Boriss Andean - Dec 30, 2009 4:58 pm Date Climbed: Dec 30, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route (2009 last climb)
Climbed with Gary (AUS) and Mary (AUS). We have a foot of new fresh snow on the mountain. I broke trail for the first couple hours. Weather was perfect.
Got to the summit (5,897 m/19,347 ft) at 5:30 am, right before sunrise. We could see all of the surrounding ecuadorian mountains, including Sangay erupting.
My last climb of Cotopaxi of 2009.
Boriss Andean - Dec 21, 2009 5:59 pm Date Climbed: Dec 17, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route.
Climbed with Cynthia (FRA) and Gunter (AUS). We left the refuge at 1:00 am. It snowed a bit the first 3 hours. Snow/ice conditions were perfect.
Got to the summit (5,897 m/19,347 ft) at 6:15 am. There's a new huge and deep crevasse a few meters before reaching the summit. We took an alternative route and summited.
We could see the crater and other volcanoes to the north, south and west as well as a sea of clouds below us.
tb00957 - Nov 16, 2009 8:40 am Date Climbed: Nov 11, 2009
normal route
it was windy and cold. A bit disappointed that I can't see the crater because we were in the clouds.
Boriss Andean - Nov 14, 2009 2:22 pm Date Climbed: Nov 13, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route.
Guided Canadians Paul and Brian, (49 years old both). Left the refuge at 1:10 am.
We got to the summit at 6:15 am... beautiful sunrise and a perfect view of the mountains. We looked Sangay erupting far in the distance.
Got back to te refuge in just 1:15 hours. Great weather and ice/snow conditions.
Epica - Nov 10, 2009 4:25 pm Date Climbed: Nov 6, 2009
A year to climb this mountain...
My first trip to Ecuador was one year ago and I didn't have time to acclimatize or climb Cotopaxi. That trip inspired me to quit my job and sell everything so that now I can travel and climb all the time! Finally I got to the top, by leaving the refuge at 12:30, I got to the top at 5:30, in time for the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen!
Boriss Andean - Oct 20, 2009 2:46 pm Date Climbed: Oct 19, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route.
Guided Jean Claude (FRA) and Cristel (FRA). We had great weather, startlit and windless. Left the refuge at 1:30 am and got to the summit (5,897 m / 19,347 ft) at 6:00 am. Five and a half hours of climbing.
Crevasses are getting bigger and snowbridges thinner. We waited one hour at the summit, enjoying of the views and the sunrise. Rafael and Ivan (Ecuadorian guides) joined us later along with their four french clients.
The sun melted the snow on our way down, it made our descent harder. There was a huge avalanche by the time we reached the glacier line.
My wishes came true. I thick layer of new fresh snow covered the whole volcano and its lowlands. We all got back to the parking lot in the middle of a heavy thunderstorm.
Boriss Andean - Oct 14, 2009 1:41 pm Date Climbed: Oct 12, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route (Yanasacha)
Climbed with Andreea (ROM) and Mehmet (TUR). Left the refuge at 1:00 am. Very enjoyable climb. Ice bridges on the crevasses were very stable and compacted even though the night was warm and windless.
Got to the summit at 7:30 am along with my two completely exhausted climbing partners. The fog difted away for a while and we could see the crater and a few peaks of the western cordillera. Got back to the refuge at 10:30 am.
- Some information:
Actually this is the very first route climbed back in the day by the first climbers. This route was climbable until January 2000 when huge deep crevasses featured on the way up, stopping climbers to reach the summit.
A new route was opened soon after, we called it “La Rompe Corazones” (heartbreaker).. I wonder why? :) It usually used to take up to 3 hours of constant activity to reach the 5,500 m by an almost 50 degree slope. We climbed and guided by this route for 9 years.
- Good and bad news:
The good new is, this route (Yanasacha) was recently opened again (May 2009). A very scenic route with many resting spots and boredless. It has many nice features, huge deep crevasses, ice bridges and the view of Yanasacha (black wall) from below. A very enjoyable climb!
The bad new is, new crevasses are showing up lately, cutting our way up and forcing us to search for alternative routes. Hope the mountain will get enough snow accumulation the following years in order to keep climbing by this impressive scenic route.
andreeacorodeanu - Oct 13, 2009 1:28 pm Date Climbed: Oct 12, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route
Climbed with Boriss (ECU) and Mehmet (TUR). Long climb, we got to the summit (5,897 m / 19,347 ft) at 7.30 am. Got sick at the summit and returning was a nightmare.
Good weather, no wind all the way up to the summit. A bit foggy at the summit but we got to see the crater, Illinizas and Ruminahui from time to time.
