Every Mountain Makes Its Own Sound

As an acclimatization hike I decided to go up Rucu Pichincha (4,698m). It was my plan to do this so that I could later climb Cotopaxi (an active volcano at 5,897 m).

I woke up early in hopes of beating the clouds which roll into Quito in the afternoon. I began walking from the hostel to the Teleferico (a tram which takes you up to (4,050 m). Half an hour in, I hailed a cab for a dollar. I wanted to get up the tram ASAP.

When I arrived at the the Teleferico there was a gigantic amusement park. Looney Toons music was playing and people were trying to coax me into the empty roller coasters. I declined. Today is no day for such fun!

At the top of the Teleferico I began to hike towards the top.

(Rucu Pichincha)

It was shrubland all around and rocks in the distance. It was here that I could hear Rucu. Every mountain makes its own sound. Rucu whirrred as gusts of wind ran up its spine and the distant buzz of hydro-lines told me that Quito was watching.

About 20 minutes in I met an Austrian couple who had cycled down from Alaska and was heading to Argentina. I hiked with them a bit until I reached the foot of the Rucu. From there they began to move quite slowly so I had to leave them behind. I began making my way up Rucu. I started walking up a sandy slope following footsteps. Not long after, some guide and tourists came running down the slope and I was told that I was taking the hard route up. I re-aligned myself onto ajacent rocks and soil. The clouds began to settle in around Rucu. Always with the mountain clouds! I looked below me and some guy was rushing up the side of the mountain. I don`t know how he had caught up so fast. He must have been running up the mountain. I tried to keep him behind me but he surpassed me and dissapeared.

I was told there would be a little bit of a scramble near the top and so i climbed up a small rock. I looked over the edge and it was quite a drop-off. That must not be the way and if it is I´m not going up it. I looked around at the ground and found some more footprints and a lid of a tuna can. The tuna can lid was my northern star and it guided me up the last little scramble to the top. At the top I could not see anything except for the other hiker who had passed me.

We began to talk and he told me that he was from Austria and that he comes up Rucu frequently. He owns a bar in the city called The Turtle Head. As he was quite familiar with the route I told him that I would follow him down.

On the way down we took the `highway` (the sandy slope I had been trying to walk up earlier). We swiftly skii`d down on our hiking boots. I read that Rucu Pichincha takes about 3-6 hours both ways. It took me a little less than three hours with no altitude effects: headache or dizzyness. The Austrian must have done it in 2 1/2 or less.

As we carried on a semi-coherent conversation in Spanish he turned to me and began to speak in English.

``My name is Heinz. Like the ketchup.``

``Mucho gusto (glad to meet you) Heinz``. I replied.