Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi, the big climb to disappointment. Here are are some pics from my last climbing experience in S. America. I may not have made it up to the top due to acclimatization issues with my climbing buddies - but i still got some great sun rise photos just 200 meters away from the prize.

Local fox who hangs around for climber scraps

Photo of the mountain at 4,900 meters (the summit is at 5,911 meters).
Me at the end of my journey - we wasted too much time dealing with the other climbers and with the sunrise coming it was too dangerous to go further.

The top just a few steps away.
The View
My Guide
Sunrise

Scenery on the way down


While I didn't summit on this endeavor I'm not bitter about the experience, but in the future I will definitely choose my climbing partners with more care.

Banos - Ecuador

Banos, one of the best cities to visit for adventure in Ecuador. They've got it all here rafting, mountain biking, climbing, trekking, horseback riding, bungee jumping, paragliding, and motorcycling. After a hard day of outdoor sports you can ease your pains in the famous thermal baths for which the town is named.

The active Volcan Tungurahua towering over Banos.
wanted to take some paragliding classes while I was in Banos. After taking a couple tandem flights I realized that it takes a long time to learn the skills required to safely glide solo (its also one of the most expensive sports I've encountered), and figured I'd wait till I some more free time and money.

La Piscina de La Virgen, the most famous baths in Banos.
Taking a box-steam bath with my friend Melainey (Swiss)

I went biking for a day and headed out to this river crossing - $1 gets you a ride in this cart.

Rafting down the Rio Patate with class IV and one class V rapid is a wild experience, especially after its been raining for the last week. I wish I'd brought my underwater camera case so I could have taken some photos of the massive rapids we hit.

Diving in the Galapagos

After my 7 day cruise I went diving for a second time, and luckily was fortunate enough to run into some hammerheads. The best place in the Galapagos for hammerheads is Gordon Rocks, but it also has strong currents and the waters a bit murky.

Pelican just hanging out
Moray eel
A couple bad hammerhead pics