Day three was our longest day of hiking on the Condor Trek with over 600 meters in elevation gain. We woke up to surprisingly blue skies. After breakfast we quickly made our way out of camp. We walked along the base of Antisana before we turned due west and headed straight towards the next volcano, Sincholagua.
After a couple of miles we left Antisana Reserve and finally entered Cotopaxi National Park where the dog had to turn around and make his solo journey back home. We passed a permit checkpoint, crossed a small road, and the landscape immediately changed. We faced an endless sea of rolling hills covered in golden grass. Everything looked softer and more inviting. The ground was dry, we no longer needed our mud boots, and we were finally able to walk at a normal pace. With sunny skies and easier trails ahead of us, this was turning out to be a wonderful day for hiking!
We walked, and walked, and walked, and walked. This section of the trail seemed to go on forever, and Monica was leading us on at a pretty rapid pace. The blue skies and the rolling hills were a welcome departure from the cloudy, rough terrain of the previous days. We spotted several types of bird, and an abundance of tiny little plants. We also started seeing more and more rabbit skeletons. The high abundance of rabbits provide the condors and other raptors with plenty of food, but they end up leaving the skeletons littered everywhere. We looked at them as if they were lucky rabbits feet, gifting us the incredible weather we were experiencing on the trek.
We asked Monica how far we would be trekking that day. She just pointed at Sincholagua and said “to that volcano”. It almost seemed unreachable, like Mt. Doom looming far off in the distance. As we descended another hill the ground changed and we were stepping on this unusually soft but tough layer of green earth. It was such an odd sensation, but fun to walk on these spongy mounds.
Despite the gentle nature of the landscape, we were feeling the elevation gain and were relieved when we stopped at a quiet little river crossing for our lunch break. We always laughed when we opened our lunch. They packed at least two meals worth of food, including a tiny little juice box and many varieties of cookies. We were definitely well-fed during our trek. We never went hungry and often times had to refuse food.
These two mules were the heroes of our trek. They carried all the heavy supplies from campsite to campsite and allowed us to move through the Andes with only the minimum weight required on our backs. Without these guys, the altitude would surely have been too much for us and I don’t think we would have been able to complete the trek in just four days. It only took three days for us to stop calling them donkeys.
The sky was once again turning dark grey and we could tell a storm was on the way. With thunder booming in the background, we entered a local farm. We opened the gate and crossed the massive stretch of private property. We took another quick break for a snack, then continued climbing. As the clouds blew past, we realized we had turned and were walking straight towards Cotopaxi. It was quite a sight as we got closer, but for the best views we would have to wait until the final day.
Completely exhausted, we finally spotted camp on a beautiful little lake in the shadow of Sincholagua. Our tents were already up, so we quickly unpacked and got ready for some post-hike relaxation. That’s when the slight pitter-patter noise started on the walls of our tent. At first it sounded like rain. As it intensified, we realized we were experiencing a hailstorm. After staying sheltered in our tent for about fifteen minutes, we emerged and Sincholagua was partially covered in a beautiful layer of white. It resembled a hot fudge sundae. It was amazing how in such a short amount of time the storm had completely transformed the volcano.
After the hailstorm we put on our boots and explored the area around the lake. Each hill had a unique and wonderful view. Sincholagua is a relatively unvisited volcano because of its isolation, and because of this there wasn’t a single person anywhere in sight. We were completely alone and had the entire area to ourselves. This was definitely my favorite campsite.
This time we thought ahead and made sure dinner was not served during sunset. Based on all those lucky rabbit feet we encountered, we were sure to have another incredible sunset that night. Once again, we were lucky and the skies of the Andes succeeded in putting on a spectacular display.
Our final night, and the best sunset of them all. We almost lost hope because of the heavy storm clouds, but at the perfect moment they cleared and the sky put on an incredible display of color. We also spotted Antisana on the horizon, reflected perfectly in the lake. After the sun went down, there was a short period where the sky was clear and we were able to see the stars. Stargazing at the equator is a unique experience. With clear skies, you can see constellations of both the northern and southern hemisphere. We enjoyed the night sky for a little while, but the dropping temperature and advancing cloud cover eventually forced us into our tents for a cold night of sleep before our final day.
