Orphan Rock, NSW, Australia

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2011 December
Orphan Rock
Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia


Climbing route

The trail to Orphan Rock is closed to the
general public as the rock is deemed
unstable and dangerous to climb.

And so, I won't be revealing how to get there.



Orphan Rock

Orphan Rock is located in the Blue Mountains
near Scenic World tourist area in Katoomba.

It is a pillar of rock separated from the main cliff
and standing solitarily like a sentinel on duty.

You can just see the tip of the Rock
from Scenic World.
Otherwise, the entire Rock is obscured by trees,
hence no tourist there would realize
the tip is the top of the Rock.

But if you take a short walk
to the nearby Rieds Plateau,
or take a ride in the Scenic Skyway,
you will get a magnificent view of the Rock.

No wonder prior to 1900
it was the main icon of the Blue Mountains.


The Three Sisters

By comparison,
The Three Sisters received little attention then,
and an air of puzzlement for those who saw them.

"A cathedral with three spires" or
"weird monument of Egyptian architecture"
were how they were described.

Then after 1900, The Three Sisters gradually
gained prominence in promotional literature.

In 1912 they were on the cover of the
Katoomba Municipal Council's
"Official tourist Guide".

And the photographer Harry Phillips
raised them in his work to almost mystical status.


Walking track to Orphan Rock

But Orphan Rock,
while overtaken in the beauty contest,
still retained some popularity.

A walking track to the top was opened in 1934.

But it was closed in the 1950s
due to fear the Rock may collapse
if a large group of people were to climb it.

This track must have made the record
as the shortest lived walking track
in the history of Australia !


Orphan Rock slides into obscurity

With the demise of the track,
Orphan Rock gradually slides into obscurity.

It was the logo of the Paragon Cafe in Katoomba
in the 1920s, with the motto "Stands Alone".

And now it lies deserted and stands alone again ...
a mere curiosity for those who see it.

Ah, but not to me.
Once I saw it, I wanted to climbing it !


This trip - with Grayson

In 2010, I made an attempt to reach the Rock,
but was unable to find the land bridge
connecting it to the main cliff.

This Christmas, it so happened that
Grayson was driving from Melbourne to Cairns
and passing Sydney.

So we teamed up for an adventure.

It took us a while to find the way to the Rock.

In the end, like everything in life,
perseverance paid off !



Pictures - Orphan Rock from Rieds Plateau

1, 2)  Orphan Rock.
- Pictures taken from Rieds Plateau.

Climbing the Rock

We bushbashed our way to the Rock
along the old trail.

The old trail is now closed
and is overgrown with vegetation.


3)  In this photo,
     you can just make out the old trail.

Don't bothered to find the trail on any of the maps.
You won't find it.

4)  When we reached the base of the rock,
     there was a gate with the sign:

"DANGER, AREA CLOSED"

Ah, love it !!!
Whenever there is such a sign,
there is always goodies inside!

5)  On the Rock now.
- And looking down and across at
  the main cliff on the opposite side.

6)  An old photo taken in 1938
     showing the stairs up Orphan Rock.

7)  This is what the trail looks like now.
- It has not been maintained for 60 years.
- Some steps have rotted away from the stairs.

8)  Trail & stairs up Orphan Rock.

Don't touch the hand rails.
They are rickety and rotting.
Liable to give way at the slightest touch.

9)  Again, you can see the missing steps
     in the wooden stairs.

Need to be careful when stepping on the steps
as they can easily break into pieces.
The trail has not been maintained for 60 years.

10)  A big hole in the rock.
- We will be climbing to top of this rock formation.

The reason the Rock is closed to the public is
because the whole structure is unstable
and may collapse at any time.

Top of the Rock

11)  We made it !!!
       This is the top of the Rock.

We had this eerie feeling when up here all alone
knowing hardly anyone has been here
for the past 60 years !

12)  View from the top of the Rock is superb.
- Mountain range in middle of the pic is Mt Solitary.
  I haven't climbed it yet.
  One day, I will ... watch this blog.

PS: Made it to Mt Solitary in 2012-October.

Photos and trip report are in this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/solitary-nsw-australia.html



13)  Of course we just have to take a selfie photo
       at the top of the Rock for memory.
- The Three Sisters formation is on the right.

