From Guagua to Rucu Pichincha

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My first attempt to traverse from Guagua to Rucu Pichincha a few months ago had been interupted by a thunderstorm which made it too dangerous to climb over the one steep rocky part in the traverse which was then covered with hail and very wet and slippery. This time, though, it was easy and I did the whole traverse from peak to peak within 3.5 hours.

My landlord Patricio had kindly driven me up to the refuge, together with a Japanese friend of his and the three of us went up the crater of Guagua. Unfortunately while in the early morning there was a deep clear blue sky over all of Quito by the time we reached the crater it was covered in fog again (like the first time). Guagua Pichincha is one of Ecuador's active volcanoes and I would have loved to see its fumeroles. Anyway, we could smell its gases....

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