In December 2013 I skied Cotopaxi, undoubtedly the most famous volcano of Ecuador. This 5.897 meters high mountain is not the only volcano that can be skied around the equator though. With Cayambe, Antisana and Chimborazo this small country has a few other amazing challenges to offer. Together with Ale, the Italian mountain guide I had met in Peru, I went back 9 years later to see which of those big volcanoes I could tackle.
During my first ski trip to Peru I got a nice taste of what the Cordillera Blanca has to offer in terms of skiing. I also quickly realised how challenging the conditions can be. As is the case on many trips, the list of objectives I wanted to ski was longer when I returned than it was before the trip. So, in the end I had no choice but to go back and try again…
In 2013 I had visited the South of Peru. The Inca trail with a beautiful finish in Machu Picchu and the city of Arequipa were the highlights during that trip. Huaraz, the base for trekking – and climbing expeditions in both the Cordillera Blanca and Huayhuash, was not yet on the radar back then. When I read about ski mountaineering adventures in that part of the world, things changed quickly. Having skied Cotopaxi in Ecuador, I figured some more high altitude skiing wouldn’t hurt…
May 2014 I returned back home from my long trip. Having been away for quite a while, I was looking forward to some continuity. I soon started life as a freelancer and my first contract was a fact. Working on an important project for a year meant I had faced quite a few deadlines and that I had been looking at a computer screen for a while. Therefore, time had come to participate in some outdoor activity. Another trip to the Southern Hemisphere where winter was in full swing, was on the agenda…
After nearly eight months of traveling in South America, I arrived at my final destination of the continent: Colombia. I was about to visit a country that is known to the outside world for Pablo Escobar, cocaine, the FARC and kidnappings. However, according to many travelers the country has changed enormously over the last decade and safety has improved. Did I survive the dangers of Colombia?
In the Warren Miller movie “Off the grid” skiers talk about how great it is to see the world through skiing and I have to say, for me it really is. When some Austrians, who I had met in Bolivia during a high altitude trekking, recommended me to climb Cotopaxi, I started doing some research. Soon it became clear that skiing one of the highest active vulcanoes in the world is possible and my excuse to visit Ecuador was born.
After skiing for nearly two months in Argentina it was time for a change. Early November I’ll have to be in Ushuaia, the most Southern point of Argentina in order to board the cruise to Antarctica. Until then I had about a month to spend in Southern Patagonia. Its wilderness with some impressive glaciers and beautiful trekkings sounded like the perfect “stopover” in between skiing…
After freeriding in Las Leñas, it was time to explore the backcountry of the Andes in the springtime. In the lake district some mountain huts can be found that offer excellent terrain and some of the resorts offer easy accessible backcountry with amazing views. Furthermore the Andes is the place to ski some beautiful volcanoes. All objectives being located in Patagonia, the biggest enemy is the weather. I had time though, so between all the rain, snow and wind there should be some sunny spells…
For a couple of years now the Andes is one of my favourite places to go skiing. This trip I had the opportunity to ski different areas in this impressive mountainrange for about 2 months. Many runs on my bucketlist were located here so hopefully I could at least ski them and hopefully in nice conditions too!
For years Peru has been high, if not the highest, on my list of countries I wanted to visit. Whereas Argentina and Chile have a European feel, Peru sounded more Latin American (whatever that may be) to me. Initially Bolivia was just a transit country but during my travels I met more and more people who really liked Bolivia. I guess I had to see what that’s all about…
