Pichincha Volcano

                On Sunday, I went with a friend and her boyfriend to the Telefériqo to the west of Quito, which is basically a gondola like in the mountains. We got to the top around 9:30am and could see a clear bird’s eye view of Quito, from north of where I live to south of where I volunteer. We had decided that we would hike as much of Pichincha Volcano as we could without getting too cold or into the cloud cover that had fallen. Our round trip hike lasted about 4 hours, which included a lovely break at a lower part of the ridge for a snack. We didn’t reach the summit, nor did we really have a desire to do so given the building clouds and the steady wind (I learned my lesson on the last volcano). On the way back down, we often took off running just because we could. Well, that is, until I dove forward and slid a couple feet, getting a bit of a scratch on my hand and hip. The good news is that the camera is okay, as are the jackets. The hike was well worth it, but I will have to better prepare for whatever hike I decide to do next.

Rucu Pichincha

Quito

Quito

Only a small patch of rocks, don't fret.

At our accepted summit!

Quito

I fell, and slid a few feet. In retrospect, running down the hill was stupid.

"Warning: 4103 meters altitude. Slow. Don't Run."
Next time, I'll have to look for signs when I start the trail,
rather than after the fall...