I do! And climbing Cayambe was one of those moments.
I did this trip on the 12th-13th of December (a proof of how terrible behind I am on my blog!).
Cayambe is a 5,790 m high mountain and the highest point of earth where the Equator passes directly through is somewhere on the mountain. There is glacier on the volcano, so you have to climb during the night wearing crampons and using an ice ax.
It all started when I went to Quilotoa and Felix, one of the other volunteers, told me that he was going to climb Cayambe. And that I was welcome to join, if I wanted to.
Something was already pulling in me to go! But I was still in doubt. Would I be able to do it? Would I be able to climb a 5,790 meter tall mountain/volcano?! Altitude sickness would be a challenge as well as the fact that I would be climbing on a glacier during the night!
Oh well, but I am still alive and I reached the top.
Here is how the whole thing went down:
Friday I went to a store in Quito, where I picked up the gear for climbing Cayambe.
Gear list:
- 36 liters backpack (and because we are awesome I shared it with Felix to carry extra stuff, water and food - so we only had to carry it half the way)
- 75 liters backpack to carry all my gear until we reached the refugee
- Carabiner
- Climbing harness
- Crampons
- Gaiters
- Headlamp
- Helmet
- Ice pick
- Plastic snow boots
- Sleeping bag
- Sunglasses
Clothes gear:
- Balaclava
- Gloves
- Hoodie
- Insulated parka (that I did not wear but carried all the way to the top and down again!)
- Leggings
- Long sleeved shirt
- Rain proof jacket
- Rain proof pants
- Tight fitting strop top
- Two pairs of socks
- Warm climbing pants
Maybe I forgot something, but you get the feeling! Lots of stuff and warm clothes. It was heavy!
On the Saturday we drove to Cayambe and it took us ages to get there since the traffic out of Quito was insane and they had temporarily closed the only road to the refugee. Already when arriving at the refugee in a height of 4600 meters I could fell the lack of oxygen.
In the afternoon we were supposed to walk one hour to the glacier where after we would have glacier training, but since we arrived so late it was now possible! Instead we walked five minutes away to some lose sand, where we practiced how to walk while on the glacier and how to use our crampons and ice ax.
Dinner was served at six where after we headed to sleep for a couple of hours, got up at 10 o'clock, had breakfast and started climbing at 11 o'clock in the evening.
At first we had a 2 hour high altitude hike and climbing before reaching the glacier. It was amazing to experience the clear night sky and just walking with the group and only being able to see because of your tiny headlamp.
After 2 hours we had reached the lower ice, strapped on the crampons, roped together (we were six climbers in total with 3 guides, making for 3 ropes) and one hour later we reached the snow.
On the glacier we had to navigate the glacier to avoid the big cracks and we had to jump over the "smaller" cracks that could be over 1 meter and really deep! This was not without risk and the glacier of Cayambe should be very active. I was glad that we was roped together and the other climber on my rope even fell down in a glacier crack but got his grip while falling so nothing happened. Being roped together, crampons and the ice ax is for your own protection!
After a couple of hours I started to struggle: partly because of the altitude and partly because of the lack of sleep. I would recommend others going to run a lot beforehand and built up their stamina!
During the climb I also managed to get altitude sickness and was so close to giving up! But I knew I had to continue. I had crossed the scariest glacier crack - on the right side was nothing, it was bigger than one and a half meter and it was scarily deep with ice taps sticking up ready to spike whoever person was unlucky enough to fall down the crevasse.
And since I was roped together with a friend, I knew that I would ruin his chances of reaching the summit if I gave up.
So we kept going. Just before we reached the top the sun started to rise and we had an amazing view of the landscape and when we finally reached the summit we felt so blessed to have succeeded.
We reached the summit around six o'clock and could have a short break. Unfortunately the summit was covered in clouds, giving us no view at the scenery below and the wind was cold so we only spent a few minutes on the top before starting our 3 hour climb down through the same scenery, enabling us to have a look at everything in daylight.
Climbing Cayambe was really though, but now I can say that I have climbed a 5,790 meter tall mountain, making my way through the glacier, jumping over crevasses and climbing all night!
All you need is Ecuador.
Note: Not all photos are mine. Photo credits go to the owners.
