- Highest mountain from sea level - Everest, 8,848 meters
- Highest mountain from the base where the mountain rises - Mauna Kea in Hawaii, 4205 meters. The base of Mauna Kea is deep down under the Pacific Ocean. Only the last 4205 meters jut out above the sea.
- Highest mountain from centre of the Earth - Chimborazo in Ecuador, 6268 meters.
I went to Mauna Kea in 2007 (Refer to http://mntviews.blogspot.com/2007/06/mauna-kea-hawaii.html). At my age, Everest is beyond my capability. But why not have a go at Chimborazo!?!
My trip is organized by a local Ecuador climbing company. They have a 9-day hiking program with 3 acclimatization climbs:
- Pasochoa, 4200 m
- Rucu Pichincha, 4698 m
- Illiniza Norte, 5116 m
followed by 2 main climbs:
- Cotopaxi - 2nd highest mountain in Ecuador, 5897 m
- Chimborazo - highest mountain in Ecuador, 6268 m
On the first acclimatization climb to Pasochoa, there were 7 people in the group:
- Mountain Guide - Frank
- Driver - Jose, he went with us to the summit too
- me
- Josh from Kentucky, USA
- Annette from Germany
- Brigette from Germany (she and Annette came to Ecuador to visit the Galapagos and decided to climb Cotopaxi with High Summit)
- Annette's son - I forgot his name.
We leave Quito in the morning by car, head south for the Avenida de los Volcanoes. During the 2 hour drive we enjoy the views of the typical landscape and villages of the Ecuador highlands.
The walk to Pasochoa summit is a leisurely stroll of about 2 hours. We have lunch on the top. There is a great sight on Cotopaxi and the other nearby volcanoes. Afterwards, we return to Quito for the night.
Here are the pictures: (To enlarge a photo, click on it.)
1.) On the way to Pasochoa - Typical rural street scene
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrbEdM8jejkLhd9N0rEAWf_zmi8Dw7CFxBUvE4HM42QLokCSf1k0wD6-G2gyW2XXaPirmYlmeJ1JnYjudkpSNQ82a0gvXIqhNmemx5RyhhZS3oSmTukch6JkTgTK6-VDMpLd6rtw4ykM/s400/01+On+the+way+to+Pasochoa%252C+typical+rural+street+scene.jpg)
2.) Hiking up Pasochoa - The earlier part of the track is a cobble stone road.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yZKjTuXwnQ0rHj6deNYDsexR975S4Gq823mUs0jJ_xwT2lrAFH3L57EYeE11HSiMI_sJV2yFn2VNSMcZekuLE1Gk9MbYufFw7y4IIAQcqWlwZNm5lsj-udLmRIBoFnOT7dW4T0lNVkI/s400/02+Hike+to+Pasochoa%252C+cobble+stone+path+in+the+initial+track.jpg)
3.) Later on, the path becomes a dirt road.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCpulDLruR1v7s6v9rDMznDtiyfrcx0H-IuI5Mr-_imBTWdAq7IA7x0OxBBav8GpV61hmNtb2rksXYGYLw2XLh3G6GSHvET4ub9eiSDUg7S56z8TmhBbEcu1XbK5qGrDIX9trT8uz1Vo/s400/03+Hike+to+Pasochoa%252C+path+is+now+a+dirt+track.jpg)
4.) Further up, it is a goat trail. The guy in the centre of this pic is Frank, our mountain guide.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3iejMiAZBEs9fZ9floRMcQTMkmF-vCy3u-uSmPSJ89GfHOoZLjtxlD7XrheYDCGd_Pzeogc8_7TjkG2ogsRErWIQBo41YmU_8qrWDCnAiXTgKHcKbWutj9Fl3dgzhyphenhyphenYCWHcP3Wd1F-bk/s400/05+Hike+to+Pasochoa%252C+Frank+the+mountain+guide.jpg)
