Joe Neiheisel, 36, Cincinnati, OH, Carole Phelan, 43, Middletown, CT, and Alec Harper, 46, Arnold, MD. This group bonded and got along like no other CE group I can remember. The weather cooperated and logistically, once again, everything went according to plan. Detailed description of this trip is given below.
UPCOMING TRIPS
Our trips for 2007 are as follows. All trips need a minimum of 4 climbers. DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE so if you are interested in one of our trips, and our proposed dates don’t work for you, contact us anyway: www.climbecuador.com, rkovary@aol.com, rkovary@gmail.com, (646)812-6407 (cell) or (212) 362-4721 (home).
BOLIVIA: May 21 to June 6, 2007. 17 days/$2700. Climbs of Chacaltaya, Pequeño Alpamayo, Huayna Potosi (19,974 feet) and Illimani (21,125 feet) -- Bolivia Trip #1 as it appears at www.climbecuador.com. This is our "bread and butter" Bolivia trip. We have run this itinerary successfully now each year since 2001 (missing only last year). Bolivia is a hotbed of alpine adventure. The Cordillera Real (“Royal Range”), Bolivia’s main mountain range, stretches for 100 miles has many snowcapped peaks from 18,000 to 21,000 feet high.) Trip price includes 8 nights, single occupancy, at the beautiful 5-star Hotel Europa in La Paz. All climbs are fully supported with private van transportation, guides, porters, mules, cooks, tents, all group climbing gear, etc. La Paz, the world's highest capital city, is an experience not to be missed.
PERU: June 8 to 28, 2007. 21 days/$2900. Climbs of Ishinca (18,138 feet), Urus (18,023 feet) and Huascarán (22,205 feet) Peru's highest mountain, and the 3rd highest mountain in South America -- Peru Trip #1 as it appears at www.climbecuador.com. Trip is based out of the town of Huaraz in Peru’s stunning Cordillera Blanca (“White Range”). The Cordillera Blanca mountain range in Peru, with more than 30 peaks over 20,000 feet is, in my opinion, the most impressive range in all of the Andes. We begin with acclimatization climbs of Ishinca and Urus, then move onto Huascarán where the expedition lasts 8 days as we ascend 12,000 total vertical feet from the warm valley floor to the frigid summit of this famous mountain, and back down. All climbs will be fully supported using the same excellent support staff of guides, drivers, porters, and cooks we always use. The climbing is challenging and varied with only one short technical section on Huascaran -- 30 feet of 60 degree snow and ice. Read the 2003 Newsletter (www.climbecuador.com, under “Newsletters”) which recounts our most recent Huascarán expedition.
MEXICO: November 24 to Dec. 7, 2007. 14 days/$2300. Exact same itinerary as we just ran this past November. 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, 2007 to January 12, 2008. 16 days/4 mountains/$2300. 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. Check out day-by-day itinerary given below.
ACONCAGUA: January 14 to February 5, 2008. 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 roundtrip from Mendoza to trailhead, experienced Argentinean mountain guides, mules to carry all our gear roundtrip to Plaza de Mulas base camp, 3 fully catered meals, per day, while on the mountain, extra steaks and wine at base camp, personal porters available (extra charge) to carry personal gear to higher camps, tour of local winery near Mendoza, and lavish Farewell Dinner. Acclimatization climbs to Aconcagua’s famous 10,000 foot South Face, and of the side peak, Bonete (16,000 feet). Climb Ecuador gives its clients every advantage needed to summit!!
NEWSLETTER
MEXICO: Nov. 26 to Dec. 9, 2006. Grover, Alan, Herm (the “Herminator”), Russ, Ed, Jon and I were together for the first time in Mexico City the night of Nov. 26. Richard flew in from Ireland the next day on Nov. 27. As I mentioned before, Grover, Herm, Russ, Ed and Jon are all former Climb Ecuador clients (Grover, Russ and Herm having been on multiple CE trips in the past) so our first night on the town was like going out with old friends. Most of the rooms we had at the Hotel Gillow (in the historic section of Mexico City) came with a large outdoor terrace so we met at Grover’s terrace first (it being the largest), with bottles of wine to discuss life and figure out where to go have dinner. (We repeated this ritual every night we were in Mexico City. Life at the Gillow was good.) For expediency’s sake, I’ve copied and pasted the day-by-day itinerary below and written in details of what transpired. Here goes:
DAY 1: Fly to Mexico City. Arrive at night. Check into the 3-star Hotel Gillow located in the “Centro Historico,” (Old Town), declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Each client gets a private double room with an outdoor terrace.
