You know I have always enjoyed mountaineering and over the last ten to fifteen years I have reached over a dozen summits, mainly in California's Eastern Sierra. Many have been kind of risky, and after the last one, Temple Craig 13,000ft. I felt I had got it out of my system.
Well Cotopaxi kind of pulled me in. It is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world, and its the second highest summit in Ecuador, 19,347 ft.
Its a fairly straight forward glacier climb. However you need to be roped together and use crampons and ice axe . Theres a lot of exposure and a 30ft. ice climb at the end. It was crazy but I'm glad I did it.

I hired a Guide and we spent the afternoon and evening at a Refugio {a big stone cabin that the guides use with kitchens and dining area on the first floor and 40-50 bunks on the upper floor} We got up at midnight and started the climb at 130am 5 hours later we were on the summit.

Since you ascend in the dark you can't see anything, but when you descend, you see the white on white glacier landscape. Its very surreal, like being on another planet. Its hard to describe and even harder to photograph,

Its been two years since Temple Craig and I thick I have gotten it out of my system again. Even though Cotopaxi is an "easy" climb its still dangerous. But that's the draw, its the adrenaline rush, sustained for hours, that comes with being in the edge.