Rucu Pichincha

Rucu Pichincha is spectacular. The weather forecasts higher winds — 20+ mph — and thunderstorms in the afternoon, so we expect it could get nasty. We drive from Rumiloma to 11k feet, take a gondola to 13k, and then climb to 15.5k.

We net only about 2.5k in vertical gain, but it takes 5.5 hours, and Ossy says we keep a good pace. In the first 500 feet I can feel the thin air, which floats in me some wispy worry for all that is to come, but I quickly get into rhythm and feel strong the rest of the way. I wear only a T-shirt and arm warmers, until the last 300 feet, where where the wind picks up and the temperature drops. There, I layer up, and Ossy tells us to put on helmets. A guy wearing a blue-jean jacket and Chuck Taylor’s passes by, and I feel a little silly—over-geared and coddled. But as we hit the scramble, maybe 5.5-grade rock climbing, with loose rock and climbers above us, I quickly appreciate my helmet. The trail dissolves into the rocks, and a group of young Germans is temporarily lost in the fog. Ossy points them towards the small summit shelf, and moments later we join them for summit pictures and snacks.

On the scrambling descent, the Germans wisely follow Ossy to find the safest route. The fog and cold lift on our trek out, and we fly down the trail. I consider that Chimborazo might be twice as long as, and a hell of a lot steeper than, this climb.

At the gondola, we meet our two Mexican team members, Carlos and Alex, who arrived late last night. They take the tram up separately, but do not climb, because they were at sea level some 36 hours before.