And they’re off!!! Our first Ecuador team expedition of 2023 kicked off today in Quito.

Today the team got rolling with gear checks in the morning before heading over to the Teleferico for the first round of acclimatization hikes. Located on the flanks of Pichincha, a volcanoes overlooking Quito, the Teleferico takes passengers from about 10,000 feet to 13,200 feet and drops them off at the base of a gentle hiking trail. By taking the Teleferico our climbers get a chance to “climb high, sleep low” priming their body to adapt to a higher altitude.

After spending a little over an hour hiking above 13,000 feet the team descended and drove to the Equator for lunch and to visit the museum surrounding the location of the first official survey of the Equator in 1736 during the French Geodetic Expedition.

Tomorrow brings a departure from Quito for another acclimatization hike on Ruminahui, an extinct volcano within Cotopaxi National Park rising to 15,203 feet.

Good luck to our climbers!

Cheers,

CTSS Team