At the Cayambe Hut

Wes and Curtis are at the climbers' hut on Cayambe. Wes said he was in a squat position on top of a kitchen counter with the antenna of the phone sticking out of a 1 x 1 foot window. That was the only way to get reception in the hut. He wanted to go outside but found out they were locked in! What if there was a fire or something? Wes said the elevation at the hut is actually about 14,800 feet. Freddy had told them it would take about an hour and a half to get up to the hut - that was code for four hours! They rode in an old four cylinder Land Cruiser with a leak in the right rear tire. They actually had to fill it up with air before they left. The drive up to Cayambe was pretty interesting - the road is right on the edge of a cliff and with the Land Cruiser all weighted down with their gear and six people they did not have any power at all. Wes wasn't sure the SUV would make it up the mountain! He said it was like a Go-Kart with oversized wheels. They actually rode up with three girls - two are from Germany and one is from Denmark. They have no mountaineering experience. They've never even put on crampons yet they are going for the summit tonight! I wonder how that will work out? There is also a guy from Canada staying at the hut with his guide. He is planning on staying there until Sunday or Monday and they are doing basic mountaineering skills. Not sure if he is planning on climbing to the top or not. Wes said the town of Cayambe was very small and ancient. He also mentioned that the hut is pretty decent. It is three stories. The first floor is the bathroom. They actually have toilets that flush so that is nice. There are two kitchens on the second floor. The third floor is the sleeping area. Everyone gets a cot, too. Not too shabby! Better than cramming in a two man tent. Wes said inside the hut there is a very wretched smell of diesel fumes and turpentine - you need to have a strong stomach to be able to handle the smell all night. After the guys got settled into the hut they decided to take a short hike. They climbed above the hut to about 15,800 feet. They saw a very pretty lake - Wes doesn't think it is one that you would want to drink out of though. They could also see the first part of the trail leading to the summit. The weather was decent today. It was mild, kind of warm, and breezy. The wind really picked up when the sun went down but now it has settled back down again. Tomorrow they will take it easy. They may hike over to the face of the glacier and check it out - maybe do some ice climbing.