Last night we lied in bed awaiting an 11pm wakeup for a Cotopaxi summit attempt.  But the winds picked up and the roof could be heard shaking and whistling all night.  At the sound of my first alarm, myself and the other guides went outside to find high winds and a sideways drizzle.  We then went on shifts checking every 30 minutes and hoping for improvement, but to no avail.  By 3am we decided to call it and everyone was able to sleep in.  The crew was certainly disappointed but still in good spirits.  What helped was seeing all the people who did attempt last night return soaked and covered in a layer of half inch ice, having failed to make it to the summit.  It was truly a sight to see.

After departing the hut we made the short drive out of the park and are enjoying a wonderful evening at La Cienega, one of the finest haciendas in Ecuador.  We took advantage of a sunny afternoon to learn some rope skills and are looking forward to the rest of the evening in this beautiful and historic hacienda.

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier