There's been plenty of wandering over the past few months, just not a lot of posted thoughts. In reviewing the last few months I found a couple items I wrote up that didn't make it here, you'll find them below. This year one of my goals is to post more consistently, we’ll see how it goes...thus far it's been a full year.
~MWL
Monday, January 14, 2008
The New Year!
Happy New Year to all! December 31 was an enjoyable end to an incredible year. A group of twelve of us, including two friends from Romania who have been staying with me, summitted Gua Gua Pichincha. Gua Gua is an active volcano that sits right above Quito and tops out at 15, 620 ft. It is only about an hours’ hike from where you park at the refuge.
I spent the evening with a family in San Antonio where we set off fireworks and burned the old man, the old year personified in a life-sized doll stuffed with paper and a few extra surprises. This tradition is coupled with men dressing up as the widow of the old year, stopping people in the street (cars included) and demanding money before they let you pass. Yes, rather scary. They have no hesitations with closing down main streets so getting around is a little difficult that evening.
Happy New Year to all! December 31 was an enjoyable end to an incredible year. A group of twelve of us, including two friends from Romania who have been staying with me, summitted Gua Gua Pichincha. Gua Gua is an active volcano that sits right above Quito and tops out at 15, 620 ft. It is only about an hours’ hike from where you park at the refuge.
I spent the evening with a family in San Antonio where we set off fireworks and burned the old man, the old year personified in a life-sized doll stuffed with paper and a few extra surprises. This tradition is coupled with men dressing up as the widow of the old year, stopping people in the street (cars included) and demanding money before they let you pass. Yes, rather scary. They have no hesitations with closing down main streets so getting around is a little difficult that evening.
Our employee Christmas party. (14 Dec. 2007) We worked a half day this Friday then had lunch together with the seven or so employees who worked at El Refugio over the past year and their families. They all received a gift basket along with their Christmas bonuses and divided the remains of the pig between them. There was nothing left of him.
Roasting the pig at 4 am.
A few of the families enjoying dinner.
Roasting the pig at 4 am.A few of the families enjoying dinner.
Huairasinchi
I wrote this up the day most of us got back (4 Nov. 2007). It took two more days for the rest to make it back to Quito. No injuries apart from a few scrapes and blisters but some very tired team members.
The experiences of the past few days are ones that I am having a hard to fitting into words. They encompassed hundreds of kilometers, involved landscapes whose dimensions and beauty defy capture and description, and involved hundreds of lives, many of them indelibly marked.
Those indelibly marked include a handful of young people in their teens and twenty’s whom El Refugio has been training over the past six months to run control points for this race. These young people are Christians who have demonstrated a strong desire to learn more of God’s creation and the skills needed to survive in and enjoy those places less frequented by humans. The group ranged from those who hold leadership positions in their churches to some who would be considered at-risk youth.
The race began from Cotopaxi national park touching 15,450 ft. before wrapping and winding down to the jungle ending at 5,000 ft., 200 kilometers later. Challenges included rain, snow, cold, and altitude. One of my companions stated that he never would have imagined that he would have the chance to be up that high and that close to the mountain. In spite of the discomfort he was amazed by the landscape and God answered his request for snow our second morning. Later, as we spent most of a day driving from one location to another he confessed he had always stayed at home and was getting to know much more of his country than he had before. Several of the others also had their first experience with snow and were also overwhelmed by the settings God fashioned for them whether by sunlight or starlight.
This morning we had the joy of meeting an elderly Christian gentleman who gave us a history of how the truth of God’s word came to the small town we stayed in despite much persecution and how that from there it had spread to many surrounding towns. His passion to see Jesus preached as the Way, the Truth, and the Life was very evident. The importance of this message and the impermanence of life were driven home as he told us with tears that a mudslide had killed a very close friend of his along with three others this morning due to the heavy rains last night.
It was fitting that these young people hear and see that God’s people are at work even in remote parts of their country. During our debrief last night they shared how even in the little interaction they had with the race teams they desired to share their love for God even in small ways like a “God bless you” as the teams departed. The desire to serve in whatever way possible and do every task with excellence I believe also was a visible difference.
