Cotopaxi Again

I paid my $160 to Gullivers Travel who are organising this trip, there are 6 others on the climb I am to make my way to Papagayo by bus and my cold weather gear bag is to be delivered there, you can already guess can´t you . Altho $160 seems a lot it does include night in Papagayo, lift to car park and back that would be $50 night in refugio, entry to the park plus a couple of meals so it is not that expensive when you work it out.

Bus down to Papagayo and spend the night ther, simon , 24 swiss, I meet on the bus is also going, he seems quite normal and has a few beers with me before bed.

Up the next day 4wd is there to take us to the carpark at Cotopaxi , you are never going to believe this............my bag is not there. A motorcyclist brings it to Machachi.....evenually.

Drive up to the park gate, the driver is brisk and the old mazda bounces and tosses for an hour, I inquire of the driver if he has ever rattled any nuts off.

Back to the refugio

t 4800m , the same height as the top of Mont Blanc, it is cold with no heating or hot water and has icy drafts just to make it even more uncomfortable, all for just $18

The 6 making the attempt have already been reduced to 5 as Martin from Germany feels bad at the refugio. Ted / Debbie from Canada, Simon, Nora, German burd, 24ish and Me

Debbie developes a headache ,far from uncommon at altitude, and decides not to go.

Freddie , the Ecuadorian guide has been spooning with Nora during the evening!

Next day it´s freddie, nora and me, sergio ,other guide, simon and ted , big 6´5¨ outdoorsy guy,

It is very windy when we leave at 1am, We are suppose to be going in one group but after an hour the other group is moving ahead, Nora begins to become tired, after 4hrs it is still very windy and it is snowing, Freddie, who´s looking for a conquest , and it aint cotopaxi, says we go down, Nora looks to me to be utterly exhausted, i ask freddie how far to the snow bridge over the crevasse, He lies to me and says 3 hrs, I ask about the other group, he does not know and does not have any walkie talkies or such, I have no alternative, BACK DOWN AGAIN.

Reach Refugio and an hour later Simon and Ted arrive , the did not make it either, due to the weather, high winds and driving snow , I believed them, they were covered in snow when they arrived back.

I think only one group summited today and they left earlier then us , so maybe I wouldnt have made it anyway.

Back to Quito, this is supposed to be a time when climbing is possible but every day I try the weather is bad, If I cannot go up then perhaps I should try going Down.