6 out of the 7 clients were in Mexico City by now. We began exploring the sights, sounds, and yes, smells of this amazing city. After dinner, we headed to the “Zocalo,” Mexico City’s enormous main plaza and watched what we later learn were “Aztec dancers,” a group of people of all ages who meet in the Zocalo every night to dance to the driving rhythm of drums, as the Aztecs used to do. Many in the group were dressed in traditional Aztec clothing. It was a stirring sight.
DAY 2: Group buffet breakfast (included) overlooking the “Zócalo,” Mexico City’s central plaza and one of the biggest public plazas in the world. Private guided van tour of the city.
Who ever said “an army marches on its stomach” could very well have been talking about mountaineers as well. Knowing this, Climb Ecuador always arranges (and springs) for what is now called the “Welcome Breakfast” for the entire group. We went to the beautiful terrace restaurant of the Majestic Hotel which overlooks the Zocalo and puts out an extensive buffet spread. We waddled out of the restaurant about 90 minutes later and started the city tour. After meeting our guide, Jose, by the humongous flagpole in the middle of the Zocalo, I knew right away that we had a good guide on our hands. He was bright, articulate, entertaining, spoke excellent English and was extremely knowledgeable about all things Mexican. Jose took us first to the Templo Mayor which was once the great temple of the Aztecs. Built in the 14th and 15th century, remains of Templo Mayor were discovered recently in 1978 during construction of Mexico City’s subway system. We then entered the “Catedral Metropolitana” – Mexico City massive main cathedral and centerpiece to the Zocalo. This cathedral took almost 3 centuries to build, from 1525 to 1813 and is an impressive sight both inside and out. We tried to get into the National Palace, which extends along one side of the Zocalo, but because of some political function that day, tourists were not being allowed inside. The National Palace stands on the site where Montezuma’s palace once stood, which became the home of Hernan Cortez after he conquered the Aztecs in 1520. We then got into Jose’s van and continued our tour of other historical sites in Mexico City. Later, we stopped a supermarket to buy wine, in anticipation of our visit to Xochimilco. Xochimilco is a fascinating and beautiful place. It is the only part of Mexico City which still has canals and artificial islands built centuries ago for agricultural purposes and used by different civilizations, including the Aztecs. The area that is now Mexico City used to be one large lake – called Lake Texcoco – and the waterways of Xochimilco are what is left of this ancient lake. (The land under Mexico City is essentially an old lake-bed and many of the city’s buildings, especially the main cathedral in the Zocalo, are slowly sinking and shifting into this soft, unstable land.) Locals, tourists, newlyweds, partygoers all like to come here to ride in one of the many colorful wooden boats, navigated by a man with a long wooden pole. We rode the canals for a couple of hours, drinking wine, enjoying a Mariachi band that boarded our boat to play a couple of songs, taking pictures – it was great fun. Later that night, Richard arrived and our group was at full strength.
DAY 3: Guided day trip to the 2000-year-old pyramids and archaeological sites of Teotihuacán. Climb to the tops of Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. Return to Mexico City.
Teotihuacan was one of the largest and most impressive cities of the ancient world. The civilization that lived here constructed two large pyramids – Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon between roughly 100 AD and 200 AD. This civilization for some unknown reason destroyed much of the city (many believe by an internal uprising against the elite class) and vanished around 650 AD. Jose led us on a fascinating 5- hour walking tour to the tops of both pyramids (early acclimatization!) and of the archaeological ruins of the surrounding areas. Later that night we visited the “Beer Museum.” Mexico makes more beers than we could count and the Beer Museum, near our hotel, has them all – Corona, Dos Equis, Sol, Tecate, Negra Modelo, Modelo Especial, Carta Blanca, Pacifico, Superior, Indio, Bohemia, Noche Buena, Leon, Montejo, Estrella – to name but a few. After dinner, we packed our bags in preparation of our journey the next day to our first mountain – La Malinche.
DAY 4: Drive to the base of the mountain La Malinche (14,640 feet). Check into the IMSS Campground, a modern government-run facility with full-service cabins, a restaurant and store.
First stop before any trip to the mountains is of course the supermarket – in this case Walmarts – to stock up on supplies. We then continued south to the government-run IMSS campground situated at 11,000 feet at the base of La Malinche. We rented two cabins, each with 9 beds, so our group of 9 (7 clients, our driver, Marco, and I) could spread out. After a spirited game of basketball, Marco drove us down the mountain to the nearby town of Huamantla for dinner.