14)  Zooming onto The Three Sisters.
- Nowadays,
  this is the main icon of the Blue Mountains.

15)  Katoomba Falls and the cable car
       (called Scenic Skyway).

We waved to the people in the cable car
and they waved back at us !

I bet they would ask their tour guides on
how to get onto the Rock;
and the tour guides might not have a clue.
Because you won't find how to climb the Rock
anywhere on the Internet.

By the way, the brown colour of the trees
on the right half of this pic
was not due to a fault in the camera.

They were burnt in a recent bush fire.

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Oxfam Sydney 100km Trailwalk, Australia

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I first heard about a HongKong Oxfam 100-km trailwalker event in 2009 and didn't think much about it. The next time I heard about it was in 2010 from Ryan who participated in the Melbourne 100-km trailwalker. Ryan was the guy who climbed Aconcagua with me in January 2009.

Ryan only completed 70 km before retiring. This set me thinking ... Is it really that hard? Can I complete the 100 km? Can I do it in 24 hrs? The only way to find out is to give it a go!

The event:
- Organized by Oxfam
- 550 teams-of-4 to run/walk 100 km
- Lottery draw used to limit number of teams to 550
- Website of the Sydney event: http://trailwalker.oxfam.org.au/sydney/
- For other cities around the world: http://www.oxfam.org/en/getinvolved/trailwalker

The course:
- Sydney
- From Parsley Bay at Brooklyn to Georges Heights Oval at Mosman
- 100 km
- Much of the course is a rugged and rocky goat trail through bush and mountainous areas in Sydney's national parks.

Event duration:
- 48-hr limit
- From 2011-08-26 Friday morning to 2011-08-28 Sunday morning
- However, our team set our own target as 24 hrs.

The team:
The team was formed in late February.

1. Me - Likes to climb mountains. 2009 Melbourne Half-Marathon in 1:48.  See if you can find me in this video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlNsib990JM

2. Tania - Team leader. Competes regularly in cycling, swimming and running competitions - a real iron lady! This is the 3rd time she tried this Sydney event. Last year, her team finished in under 26 hrs.

3. Pauline - Regular netball and hockey player. Had run a marathon in 3:40. She is another iron lady!

4. Richard (replaced Rajesh) - Northface 100km runner. He had tried this Sydney event a few times.

Rajesh used to be our 4th team member. He was the slowest guy in the team. Potentially he could be the fastest as he was tall and muscular ... one of his step was one and a half of our steps! But he had virtually no hiking experience in the past. He didn't play any sports. And now, he hardly did any meaningful exercises on his own that was useful for this 100-km event. Not surprisingly, he never completed a single training walk with us - always pulled out early for one reason or another. Anyway, one day in early July when walking with us, wearing normal joggers, he accidentally kicked on a rock and fractured a toe. This ended his short lived walking career. Later on, Tania found Richard as a replacement. Richard was perfect for our team ... he was fit and fast.

Team number/name:
- 455
- Mafficking (It means "Exulting riotously" - I bet you don't know this word!!! Well, you learn something new everyday!!!)

By the way, Rajesh suggested "Mafficking" as the team name. So at least he contributed something to the team.

Team training:
We did a few short walks in March and April. In early May, Tania drew up our official training schedule - a training walk every 2nd Saturday on the actual trail. We started off with a 30-km walk. Then gradually increased the distance to 70 km. In fact, towards the end, we had two 70-km training walks.

Event start time:
- Friday morning, 2011-08-26
- There were 4 starting slots: 7am 8am 9am 10am.
- Our team was allocated a start time at 9am.

Tania was an early riser. She hated having to start so late. I, on the other hand, am a late riser, prefer to start late .... the later the better.

But Tania did have a point. The later we start, the more of the trail we would walk in the dark. Although we would have daylight the next day, however the final section of the course was mainly over suburban streets. Daylight was not particularly important then.

The reason our start time was not earlier was because this year, Oxfam changed the formula for determining the start time. Previously, the earlier start times were given to teams with shorter target finishing times. This year, the earlier start times were given to teams with larger donations to Oxfam. Not quite fair, you would say.

