{"id":5971,"date":"2020-01-26T10:52:32","date_gmt":"2020-01-26T18:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pottinger.net\/osm\/?p=5971"},"modified":"2020-01-26T17:13:07","modified_gmt":"2020-01-27T01:13:07","slug":"ecuador-days-1-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pottinger.net\/osm\/2020\/01\/ecuador-days-1-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecuador Days 1-3"},"content":{"rendered":"

In April 2020 I was so fortunate to climb Wy\u2019East (Mt Hood) with my friends Teresa and Marjorie. It was a great experience<\/a>. One of the best things that came from that particular climb was my sharp ear overhearing T and M discussing an upcoming trip to Ecuador with IMG.<\/p>\n

Ecuador! I had visited Galapagos years earlier, but knew almost nothing about the mountains of the highlands, other than their reputation for being tall and austere and beautiful. Oh, hell yes\u2026 I had to invite myself onto that expedition. Somehow I managed to do that, and whether it was actually welcome or not we will never know, because each of them is so kind and polite that they made it seem natural that of COURSE I was welcome to join. Anyhow, I am forever grateful to them for allowing me aboard. And for allowing me to invite so many other friends, too\u2026 I wish that everyone I knew had been able to join, but in the end we had a wonderful crew of seven who were all one degree of separation from each other, with me as a link between everyone, plus two new friends who were longtime buddies. And our guides would be incredible too: Romulo Cardenas, master of all Ecuador\u2019s volcanoes and culture, and Jay Lyons, a wonderful guide who was a veteran of these ranges, among many others. It ended up being a sensational crew!<\/p>\n

The lead-up to this climb challenged me in many ways. My work obligations piled up in extraordinary ways, interfering with my planned fitness regimen. I work hard, and I\u2019m proud of what I do. In this case, professional responsibilities really hampered my training plans, and that is my fault and mine alone. It is an occupational hazard that I am fully aware of. Just not enough free time to get into the mountains like I had wanted. I knew this was coming, and purchased a NordicTrack exercise bike, which I really recommend (seems superior to the Peloton for a variety of reasons). Hooking myself up to the Hypoxico generator and riding at simulated 10,000-13,000 feet helped get things going. But, still not as much training as I wanted.<\/p>\n

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Mountain biking at 10,000 feet AMSL… in my bedroom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still, I was excited for this vacation, and pulling my gear into the duffles was a happy chore.<\/p>\n