DAY 5: Climb to the summit of La Malinche (14,640 feet). 4500 feet vertical rise, 9 hours roundtrip. At night, drive to the nearby town of Huamantla for dinner. Return to cabins.
My 9-hour estimate for the roundtrip hike from the IMSS cabins to the summit of La Malinche, 4500 vertical feet rise, proved to be way off. Most of this fleet-footed group finished this first acclimatization hike in 5 to 6 hours. What can I tell you – my mojo is not at the level it used to be. It was a beautiful day and the views from the summit ridge and from the top itself were exceptional, even with the haze that tends to be a common problem in Mexico. We could see the mountains of Izta (17,126 feet), Popo (17,887 feet)(the active volcano currently closed to climbers), and Pico de Orizaba (18,405 feet) in the distance. After our descent, CE treated everyone to seafood hors d”oeuvres and wine before heading back to Huamantla for dinner.
DAY 6: Drive to the town of Amecameca located near Iztaccíhuatl (“Izta”)(17,126 feet) and Popocatépetl (“Popo”)(17,887 feet). Check into the Hotel San Carlos.
The town of Amecameca sits at 8000 feet in close proximity to both Izta and Popo. Locals say that Amecameca used to be called just “Ameca” but after it was destroyed by an eruption of Popo, it was rebuilt and renamed “Amecameca. Two things that are easy to get in this town: bike taxis and hot tacos. After checking into the Hotel San Carlos, I (for one) loaded up on the latter (35 cents each!!). Ruben Garcia, our head guide for Izta, met us later that evening to work out the logistics for tomorrow. DAY 7: Drive up to the “Paso de Cortés,” the pass between Ixta and Popo. Continue to the trailhead at La Joya. Climb to high camp (15,000 feet), assisted by porters. Camp.
We left Amecameca in two vans, with 3 guides, 7 porters, camping gear for everyone, and food for 2 days. The hike up to high camp brought us through some wet paramo, onto dry scree, and finally to a wide, rocky ledge at around 14,500 feet where we set up camp. The view at night of the endless sea of lights of Mexico City down below and stretching as far as the eye could see was spectacular. DAY 8: Climb to the summit of Izta (17,126 feet). Enjoy fantastic views of Popo and the surrounding Mexican plains. Descend to our vehicles in La Joya. Drive back to Amecameca.
We set out for the top of Izta at around 4 AM. The weather wasn’t too bad when we first set out but by sunrise, it was snowing and raining and absolutely miserable. We all managed to reach the summit but got thoroughly soaked as the wind and rain, coming in from all directions, continued all day long. The summit was very windy and exposed, and visibility was virtually nil. I can’t wait to go back to Izta to climb it on a clear day! By the time we got back to our tents at high camp we were all as wet as if we had we jumped in a lake. We struggled to change our clothes, take down our tents and hike back to La Joya for our ride back to the Hotel San Carlos. We were a group badly in need of a day off!!
DAY 9: Drive to the beautiful colonial city of Puebla. Check into the 3-star Hotel Royalty. Each client gets a private double room with a balcony. Guided bus tour of Puebla.
The warm sun of Puebla made up for the cold and rain of Izta. We checked into the Hotel Royalty, situated right on the main plaza (“Zocalo”), hung out our soaking wet clothes and gear, grabbed cold beers and enjoyed a day of R&R.
DAY 10: Drive to the town of Tlachichuca, near Pico de Orizaba, Mexico’s highest mountain. Spend the night in a mountaineers’ lodge.
Before driving to Tlachichuca, we took a guided tour of the historic sections of Puebla. Puebla is a beautiful city, with a very impressive, tree-filled “Zocalo,” and I would recommend it to anyone traveling to Mexico. We had another warm, sunny day for our drive towards Pico de Orizaba. (As it turned out, summit day on Izta was the only day the entire trip we had rain.) We arrived in Tlachichuca and checked into the climbers lodge run by the Reyes family (who have been assisting climbers on Pico de Orizaba for generations). As luck would have it, this usually quiet town was exploding with festivities (a religious celebration of some kind) and the main plaza was filled with people, food vendors and amusement park rides. It was a surreal introduction to rural Mexico!
DAY 11: Drive in 4x4 vehicles to Piedra Grande. Climb up to and establish high camp on Pico de Orizaba at 16,000 feet, assisted by porters. Camp.
