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Happy New Year from Ecuador

Two mountaineers navigating a glacier on a Gasherbrum II Expedition

The New Year has started off for Alpenglow in the only way we know. We are in Ecuador guiding the big glaciated volcanoes. This is the eighth year our guides have spent January in Ecuador, and, as always, we are enjoying it. It remains a perfect place for building mountaineering skills and experiencing a different culture. Our first expedition of the year is a little different though. Traditionally we run introductory trips on the volcanoes of Ecuador. This team is made up of 3 experienced high-altitude mountaineers and technical ice climbers, along with Alpenglow lead guide, Jaime Avila, and me. Craig has climbed high altitude peaks in Tanzania and Bolivia and is back for more. Paul and Steve have both climbed Cayambe and Cotopaxi here in Ecuador in 2001, and Steve additionally went to Peru this summer for some big routes in the Cordillera Blanca. Thanks to this team’s makeup, we have ambitious goals here in Ecuador. Tomorrow we head to a rock route on 16,000 foot Cotocachi. From there we spend as few days on the rarely climbed Antisana, and then onto Ecuador’s tallest peak, Chimborazo.

More updates to come in the next two weeks!
-Adrian Ballinger