Cotopaxi...the refuge and the mountain

After a relatively luxurious stay at The Black Sheep Inn, we got a lift to our next port of call - Hostal Valhalla (just outside Cotopaxi National Park). We arrived late in the afternoon and the place was shrouded in cloud, cold and damp. It wasn't the best introduction in the world and was not bettered when the manager was not aware of our booking. After some firm gesticulating (on Simon's behalf) and a few serious phone calls (on his behalf) he finally relented and agreed that we had indeed booked and paid!

Hostal Valhalla is owned by the agency that we had booked for our attempt to climb Cotopaxi (Agency Moggley) and is more functional than beautiful. In fact, it is a large, bright orange/pink concrete block in the middle of the countryside and certainly won't be winning any design awards. Also staying there were a group of English guys who were to be our climbing partners. We only stayed at the hostel for one night and were met by our mountain guides the following lunchtime. They'd returned from climbing Cotopaxi with another group of travellers who were all looking distinctly worse for wear (only 2 of their group of 8 reached the summit) and were turning around and heading straight back there with us! After handing out our kit (ice axes, crampons, glacial goggles, plastic boots etc) we piled into a transit van for the very bumpy hour or so to the final dropping off point for Volcan Cotopaxi. The 'parking lot' is an area of volcanic soil at 4500m in altitude. We then had to drag ourselves and our packs up a further 300m in altitude (on a 45 degree slope) also on volcanic soil...two steps forward and one backwards the whole way. By this time I was really feeling the altitude (as you can probably tell by the grimace on my face in the photo above). My head was pounding and the nausea was beginning to set in. I really had to give myself a good talking to in order to make it to the 'refugio' at 4800m. I did eventually get there but had (during my good talking to) already decided that there was no way that I was going to be able to attempt the climb. I was struggling with the altitude and wasn't really in the right frame of mind. I was also conscious that I didn't want to be the reason that anyone else in my group had to turn around, therefore denying them the opportunity to summit. With that decision made, I concentrated on keeping myself hydrated and warm.

Simon, who had very patiently stayed with me on the climb up to the refuge, was feeling fine. He did not appear to be suffering at all from the altitude and was really looking forward to the experience. Late that afternoon, he went out on to the glacier with the other (by now only two) climbers in our group and the guides. He was shown how to effectively use his ice axe and crampons and climbed a little higher to aid his acclimatisation. After an early and basic dinner we headed up to our bunks on the top floor of the refuge (which sleeps over 70!) and were tucked into our sleeping bags (and in my case all of my clothes too) by 7.15pm - a record even for us!

At 12 midnight Simon and the other climbers got out of bed and readied themselves for the task ahead. After a snack and kit check they hit the mountain. I remember saying goodbye, telling him not to be too macho and to come back if things looked too dangerous. I also remember hearing the wind...it really was blowing a gale out there. For details on the climb itself check out Simon's blog where I'm sure he'll relay the cold hard facts. He arrived back at the refuge at about 7am the following morning looking like a broken man. I don't think I've ever seen him so close to tears as he was that morning. Exhausted both physically and mentally and no doubt by then suffering the ill effects of altitude himself, he really was at rock bottom. Coming down in altitude, rehydrating and forcing himself to eat, slowly enabled recovery and by the time we arrived back at The Magic Bean in Quito in the early afternoon he was getting back to his usual positive self. He has said that climbing Cotopaxi was the most challenging task he has ever undertaken but if I know Simon, by the time he updates his blog, it will also be one of the most rewarding!