Our result:
- Completed in 24:06
- Crossed finishing line at 9:06am the next day (2011-08-27).
- The 6 minutes over our self-imposed target of 24 hrs is a blemish. We didn't keep a tight reign on our rests and stayed longer than planned at some of the checkpoints.
- Otherwise, this is a really great result for the team !!! We should all be congratulated for our effort !!!
- Overall position: 119 out of 550 teams - top 22%
- Mixed gender teams: 46 out of 290 teams - top 16%
- Over 40s (yes, we are a bunch of oldies): 13 out of 64 teams - top 21%

Some observations:
- The team had two 70-km training walks. These were most helpful. The first time I finished 70 km, I was dead tired ... wouldn't be able to walk another step. After the second 70 km, I was tired, otherwise ok and no where as dead as after the first one. On event day, at the 70-km mark, I still had plenty of energy left.

- Prior to the walk, I worried about becoming sleepy during the night. Well, I never felt sleepy that night. My theory is, while walking vigorously the way we did, the blood was circulating quick and fast throughout the body and the brain. Hence it was not possible to be sleepy. Also, being super fit after the two 70-km training walks definitely helped.

- I found GU Energy Gels really great in giving you instant energy (search their website: https://guenergy.com/ ). On an information night 2 weeks out from the event, These gels were given out for free. I took away 8 packets. Each packet is 32g and gives you an immediate shot of 100 calories in the form of a carbohydrate blend. But warning: you should drink plenty of water after gulping down the gel ... as is stated clearly on the packaging.

Stats:
Start to Checkpoint 1
Parsley Bay at Brooklyn to Muogamarra Fire Station at Cowan
- Distance: 16.5 km
- Actual : 09:00 - 12:04, Duration: 3:04
- (Planned: 09:00 - 12:10, Duration: 3:10)
- Rate : 5.38 km/hr
- +6 mins ahead of plan

Rest: 11 min (Planned: 10 mins)

Checkpoint 1 to Checkpoint 2
Muogamarra Fire Station to Berowra Community Centre
- Distance: 12 km
- Actual : 12:15 - 15:19, Duration: 03:04
- (Planned: 12:20 - 15:20, Duration: 03:00)
- Rate : 3.91 km/hr
- +1 min ahead of plan

Lunch: 26 mins (Planned: 25 mins)

Checkpoint 2 to Checkpoint 3
Berowa Community Centre to Bobbin Head
- Distance: 15.75 km
- Actual : 15:45 - 19:19, Duration: 3:34
- (Planned: 15:45 - 19:05, Duration: 3:20)
- Rate: : 4.42 km/hr
- 14 mins behind plan

Dinner: 36 mins (Planned: 35 mins)

Checkpoint 3 to Checkpoint 4
Bobbin Head to Sphinx War Memorial
- Distance: 5.75 km
- Actual : 19:55 - 20:51, Duration: 0:56
- (Planned: 19:40 - 20:45, Duration: 1:05)
- Rate : 6.16 km/hr
- 6 mins behind plan

Rest: 10 mins (Planned: 10 mins)

Checkpoint 4 to Checkpoint 5
Sphinx War Memorial to St Ives Show Ground
- Distance: 9 km
- Actual : 21:01 - 22:49, Duration: 1:48
- (Planned: 20:55 - 22:35, Duration: 1:40)
- Rate : 5 km/hr
- 14 mins behind plan

Rest: 18 mins (Planned: 10 mins)

Checkpoint 5 to Checkpoint 6
St Ives Show Ground to Macfarlane Reserve
- Distance: 12.5 km
- Actual : 23:07 - 01:31, Duration: 2:24
- (Planned: 22:45 - 01:10, Duration: 2:25)
- Rate : 5.21 km/hr
- 21 mins behind plan

Supper: 37 mins (Planned: 25 mins)

Checkpoint 6 to Checkpoint 7
Macfarlane Reserve to Davidson Park
- Distance: 10 km
- Actual : 02:08 - 04:39, Duration: 2:31
- (Planned: 01:35 - 04:10, Duration: 2:35)
- Rate : 3.97 km/hr
- 29 mins behind plan

Rest: 12 mins (Planned: 10 mins)

Checkpoint 7 to Checkpoint 8
Davidson Park to Ararat Reserve
- Distance: 7.5 km
- Actual : 04:51 - 06:38, Duration: 1:47
- (Planned: 04:20 - 06:20, Duration: 2:00)
- Rate : 4.21 km/hr
- 18 mins behind plan

Breakfast: 30 mins (Planned: 25 mins)

