Homepage of Michal Pasniewski

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20061223T200000
DESCRIPTION:I cannot fall asleep due to the altitude. Secret Garden is clean but the rooms are noisy. The storage is free. We eat breakfast (2$p) tasty and filling and go to visit thE city. Old city is full of xmas shoppers. The new city is empty. We arrange a guide for lliniza Sur @ Gulliver, they have 1 mnt guide and are flexible (it's for Fri). We test icecreams @ Augustino, fish@mercado, bowl of fruit@fruteria: all deliciuos! Bummer: we forget about emergency fuel for the stove - ther is a ferreteria ner Mercado Centralo but closed. Drink beer @ SG
LOCATION:Quito

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20061224T200000
DESCRIPTION:From sg we saw teleferiqo open at 9am. Taxi (2$ to the peaje) and car itself (4$p) let us start walking @1045. At 4100m we both felt shortness of breath, j felt weaker and I was ok - I tried to do 30 pumps just for fun of it (j called me superhuman...). We did the summit of machu pichincia (4690m) in and back in 4h, the path was obvious to some point but later, in cloud, less - I saved a gps track. It was worth it, for nice views and acclimatization. We took a bus(1$p) to the tram which took us (.25$p) to plza grande. Had for lunch peanut soup w tripes and potatos (2.60$p)- delicious! Run to sg and picked up bckpcks from storage, took taxi to terminal(2$) but driver explained it's faster to jst jump to the bus on a strees. We asked to be dropped after the peaje de Machiachu (1.50$p). We walked in darkness (have headlamp ready!) and rain .5km to the hostel. Got just in time for xmas dinner at 8pm (12$p). Met Troy & ? They will try el corazon on tue so we'll share the ride (15$) and they'll guide us (already tried 2ce!). So at hostel told they only allow guided climb on chimb but we suspect scam. There is some cell reception so I can check email.

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20061225T200000
DESCRIPTION:Breakfast was too small (we recommend byob). After long talk about mountains w rob and troy we moved to the farm's backyard and practiced ropes under watchful eyes of the locals. J and m went jogging at1am and some exercices (beware of dogs!) Order lunch asap as it arrives 1h later. Analysed ign map of corazon and entered few wpts from the grid. Just relaxed and surfed free internet. A woman from guided trip got symptoms of AS. Talked logistics for illinizas w joe(guide/mngr)

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20061226T200000
DESCRIPTION:Rained all night. Woke up at 6am to leave with car (15$) at 7am for corazon. We are in great shape! We made our own breakfast. The car took us to a spot below the usual one (5$) as road was slippery. It was misty/rainy all day. No views except on the descent. At estancion we shopped for 1$ (banana, pasta, tomatos) and asked if possible to get a ride to ppgyo (4$). Cooked great pasta dinner at rob's.
SUMMARY:Corazon

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20061227T200000
DESCRIPTION:As we arranged a guided climb of Illiniza Sur (160$p) we get a ride to La Virgen. The trail is a mere 850m alt gain on a sandy road which becomes a path (take right on the bifurcation). The hut (10$p) is small and cosy but quite humid. The best bunks are over the kitchen. We had something warm and went to Iliniza Norte. We walked in fog. After the rocky ridge we got on snow (ice axe was useful). We reached the cross after 2h10min. On the way down we had some views. The hut was full by night.
SUMMARY:Illiniza norte

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20061228T200000
DESCRIPTION:Wether has deteriorated into rain and snow. Spanish guys who wake up at2am did not go anywhere. It rained all day. Sat all day at the gas heater. Took a nap. Met dimitri he's a fun guy. At around 5pm our guide came with food (!!!). Abrahamforever2/at/hotmail.com
SUMMARY:Illiniza Hut

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20061229T200000
DESCRIPTION:Wake at 3am to a clear starry sky. Started at 418am slowly and kept the rythm through rocks and snow. The guide took a route between the Direct (which has only rocks these days) and the Normal. We climbed on rocky edges of crevasses. The guide clipped into a cordellette on the rock once and put a picket on descent once. Great views on Norte, and clouded Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. The Russians followed our prints. Got to the summit at 730am. Took turns to take the pictures. The hutkeeper who went with us dropped his axe to a crevasse and the guide had to rappel (body-belayed) to get it. Came back to Papagayo at 1pm with the guide and Troy who did Illiniza Norte on the day before. On the way, shopped some food in the store in El Chaupi. Spent afternoon cooking soup/drinking beer in the garden and firing the fireplace.
SUMMARY:Illiniza Sur

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20061230T200000
DESCRIPTION:We arranged a ride from papagayo for 4 (25$, it's a good deal) at noon. The park itself is beautiful, Iceland-like experience. The mountain is free of clouds and looks fantastic. The parking lot is full of local turists. The climb to the hut is short but sandy 35min. We decide to "sleep" at the refuge, otherwise we could not use the lockers and gas (which fit 2 packs). We cook freeze-dried food and go take a nap from 6pm to midnight, the hut is noisy but with earplugs and face mask it's ok. Most parties have a guide.
SUMMARY:Cotopaxi

