Ecuador High Altitude Expedition #4: Dispatch 7

Ecuador High Altitude Expedition:
January 7-21, 2011
Climbers: Brett Davis, Steve and Isabel Herstell
Lead Guide: Pepe Landazuri
January 16, 2011
Pepe called at 7:27am Ecuador and US Eastern time with this update:
“Good morning from the summit of Cotopaxi!!  We just got here five minutes ago.  It’s been an absolutely great climb in perfect conditions.  We are a very happy team!
As planned,we left at midnight and made very good time.  A little under seven and a half hours is a good rate of ascent.  We have a fit group of climbers making up this team.  The weather is perfect and as I leave you this message we are admiring Antisana and Cayambe to the north, the Illinizas and Chimborazo to the southwest, and El Altar and Sangay rising on the Amazon side.  It’s a little cloudy down in the Amazon Basin, which is pretty normal.  The few clouds there were around gave us very pretty colors at sunrise.
We are very happy!  It was a great climb.  We’re going to take some time now to rest, eat and drink our juice and water, and just enjoy these amazing views.  We feel like we are on top of the world.
Everyone sends love and a warm hello to family and friends back home.”