Volcano Cotopaxi (5897m), Ecuador 1.1.1999 |
The ascent of the world highest active volcano , Cotopaxi, view from the village Latacunga (middle) and from the Guagua Pinchincha Sometimes you doubtful ask yourself what I'm doing here, why we are doing this, what we are doing here actually?
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Instead a Sylvester party somewhere in Quito, having fun in a discotheque or a bar, and Quito has a lot of great places to go, Gerhard Neumaier, Bernhard Bauer and Thorsten Boeckel were waiting under the cold roof at the Refugio José F. Ribas at 4800 o.sl for the start to the top. By having a rich meal (noodle-soup and a quarter litre of beer) we grumbled out of the window and conjured the clouds and the misarable weather. And so, the 'mattress-hearing' began at 21.30 at the 21.30 at the sylvester day 1998. Beside us, five multi-national roped-parties which were waiting since six days for a good weather condition did also share the narrow sleeping room with us. |
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4.00...the thunder- lost his power, but the -storm was getting more terrible. Reaching the height of maybe 5500 m we stood in an wide ice plain without protection. Bernie's jacked was not perfectly wind- dense and so he needed to get protected during the walking brakes by our bodies to beware him of frost - bite.... It is dark and our to-the-top-orientated-body-movements couldn't defeat the coldness, ....we were waiting for the first morning light. In one hour we should reach a natural wind shelter. |
5.00..appreciating the break of wind currency behind an 30 m ice wall... |
6.00... we left the first steep passage (50°) behind us, and reached the 'big crevasse' on the elevation of 5780 m. Here we had to wait because two other groups were fighting against the very steep ice slope reaching now the inclination of nearly (60°). The wind speed was decreasing and we could enjoy the short break while discovering the first sun beams on the horizon. Recognising our green faces in the first light... we realised that the high altitude and oxygen deficiency took its toll? |
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How can a year better starts.!!!
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From right: G. Neumaier, B.Bauer, T.Boeckel Sometimes you get the answer for that what you are doing here, why we are doing this, what we are really doing actually? Dedicated to Bernhard Bauer and Gerhard Neumair
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Etna Stromboli Volcano world Cinema From Etna to Stromboli Planets & Space ©2002 photos and text by T.Boeckel, last modification 18.1.2005 This private, non-commercial web site do not use cookies ! |