Our fourth and final day of the Condor Trek. We woke up to frosty tents and a warm breakfast. We welcomed the small amount of added warmth as the sun rose over the small lake, then packed up our tents for the last time.
Day four was our easiest day. The distance was just 14 kilometers and the only major elevation gain was at the very beginning. We were excited to get moving, and looked forward to the scenery ahead. The plan for the day was to navigate our way around Sincholagua, then head north and end near the base of Cotopaxi.
We underestimated the climb. It was a steep beginning and I don’t think we were mentally prepared. We struggled our way up the slope of this vibrant mountainside trying to keep up with Monica, who never seemed to tire or run out of energy. Luckily we didn’t encounter any mud.
We had been staring at Sincholagua from a far off distance for the last day and a half. Now, as we approached the volcano we could see how beautiful the rocky surfaces were up close. The base was covered in every shade of green imaginable, but higher up the greens gave way to earthy browns and oranges with sharp, black, rocky spikes tearing their way through. This has to be one of the most beautiful volcanoes I’ve ever seen.
We were able to rest for a short time at this lookout and take in the sweeping views back down the valley. This landscape was truly a unique and unforgettable sight. During our short break we had to pay close attention to the weather. Ahead of us the sky was still blue, but approaching from behind was another storm front that looked like it may catch up and cause us some trouble.
We finally reached the last high-altitude pass. What a relief! The rest of the day would all be downhill. We passed over a rocky field of scree and through a gnarly old forest on our way down.
The clouds were catching up as we passed through miles and miles of tall, flowing grass. It was a beautiful landscape but felt like we were walking this section forever. Monica kept us moving...at this point we were making an effort to outrun the storm that was coming our way. This was an unexpectedly challenging part of the hike even though it was downhill. We weren’t able to see the path through the tall grass and the trail was uneven and muddy at times. Each step was a gamble so we had to be very careful not to make a mistake and twist an ankle.
We sat down for lunch on a hilltop with gorgeous views of Cotopaxi and the north side of the sprawling national park. We didn’t linger, though. The thunder was getting louder and the lightning was striking more frequently and getting closer by the minute. It looked like Cotopaxi was building a storm of its own. The clouds circled, darkened and looked like a violent doomsday death-mountain from a movie. After a few nearby deafening cracks of thunder we quickly decided to get up and get moving down the hill. Rarely have we ever hiked this quickly.
Luckily the trails were well-worn, and we were able to cover this last exposed stretch in a short amount of time. We were relieved that the trail turned slightly west so that we weren’t headed straight into what looked like the most volatile part of the storm.
We descended into a dense pine forest as light rain began to fall. The forest was a surprise, we didn’t expect to see trees like this in the Andes. It felt almost Midwest-like. We emerged on the other side and crossed a raging river.
This was the point where things got chaotic. Lightning was flashing directly overhead. The skies opened up and hail started pelting us from above. It was fun at first to be caught in the hail, but that feeling quickly subsided as the tiny pellets began to hurt. One of our mules injured himself and was limping his way up the hill. We began to trot, then run as conditions got more dangerous. We had no idea how far until the end. We knew we were close, but how close? We were so exposed, and the combination of everything happening at once was beginning to get a little scary. The adrenaline was pumping, and we were quickly approaching the top of a hill. That’s when we saw it...our van. Nothing fancy to end this trek. No hut, no parking lot, not even a sign. Just the wonderful, warm, dry little van waiting to take us in from the increasingly crazy weather. We made it. In record time we loaded our things, and we were done. This was the most unceremonious, chaotic, strange, unexpected ending to a trek we’ve ever experienced. As we drove through Cotopaxi National Park, the ground quickly turned white with hail. Our driver was excited, taking pictures and calling friends to show them the crazy weather conditions.
And that was it. Four incredible days on one of the most difficult, beautiful, remote, rewarding treks we’ve ever completed. We had no idea what we were getting into with the Condor Trek. All too often we’ve already virtually visited our destination. This time we hadn’t watched a single video, found any pictures, or read a single description that was able to spoil all of the surprises and beautiful views on the trek. As we travel more, we really need to find these unspoiled, lesser-traveled parts of the world before it’s too late.
