October 1st-2nd. Mighty Chimborazo
I finally found an agency which had a customer willing to climb Chimborazo. Well, it was not so difficult as it was pretty much the onl functioning agency in town.
Liza and I head off to Chimborazo the same day to sleep in a community hostal close to the mountain for me to acclimatize for Liza, well to make me a company. The house was brilliant: never seen anything like this before! It had double/twinn rooms with heating(!), hot water (in Carhuaz back in Pery I could not even find hotel with hot water - in town!), huge kitchen that we could use and noone, but us after 5pm. Little heaven with crazy dogs and alpacas.
Next morning my guide picked me up and we shoot off to Chimborazo base camp. My partner was 18yo New Yorker who travels North-South and does a lot of climbing back at home. We set up our tents, walked up to 5000m, had dinner and went to sleep at around 5pm to get u at 10pm and start the climb at 11pm. At 6pm wind started. And it did not stop until 10pm. I did not know whether we go or stay: Chimborazo is famous for its flying volcanic rocks that hit climbers in the head. The guide said we would try and see how it goes.
The night was beautiful: no clouds, clear sky with almost full moon, walking was nice and easy. If not the wind and all this sand in my eyes. I could almost lie down on this wind. When we reached 5000m, the guide said that it is not going to calm down, it is even worse on the top and we have to go back. It was such a shame! Beautiful skies, good guide, good shape to reach new limits (6268m!).
We came back 1.5 hours after we started. Wind did not stop all night. I felt like Dorothy flying to the Oz in her house. It was scary and noisy and imagine what fun it was to take he tents off next morning. So it was my first unsucessfull climb. Oh, well. New experience: not all the mountains nice and calm. At least not always.
Do you see anything unusual?
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Vicunas on the slope of Chimborazo
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We were admiring the view, later I learned that this shape of clouds means storm
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Chimborazo
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View from 5000m
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October 3rd. Salinas de Guaranda
Next day I caught a bus to Salinas on the way from Riobamba to Chimborazo. Salinas is a small village surrounded by farms. It was just another andean village with cows, fields and chozas, until good Italian missioner did not come and save everyone. Now it is a model village and a fine example of community-based tourism with cheese and chocolate production. Cheese it is not usual white fresh Andean cheese, but gouda, gruyere and I think even camambert!
We did a few walks in the valleys out of village and had real Italian pizza for dinner. Made by real Italian. Who lives in Salinas for over 17 years though.
Salinas-town
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Reminds me Russia
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Local milk truck
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October 4-5th. Countryside fun
One of the reasons we stayed that long around Riobamba is an opportunity to visit birds festival in Ozogoche: small community around two lakes in the National park 3 hours from Riobamba. Initial thought wa to stay there for both days and sleep in the school: the womam who was organizing an event offered us to stay with her. But it was cold and boring and rainy and we had nothing to do, so we decided to come back to RIobamba and return next morning for more action. Sunday was more promising with interntional dancing group performing.
So we saw: National Ecuadorian ballet (not for Russian eyes), dancing groups from nearby communities, jungle, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, local theatre (unfortunately in Quechua), local music bands (let me unhear it!), local traditional-one-song singers and dancers. Dances, I must say, are not very sophisticated: everyone can learn it in a couple of hours (so we did) and were quite similar through all day.
Wathcing the watchers were more entertaining: it was a crazy mixture of campensinos and riobambinos, looked like 2 different worlds. Local children offered everyone a horse ride (not for free of course). They amazed me with their abilities to ride it: so young and short and ride it better than I ever will be able to.
Ecuadorian National Ballet
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Mexican guests
![]()
Jungle dancers
![]()
Part of the play. This 'cow' was actually milked!
![]()
Local spectators
![]()
All men throughout the andes look the same: cap, hoodie and scarf
![]()
Лиза ищет золото
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I finally found an agency which had a customer willing to climb Chimborazo. Well, it was not so difficult as it was pretty much the onl functioning agency in town.
Liza and I head off to Chimborazo the same day to sleep in a community hostal close to the mountain for me to acclimatize for Liza, well to make me a company. The house was brilliant: never seen anything like this before! It had double/twinn rooms with heating(!), hot water (in Carhuaz back in Pery I could not even find hotel with hot water - in town!), huge kitchen that we could use and noone, but us after 5pm. Little heaven with crazy dogs and alpacas.
Next morning my guide picked me up and we shoot off to Chimborazo base camp. My partner was 18yo New Yorker who travels North-South and does a lot of climbing back at home. We set up our tents, walked up to 5000m, had dinner and went to sleep at around 5pm to get u at 10pm and start the climb at 11pm. At 6pm wind started. And it did not stop until 10pm. I did not know whether we go or stay: Chimborazo is famous for its flying volcanic rocks that hit climbers in the head. The guide said we would try and see how it goes.
The night was beautiful: no clouds, clear sky with almost full moon, walking was nice and easy. If not the wind and all this sand in my eyes. I could almost lie down on this wind. When we reached 5000m, the guide said that it is not going to calm down, it is even worse on the top and we have to go back. It was such a shame! Beautiful skies, good guide, good shape to reach new limits (6268m!).
We came back 1.5 hours after we started. Wind did not stop all night. I felt like Dorothy flying to the Oz in her house. It was scary and noisy and imagine what fun it was to take he tents off next morning. So it was my first unsucessfull climb. Oh, well. New experience: not all the mountains nice and calm. At least not always.
Do you see anything unusual?
Vicunas on the slope of Chimborazo
We were admiring the view, later I learned that this shape of clouds means storm
Chimborazo
View from 5000m
Next day I caught a bus to Salinas on the way from Riobamba to Chimborazo. Salinas is a small village surrounded by farms. It was just another andean village with cows, fields and chozas, until good Italian missioner did not come and save everyone. Now it is a model village and a fine example of community-based tourism with cheese and chocolate production. Cheese it is not usual white fresh Andean cheese, but gouda, gruyere and I think even camambert!
We did a few walks in the valleys out of village and had real Italian pizza for dinner. Made by real Italian. Who lives in Salinas for over 17 years though.
Salinas-town
Reminds me Russia
Local milk truck
October 4-5th. Countryside fun
One of the reasons we stayed that long around Riobamba is an opportunity to visit birds festival in Ozogoche: small community around two lakes in the National park 3 hours from Riobamba. Initial thought wa to stay there for both days and sleep in the school: the womam who was organizing an event offered us to stay with her. But it was cold and boring and rainy and we had nothing to do, so we decided to come back to RIobamba and return next morning for more action. Sunday was more promising with interntional dancing group performing.
So we saw: National Ecuadorian ballet (not for Russian eyes), dancing groups from nearby communities, jungle, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, local theatre (unfortunately in Quechua), local music bands (let me unhear it!), local traditional-one-song singers and dancers. Dances, I must say, are not very sophisticated: everyone can learn it in a couple of hours (so we did) and were quite similar through all day.
Wathcing the watchers were more entertaining: it was a crazy mixture of campensinos and riobambinos, looked like 2 different worlds. Local children offered everyone a horse ride (not for free of course). They amazed me with their abilities to ride it: so young and short and ride it better than I ever will be able to.
Ecuadorian National Ballet
Mexican guests
Jungle dancers
Part of the play. This 'cow' was actually milked!
Local spectators
All men throughout the andes look the same: cap, hoodie and scarf
Лиза ищет золото
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