Anton Crepinsek '13 - The group met at 7:30 a.m. today to ride to the mountain - Pichincha. We loaded up three 4X4 vehicles with backpacks, food, and water and set out. The trip alone up to the mountain was full of excitement. Trucks fishtailed in the mud, and the wheels got stuck in small crevices.
We finally reached the base camp after several hours. We began to climb the mountain as the mist poured in all around us. Several times, we could hear the voices of the others even though we could not see them through the clouds around us. The lack of oxygen made our lungs, heart, and muscles scream as they struggled to work efficiently during the climb. For the few that reached the summit, the view was incredible. It was as if we were standing in a different world. A cliff dropped off into the mist on one side, and the barren slope of the mountain we had just climbed lay out before us on the other.
Media Services Specialist Adam Bowen is in Ecuador with the Wabash group and put together this video of the group's ascent and what they learned along the way.