Saturday, August 4, 2012

0.171°0′0″S 78.598°0′0″W

It has been a long time! I apologize for the wait, but here is a worth-reading post. In my last post, I promised that I won't write again unless I finish one of my books in two weeks (I know, I'm a slow reader). I did accomplished the goal so here I am.

A lot of things have happened since I wrote last. Here is my favorite though. A few days ago, a friend and I decided to climb a dormant volcano in Quito. It's name is Rucu Pichincha and it's just outside the capital city. The province, Pichincha, is named after these stratovolcanoes. The adventure started at 8 am with a ride in the Teleférico (cable car) that took us from 2.950 mts to 4.050 mts over the sea level (9.678 ft to 13.287 ft). Riding the cable car makes you wonder how long it used to take people to get up there without the cable car!

Once we got up there, and after some stretching with our hiking crew, we were off to the top. You can see many dormant volcanoes throughout the hike, including Pasochoa and Pululahua. The amazing sight of the city is definitely another reason to visit, even if it's just to the cable car station. You realize how big the city is when you see it from that height. Here is a picture:

South side of Quito with Pasochoa in the background


Rucu Pichincha viewed from the trailhead
It took us about four hours to get to the top, taking into account long rest stops. A member of the crew got altitude sickness too, so we had to hike slower and take extra breaks close to the top. Most of the way up was easy but steep, with only one technical climb (which could have been avoided) in the whole trip. The view from the top was great and made the hike worth it. You could see Mojanda to the North, Quito to the West, Guagua Pichincha (currently active) to the East.

View from the top

Two teams excited to arrive to the top!
View to the North

Our way down. Two teams combined.
Thanks for reading :) I'll make sure to post again when a new adventure presents. Blessings!

P.S. These are the books I've finished lately. I recommend them:

The Happiness Advantage- Shawn Achor
The Power of Habit- Charles Duhigg
The Alchemist- Paulo Coelho