I got amazed to see the whole route up climbed by us before dawn... very long and crevassed, most of them very deep and large. A beautiful mountain and I'm so happy I reached the summit!.
schulzj - Oct 10, 2009 10:22 am Date Climbed: Jan 2, 2002
Second time lucky
A week ealier we had to turn back at around 5500m because of a heavy storm but our second attempt was rewarded with stunning views. Reaching the summit at sunrise in perfect weather and smelling the fumes coming out of the crater made this an unforgettable und unique experience.
Shirley Lam - Aug 18, 2009 3:14 pm Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2009
Darn clouds!
Climbed all the way to the summit mostly in the dark, then waited around in some pretty mean winds for about 10 minutes to try to catch a glimpse of the crater, but the clouds wouldn't quit! Poopers...
eferesen - May 25, 2009 12:52 am Date Climbed: Sep 12, 2008
Normal Route
Did not make it to the top. Had to turn around about 300 meters from the top. Perhaps some other time.... Lovely volcano
first time with Ecuadorian buddy. made it to Yanasacha and watched him point out UFO's he was seeing. game over. came back in 02 with partners hans and jon. hired jeep to drop off, camped to left of hut my glacier for 3 days of stormy weather. weather cleared and we summited ok. tricky at 2nd crevasse crossing.
bighornmonkey - Feb 2, 2009 5:05 pm Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2009
Deep snow
Started out from the hut at 1:20am, followed a guided party of 2 that we passed 2 hours later. Broke trail through knee deep powder to the summit....that is hard work at this altitude. Cold/windy/overcast day. We never saw the crater, unfortunately!
Back down to the hut at 9:40am.
pattycoloma - Jan 20, 2009 12:11 pm Date Climbed: Jul 19, 2008
Magical!
It was a magical night, with the moon lighting all the way up. Perhaps I didn't get the summit, those memories are always on my mind. It's a challenge for this year.
Boriss Andean - Jan 17, 2009 12:47 pm Date Climbed: Jan 16, 2009
Climbed with Michael (USA). Very good weather, but cloudy. We were the first team to get to the summit (5,897 m/19,347 ft) so I had to brake trail all the way up from the refuge to the summit. The snow was soft from Yanasacha to the summit.
Cold at the summit. Stayed up there five minutes and headed back down to the refuge.
It's advisable to use a couple of snow pickets for safety during the traverse below the summit.
JGHarrison - Jan 13, 2009 6:26 pm Date Climbed: Jan 1, 2009
Normal route
Good easy route, beautiful views from crater. My listed summit date may be a day off, weather was bad before and after my climb but perfect during.
Boriss Andean - Jan 11, 2009 2:40 pm Date Climbed: Jan 10, 2009
Route climbed: Rompecorazones (Heartbreaker Route) - An accident below the summit!!
Climbed with Gerald and Wolfhang, both of them Mountain Guides from Austria.
We left the refuge at 1:00 am followed by 9 austrians and other teams. Weather was really bad. As we were approaching to the summit, Gerald felt to the void, pulling Wolfhang down with him. I managed to jump to the creavasse to my right side to prevent them to pull me down with them. The fall could end up 100 meters below on the rocks near Yanasacha.
Gerald and Wolfhang were pretty shock for the fall, they never used their ice axes for self arrest. I built and anchor at the lip of the crevasse and pulled them out with a bit of their help. A scary moment!
We got to the summit (5,897 m/19,347 ft) 30 minutes later at 7:00 am and back to the refuge at 9:00 am.
Boriss Andean - Jan 8, 2009 4:53 pm Date Climbed: Jan 8, 2009
Route climbed: Rompecorazones (Heartbreaker Route) - Twice in a row!!
Climbed with Bruno (61) and Claude (61) from France. Very strong couple. Left the refuge at 1:20 am. Started climbing under a bright moon. No headlamps were needed for the first hour.
The weather changed in minutes. We climbed during the next hours in whiteout conditions. It snowed the whole way up to the top and back to the refuge.
We reached the top (5,897 m/19,347 ft) at 7:20 am after 6 hours of climbing.
Boriss Andean - Jan 8, 2009 4:45 pm Date Climbed: Jan 7, 2009
My first Cotopaxi summit of the year. Climbed with Antonio (Spain). We woke up at 11:00 pm and left the refuge at 12:10 am.
Great weather all the way up to the top. Reached the top (5,897 m/19,347 ft) at 6:10 am after 5 hours of climbing.
astrobassman - Jan 7, 2009 6:45 pm Date Climbed: Dec 22, 2008
Felt a bit like shit on this climb...
Cheeseburglar and I went up on our 4th day in Ecuador. Perhaps we should have waited another day, because Cotopaxi was much more difficult for me than climbing Chimborazo a few days later. It was still a great climb though. The views of the crater were fantastic.