The challenges of the race are not yet over though the last team crossed the finish line this morning about 9:00 am. While writing this I received a text message that one of our checkpoint teams is still on its way out of the jungle. The team on a point closer than them walked 12 hours to get out. After that it’s a 4-5 hour drive back to Quito.
I wrote this up the day most of us got back (4 Nov. 2007). It took two more days for the rest to make it back to Quito. No injuries apart from a few scrapes and blisters but some very tired team members.
The experiences of the past few days are ones that I am having a hard to fitting into words. They encompassed hundreds of kilometers, involved landscapes whose dimensions and beauty defy capture and description, and involved hundreds of lives, many of them indelibly marked.
Those indelibly marked include a handful of young people in their teens and twenty’s whom El Refugio has been training over the past six months to run control points for this race. These young people are Christians who have demonstrated a strong desire to learn more of God’s creation and the skills needed to survive in and enjoy those places less frequented by humans. The group ranged from those who hold leadership positions in their churches to some who would be considered at-risk youth.
The race began from Cotopaxi national park touching 15,450 ft. before wrapping and winding down to the jungle ending at 5,000 ft., 200 kilometers later. Challenges included rain, snow, cold, and altitude. One of my companions stated that he never would have imagined that he would have the chance to be up that high and that close to the mountain. In spite of the discomfort he was amazed by the landscape and God answered his request for snow our second morning. Later, as we spent most of a day driving from one location to another he confessed he had always stayed at home and was getting to know much more of his country than he had before. Several of the others also had their first experience with snow and were also overwhelmed by the settings God fashioned for them whether by sunlight or starlight.
This morning we had the joy of meeting an elderly Christian gentleman who gave us a history of how the truth of God’s word came to the small town we stayed in despite much persecution and how that from there it had spread to many surrounding towns. His passion to see Jesus preached as the Way, the Truth, and the Life was very evident. The importance of this message and the impermanence of life were driven home as he told us with tears that a mudslide had killed a very close friend of his along with three others this morning due to the heavy rains last night.
It was fitting that these young people hear and see that God’s people are at work even in remote parts of their country. During our debrief last night they shared how even in the little interaction they had with the race teams they desired to share their love for God even in small ways like a “God bless you” as the teams departed. The desire to serve in whatever way possible and do every task with excellence I believe also was a visible difference.
The challenges of the race are not yet over though the last team crossed the finish line this morning about 9:00 am. While writing this I received a text message that one of our checkpoint teams is still on its way out of the jungle. The team on a point closer than them walked 12 hours to get out. After that it’s a 4-5 hour drive back to Quito.
Cotopaxi –
Several weeks ago (26, 27 Oct. 2007) I had the opportunity to lead a group on a summit bid of Cotopaxi, the second highest mountain in Ecuador. I was discussing going rock climbing with a friend who is the assistant program director at El Refugio when he mentioned that a friend/guest of his who had come down to help with the Huairasinchi adventure race really wanted to climb Cotopaxi. Thus the plan was born.
Like nearly all the groups that climb Cotopaxi we stayed at the refuge, arriving about 4:00 pm. After supper we attempted to sleep, for the most part with little success. Though I had slept at 13,000 ft. a few weeks before, 15,900 ft. proved to be a bit much and I would awaken every 15 minutes or so nearly gasping for breath.
At 11:00 pm the alarm went off. The mix of emotions at that moment is interesting – you’re grateful that the torturous sleep is over yet filled with fear and anticipation of the climb. Part of you wants to go, the other part knows it’s going to be painful and would rather stay where it is. We began to layer up, much more comfortable doing that in the refuge than in a tent, your fingers actually work when tying your boots. By 12:25 am after eating a quick breakfast we shouldered our packs and began winding our way up the mountain under a full moon. Apart from route-finding here and there we walked without using our headlamps. An hour or so up we donned crampons, tied into a rope, and started up the glacier ice axes in hand. The horizon expanded as our elevation increased, revealing the surrounding peaks. Not a cloud to be seen.
We moved slowly. I tried to find a consistent pace that all could maintain but it was difficult. The cold of the dawn penetrated my limbs. Pain seared through my feet several times as my toes unthawed. Occasional stops for water, rest, a snack. Still we moved up.
