Ruco Pichincha

View from the start of our hike
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So in prepartion for our Cotopaxi trip we decided to climb Rucu Pichincha today. To access it we took the teleferico (Gondola) which brings you to about 4000m. From there it's a 3-4 Hour hike to the top. Roughly 4700 meters (15416 feet), Pichincha is an active volcano right above Quito and it is prevelent most days. Unfortunately it's been raining a lot so the view from below and the top has not been good.  The day looked promising though - and turned out to be a good one.

We had some initial guides (locals) in the beginning. However, once we hit the ridgeline we took a more dificult route to maintain a longer duration at a higher altitude and - of course - we wanted the challenge. Boy did we get. There was definitely some tricky spots and at times if you made any mistakes you were, well, not coming back. Overall though it was awesome and I've done some similar stretches in Colorado so I felt secure.  The most intriquing spot was the Paso de muerte (Pass of Death), but we made it and celebrated at the top with snow - on the equator - wow.

Climbing Pichincha

Seems closer than it is...
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After the hike we settled down in Quito for some Cervezas and Falafel. Definitely a good trip. I was surprised at how green the mountain was at such a hight altitude. We saw flowers and insects above 13000 feet - something you don't see in Colorado.