Kender du det at man kommer til at sige ja til noget, hvor man allerede det øjeblik man har sagt ja, fortryder at man gjorde det? At man siger ja fordi en af ens venner tilfældigvis nævner idéen? Og at du er velkommen til at tage med? Og overbeviser dig om, at du sagtens kan gøre det? Uden problemer?
Og du tilbringer ugerne op til med at fortryde at du har sagt ja. Og frygter øjeblikket?
Det gør jeg! Og det kom af at bestige Cayambe.
Jeg besteg Cayambe den 12. til 13. december (et bevis på hvor håbløst bagud jeg er med min blog!).
Cayambe er en 5.790 meter høj vulkan og på vulkanen findes det højeste punkt hvor ækvator løber igennem. Der er gletsjer på vulkanen, så man bliver nødt til at bestige om natten og bruge både en isøkse og steigeisen (en pigsko der kan sættes fast på dine snestøvler, så man kan forcere isen mere sikkert).
Det hele startede da jeg besøgte Quilotoa og Felix, en af de andre volontører nævnte, at han havde planer om at bestige Cayambe og at jeg selvfølgelig var velkommen til at tage med på turen. Allerede her var der noget der trak i mig: jeg ville jo gerne have oplevelsen. Men jeg var stadigvæk i tvivl.
Ville jeg være i stand til at nå bjergtoppen? Ville jeg være i stand til at nå 5,790 meter?! Højdesyge ville uden tvivl blive en udfordring, og derudover ville vi skulle bestige en gletsjer midt om natten kun ved hjælp af en pandelampe.
Men som I kan se, så er jeg stadigvæk i live og jeg nåede bjergtoppen.
Her er hvordan bjergbestigningen gik for sig:
Fredagen inden bestigningen tog jeg in til Quito for at hente det udstyr, jeg lejede til at bestige Cayambe med.
Udstyret bestod af:
All you need is Ecuador (Du har kun brug for Ecuador, et af Ecuadors officielle mottos).
On the Saturday we drove to Cayambe and it took us ages to get there since the traffic out of Quito was insane and they had temporarily closed the only road to the refugee. Already when arriving at the refugee in a height of 4600 meters I could fell the lack of oxygen.
In the afternoon we were supposed to walk one hour to the glacier where after we would have glacier training, but since we arrived so late it was now possible! Instead we walked five minutes away to some lose sand, where we practiced how to walk while on the glacier and how to use our crampons and ice ax.
Dinner was served at six where after we headed to sleep for a couple of hours, got up at 10 o'clock, had breakfast and started climbing at 11 o'clock in the evening.
At first we had a 2 hour high altitude hike and climbing before reaching the glacier. It was amazing to experience the clear night sky and just walking with the group and only being able to see because of your tiny headlamp.
After 2 hours we had reached the lower ice, strapped on the crampons, roped together (we were six climbers in total with 3 guides, making for 3 ropes) and one hour later we reached the snow.
On the glacier we had to navigate the glacier to avoid the big cracks and we had to jump over the "smaller" cracks that could be over 1 meter and really deep! This was not without risk and the glacier of Cayambe should be very active. I was glad that we was roped together and the other climber on my rope even fell down in a glacier crack but got his grip while falling so nothing happened. Being roped together, crampons and the ice ax is for your own protection!
After a couple of hours I started to struggle: partly because of the altitude and partly because of the lack of sleep. I would recommend others going to run a lot beforehand and built up their stamina!
During the climb I also managed to get altitude sickness and was so close to giving up! But I knew I had to continue. I had crossed the scariest glacier crack - on the right side was nothing, it was bigger than one and a half meter and it was scarily deep with ice taps sticking up ready to spike whoever person was unlucky enough to fall down the crevasse.
And since I was roped together with a friend, I knew that I would ruin his chances of reaching the summit if I gave up.
So we kept going. Just before we reached the top the sun started to rise and we had an amazing view of the landscape and when we finally reached the summit we felt so blessed to have succeeded.
We reached the summit around six o'clock and could have a short break. Unfortunately the summit was covered in clouds, giving us no view at the scenery below and the wind was cold so we only spent a few minutes on the top before starting our 3 hour climb down through the same scenery, enabling us to have a look at everything in daylight.
Climbing Cayambe was really though, but now I can say that I have climbed a 5,790 meter tall mountain, making my way through the glacier, jumping over crevasses and climbing all night!
