November 26, 2014

Summit of Chimborazo – this morning!!

Just talked to Luke on the satellite phone.  100% on the summit of Chimborazo this morning.  Pretty cool.  Luke reported reasonable snow cover and good cramponing. Weather was just fine, too.

They’re headed now to the town of Banos for a final evening in Ecuador.  Banos is a nice spot – right on the edge of the high jungle.  Plan tomorrow is to have Thanksgiving dinner with Romulo’s family, at this house, prior to heading for the airport and flights home.  The plan probably couldn’t have come together any better.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Phil Ershler

November 25, 2014

Final group dinner at Achiote (Luke Reilly)

Last night of the trip for the whole group ended in Quito with a very nice dinner at the restaurant Achiote.  Great food and drink and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the owners over the last several years.  Shortly after dinner, the Cotopaxi/Cayambe group headed for the airport and flights north.  They did great, summited 2 major Ecuadorian peaks, saw a ton of the country and hopefully made a bunch of new friends.  Nicely done, gang, and thanks for joining IMG for your adventure.

Two team members want more and are off this morning for an attempt on Chimborazo.  This peak is bigger still and tends to be more technically difficult than the other two they just climbed.  The preparation has been good and we’re hopeful now that weather/route conditions provides the reasonable opportunity.  Chimborazo in 2014 is a much different mountain than it was even 10 years ago.  This group has the skill, the strength and the determination.

We’re going to stack the deck with 3 guides.  Let’s see how it goes.

Phil Ershler

November 24, 2014

Luke and team arrived at Papallacta with plenty of time for the hot springs, beer and dinner.  Big day – from the summit of 19000 ft Cayambe to hot springs at the edge of the high jungle.  Pretty cool.

Summit of Cayambe

Back to Quito today and saying good-bye, after dinner, to part of the team and rallying the others who want to take a shot at a third mountain.

Phil Ershler

November 23, 2014

Snows of Cayambe

Great news to start a Sunday morning.  Luke called and simply said – “All’s good.  8 of 8 on the summit”.  He went on to tell me that it was raining last night.  They got up at 10 pm and, at 9:45 pm, it stopped raining.  A clear, good morning for the climb.  Some snow on the way down but who cares at that point…

Team’s down, packing and heading for lunch at the Hacienda Guachala and then driving east, over the Eastern Cordillera, to get to the hot springs of Papallacta.  Dinner there with beers and good stories in the hot springs in front of their cabanas.

Phil Ershler

November 21, 2014

Time for the Ecuador team to get back on the road and head north to Cayambe.  They’ll stop at the home of famed Ecuadorean photographer, guide and my old friend, Jorge Anhalzer.  He’ll show the team some of his spectacular photographs of landscapes and peoples of Ecuador.  Then it’s lunch, with ‘cuy’ as the main course, at the home of guide Romulo Cardenas.  Cuy is an Ecuadorean delicacy (guinea pig).  Romulo’s wife, Patricia, is a super cook.  Then, it’s north to Cayambe.  Tomorrow will be another training day with some time on steeper ice with a summit attempt the day after.

As always, we’ll keep you posted.  And, as promised, here’s the photo of the team in the dining room last evening at Hacienda San Augustin.

The team inside the dining room of the Hacienda San Augustin

It’s a pretty special evening.

Phil Ershler

November 20, 2014

Sweet summit yesterday.  Check out the weather in this photo from the summit!

IMG team on the summit of Cotopaxi

The gang spent today visiting the markets in Saquisili, with lunch at the Hacienda La Cienega.

Hacienda La Cienega

Tonight, they’re dining and sleeping at the Hacienda San Augustin.  I’ll try to get a photo of the dining room tomorrow.  Imagine having just summited Cotopaxi and tonight eating dinner in a room totally of original Inca construction.  And then, of course, staying at one of the most beautiful haciendas in Ecuador.  Not terrible.

Phil Ershler