Day one involved driving to the base of the mountain, a short hours hike to the refuge (base camp) at 4700 meters [ed: the tallest mountain in New England stands about 2000m above sea level], and an afternoon ice-climbing lesson.
I had joined a group of 4 other climbers and 3 local guides who between them [the guides] had made over 1200 Cotopaxi climbs, a statistic that to be honest rang rather nicely in my ear. During the afternoon session the lead guide joked that although I was competent on the ice, I was Dutch and therefore didn’t have enough stamina to make the top. We split into three teams each with one guide, myself with an Argentinean, two Germans in another group and a roaming “roo” of an Aussie was assigned a guide to himself.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Jozef on Cotopaxi, Equador (5897 m / 19347 ft). Post 1 of 4
The next few posts are from correspondence with our friend, and Olympic rower with the Dutch national team, Jozef Klaassen. He recounts for us his recent climb up Cotopaxi, the second tallest mountain in Ecuador.
Take it away Jozef:
Aside from my slightly mad friends in Maine, I had never known anyone who climbed mountains. What craziness I had thought, risk death? For what reward? Because it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling? I didn’t know about that. After already three months touring South America, and several missed chances to climb some impressive slopes 'it' had built in me, this strong desire to conquer at least one of the great southern slopes.
I had arrived in Ecuador two weeks earlier and had already heard of the beauty of Cotopaxi. At 5900 meters it lies in the heart of Ecuador, some 2 hours from the bustle of Quito and from where on a fine day you can observe the wreath of volcanoes that encircle the city.
More from Jozef soon...
Take it away Jozef:
Aside from my slightly mad friends in Maine, I had never known anyone who climbed mountains. What craziness I had thought, risk death? For what reward? Because it gives you a warm fuzzy feeling? I didn’t know about that. After already three months touring South America, and several missed chances to climb some impressive slopes 'it' had built in me, this strong desire to conquer at least one of the great southern slopes.
I had arrived in Ecuador two weeks earlier and had already heard of the beauty of Cotopaxi. At 5900 meters it lies in the heart of Ecuador, some 2 hours from the bustle of Quito and from where on a fine day you can observe the wreath of volcanoes that encircle the city.
More from Jozef soon...
Thursday, February 25, 2010
coming soon...
Well, we've been a bit lax on getting posts up, but not on the adventures. Here's what to expect over the next week:
-a multi-post account of guest-blogger (and olympic rower) Jozef Klassen's ascent of Mt. Cotopaxi in Equador
and
-pictures and account of diving under the ice!
February has been a month of weird weather and lots of business travel for the MaineMountainMen, but check in later this weekend for some good stuff.
-Pete
-a multi-post account of guest-blogger (and olympic rower) Jozef Klassen's ascent of Mt. Cotopaxi in Equador
and
-pictures and account of diving under the ice!
February has been a month of weird weather and lots of business travel for the MaineMountainMen, but check in later this weekend for some good stuff.
-Pete
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
MaineMountainMen win honorable mention in the 2010 Ice Fest photo contest!
Pete's shot of Mike and Steve sitting atop Tuckerman's Ravine, titled "A quiet minute on Washington" has been awarded honorable mention in the 2010 Ice Fest Amateur Photo Contest. The shot will be published online in Rock and Ice and perhaps in print. More details to follow.
Check out the shot here:
http://icefestphotocontest.ning.com/
Check out the shot here:
http://icefestphotocontest.ning.com/
Monday, February 1, 2010
2010 Ice Fest Amateur Photo Contest
Well, the cold temperatures kept us off the mountain this weekend (how about -20 F with 70 MPH winds mid-day Saturday?), but we were able to pull together some recent shots for the 2010 Ice Fest Amateur Photo Contest. We only had a few pictures that fit the time window allowed by the contest rules, but check out our postings as well as the other entrants' photos on the main page of the contest; there are quite a few wicked shots: http://icefestphotocontest.ning.com/
If you're looking for a chance to hang out with the New England ice climbing community, or to get a taste of what ice climbing/mountaineering is all about, check out the 17th Annual Mt Washington Valley Ice Festival in North Conway, NH this weekend. It's a great way to hone skills or to learn the basics from the best climbers around. For more info check out: http://www.ime-usa.com/imcs/ice_fest.html
The MaineMountainMen are taking it easy this week. We're pouring over our maps and planning big things for this summer. We'll let you know what we come up with and look for us in the mountains in the upcoming weeks. Until then… -Pete
If you're looking for a chance to hang out with the New England ice climbing community, or to get a taste of what ice climbing/mountaineering is all about, check out the 17th Annual Mt Washington Valley Ice Festival in North Conway, NH this weekend. It's a great way to hone skills or to learn the basics from the best climbers around. For more info check out: http://www.ime-usa.com/imcs/ice_fest.html
The MaineMountainMen are taking it easy this week. We're pouring over our maps and planning big things for this summer. We'll let you know what we come up with and look for us in the mountains in the upcoming weeks. Until then… -Pete
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
a sad day?
It appears our beloved Mt. Washington no longer holds the record for world's highest recorded wind speed...
Mt. Washington loses claim to highest wind record
To honor the majestic, bitterly cold and windy beast, the MaineMountainMen will attempt to climb Mt. Washington this weekend.
Updates to follow.
Mt. Washington loses claim to highest wind record
To honor the majestic, bitterly cold and windy beast, the MaineMountainMen will attempt to climb Mt. Washington this weekend.
Updates to follow.
Monday, January 25, 2010
shoestring gully - crawford notch, nh
Here's a video the MaineMountainMen recently put together from our trip up Shoestring Gully in Crawford Notch, NH. We had a blast learning to edit on Final Cut Pro, so there will be more videos to come.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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