Checkpoint 8 to Finish
Ararat Reserve to Georges Heights Oval at Mosman
- Distance: 11km
- We did our best to walk fast ... tried to finish at 9am.
- Actual : 07:08 - 09:06, Duration: 1:58
- (Planned: 06:45 - 09:00, Duration: 2:15)
- Rate : 5.59 km/hr
- 6 mins behind plan

More stats:
- 2200 people, 550 teams, started the event.
- 80% or 1760 individuals crossed the line under the 48-hr time limit.
- 82% of male starters & 79% of female starters finished.
- The average team finishing time was 29:16.
- 55% of teams finished as a complete team of four.
- 95% of teams finished the event with at least one team member crossing the line.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 2008 2009 2010 2011
(Teams of 4) ----- ----- ----- -----
Fastest Time 14:24 13:25 12:07 12:09
Average Time 31:46 30:56 29:48 29:16
Slowest Time 48:33 46:11 46:25 47:26

Suggestions for improvement:
- Keep a tight reign on rests at checkpoints ... do not over stay.

- Get rid of supper at checkpoint 6, Macfarlane Reserve. Instead, have an early but more substantial breakfast at checkpoint 7, Davidson Park (instead of at checkpoint 8, Ararat Reserve). This should shave about 20 minutes from the walk. Carry some muesli bars or energy gels with you if you need extra fuel on the walk.

- Jog the last 20km wherever the trail is level and smooth.

Thank you - Donation:
Each team was required to raise a minimum of $1,000 donation to Oxfam (tax deductible). Many thanks to the following people who donated on my behalf:
- Dad & mum
- Victoria
- Barbara
- Julie & Bruce
- Philomena
- Angela
- Etti
- Helena
- Lowe Sau Tong

Total: $448

Thank you - Checkpoint support:
And many thanks to the support crew who brought food and drinks to the checkpoints. It was their efforts which made our walk possible.
- Matt: 7:19pm dinner at Checkpoint 3, Bobbin Head
- Etti: 1:31am supper at Checkpoint 6, Macfarlane Reserve - nice hot soup on a cold night
- Jason: 6:38am breakfast at Checkpoint 8, Ararat Reserve

To the pictures: (To enlarge a photo, click on it.)

1.) Our team - 9:00am at the starting line.
Left to right: Richard, Pauline, me, Tania


2.) Here is a typical trail for the 100 km. It is not a smooth road. It is a rocky and rugged goat trail through bush and mountainous areas in national parks around Sydney. Many sections of the trail are one-man wide. If you get stuck behind a slow walker (like now), you won't be able to overtake and just have to wait till the trail becomes wider. It is not easy to get up to a speed of 4 km/hr on a trail like this.


3 & 4.) Plenty of climbing up and climbing down boulders



5.) Jerusalem Bay in Kuring-gai Chase National Park - nice view, but we don't have time to stop and enjoy the scenery.


6.) 9:00pm at the halfway checkpoint - 50 km completed, 50 more to go!


7.) Team photo taken at the halfway checkpoint ... Here, we are all given a woollen scarf in case we want to have a long rest or sleep over. But we plough on.


8.) If you think we are having a tough time, spare a thought for the 750 volunteers who make this event possible. For example, on the night, this girl stands in the cold on a road junction near a checkpoint to guide people onto the trail.


9.) Next morning, 9:06am at the finishing line ... looking a bit tired after 24 hrs and 6 mins of mostly non-stop walking ... a really memorable experience!!! The 6 minutes over our self-imposed target of 24 hrs is a bit of a blemish. Otherwise our result is very good !!! Only 55% of the teams are still intact at the end. But all 4 of us make it through the 100 km together.


10.) Saw this strange and wonderful spider web during a training walk few months earlier. Does anyone know the name of the spider which weaved this web?


If anyone is interested in joining up with me for a sub-24-hr walk in future Oxfam Trailwalker events, please contact me.

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Chimborazo, Ecuador

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( ... Continue from the Cotopaxi climb, http://mntviews.blogspot.com/2011/07/cotopaxi-ecuador.html )

Chimborazo, 6310 meters, is Ecuador's highest mountain. However, its main claim to fame is being the highest mountain in the world from centre of the Earth (whereas Everest is the highest mountain when measured from sea level). It will take 2 days to climb it.