Boriss Andean - Dec 30, 2009 4:58 pm Date Climbed: Dec 30, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route (2009 last climb)Climbed with Gary (AUS) and Mary (AUS). We have a foot of new fresh snow on the mountain. I broke trail for the first couple hours. Weather was perfect.
Got to the summit (5,897 m/19,347 ft) at 5:30 am, right before sunrise. We could see all of the surrounding ecuadorian mountains, including Sangay erupting.
My last climb of Cotopaxi of 2009.
Boriss Andean - Dec 21, 2009 5:59 pm Date Climbed: Dec 17, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route.Climbed with Cynthia (FRA) and Gunter (AUS). We left the refuge at 1:00 am. It snowed a bit the first 3 hours. Snow/ice conditions were perfect.
Got to the summit (5,897 m/19,347 ft) at 6:15 am. There's a new huge and deep crevasse a few meters before reaching the summit. We took an alternative route and summited.
We could see the crater and other volcanoes to the north, south and west as well as a sea of clouds below us.
tb00957 - Nov 16, 2009 8:40 am Date Climbed: Nov 11, 2009
normal routeit was windy and cold. A bit disappointed that I can't see the crater because we were in the clouds.
Boriss Andean - Nov 14, 2009 2:22 pm Date Climbed: Nov 13, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route.Guided Canadians Paul and Brian, (49 years old both). Left the refuge at 1:10 am.
We got to the summit at 6:15 am... beautiful sunrise and a perfect view of the mountains. We looked Sangay erupting far in the distance.
Got back to te refuge in just 1:15 hours. Great weather and ice/snow conditions.
Epica - Nov 10, 2009 4:25 pm Date Climbed: Nov 6, 2009
A year to climb this mountain...My first trip to Ecuador was one year ago and I didn't have time to acclimatize or climb Cotopaxi. That trip inspired me to quit my job and sell everything so that now I can travel and climb all the time! Finally I got to the top, by leaving the refuge at 12:30, I got to the top at 5:30, in time for the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen!
Boriss Andean - Oct 20, 2009 2:46 pm Date Climbed: Oct 19, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route.Guided Jean Claude (FRA) and Cristel (FRA). We had great weather, startlit and windless. Left the refuge at 1:30 am and got to the summit (5,897 m / 19,347 ft) at 6:00 am. Five and a half hours of climbing.
Crevasses are getting bigger and snowbridges thinner. We waited one hour at the summit, enjoying of the views and the sunrise. Rafael and Ivan (Ecuadorian guides) joined us later along with their four french clients.
The sun melted the snow on our way down, it made our descent harder. There was a huge avalanche by the time we reached the glacier line.
My wishes came true. I thick layer of new fresh snow covered the whole volcano and its lowlands. We all got back to the parking lot in the middle of a heavy thunderstorm.
Boriss Andean - Oct 14, 2009 1:41 pm Date Climbed: Oct 12, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal Route (Yanasacha)Climbed with Andreea (ROM) and Mehmet (TUR). Left the refuge at 1:00 am. Very enjoyable climb. Ice bridges on the crevasses were very stable and compacted even though the night was warm and windless.
Got to the summit at 7:30 am along with my two completely exhausted climbing partners. The fog difted away for a while and we could see the crater and a few peaks of the western cordillera. Got back to the refuge at 10:30 am.
- Some information:
Actually this is the very first route climbed back in the day by the first climbers. This route was climbable until January 2000 when huge deep crevasses featured on the way up, stopping climbers to reach the summit.
A new route was opened soon after, we called it “La Rompe Corazones” (heartbreaker).. I wonder why? :) It usually used to take up to 3 hours of constant activity to reach the 5,500 m by an almost 50 degree slope. We climbed and guided by this route for 9 years.
- Good and bad news:
The good new is, this route (Yanasacha) was recently opened again (May 2009). A very scenic route with many resting spots and boredless. It has many nice features, huge deep crevasses, ice bridges and the view of Yanasacha (black wall) from below. A very enjoyable climb!
The bad new is, new crevasses are showing up lately, cutting our way up and forcing us to search for alternative routes. Hope the mountain will get enough snow accumulation the following years in order to keep climbing by this impressive scenic route.
andreeacorodeanu - Oct 13, 2009 1:28 pm Date Climbed: Oct 12, 2009
Route Climbed: Normal RouteClimbed with Boriss (ECU) and Mehmet (TUR). Long climb, we got to the summit (5,897 m / 19,347 ft) at 7.30 am. Got sick at the summit and returning was a nightmare.
Good weather, no wind all the way up to the summit. A bit foggy at the summit but we got to see the crater, Illinizas and Ruminahui from time to time.