All you need is Ecuador.
Note: Not all photos are mine. Photo credits go to the owners.
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| "It looks like we are going on an expedition... Oh wait! We are!" "Det ser ud som om, at vi er på vej på en ekspedition... Vent! Det er vi!" |
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| Cayambe on the day before the climb. And do not tell me that global warming is not real - the glacier used to go all the way and further than what you can see on this photograph. And it is only ten years ago or something like that. Cayambe dagen før bestigningen. Og fortæl mig ikke, at global opvarmning ikke er virkelig - gletsjeren plejede at gå hele vejen ned og længere end hvad du kan se på dette billede. Blot for ti år siden. |
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| Sunset before dinner Solnedgangen inden aftensmaden |
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| Sunset Solnedgang |
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| Sunset and the moon Solnedgang og månen |
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| Climbing in the dark Vi besteg Cayambe i mørke. |
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| Summit! På toppen af Cayambe! |
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| Happy and tired. It was so cold at the summit that part of my glasses froze and I got ice crystals all over me! Glade og trætte. Det var så koldt på toppen, at dele af mine briller frøs til is og jeg fik iskrystaller over det hele. |
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| Summit - unfortunately the guide taking this picture managed to set my camera to take black and white photographs. På toppen af bjerget! Desværre kom guiden, der tog dette billede til at sætte mit kamera til at tage sort/hvid billeder |
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| On the way down På vejen ned af bjerget |
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| Cayambe |
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| Cayambe |
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| When we left the glacier Da vi forlod gletsjeren |
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| Cayambe |
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| I cannot believe that I have been on the summit! Det er svært at tro på, at jeg har været på toppen af Cayambe. |
Kender du det at man kommer til at sige ja til noget, hvor man allerede det øjeblik man har sagt ja, fortryder at man gjorde det? At man siger ja fordi en af ens venner tilfældigvis nævner idéen? Og at du er velkommen til at tage med? Og overbeviser dig om, at du sagtens kan gøre det? Uden problemer?
Og du tilbringer ugerne op til med at fortryde at du har sagt ja. Og frygter øjeblikket?
Det gør jeg! Og det kom af at bestige Cayambe.
Jeg besteg Cayambe den 12. til 13. december (et bevis på hvor håbløst bagud jeg er med min blog!).
Cayambe er en 5.790 meter høj vulkan og på vulkanen findes det højeste punkt hvor ækvator løber igennem. Der er gletsjer på vulkanen, så man bliver nødt til at bestige om natten og bruge både en isøkse og steigeisen (en pigsko der kan sættes fast på dine snestøvler, så man kan forcere isen mere sikkert).
Det hele startede da jeg besøgte Quilotoa og Felix, en af de andre volontører nævnte, at han havde planer om at bestige Cayambe og at jeg selvfølgelig var velkommen til at tage med på turen. Allerede her var der noget der trak i mig: jeg ville jo gerne have oplevelsen. Men jeg var stadigvæk i tvivl.
Ville jeg være i stand til at nå bjergtoppen? Ville jeg være i stand til at nå 5,790 meter?! Højdesyge ville uden tvivl blive en udfordring, og derudover ville vi skulle bestige en gletsjer midt om natten kun ved hjælp af en pandelampe.
Men som I kan se, så er jeg stadigvæk i live og jeg nåede bjergtoppen.
Her er hvordan bjergbestigningen gik for sig:
Fredagen inden bestigningen tog jeg in til Quito for at hente det udstyr, jeg lejede til at bestige Cayambe med.
Udstyret bestod af:
- 36 liters rygsæk (og fordi vi er seje, delte jeg den med Felix. Vi fik alle vores ting ned i rygsækken [ekstra ting, mad og vand] og vi behøvede kun bære den halvdelen af vejen).
- 75 liters rygsæk til at bære alt udstyret i, indtil vi nåede bjerghytten
- Gamacher
- Hjelm
- Isøkse
- Karabinhage
- Klatresele
- Pandelampe
- Plastiksnestøvler
- Solbriller
- Sovepose
- Steigeisen
Tøj:
- Elefanthue
- Hansker
- Isolerende dunjakke (som jeg aldrig fik brug for, men bar hele vejen op i rygsækken)
- Langærmet trøje
- Leggings
- Regntætte bukser
- Regntæt jakke
- Sweatshirt
- To par sokker
- Tætsiddende top
- Varme bukser
Jeg ved ikke om jeg har glemt noget, men du får en fornemmelse af at jeg havde brug for en masse varmt tøj og at det var tungt at slæbe rundt på!