But first, day 7 is a rest day at Baños.

Baños is a picturesque town for holiday goers, just like Queenstown in New Zealand ... bungee jumping, canyoning, biking, hiking, mountain climbing, jungle tours, various extreme sports. If you ever go to Ecuador for a holiday, you must visit Baños!

Frank the mountain guide now puts on the hat of a tourist guide. In the afternoon, he takes Josh and I (there is only 2 of us climbers now) to where the Río Verde plummets as a waterfall at Pailón Del Diablo (the Devil's Cauldron). To walk to the waterfall, a section of the track is a tunnel where you need to crawl on your fours to get through, quite exciting.

After the tunnel, you can walk all the way to behind the waterfall. But it is too wet and we chicken out on this bit of the adventure.

Day 8 is spent driving to Refugio Hermanos Carell in Chimborazo National Park. Then a 45-minute hike to Refugio Whymper at 5000 meters. Only Frank, Josh, I and the caretaker of the Refugio are there for the night ... very quiet.

Day 9 is to climb Chimborazo. It is a perfect day ... well, a perfect night. We leave the Refugio at 0:45am. No wind. And the moon is up and bright, so we don't even need a torch to walk. One would have thought under such a condition, it will be a piece of cake to get to the summit.

We are supposed to walk on glaciers. As it turns out, there were recent heavy snow activities on the mountain. So everything is covered with a thick blanket of snow. When we walk, we sink into the soft snow to over the top of the boots. And since most of the time, the slope is steep, around 45 degrees, hence every step upward is also a step sliding backwards ... extremely tough going. By 5:30am we are only half way. Frank says at this rate, we will never make it to the summit by daybreak. He says it will be dangerous to come down the mountain when the sun is up. So he turns us back. I am so glad to hear him say this, because I am dead tired from all the sliding backwards in the snow.

If it is any consolation, no one else was able to summit this mountain for a whole week due to the thick snow. I suspect Frank knows this. We were supposed to start climbing before 12am. But he slept till 12am ... I think he knew it was a waste of time to get up too early, I think he knew we won't make it.

As is the case with the Cotopaxi climb, I don't have many pictures of the mountain as the climb was in the dark and we didn't reach the summit. (To enlarge a photo, click on it.)

1.) On the way to Chimborazo National Park, we stop for lunch at a city called Ambato. Somewhere there, I took this photo of an indigenous Amerindian girl. They like to dress up colourfully like this.

2.) The magnificent Chimborazo !

3.) In the afternoon, we park the car at Refugio Hermanos Carell, then take a 45-minute hike to Refugio Whymper (5000 meters) for the night. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, Refugio Whymper is in the middle of the pic. The mountain in the background is Chimborazo.

4.) Next morning, we start hiking at 0:45am. Here is me taking a rest at the lower slope of Chimborazo.

5.) We turn back half way up the slope ... the snow is too thick on the ground, making the climb difficult. Here is a photo taken at dawn at the lower slope of Chimborazo. Nice view looking down at the clouds below.

6.) Returning to Quito, passing this rural farm scene.

I should make a remark about our mountain guide Frank. He is a very good mountaineer and we feel safe with him leading. But he is one hell of a reckless driver ... drove at break neck speed, overtook cars on narrow winding roads regardless of any oncoming traffic! It is a miracle I survived to write this blog !!!

7.) Here is beautiful Carolina - tour consultant at the Quito hotel where I am staying. All the disappointments of failing to climb Cotopaxi and Chimborazo are gone when I return and see her smiling like this !!!

I have a few days rest in Quito before returning to Sydney. The following are some photos taken during these few days.

8.) A beautiful indigenous Amerindian girl at a souvenir stall in Quito. She is a damn good sales girl - talks me into buying the pink alpaca wool scarf she is wearing for 8 US$. Later on, at another stall, I find the same scarf for sale for 5 US$. But I am not complaining ... she is worth it !!!

9.) At the northside of Quito is a tourist spot called Middle of the World (La Mitad del Mundo). It is right on the Equator, latitude 0.

10.) A tower is built at the Middle of the World. I am at the top of the tower looking down ... The orange line down the middle is the Equator. The big N/S letters stands for Northern and Southern Hemisphere.

