Cotopaxi – Day 3: Climbing Pasochoa
COTOPAXI
Day 3: Climbing Pasochoa
October 13, 2025
PART I
I could hardly believe my eyes when I got up and stepped out of the dorm. For the first time in three days, the sky was blue and the view ahead was completely unobstructed. I could finally see Cotopaxi and its surrounding volcanoes in all their glory!
As much as I had loved Secret Garden in the rain, I have to admit that it looked even more spectacular beneath the shining sun. The flowers were all abloom and aglow, hummingbirds fluttered everywhere, and birds chirped and whistled around us. Our hosts also told us that no rain was forecast until late afternoon, giving us the first extended stretch of dry weather we’d enjoyed since arriving. It truly looked like it was shaping up to be a perfect day.
Along with around 20 other backpackers and Raven and Pimienta, two of the hostel’s dogs, I’d be making my way up Pasochoa Volcano. I didn’t know much about it other than that the trek was included as part of my stay, but all I knew was that I was up for it. This would be my first proper trek of the trip, with the hike to Cotopaxi Base Camp having been relatively short and anticlimactic. Surely, it wouldn’t compare with what summiting the volcano might have been like – something I could totally live with.
Racing the Clouds
After breakfast, we headed down the same path that had taken us towards the waterfall two days earlier. The trail eventually forked, and this time we took a different route.
Once again, the first few metres left all of us feeling out of breath, but we now knew that we simply needed to settle into a slow and steady rhythm. We were told that the route would be around seven kilometres each way, with roughly 700 metres of elevation gain. Nothing too impressive. That said, we had to reach the summit by a designated turnaround time given the afternoon rains, meaning we would have to move steadily. Thankfully, the guides still made sure to give us some much-needed breaks along the way.
The views were stunning throughout, with the volcano remaining verdant and covered in vegetation, unlike the barren upper slopes of Cotopaxi. As much as I would have liked to focus on the wildlife, most of my attention was fixed on where my next step would land, with the mud threatening to cake my beloved trekking boots. Although we had perfect weather, the previous night’s downpour had left its mark. Admittedly, having to jump from one patch of solid ground to another while making sure I didn’t sink into a pool of mud was fun as hell. So was trying to dodge Raven and Pimienta as they raced us towards the summit.
The second part of the trek followed a long trail bordered by brush on either side and rising at a relatively gentle incline. It led us towards the mountainside, which was covered in green shrubs and wild grasses, with a splendid view across the valley beneath us. A few clouds began drifting in here and there, pushing us onwards as we tried to reach the summit before the views disappeared. Luckily, we managed. We arrived earlier than expected and, although the occasional cloud obstructed the incredible vistas around us, we still got to appreciate them – especially with the traditional apple and cigarette break!
That said, something still felt a bit off. The usual high I get from reaching a summit. The sheer joy I feel as I treat myself to a celebratory apple. The freedom I feel as I breathe in the cigarette smoke. Something was off. I felt none of that.
As I sat atop the volcano’s peak, surrounded by my fellow trekkers’ gasps of awe and wonder, I found myself feeling… nothing? For some reason, simply looking out over a wonderful vista wasn’t cutting it anymore. Mostly cause I’d already seen similar ones. Time and time again. For a while now – ever since my trip to Albania, really – I’d known I needed a change. I knew I needed to travel differently. Yet I was also too stuck in my comfort zone to actually do anything about it. I craved new adventures, yet kept signing up for the same old, same old.
How friggin’ privileged does someone have to be to feel like that while standing on the literal edge of a volcano with the entire world at his feet? I hated that such thoughts had even crept into my head. But, at the same time, there was no use beating around the bush if that was genuinely how I felt. I had to acknowledge it. And, most importantly, I had to act on it. If I’d managed to reach this level of jadedness, then clearly something had to change.
PART II
A Sunset Worth Waiting For
After returning to Secret Garden, I went through my routine once more: showering, journalling, yoga, reading and then the usual backpacker bonding.
While doing my best not to bawl my eyes out as I finished reading The Midnight Library (such a friggin’ good book!), I became caught up in more conversations with the random strangers who had made my stay there feel so special. There was Glenda from El Salvador, Diana from Florida, Julie from California, Sharon from the UK and a bunch of others whose names I would never know but whose conversations I would always cherish.
That evening, however, felt a little different from the previous ones. As we were all sitting beside the fire, members of staff came to get us. Turns out, after three whole days of rain, an incredible sunset was waiting for us outside. I rushed out to witness a spectacular show, with the sky awash in every shade of pink above the volcanoes in the distance. Sunsets have always been a special part of travelling for me, but this one felt even more meaningful as I lay there surrounded by so many people who could appreciate the beauty of nature and everything the world had to offer.
The Balance I Had Been Missing
Come dinnertime, I sat down with the Aussies for my first proper conversation with them, despite having completed three separate hikes together and shared a dorm.
Cougar and Errol, the loud ones whose presence often seemed to overshadow everyone else in the group, had left that afternoon, giving the rest of us an opportunity to get to know one another better. India had just completed her degree in reproductive medicine and wanted to open her own assisted-reproduction clinic. Stephanie had recently graduated in ecology and was still kinda figuring out what she wanted to do with her life. Finally, there was Max, the guy who had ridden the mountain bike down Cotopaxi. Having just finished his degree in biomedicine, he was now considering going into medicine.
Needless to say, a whole new conversation about medicine and healthcare ensued. I told Max that, as much as being a doctor sucked, it was also the best damn job in the world. As I said it, I realised how much my relationship with medicine had matured and deepened. Before my gap year, my life had been all about medicine. Taking that year away had opened my eyes and made me realise that there was so much more to life. Only once I managed to strike a balance between my work and personal life could I finally begin to appreciate medicine more than I ever had before. By the same logic, long-term travel had kinda lost its charm once it became my entire life. As always, balance is key.
And now? Now I found myself off balance once again. I had been working way too hard to travel as much as I can – something that was no longer sustainable. As much I was enjoying my time here, I still found myself somewhat jaded and demystified while looking at incredible views and experiencing such wonderful adventures. I’d have some figuring out to do once I’d go back home!