One of our goals for this trip was to climb the 2nd highest volcano in Ecuador. We read an account in the AT Magazine last year of a couple who attempted Cotopaxi and then Chimboraza, and we were inspired! We climbed 4 volcanos in total in order to get the necessary acclimatisation for our bid on this peak of 5897m. All the smaller peaks were still worth doing in their own right, with rocky jagged tops and often sharp edges leading to other summits. Before our wo...

At the air port we were greeted by a very enthusiastic black retriever giving all the luggage, arriving from the States a good going over. Who would be smuggling drugs INTO South America? Quito is the capital of Ecuador, but not the largest city. It is on a plateau, in the mountains at 2700m, in quite spectacular surroundings, with volcanos all around including Guagua Pichincha that last erupted around 6 years ago, covering the city in ash. If you are not acclima...