Cotopaxi – Day 2: Into Thin Air
COTOPAXI
Day 2: Into Thin Air
October 12, 2025
PART I
With the weather looking somewhat better, it already seemed like a promising start to the day. Together with the Aussies, Liv and a few others, I’d be hiking up to Cotopaxi Base Camp and, conditions permitting, the glacier above it.
Shortly after breakfast, we climbed into a 4×4 that would take us to the trailhead. The hour-long ride was full of insanely beautiful views, with the wild grasses, scrub and scattered trees gradually fading into the yellow-brown páramo as we approached the volcano. The land became increasingly barren and rocky. Far ahead, we could see a refuge, Cotopaxi’s base camp, perched smack in the middle of the volcano’s slope. It looked imposing and intimidating, especially since I had no idea how my lungs or my bad knee would fare. Luckily, we would be starting the trek much farther up the mountain and considerably closer to the refuge.
Once at the trailhead, we were introduced to Olga, our local guide. She explained that we would be taking things slowly to reduce our chances of developing altitude sickness, given that we were already at roughly 4,500 metres and would face around 500 metres of elevation gain if we made it to the glacier.
The Glacier's Edge
With that, we set off. The first few steps had most of us huffing and puffing, forcing us to take short breaks every now and then to catch our breath. The views along the way no doubt contributed to our breathlessness, with the occasional Andean condor or caracara gliding above our heads.
Every few hundred metres, we stopped for longer breaks to recover and prepare ourselves for the next few switchbacks. Admittedly, I thought I would do much worse than I did. In fact, I was nearly always side by side with Olga. Our ultimate goal for the day was the glacier above the refuge, where summit climbers would continue onto the ice. When we eventually reached its edge, I can’t say I wasn’t a little bummed knowing that this was where we would have to turn back. But at least I had managed to get there.
And lemme tell ya, it was quite the extraordinary view, with the previously barren volcanic rocks now covered in ice and snow. I would have given anything to step onto the glacier and explore farther, but unfortunately, that wasn’t part of the plan. Instead, I contented myself with my usual apple and cigarette break at the glacier’s edge – all the while wondering whether I had made the wrong choice. The view at the very top might have been clouded, but I’m sure the feeling of accomplishment wouldn’t have been!
After a short break, we made our way back down to José Rivas Refuge, which served as the base camp. There, we warmed ourselves up with a really good cup of hot cocoa. While I’m not usually much of a fan, it felt like the best damn thing in the world at the time. Then, we continued our descent towards the trailhead. Much like the descent from Acatenango Volcano in Guatemala, we practically ran down the entire thing, with the loose volcanic soil giving way beneath every step and turning it into a fun, adrenaline-fuelled adventure. Plus, we did all of it while shrouded in clouds!
Once back at the trailhead, all of us climbed into the 4×4, with the exception of Max, who would be riding back down on a mountain bike. Although I had gained plenty of cycling experience over the previous few years, I still didn’t feel confident enough to join in the fun, especially with the uneven and unforgiving terrain. That said, it inspired me. I knew that I wanted to try something like that someday. For the time being, however, I was perfectly content inside the 4×4, especially once it started pouring again.
PART II
Back by the Fire
The afternoon was practically a rehash of the previous day, but it was a routine I was quickly learning to love and wanted to maintain throughout my stay at Secret Garden.
After lunch, I ran to the shower, desperate to warm up. Much to my dismay, the water was friggin’ freezing. A hot shower had been the main thing driving me through the hike as I nearly froze my ass off, but I gotta admit that the cold water was surprisingly reinvigorating. Afterwards, I settled into my bunk, journalled for an hour and then headed down to the yoga room for a quick session. From there, I went into the lounge, sat beside the fireplace and continued reading my book.
Needless to say, the reading didn’t last very long this time either, as I quickly became caught up in all sorts of conversations. First up was Julie, an American chick who had been talking about Limpiopungo Lagoon. I immediately jumped into the conversation and asked whether she would be interested in arranging a tour with me. A few others showed interest, and we swore that we would find a way to make it work.
Then came Alex, this really cool Californian chick who practically dragged me off the couch for a cigarette and a glass of wine so she could tell me all about the drama she had alluded to during the hike. Turns out, before coming to Ecuador, she had been on three dates with a guy whom she had somehow ended up inviting along on the trip, partly because he had family there. She had known from the start that they weren’t a good match and, after inviting him, had made sure to establish some clear boundaries. Unfortunately, he tried to push them at every possible opportunity. I was definitely not one to judge, mostly cause I had done something remarkably similar with Rafael in Jordan only a few months earlier.
The Real Reason I Travel
I had forgotten how easy it is to make acquaintances and friends when staying at hostels. Having to introduce yourself to one person after the other, having to recount your tales over and over, hearing about everyone’s crazy and wild adventures.
Case in point: enter Amelie – a French girl who told me all about her cycling trip across South America. She admitted that she was scared and felt unprepared 99% of the time, yet she wasn’t allowing that to hold her back. So friggin’ impressive! It especially resonated with me cause it reminded me of The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara. A trip like hers had been on my bucket list for the longest time. Perhaps that could be my next step, huh?
At dinner, I sat beside Liv and her boyfriend Lucky, along with Matty and Emma, a couple from Chicago. Once again, our conversation took us from how crappy American healthcare and bureaucracy could be to what a paradise Australia seemed to be, especially for Lucky – who was really into surfing, scuba diving and freediving. In fact, when I showed them some of my diving footage from Malta, everyone agreed that we would probably end up having a reunion there at some point. If not, we would definitely see one another again once I eventually moved to Australia. By that point, I was already half-convinced that it was where I should emigrate once I specialised.
By the end of the day, I was reminded why I travel. It’s not just about going on thrilling adventures. It’s not just about exploring incredible, wonderful countries. It’s also about human connection. I had missed that aspect of my backpacking days so much without even realising it. I might have grown jaded from travelling way too much and forcing myself to experience as much as I could, but I’d probably never get tired of this!