Because Cotopaxi requires specialized climbing gear I did not want to buy -- and I had never before climbed a glacierized volcano -- I hired a guide with equipment from company Rainforestur for $120 US. Jumping on a bus in Quito at 8am, at the park entrace by 9:40am, I met guide Fausto, a man who had 15 years of climbing experience. In a jeep we went to a park campsite where I met a Swiss couple, Ricardo and Dominique (who had acclimatized for a day already at 3800m) and a second guide Mario. Driving up to the parking lot at 4500 meters, we hiked up 300 meters to the Refugio and by 2:15pm we were settled in. One last note: the success rate of making it to the crater is 50%, meaning 1 in 2 succumb to altitude sickness in one form or another.

2:15pm: Refugio. Lunch eaten (soup, bread, cheese, crackers, popcorn, tea). Having sorted through the climbing gear, the boots are hilarious. They may as well be cement blocks. Saw a wild Andean fox on the way up. At 4800 meters I am having no trouble breathing, moving, etc. We are soon due to hike to the glacier and practice with the equipment/crampons/ice pick.

5:02pm: Great weather for the 45 minute training session, blue skies and warm sun. We hiked around the belly for 20 minutes until coming to the end of a glacial tail, put on our crampons (laces start inside-around-back-front-outside), then Fausto guided us through different scenarios, how to use the ice pick, how to walk with the crampons up/down a sloping snow-ice wall. The occasional large rock tumbling down the ice to our training site.

5:29pm: Cone has been visible on and off through the afternoon. I am at the start of the snow trail now taking a few pictures of the cone unobstructed by the rocks around the Refugio. This tour is perfect thus far; being able to see the cone on day 1 is a bonus I never expected to get.

6:46pm: It will take some time to be able to habitually step with the crampons without getting tangled up and hold the ice pick in the correct hand during ascent. My largest concern is -- of course -- to pace myself properly with Fausto, to not exhaust myself too soon. I am used to explosive climbs, going full out for 2 to 3 hours to do 1000-1300 meters. From 4800 to 5900 meters is 1100 meters total; I think it should not be a problem physically. On that note I should try to capitalize on the sleep time available. We wake at midnight, leave at 1am, as the snow is harder during the night and therefore easier -- as well as safer -- to climb, for the crevice bridges will be firmer. I would like to summit the volcano by 6am for sunrise -- weather conditions permitting. G'nite!

12:47am: Slept hardly a wink; too much noise in the Refugio, too much adrenaline in my viens. At 11pm I got up to go to the bathroom and saw a clear, bright starry sky. I am fully geared up, ready to move. I probably will not be writing again until the summit. Ricardo is sick, vomiting, in spite of his excellent physical condition; only Dominique will be attempting the climb. I will go with Fausto, she will go with Mario. As Fausto speaks limited English I got Mario to translate that -- weather permitting -- I want at least 1 hour at the crater. Fausto nods in understanding.

2:17am: 5100 meters. With a 1am departure Fausto advises we are making excellent time. He says we don't want to go too fast and reach the crater early for it will be very cold at the summit without the sun. I can see no one above us, streams of (headlamp) lights below us; I count 21 visible at the moment. For the first half hour we were stuck behind a bunch of turtles. When it came time to put on our crampons I quickly did so and Fausto had the insight to take a different route up, bypassing everyone. We have already seen a couple crevices, one large hole that I didn't care to approach. And every once in a while we pass over a foot hole in the snow that -- when my headlamp lights the hole -- disappears into a crevice below.

4:10am: 5600 meters. The monotony of side-stepping to the right finally ended at 3:30am, then we side-stepped to the left for a half hour. We disappeared into clouds and snow for awhile; could not see any of the other climbers below. Nearby scenery has now changed. Visibility with the headlamps is only 5 meters or so but large ice walls can be seen. ... Fausto says 300 meters remain in a long and winding path. We are still the lead of all climbers; pausing intermittantly to let them catch up before we continue climbing. City lights of Quito and Latacunga brightly shining below us. With clear skies again this is looking good.

4:46am: Giant ice wall. I have to admit I am liking the scenery better. Felt like I was getting slurpee headrushes, then realized my headlamp elastic was too tight and loosened it. Fausto says the incline hits 60 degrees pretty soon ...

5:45am: 5897 meters. I see the crater of Volcan Cotopaxi with my own two eyes. ... Immediately after the giant ice wall the incline steepened sharply. While side-stepping up, looking down at the incline below in the early morning light at times I wondered how the hell I will descend (I will worry about that later). The last 50 meters were by far the hardest. Not in terms of incline or terrain difficulty, but perhaps a combination of little oxygen and being physically tired. Whatever it was, every third or fourth step I had to pause, gasping for lungfulls of air. It was almost a 'flat' trail by this time yet I could barely move up/forward. Fausto pulled the safety rope tight for the first time of the climb. I knew what he was trying to tell me: that we were almost there. ... The sun is just breaking over the horizon. This crater is absolutely massive. A sea of clouds surrounding us in all directions.

6:46am: Many pictures; though it is very difficult to hold my camera longer than 2-3 minutes without freezing my hands. The winds are pretty intense. Dominique has also arrived; our group is 2 for 3! A dozen or so other climbers are also here, the first ones after Fausto and I arriving about 6:05am (two males & one female). ... applying sunblock for the trip down I see that my lips are blue.

8:20am: 4900 meters. We left the crater at 7am, after 1 hour and 15 minutes, my fingers freezing the whole time. A beautiful descent, seeing all the terrain we travelled in the night. There were some crazy drops! Only took 1 hour and 20 minutes to descend. Fausto says a normal round trip takes 10 hours (with 15 minutes at the summit). We did it in 7 hours and 20 minutes, with 1 hour and 15 minutes at the summit. ... The crater itself was clouding over when we departed. Peak is still visible from here. ... The snow on the way down was already very soft, my boots going through multiple times, twisting my legs and knees.

9:41am: Refugio. Out of the Rainforestur gear, out of the cement boots, in my wear, ready to depart Cotopaxi Refugio after 2 cups of tea.

The jeep drive out of the park took forever. Once at the highway I stood dazed for 5 minutes, then abruptly said goodby to all and jumped on a bus to Quito. Slept from 2 to 6pm, woke and transferred my pictures to disk, then slept again from 10pm to noon today, some 18 hours in total.

And now I think about Volcan Sangay, the most active volcano in Ecuador, located deep in the jungle, 3 days of trekking to get to, and in a state of continuous eruption since 1934 ...