The warmth of the sun was a welcome feeling when we finally crested a ridge that allowed its rays to penetrate our layered clothing. Hours had passed since dawn, the cone shaped shadow of the mountain stretched below us. The moon that had cast shadows only a few hours before sat as a faint spec in the blue expanse of the sky.
The expanse of the mountain remained a challenge, every ridge looked to be the last, every crest revealed another. Finally at 9:40 am we ran out of glacier with nothing left to climb. Puffy clouds had rolled in to dot the landscape below us, the taller mountains poked through. A few photos, a few moments taking in the wondrous expanse of the landscape, a brief puff of smoke from a distant volcano reminding us of the potential activity of the gaping crater next to us, and we headed down.
Going down can be fun, this time it wasn’t. The snow had become a sticky glop that stuck to the bottom of our crampons and prevented the points from doing their job of keeping us on the mountain. Despite efforts to maintain contact with the mountain several members would fall dropping the others into arrest on their ice axes. We became quite good at this technique by the time we reached the base of the mountain, tired, hungry, and ready to go home.
As we made it to the car and began to drive out of the park that skirts the giant volcanic dome of Cotopaxi, the clouds and icy precipitation cleared enough to give a spectacular view of the mountain. I mentally reviewed the experience and was awed to have been permitted a view from the top, from the other side, the one that many might want but few are willing to pay the price for.
Several weeks ago (26, 27 Oct. 2007) I had the opportunity to lead a group on a summit bid of Cotopaxi, the second highest mountain in Ecuador. I was discussing going rock climbing with a friend who is the assistant program director at El Refugio when he mentioned that a friend/guest of his who had come down to help with the Huairasinchi adventure race really wanted to climb Cotopaxi. Thus the plan was born.
Like nearly all the groups that climb Cotopaxi we stayed at the refuge, arriving about 4:00 pm. After supper we attempted to sleep, for the most part with little success. Though I had slept at 13,000 ft. a few weeks before, 15,900 ft. proved to be a bit much and I would awaken every 15 minutes or so nearly gasping for breath.
At 11:00 pm the alarm went off. The mix of emotions at that moment is interesting – you’re grateful that the torturous sleep is over yet filled with fear and anticipation of the climb. Part of you wants to go, the other part knows it’s going to be painful and would rather stay where it is. We began to layer up, much more comfortable doing that in the refuge than in a tent, your fingers actually work when tying your boots. By 12:25 am after eating a quick breakfast we shouldered our packs and began winding our way up the mountain under a full moon. Apart from route-finding here and there we walked without using our headlamps. An hour or so up we donned crampons, tied into a rope, and started up the glacier ice axes in hand. The horizon expanded as our elevation increased, revealing the surrounding peaks. Not a cloud to be seen.
We moved slowly. I tried to find a consistent pace that all could maintain but it was difficult. The cold of the dawn penetrated my limbs. Pain seared through my feet several times as my toes unthawed. Occasional stops for water, rest, a snack. Still we moved up.
The warmth of the sun was a welcome feeling when we finally crested a ridge that allowed its rays to penetrate our layered clothing. Hours had passed since dawn, the cone shaped shadow of the mountain stretched below us. The moon that had cast shadows only a few hours before sat as a faint spec in the blue expanse of the sky.
The expanse of the mountain remained a challenge, every ridge looked to be the last, every crest revealed another. Finally at 9:40 am we ran out of glacier with nothing left to climb. Puffy clouds had rolled in to dot the landscape below us, the taller mountains poked through. A few photos, a few moments taking in the wondrous expanse of the landscape, a brief puff of smoke from a distant volcano reminding us of the potential activity of the gaping crater next to us, and we headed down.
Going down can be fun, this time it wasn’t. The snow had become a sticky glop that stuck to the bottom of our crampons and prevented the points from doing their job of keeping us on the mountain. Despite efforts to maintain contact with the mountain several members would fall dropping the others into arrest on their ice axes. We became quite good at this technique by the time we reached the base of the mountain, tired, hungry, and ready to go home.
As we made it to the car and began to drive out of the park that skirts the giant volcanic dome of Cotopaxi, the clouds and icy precipitation cleared enough to give a spectacular view of the mountain. I mentally reviewed the experience and was awed to have been permitted a view from the top, from the other side, the one that many might want but few are willing to pay the price for.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)