11.) I am jumping from the Southern Hemisphere, over the equator (orange line) to the Northern Hemisphere at the Middle of the World. The previous photo was taken from the top of the tower behind me.

12.) The 4th person from the right is the President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa Delgado. Every Monday, he ventures out of Palacio Presidencial (Presidential Palace, this pic) to greet people ... and by chance, I was there!!! Not many presidents in the world would do this every week. By all accounts, he is a very popular guy.

13.) Here is a woman selling icecream at Plaza Grande just outside Palacio Presidencial (Presidential Palace). The temperature is about 25 celcius, it is amazing the icecream has not melted. I do not notice anyone buying the icecream from her. So, how does she make a living?

14, 15.) Me surfing above a forest canopy in a town called Mindo. It is fun!!! It costs US$15 for 12 rides .... very cheap. By comparison, in Cape Tribulation (near Cairns, Australia), it will be around US$200 for 10 rides !!!

16.) Dragon Fruit, Very juicy and sweet, I love it. But it is not available in Australia. Why doesn't Australia grow them in the northern tropical area ?

I like Ecuador. Nice country, extremely friendly and honest people.

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Cotopaxi, Ecuador

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( ... Continue from the 3nd acclimatization climb, http://mntviews.blogspot.com/2011/09/illiniza-norte-ecuador.html )

We are getting towards the business end of the climbs. Day 5 & 6 are to climb Cotopaxi, 2nd highest mountain in Ecuador, 5897 meters.

Frank is still the mountain guide. But Jose, the driver is no longer with us. I feel a bit sad not having him around as he is a nice guy. Even though he doesn't speak English, he always has a sweet smile. In his place, we have a new driver and 2 extra mountain guides. A Norwegian couple also join our group.

We also have a big full blown tourist bus. Don't know why we need such a big bus ... there is only 10 of us:
- Frank the main mountain guide
- Me
- Josh
- 2 Germans - Brigette & Annette (Again, Annette's son is not with us. He is still sick and stay back at Hotel Cuello de Luna.)
- Norwegian couple
- 2 mountain guides
- Driver who also doubles up as a mountain guide

The plan for day 5 is drive to a carpark somewhere up in the Cotopaxi mountain. From the carpark, it is a one-hour walk to Refugio Jose Ribas. Then do some training with crampons and ropes on the glacier. Early to bed, then up at midnight for the Cotopaxi climb.

However, the gods are not kind to us. It snows on the day. With the snow covering the road, the bus is unable to get close to the carpark. To save us from doing too much walking, Frank gets a lift back to Hotel Cuello de Luna to fetch his small jeep. Then in 2 trips, takes us further up the road, though not all the way to the carpark. Instead of 1-hr walk to the refugio, it becomes one and a half hours of walk.

The refugio is quite large, reflecting the large number of people who regularly climb this mountain. There are 2 storeys. The eating quarter is downstairs. The sleeping quarter is upstairs. On this particular night, it is less than half-full.

After settling down at the Refugio, we are supposed to practice using crampons and ropes on the nearby glacier. But with all the delays due to the snow, plus the fact it is still snowing, naturally we couldn't do any practice. Nevermind, it is early to bed and we'll learn all that needs to be learnt on the actual climb.

Around midnight, we are up, have some supper, then off to the climb. We are the slowest group to get off. Other groups were long gone.

The night is cloudy, otherwise the weather seems ok. However after a few hours of climbing, we meet the earlier groups returning back. They all say the wind is too strong further up the slope. Frank says it is no point going further. He turns us around too. It is a big disappointment. I would love to go further up just to experience how strong the wind is.

After breakfast at the Refugio, We all return to Hotel Cuello de Luna. From there, Frank drives Josh and I to Banos. The others went their separate ways. (The Germans, Brigette, Annette and her son will have a few days of sighteeing in Ecuador before heading to the Galapagos.)

Not many interesting pictures as the climb was in the dark and we didn't reach the summit. (To enlarge a photo, click on it.)

1.) On a clear day, this is beautiful perfectly cone-shaped Cotopaxi Volcano (5897 meters) - I didn't take this pic ....

2.) ... Instead, I took this one ... and I was lucky as this volcano was always shrouded in clouds when I was in Ecuador.

3.) Just outside the entrance to Cotopaxi National Park, there is a line of small stalls selling souvenirs. Here is me inside a stall, testing out a ceremonial beanie.

