Ilinazes

Met up with Luke , Luke Flowers, really!! & discovered that there were 2 more coming along, Daniel from Zurich, who had been on his bike for 16 months, ( & the answer is prcbably) & Kit from colorado. So off we set to travel to a hotel not for from the Illianises, called Papaguya, quite ok but the steak was chewy.Next morning camino to the trailhead and a 3hr walk to the refugio where we will spend the night at 4600m.

the photo is from the trail up to the refugio, the one we will climb is on the right. Arrived at 2 oclock so it was just as well we arose at 7am!! not my idea! We all had a terrible night no sleep at all, obviously not acclimatised nearly enough. Tomorrows clomb will take us to 5200m One of Ecudors big ten.

Out of bed at first light, for once I was happy to get up, left refugio at 7.30. arrived at the 2nd of 3 tops at 9.30 & I pointed out that this was not the top, the top was a further 300m away and required a grade 3 maybe 4 scramble over loose rock, and they were not for that. I started to chech out how tricky is was and they started down the hill.I was´nt sure whither to go on or not, but I knew I would lose them if I did the true top, so I came down with them, I was raging all the way down & didnt speak to any of them Exept Daniel the swiss ( who had not at any time pretended to be a climber, I hadnt pretended either by the way) untill we were back in the bothy. I then told them how disappointed I was that we did not summit! Much humming & hawing!! Left refugio to walk back to the trailhead were our taxi was coming to meet us. Started to walk down to meet it as there was only one road, it did not seem to be on time so asked Luke (who speaks some spanish ) what arrangements had been made, He said that he had asked the taxi driver to be back at 3.30pm ( far too late ) & had given him a $10 deposit !! what a divvi !! Needless to say nada taxi. Walked out for a couple of K the Luke took a left turn Kit went with him, It was obviously the wrong way, so Daniel & I continued the correct way then luckily hitched a lift to the small town HA HA HA We enjoyed a beer or two untill they turned up. I doubt this outfit is going to succeed unless an intelligent benign yet firm leader is found !