Andrew's Journal

Grand Canyoneering

Jan
19

Some good friends came to visit me for the weekend. We started with the simple, exploring a few of the National Monuments nearby. After that, we decided to try something a little more adventurous: hike from the rim of the Grand Canyon to the Colorado River and back in a day.

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Ouray

Oct
18

Last winter, my brother and I went to Ouray, Colorado. A reasonable drive from my new home, I wanted to show my brother what I enjoy so much about ice climbing.

The Ouray Ice Park is an awesome place. This natural gorge has water pipes running along the top rim . Many years ago, some clever climbers decided to tap the pipes to run water down the cliffs. This makes for very reliable ice climbing conditions with some awesome climbs. As a bonus, the natural hot springs in town make an excellent way to relax after a day on the ice.

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New Beginnings

Oct
18

As some of you know, I recently moved to Flagstaff. Things have been busy and I'm way behind on my travel photos but even staying home can be an adventure. Simple yet special. These are some photos from near my new home--a bit of mountain climbing, playing in the river, the recent eclipse in Flagstaff's beautiful dark night skies, and even some ancient pueblo ruins. Lots more to do here--I'm looking forward to it.

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Old Photos I

Oct
18

Sometimes it's easier to just put stuff up than write about it. These are old ones from Toronto.

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Chimborazo and the Illinizas

Aug
02

Previous post.

January 6, 2014

Chimborazo: at 6,268 meters (20,564 feet), Ecuador's tallest mountain and, due to the equatorial bulge, the point farthest from the center of the Earth. Starting from around 4,800 meters (~15,750 feet), it's also quite a long climb.

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The Last Ice Merchant

Aug
02

Previous post.

January 4, 2014

After a day at Hacienda La Cinega, we started moving towards Chimborazo. On our way, we stayed at the Alta Montana, a retreat run by Rodrigo. Rodrigo is a very interesting Ecuadorian, having spent much of his life in the mountains and traveling. Several years back, he was the producer of a documentary on The Last Ice Merchant of Chimborazo, which has won awards at many international festivals.

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Cotopaxi

Aug
02

Previous post.

January 2, 2014

What a way to start the New Year. Cotopaxi, the second highest active volcano in the world, is a beautiful cinder cone volcano capped with a majestic glacier. At 5,897 meters (19,342 feet) it is only a couple of meters taller than Kilimanjaro but, despite similar proximity to the Equator, has managed to maintain significant glacier coverage--wet winds from the Amazon basin provide significant moisture to replenish the loss from global-warming-induced melting.

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Feliz Anno Nuevo

Aug
02

Previous post.

January 1, 2014

New Years is a special time in Ecuador. Remember those effigies I mentioned yesterday? Seems they are "married".

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Cayambe Disappointment Inversion

Aug
02

Previous post.

December 30, 2013

Today we planned to finally summit the volcano whose glacier we had spent the past week playing on. Sadly, Cayambe had other plans--as our guide Alejo wisely said, there is a reason it's called mountaineering and not summiteering.

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Glacier School

Aug
02

Previous post.

December 29, 2013

Glaciers are a special beast. Formed from snow piling up over many years, compacted by the weight of that snow and slowly drifting across and shaping the terrain, glaciers have a special beauty that hides many of the dangers contained within. Safely navigating and climbing glaciers requires special gear, knowledge and practice, something I hoped to gain on this trip.

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