Once we finally met up with the guides things started going smoothly. We checked all of our equipment, ate a good dinner, and were briefed on what was to come. After dinner, we went outside to watch the “sunset” on Cotopaxi to get our final looks at the behemoth before it got dark. The next time we would see it would be from on top of it.It was like trying to sleep the night before a big vacation. I couldn’t stop thinking about every possible reality that was heading my way and don’t think I really slept much, but 10:30pm rolled around quickly and after a quick breakfast it was game time.  We suited up, checked our gear for the 100th time, and before long we were in our guide’s truck heading up towards our destiny. After about 40 minutes, we arrived at “the parking lot” at 4600m and saw Quito glimmering in the night 30 miles away. At the lot, we put on our helmets, turned on our headlamps, and began hiking up loose dirt and grave. After about 40 minutes we arrived at the still-under-construction José Ribas Refugio at 4800m where we took a break and had a snack and after a quick breather started back up the hill. After another hour or so scrambling up more loose rock, you eventually get to the beginning of the glacier where you have to put on your crampons and tether together. Holly and I were with one guide and Sam had his own, but after that we didn’t see too much of Sam as he basically ran up the whole thing. Anyways, with crampons on and the three of us tied up together we began the grueling trek up, pretty much vertically in the dark, for the better part of 5 hours. We started off at a good pace that we were able to hold for the first couple of hours but eventually you start to feel the effects of the altitude, lack of sleep, hunger, and dehydration. By this time its really probably only 3AM in the morning, its freezing and still totally dark, and Holly and I were gassed. We went as slow as seemed practical but our guide still told us “slower, slower!” and we did our best to comply. At that altitude and with the weather the way it was (really cold and windy) one can’t really rest. Going from really hard exertion to rest was pretty jarring (read: sweating like crazy to bitter cold), so our breaks were quick and more infrequent that we would have liked, but trudging up was marginally more comfortable than breaking, so up and up we went.

As we approached the final couple hundred meters the sun started to poke above the horizon and we were delivered from darkness.We were well above the cloud line by then and could see a whole slew of other massive peaks all around us. After what seemed like far too long, we arrived at the summit. As was the same with resting on the way up, there wasn’t a whole lot of comfort in reaching the top. It was more exposed and just insanely cold. I was only able to muster enough courage to take a couple of pictures before I had to give up, stuff my hands back into my gloves and do my best do enjoy the victory. Unfortunately for us, the crater was totally clouded in but this really only blocked about 90 degrees of the 360 you could get from u there. The sunrise was incredible and Holly and I loved eyeing the tops of the distant volcanoes we had been seeing for the previous 5 months.

After drooling at the view for probably no more than 10 minutes, we turned around. The ascent was over. Mission accomplished. After 2.5 hours of equally difficult down climbing we were back at the parking lot, beat as anything.  

In retrospect it was an incredible experience, but I think all of us had a hard time digesting it after it was over. It was so demanding, and especially after an equally demanding 6 days on the trail leading up to it.

When we finally got back into the truck for our return to base camp, I was kind of torn. I asked, “I know it was incredible, but was it fun?” We laughed and laughed but no one really answered.

Ask me today, and I’d say “Absolutely.” Holly and I are already drooling over the possibility of climbing other monsters as we continue through Central America and beyond.