Danger on the Mountain

Cotopaxi: while not the highest volcano in Ecuador, it's certainly the most picturesque, with its frosty white cap and perfect cone. It's certainly the most visited - Cotopaxi National Park receives more visits annually than any other park in Ecuador except the Galápagos. And despite the name, there are actually two other significant mountains and one other volcano inside the park.

 Volcán Cotopaxi

Since I'm not motivated or fit enough to scale the entire mountain, we opted for the shorter, hour and a half hike up to the refuge from 4,500 meters. We drove into the park at 8 in the morning on an uncharacteristically clear winter day. We could see all the mountains and volcanoes in the surrounding area, including the twin Ilinizas to the west and an erupting Tungurahua to the south, a plume of grey rising from its tip. The dramatic Rumiñahui looked like the jaws of some prehistoric creature, mouth gaping in an eternal roar. It made a striking contrast to the perfect Cotopaxi.

Rumiñahui

The ground at the base of the park was covered in a strange lichen that resembled snow, and the field was littered with huge boulders that had been spit out of the volcano eons past. After we exercised our lungs and acclimatized a bit to the altitude, we continued in the car to 4,500 meters. From there, we took a long series of switchbacks up the next 350 meters to the refuge. I was definitely feeling the altitude and the slope, but we walked very slowly and all made it up in pretty good shape.

Strange lichen and large boulders

From there, we hiked the last 150 meters to the glacier and the 5,000 meter mark. The way up was clear, and we admired the stunning landscape and clear views the weather afforded us. However, within 15 minutes, threatening clouds came over the mountain and it began to hail. Cracks of thunder could be heard, and our hair began standing on end. Brian received a minor jolt of electricity to the head which knocked his hat clean off. At this point, our normally easy-going guide began shouting at us to get down the mountain and to turn off any electronics. Lightning flashed in the distance, and an eerie hum sounded all around. I realized that there was so much static electricity in the air that it was buzzing audibly. We ran as fast as we safely could down to the refuge, where we gratefully had a coffee inside. Other groups were pacing restlessly or peering dubiously at the sky through the windows. Ours was the only group to reach the glacier that day. 

The beginning of the storm

Brian on the glacier

After the fury had abated a bit, we decided to descend the last bit to the waiting car below. The sky was chucking it down by the bucketful, and the hail was large enough to hurt. We ran down to the car and bolted inside. 

When we got back to Latacunga, it was raining heavily, so we ducked into a seafood joint and enjoyed some beers. Many beers actually, for having survived the day.

Our excellent guide, Chasky