We set our early in 2 4x4 vehicles. Guides Alejandro and Israel, with 6 porters rode in one vehicle. Our third guide, Luis, (Luis is one of the few Mexican climbers to have summitted Mt. Everest) 7 clients and I rode up in another vehicle. After 2 bumpy hours, we arrived at the climbers hut at Piedra Grande (14,000 feet) on the northern flank of Pico de Orizaba. We continued climbing, with the assistance of porters to our high camp situated at about 16,000 feet. Spending the night at the hut at Piedra Grande was another possibility, but we decided to shorten tomorrow’s ascent (by 2000 vertical feet) by setting up this high camp. We all agreed afterwards that this was a good call. Plus, many felt that camping by ourselves higher up the mt. was a lot nicer than staying in the often crowded Piedra Grande hut.
DAY 12: Climb up the Jamapa Glacier to the summit of Pico de Orizaba (18,405 feet) – the “top of Mexico.” Descend to Tlachichuca. Return to the mountaineers’ lodge.
We arose early, at 2 AM, downed some oatmeal, cookies and coffee and started our ascent. Ed was not feeling well so he decided to stay in his tent. When we got to the Jamapa Glacier, we put on our crampons, roped up and began the long slog to the top. Richard, Allen, Russ, Jon, Herm and I all reached the top. Grover unfortunately ran out of time, and perhaps, gas, and had to be turned around. The weather was perfect that day – sunny and clear in all directions – and the view from the “top of Mexico” was fantastic. On the way down, Russ slipped and slid about 20 feet into some rocks, banging his wrist badly. He learned later that he had broken it. Being a pilot for United Airlines, this was not the kind of injury he needed. The guides assisted him down and he was later treated by Jorge Reyes, our climb organizer, who happens to be a medical doctor. Latest word from Russ is that he had to take a few weeks off from work but is now fine and back flying the friendly skies. That night, after showers, wine and dinner (at “La Casa Blanca”), some of us, took Tlachichuca by storm, diving headfirst into the nighttime celebrations which by now were reaching feverish proportions. Allen showed off his impressive dancing skills in the main plaza, surrounded by very curious onlookers, which was by far, the highlight of the evening.
DAY 13: Drive back to Mexico City. Check back into the Hotel Gillow. Farewell Dinner!!
We drove back to Mexico City today. Marco, our driver, actually shed a couple tears on the way back knowing that our trip with him was ending. Marco was a great guy, a very fine driver, and well . . . . a big baby!! Once back at the Hotel Gillow, we all put it into high gear organizing our bags for tomorrow’s departure and getting ready for our much anticipated Farewell Dinner. I decided that NOW was the time to break out the tequila. We all met at 7 PM and CE had beer on ice, a bottle of tequila to pass around, and wine (a combination known as a “hangover special”). I invited Jose, our excellent tour guide from the early part of our trip, to celebrate with us. After finishing the libations, and blubbering about how much we loved one another, we headed to our restaurant in the infamous “Zona Rosa” section of Mexico City. We were treated to superb dining and entertainment. The floor show included a mariachi band, a variety of singers and dancers, a guy who could do anything with a lariat, and even a cock fighting demonstration. After dinner, we headed back to the hotel.
DAY 14: Fly home. Buen viaje y hasta la vista!!
We said our final goodbyes this morning. Here at CE we never say “goodbye.” Instead “until next time.” Grover, Allen, Russ, Richard and Herm all had flights today to go home. Ed and Jon stayed in Mexico City two more days to continue exploring this great city. I flew to the beach town of Puerto Escondido on the Pacific coast, in the province of Oaxaca, about 3 hours south of Acapulco for a week of sun and fun. I hope to include a side trip to Puerto Escondido on one of our next climbing outings because it turned out to be a fabulous beach experience. It boasts one of the best surfing beaches in world. In addition it offers deep sea fishing, affordable hotels (I paid $20 per night for a room with 2 beds, a kitchen, private bath, refrigerator, balcony, hammock, etc.), nightlife, and several other beaches where the waves are not as large so you can swim and not “worry.” But perhaps the best thing about Puerto Escondido is that it is not that developed – certainly nowhere near what you would find at such beach resorts in Mexico as Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Islas Mujeres, etc. “Google” Puerto Escondido to find out more.
Thanks for reading along. Keep an eye out for Part Two of this Newsletter with news about our last Ecuador trip. Safe climbing.
Roger Kovary
CLIMB ECUADOR
147 West 79th St., #1D
New York, NY 10024
(646) 812-6407
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