I got amazed to see the whole route up climbed by us before dawn... very long and crevassed, most of them very deep and large. A beautiful mountain and I'm so happy I reached the summit!.
schulzj - Oct 10, 2009 10:22 am Date Climbed: Jan 2, 2002
Second time luckyA week ealier we had to turn back at around 5500m because of a heavy storm but our second attempt was rewarded with stunning views. Reaching the summit at sunrise in perfect weather and smelling the fumes coming out of the crater made this an unforgettable und unique experience.
Shirley Lam - Aug 18, 2009 3:14 pm Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2009
Darn clouds!Climbed all the way to the summit mostly in the dark, then waited around in some pretty mean winds for about 10 minutes to try to catch a glimpse of the crater, but the clouds wouldn't quit! Poopers...
eferesen - May 25, 2009 12:52 am Date Climbed: Sep 12, 2008
Normal RouteDid not make it to the top. Had to turn around about 300 meters from the top. Perhaps some other time.... Lovely volcano
Groundswell - Mar 18, 2009 4:50 pm
2nd time aroundfirst time with Ecuadorian buddy. made it to Yanasacha and watched him point out UFO's he was seeing. game over. came back in 02 with partners hans and jon. hired jeep to drop off, camped to left of hut my glacier for 3 days of stormy weather. weather cleared and we summited ok. tricky at 2nd crevasse crossing.
bighornmonkey - Feb 2, 2009 5:05 pm Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2009
Deep snowStarted out from the hut at 1:20am, followed a guided party of 2 that we passed 2 hours later. Broke trail through knee deep powder to the summit....that is hard work at this altitude. Cold/windy/overcast day. We never saw the crater, unfortunately!
Back down to the hut at 9:40am.
pattycoloma - Jan 20, 2009 12:11 pm Date Climbed: Jul 19, 2008
Magical!It was a magical night, with the moon lighting all the way up. Perhaps I didn't get the summit, those memories are always on my mind. It's a challenge for this year.
Boriss Andean - Jan 17, 2009 12:47 pm Date Climbed: Jan 16, 2009
Route climbed: Rompecorazones (Heartbreaker route).Climbed with Michael (USA). Very good weather, but cloudy. We were the first team to get to the summit (5,897 m/19,347 ft) so I had to brake trail all the way up from the refuge to the summit. The snow was soft from Yanasacha to the summit.
Cold at the summit. Stayed up there five minutes and headed back down to the refuge.
It's advisable to use a couple of snow pickets for safety during the traverse below the summit.
JGHarrison - Jan 13, 2009 6:26 pm Date Climbed: Jan 1, 2009
Normal routeGood easy route, beautiful views from crater. My listed summit date may be a day off, weather was bad before and after my climb but perfect during.
Boriss Andean - Jan 11, 2009 2:40 pm Date Climbed: Jan 10, 2009
Route climbed: Rompecorazones (Heartbreaker Route) - An accident below the summit!!Climbed with Gerald and Wolfhang, both of them Mountain Guides from Austria.
We left the refuge at 1:00 am followed by 9 austrians and other teams. Weather was really bad. As we were approaching to the summit, Gerald felt to the void, pulling Wolfhang down with him. I managed to jump to the creavasse to my right side to prevent them to pull me down with them. The fall could end up 100 meters below on the rocks near Yanasacha.
Gerald and Wolfhang were pretty shock for the fall, they never used their ice axes for self arrest. I built and anchor at the lip of the crevasse and pulled them out with a bit of their help. A scary moment!
We got to the summit (5,897 m/19,347 ft) 30 minutes later at 7:00 am and back to the refuge at 9:00 am.
Boriss Andean - Jan 8, 2009 4:53 pm Date Climbed: Jan 8, 2009
Route climbed: Rompecorazones (Heartbreaker Route) - Twice in a row!!Climbed with Bruno (61) and Claude (61) from France. Very strong couple. Left the refuge at 1:20 am. Started climbing under a bright moon. No headlamps were needed for the first hour.
The weather changed in minutes. We climbed during the next hours in whiteout conditions. It snowed the whole way up to the top and back to the refuge.
We reached the top (5,897 m/19,347 ft) at 7:20 am after 6 hours of climbing.
Boriss Andean - Jan 8, 2009 4:45 pm Date Climbed: Jan 7, 2009
Route climbed: Rompecorazones (Heartbreaker route).My first Cotopaxi summit of the year. Climbed with Antonio (Spain). We woke up at 11:00 pm and left the refuge at 12:10 am.
Great weather all the way up to the top. Reached the top (5,897 m/19,347 ft) at 6:10 am after 5 hours of climbing.
astrobassman - Jan 7, 2009 6:45 pm Date Climbed: Dec 22, 2008
Felt a bit like shit on this climb...Cheeseburglar and I went up on our 4th day in Ecuador. Perhaps we should have waited another day, because Cotopaxi was much more difficult for me than climbing Chimborazo a few days later. It was still a great climb though. The views of the crater were fantastic.