The equator
The guide, Eduardo showed up at Casa Helbling at the agreed time. He swiftly threw my husband’s backpack on the roof of his Jeep, tied it up and they were gone. They planned to return in 2.5 days. Until then, there was no communication between us.
Left to my own devices, I roamed the streets and markets of Quito always making sure that I was back to the hotel before nightfall. During the day, heavily armed police patrolled the city. Sometimes, there were 4 policemen at an intersection, one person on each corner of it. Respectable establishments like a bank or a restaurant had their own security guards. Once, I saw an armored military vehicle parked on a side street. I wanted to take a photo of it and did not dare.
It was hard to understand why all this police and military presence was needed. Ecuadorians seemed to be quiet and peaceful. I could not picture them rioting or causing disturbance. Quito looked safe during the day while its streets were full of people.
Things changed drastically after nightfall. The city became deserted as if no one had lived in it. Businesses except for a few places to eat were locked up; windows were covered with metal shutters, tops of walls were studded with sharp broken glass.
Although I saw no violence or even pickpockets, after dinner I obediently returned to Casa Helbling and spent my evenings reading a book about the 1972 plane crash in the Andes when the Uruguayan rugby team flew from Montevideo to Santiago in Chile on Friday, 13th. Sixteen survivors were rescued 72 days later. They lived on chocolate, sweets and other snacks found in the plane wreckage. When they ran out of food, they ate the dead passengers.
On the first day of the climb, Eduardo drove my husband Sergey to a parking from where he and 2 other climbers were told to walk up to a refuge at about 4,000 m (13,000 ft) to practice and to adjust to higher altitude.
Guides that work for tourist agencies take climbers to the summit via the north route. Eduardo Agama’s climbers go up on the south side of Cotopaxi, more off the beaten track, because he has proprietary rights for this route. He owns the refuge where the group spent their first night.
On the second day, the group got to 4,750 m (15,580 ft). Eduardo’s assistant brought tents and other supplies to the camp that was set at the glacier edge.
The climbers did not get much sleep that night. At midnight, they got up and went to the summit. They formed two teams – Eduardo and my husband were roped up together; Eduardo’s assistant was with the 2 other climbers. It took 8 hours to reach the end of the route. Sergey never was at such high altitudes. The lack of oxygen started to affect him. The last few feet were the most difficult. They climbed the South summit which is lower than the North summit by 20 meters or so. It would require 2 more hours to go to the North summit, the time that they did not have. So technically speaking, the group did not get to the highest point of the volcano.
After taking photos and a short rest, all five walked back and in the afternoon reached the refuge where they stayed the first night. Eduardo drove Sergey to our hotel. Everything went as planned. Sergey returned happy that he conquered Cotopaxi. As for me, I was simply glad that my husband was back in one piece.