5.) Pasochoa is the mountain behind me.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QFfcUTKfEYJp-CaP3EB-qmjT3DbRhjsAVpwF66AOMEwkyHMRcRDtUOnI65pd3EU6k2r9ssH9zLeuC5Qj4G5iqnst2eECGRzsdzM8Cb8wRVewRy00mcivGdoyThB6kVcHiGlHlkwM_3M/s400/04+Pasochoa+is+the+mountain+in+the+background.jpg)
6.) The summit is just in front.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUyUjPBj6SOW-zLHIrAXJSueJqMiMAOkQ9ZUTqGwWM5wWJtYMifnwSvHSqn-EWsGAs0xmLFRWzEdYcqf99og8yuXpxYRTP2aI3X6ZIseZuH8_aH1mDiWknLdOoFs-IYALgXvSfJ1d6wr0/s400/06+Pasochoa%252C+the+summit.jpg)
7.) At Pasochoa summit, looking back - It is a majestic view. Some members of our group are on their way to the summit.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMJigxvXISqus3D_bFVl-AclQ8S5-WE9rF69ryHWZ8OCl3b5CZqRxyruT2YsUYO8kAKOFsbfkJaNooYCbL0exPFSVC4Ue4m7wtiJbYIYOENIA5T52zN6Q3VD_jyVKYNybTs19l0MJWVQ/s400/07+Pasochoa+summit%252C+looking+back+at+our+group.jpg.jpg)
8.) At Pasochoa summit - Nice view of the surrounding countryside.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK7ZTdLycdSVWxElg8w2Kro1PehPq5za2_C_qnJRxdhKMaCeabJ7rozdm4wmf5NdOV6FtjYuArvCAfBh03CKwZMilzv28WeSvy36PrlSCbAqfZK1ZRZ9EB0jB9Sa7OqRT_p6H-1uH8SQ/s400/08+Pasochoa+summit%252C+view.jpg)
9.) Me at the summit
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRTLVa59UqjkaAaaOIdpxtQD6kxBWxnCv4ZxH87Er59KoFc35CQmMInuRjv_YPnV_-32YMJsVk7qEAXx1bTHxliBv-2966pjdYwdYpM4e28_vwqyYgJ5Cx4-RYMSDBR5kvjsBMZ7clmQ/s400/09+Pasochoa+summit%252C+Paul.jpg)
10.) Having lunch at the summit. The guy facing the camera is the driver, Jose.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhte8FBXmx8gWtbUYTmyoFlGseayF65zYeq_MZkeIqfiWaU7l9UvWN_2doY-UvaIJeqvaLtfJHcwjWFbYKl2QgMTG1PKueP8hOy2fYDNd6CmuDy3q7P7r2_UnOboB8hU3EyOndby0DvdFY/s400/10+Pasochoa+summit%252C+our+group+having+lunch.jpg)
11.) Cotopaxi from the summit - we'll be climbing it few days later. Nice view ... but still, I wish it isn't shrouded in clouds.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3xVv2nisVzK_ltY231AkXpHXa8v8ztxevJy6uPi_O6Wfu0htKUYK_DR5EAvCxVF2IGAvwm7U_hb02TRwsS5TXLnWXz2hrcxfZx_YiNBqgco75zaOzd60lGwddadOFB3JisEThBpn-cQA/s400/11+Pasochoa+summit%252C+Cotopaxi.jpg)
12.) Lunch is over. We start to climb down from the summit.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh3HbeZ99LeOwqyAJ5BSOL8zzqa6VVh4vkfYm52M6xjcip75EihubmPvvHfE0E6GFEmerPzM0VZ3RBSiUX1xzWA0SYtmUuReKJNZoaHGMWgOvMkg15dkR_HaRS4nx0bwAK1bvvOddIiOU/s400/12+Pasochoa+summit%252C+our+group+climbing+down+the+summit.jpg)
13.) On our way back to the car.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzdHA3gqAKzOrWEX7c4bIY2VjBwM-pXYDLTOjf_hulGgu7h6Wu6AkMUMVLZt5XnrzZkOTkgMm538stNZhWtmtyBT0VzrUz0hJQZfiVUe3ou-EF-AZ8kL8-PA5IwHMU_vnt6BpETT5bL0/s400/13+Pasochoa%252C+our+group+walking+back+to+the+car.jpg)
The next day is the 2nd acclimatization climb to Rucu Pichincha ... refer http://mntviews.blogspot.com/2011/07/rucu-pichincha.html
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