Panorama Photo

This is from the evening before climbing Cotopaxi. Most climbers, and there is quite a few of them, are staying at the refugio. Starting time is between 11pm and 2am depending on your estimated speed. For 1100 altitude meters average climbers take 5 to 7 hours. Inspite of getting strong diarrhoe I managed the trip in four hours with my guide. Of course I was proud, being the oldest and the fastest in that night. The disadvantage was, that we were up there at five and it was f***n cold and windy on the summit and I started shivering and couldn't manage to wait for sunrise, which would have been stunning, as it was almost clear, which is rare in this area. Anyway, walking up there through an amazing and bizarre glacier landscape in the moonlight (no headlamp needed!)was an incredible experience.
At sunset it was quite cloudy as you can see, yet the third and fourth highest peaks (Cayambe and Antisana) of Ecuador peeped out for a short while. Cotopaxi, where I'm standing, is number two and number one, Chimborazo, is invisible from my point of view.