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20061231T200000
DESCRIPTION:At midnight the hut wakes up. We eat breakfast and gear up. We are the last to leave at 115am. It's easy to follow ~100 people making their way up. We quickly start overtaking the ropes as we travel unroped until 5500m. Snow's great. We pass Robert and Troy. We rope up on the first bridge. Most of the way the climb is illuminated by the moon. The last section is steeper and I unrope to catch beginning of the sunrise at 545am. Surprise: there are only about 10 people on the summit! Views are breathtaking, sky's blue, it's just cold and windless (apparently very rare!) The crater's edge is steaming. The descent is straightforward but I shred my pants on iced snow when I try glissading. Many people are tired and cook at the refuge. We make pasta which tastes great at 8am and lounge before the hut. We realize we run to the summit and down on 1/2 snickers each. The caretaker is unpleasant so we give up on arranging a taxi (35$) with him and go down to the parking to try our luck there. We get a ride (35$...) on a jeep and visit a laguna on our way to ppgyo with a couple on their honeymoon. Get a better room at ppgyo (10$p) and recover.
SUMMARY:Cotopaxi

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20070101T200000
DESCRIPTION:Spent a day recovering/resting. Trained prusiking up the rope and rapelling single strand. Got caught in the 2pm's rain (unusually heavy!). We had the entire farm to ourselves. After the late lunch sat at the firestove and spoke w the owner about the history of ppgyo, galapagos, healthcare in ec.
SUMMARY:Papagayo

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20070102T200000
DESCRIPTION:Got great breakfast at ppgyo ("continental 3$p). Transfer from there to Chimborazo is 80$ so we decide against it. Leave at 11amWaited long time for a vbus to riobamba so got bus to Ambato ($2p) and then to ribamba (1$p). In Rio a guy wanted 13$ to get us to the al centro.... We get a ride for 2.5$! Have problems getting $$$ from an atm, call the US bank, finally the boss of the bank allows us withdraw 200 at the counter. Get a pizza as everything closes at 3pm. We find great panneria ($1.2/10) and supermarket (russian vodka 3$). Arrange a ride at JV 30$. Talk about business in equador (min $10k). We arrive after an 1h ride to the carell hut at 730pm. See the mnt in full moon.
SUMMARY:Riobamba

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20070103T200000
DESCRIPTION:Woke up to nice vista on the summit. Met tony in the lower hut. Hiked 900m to the whymper hut. Ascended first 200m to check on glacier conditions (w Tony). During the dinner at 5pm met again Mike and Freddy (oh my god!!! Freddy is 87) Fog.
SUMMARY:Chimborazo

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20070104T200000
DESCRIPTION:Woke up at 1130pm and left the hut with Tony at 1245am. We had full moon and it was quite warm. Started climbing w tony but after a while tony shot ahead and finished few hours before us (tony is 50). The climb was simple with just few steep and iced parts. We could follow the trail except the mixed morraine at the begining and the end of the climb. We reached ventimilla summit at 645am and the whymper summit 45min later. On our way down we saw local indians praying just beneath the glacier's wall ("rockfall danger"). Tony will be repeating the climb with his partner Mike. We left the hut at 230pm to avoid 10$p park entrance fee. Walked the park's road and got 10$ "camioneta" ride to riobamba. Got through Ambato to Banos (1.25$p+.80$p). Stayed at sla de bagnos. Got a fantastic room (ask for F!) with a balcony for 24$. Delicious argentinian barbacue at Quilombo.
SUMMARY:Chimborazo

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20070105T200000
DESCRIPTION:Wake up at 6am. Recovered from climbing in banos calientes y frios (there are 3 pools) with a view of a waterfall. Breakfast at Isla de Banos (great juices). Rent bikes and pedal down the "waterfall road" in the direction of Puyo. Hike up the paylen del diable and cloud forest in machay. Stopped at checkpoint in Mera and take bus to banos. The bike ride was mostly downhill but after rio negro there are some good climbs. Cena at Casa Hood (ok, but Quilombo was better). Exhausted we watch movie ("Van Helsing").
SUMMARY:Banos

DTEND;TZID="Eastern":20070106T200000
DESCRIPTION:Took a bus from banos to quito (3.4$p). Found a place to sleep in marsical (iguana lodge - has a kichen but very noisy until 3am; 8$p). Had lunch at ... (Okay but no ecuadorian feel). Shopped at Supermaxi (very well stocked; 930am-8pm, 2pm on weekends). Wake up at 4am to catch the flight (allow AT LEAST 2.5h before your flight as things go slowly...it's worth having exact amount for the exit tax)
SUMMARY:Quito