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Published: June 21st 2008
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My guidebooks said it was a 3-5 day hike up Reventador and only the most adventorous should attempt it. They also said it iwas very rare that Reventador is not covered in clouds or rain. So after I had become accustomed to the relaxed, sunny and warm life at the coast and on Galapagos I found it really hard to motivate myself to leave for Reventador.
In the morning of the day I finally really needed to leave, Patricio, my landlord in Quito and renowned mountaineer, called around some of his friends to find a local guide. Finally we identified Victor Cansino, who lives in the town of El Chaco and has guided Reventador many times. Victor was ready to guide me for the next few days and we arranged to meet in the evening of the same day in El Chaco. So off I went for the next adventure.
Victor informed me that the climb could be done in two days: on the first day up to the destroyed
refugio Text where we would put our tent, and then the next day up to the summit and all the way back down. He explained that since the last
eruption the hike could now be done in less time, as the lava had destroyed a lot of the dense forest through which one had to hike before. Now one could just walk on the lava.
So we packed tent, sleeping bags, rubber boots and hiking boots, shopped for food and left the next morning for the one hour bus ride to the foot of the mountain. Reventador lies well east of the principal volcanic axis and is one of Ecuador's few volcanoes in the
Oriente, the lowland jungle area. It is part of the
Reserva Ecológica Cayambe - Coca. We started the hike in rubber boots, as during the first few hours up to the destroyed
refugio the path goes through a lot of rivers and mud (Yes, mud again, oh no!). The hike was not too hard, though, and after four hours through the jungle we found the remains of the destroyed refugio - really just a few wood planks and some plastic foils. However, just a few minutes from this rather desolate place there is a perfect camping spot and that´s where we set up the tent.
After we had cooked and eaten our cup
noodle lunch, we set off to explore the area above the camp. We first went to the huge lava walls of the 2002 eruption which are about one hour away from the camp ground. From there we went further to the left, and as by then the sky had cleared we got a great view of the summit. Just perfect for getting in the mood of climbing. There was some smoke coming out of it and Victor got excited and thought the volcano's activity was increasing and it might erupt again in the next few months.
The next morning we left at 4 am, and strangely enough, I didn't find it too hard to get out of bed (well sleeping bag and very hard mattress....). For almost two hours we walked in complete darkness and just saw the lights of some remote villages and towns in the far distance. Only when daylight crept up, it became apparent where we were walking: a strange landscape of lichens in different shades of white and green, and bushes that have grown on the 2002 lava flows. In between these lots of tiny cobwebs glittering silver-white. We largely followed a riverbed until quite
up where the terrain changed into loose lava rocks. At 9.30 we reched the summit. Well, I should say, the rim. We did not reach quite the highest point, as it would have been to scramble down along the rim and up to the highest point. Anyway, we had a good view into the crater.
The way down was a lot harder, though: it was extremely difficult to walk down on all the loose rocks, as it was very slippery. You had to be so careful onto where you were stepping that we were moving only very slowly. While I am normally fervent non-user of hiking poles, this was the place where I wished I had them with me! Both Victor and I fell a number of times and I was glad when we finally reached the tent. I felt so tired already, but that was not nearly the end of the day. I was glad tht Victor cooked us another meal of cup noodles, while I just lay down and relaxed.
The next 3.5 hours were not any easier we had switched from hiking boots to rubber boots and now every single step was aching, as I
felt every rock in the mud and rivers, as the soles of the rubber boots are so instable. My backpack - although now void of any food or water - seemed heavier than when we had walked up and I just dragged myself along. It finally got dark and I was already convinced we would have to sleep in the jungle. Anyway, somehow we finally reached the road and after another kilometer the hosteria El Reventador. A long day - from 4am to 7.30 pm with just a few short breaks inbetween. Maybe we should have done it in three days?
But, there was a pleasant surprise in the hosteria: a piscina. I jumped right in, and after a long swim, Victor and I enjoyed a delicious meal. At 9pm I fell into bed and asleep... (not giving Victor the massage he had been hoping for...)
The next day, with new energy, I went down to nearby San Rafael waterfall, Ecuador´s largest waterfall. It was an impressive sight.
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