Lørdag kørte vi til Cayambe og det tog os evigheder at komme ud af Quito på grund af uanede mængder trafik og de havde endda besluttet sig for midlertidigt at afspærre den eneste vej til bjerghytten. Da vi endelig ankom i 4.600 meters højde kunne jeg allerede mærke manglen på ilt.
Om eftermiddagen var det meningen at vi skulle have gået 1 time til gletsjeren for at have træning i brugen af steigeisen og isøksen, men dette var ikke muligt, fordi vi ankom så sent. I stedet gik vi 5 minutter væk og trænede 15 minutter i noget sand.
Aftensmaden blev serveret klokken 6 og vi fik et par timers søvn, hvorefter vi stod op igen klokken 10, spiste morgenmad og begyndte bestigningen klokken 11.
Vi startede ud med to timers vandring og stenklatring (i mere end 4.600 meters højde) hvorefter vi nåede gletsjeren. Det var fantastisk at opleve den helt klare nattehimmel uden lysforurening. Og det var fantastisk at gå i mørket sammen med vores lille gruppe af klatrere og kun have lyset fra vores pandelamper.
Efter de første 2 timer nåede vi den lavere is, hvor vi satte vores steigeisen på og blev sat sammen med reb (vi var 6 bjergbestigere i alt og havde 3 guides, så vi havde 3 reb med 2 bjergbestigere og 1 guide på hvert.) og en time senere nåede vi sneen.
På gletsjeren skulle vi navigere uden om de store gletsjerspalter og hoppe over de "mindre" der kunne være over en meter brede og virkeligt dybe. Dette var ikke uden risiko og Cayambes gletsjer skulle eftersigende være en af de mere aktive. Jeg var glad for, at vi havde reb imellem os og den anden person på mit reb faldt faktisk halvvejs ned en gletsjerspalte, men han fik fat i noget imens han faldt, og ellers så var det også det, rebet havde været der for. At være bundet sammen med reb, steigeisens og isøksen er klart for din egen sikkerheds skyld!
Efter et par timer begyndte det at blive svært, og jeg blev træt: Til dels på grund af højden og til dels på grund af at jeg stort set ikke havde sovet i løbet af natten. Jeg ville helt klart anbefale andre at opbygge deres udholdenhed før de forsøger at bestige et bjerg.
I løbet af vores tid på Cayambe fik jeg også højdesyge og var virkelig tæt på at give op!
Men hvis jeg gav op, ville jeg også ødelægge chancerne for at personen jeg var bundet sammen med kunne nå toppen, og jeg havde også hoppet over en meget skræmmende gletsjerspalte: På den højre side af der hvor vi krydsede var der ingenting! Spalten var mere end 1½ meter bred, virkelig dyb, og lange, skarpe isspyd ventede på den person, der var så uheldig at falde ned i den.
Så vi fortsatte vores bestigning og lige før vi nåede bjergtoppen stod solen op og vi fik en fantastisk udsigt over landskabet under os. Og da vi endelig nåede toppen følte vi os heldige: Vi havde opnået vores mål og stod nu i 5.790 meters højde.
Vi nåede bjergtoppen omkring klokken 6 og havde et hurtigt hvil på toppen. Desværre havde vi ingen udsigt, da toppen var indhyllet i en sky og det var utroligt koldt, da der ikke var nogen læ for vinden, så vi tilbragte kun få minutter på toppen. Turen tilbage til bjerghytten tog 3 timer og gav os muligheden for at se gletsjeren i dagslys. Tænk at vi havde forceret dette landskab i mørke!
At klatre til toppen af Cayambe var virkelig hårdt, men jeg er glad for, at jeg gjorde det. Jeg har besteget en 5.790 meter høj vulkan og forceret en gletsjer, hoppet over gletsjerspalter i løbet af en hel nat!
All you need is Ecuador (Du har kun brug for Ecuador, et af Ecuadors officielle mottos).
Vær opmærksom på at ikke alle billederne i dette indlæg er mine. Alle ophavsrettigheder går til ejerne af de respektive billeder.
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