4.) It takes 2 days to climb Cotopaxi. Here is the start of the climb on the first day - I and my backpack, ice axe (red coloured one), trekking poles. We are preparing to hike up to Refugio Josef Ribas for the night. It was another white out day - snowing outside.

5.) Walking towards Refugio Josef Ribas, 4810 meters

6.) Arrive at the Refugio - Here are the 2 German ladies of our group, Annette & Brigette. Cute poses - they are holding icicles in their mouths.

7.) Part of the sleeping quarter inside the Refugio. My backpack is the one on the floor on the right side of this pic. It is leaning against the bunk bed where I'll sleep for the night. The red sleeping bag on the bed is mine.

8.) We get up at midnight for the climb, but turn back due to strong wind. There are no pictures of the climb as it is at night and in the dark. This pic is our group of climbers having breakfast after we return to the Refugio.

The next day is a rest day in a town called Banos. Then it is to climb Chimborazo, highest mountain in Ecuador ... see http://mntviews.blogspot.com/2011/07/chimborazo-ecuador.html

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Illiniza Norte, Ecuador

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( ... Continue from the 2nd acclimatization climb, http://mntviews.blogspot.com/2011/07/rucu-pichincha.html )

Day 3 & 4 - 3rd acclimatization climb: To Illiniza Norte, 5116 meters

Again, we leave Quito in the morning. We should be heading toward a place called La Virgen. However Annette's son is sick ... stomach ache ... I think. Hence on the way, Frank, the mountain guide took a detour to a hotel where the son and Annette and her friend Brigette stayed behind instead of going climbing with us.

After dropping them off, we go to a nearby town, buy some food for the next 2 days, have lunch, then drive to La Virgen, the start of the climb. Frank had hired a guy with a horse earlier on. We meet up there. The guy took our heavy plastic climbing boots and the food, rides off by himself to a hut called Refugio de Los Ilinizas (4700 meters) where we'll be staying for the night. Frank, and the driver together with Josh and I then take a pleasant 2 and a quarter hours hike up to the Refugio ... minus the weight of the heavy boots.

I am very impressed by the Refuge system in Ecuador. Each hut has at least one housekeeper stationed there to look after the place. This keeps the hut well maintained. Usually the guy stays there for a week, then rotates out for a week of rest etc.

It is cold in this mountain. Well, the altitude is high. But the Refuge has a wood heater which keeps us reasonably warm.

Next day, we are up early and are on our way at 4am. The ground is icy. It gets treacherously slippery further up, especially when, nearer to the summit, we get to the ridge with steep drop off on both sides. We are all roped together for safety.

Three and a half hours later, at 7:30am, we reach the summit. We are inside the clouds, with light snow falling, hence it is a white out. All I can see is a cross at the summit which is a sharp peak with standing room for one person only.

After taking some photos, we climb down a different but quicker route through loose screes back to our car. After picking up Annette, her son and Brigette, we drive to Hotel Cuello de Luna near Cotopaxi National Park for the night. Tomorrow, we'll start our 2-day climb of Cotopaxi.

To the pictures ... I don't have many meaningful pics as both days are white out inside the clouds. That is a pity as otherwise the mountain scenes would be very beautiful. (To enlarge a photo, click on it.)

1.) Illiniza Norte is the peak on the right of this pic, 5116 meters. Takes 2 days to climb it. The white peak on the left is Illiniza Sur, slightly higher at 5248 meters, and harder to climb due to its glacial nature.


2.) A horse takes our heavy plastic climbing boots and food to a hut called Refugio de Los Ilinizas.


3.) Looking back ... If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see our car parked at the centre of this pic.


4.) After 2 and a quarter hours of walk, we reach Refugio de Los Ilinizas (4700 meters).


5.) It is a small hut. All the beds can be seen in this photo.


6.) Next day, climbing up Illiniza Norte - Here is Frank, our mountain guide. The rocks are icy and slippery. We are all roped together for safety.


7.) After 3 and a half hours of climbing, we reach the summit at 5116 meters. There is cross at the top, otherwise there is nothing to see ... we are inside the clouds, a white out :-(


The next 2 days are to Cotopaxi, 2nd highest mountain in Ecuador ... refer http://mntviews.blogspot.com/2011/07/cotopaxi-ecuador.html

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