Puking Chimborazo

Story 18/21: Feeling sick above distant thunder storm

Puking Chimborazo

Story 18/21: Feeling sick above distant thunder storm

June, 1998

Having learned from my near-fatal summitting attempt in Mexico past autumn, this time I wanted to get to the hut on my own feet, not with a truck. So here we are, sitting on stones, while catching our breath. I try to masticate on some local biscuits, but they tend to stick to the dry roof of my mouth.

I sip some water trying to get the dough down my throat. 

“Lot of space around, huh?” 

“Yap. And lot cleaner air than in D.F!”

“True – but even thinner. How do you feel?”

“I’m OK. I think we are going on a good pace. I’m not constantly exhausted.”

“Right. And how is your knee?”

“Well, been better, but I can manage.”

“OK. Please keep me posted on that. Tomorrow it will be steeper and getting down is the roughest to the knee, so we cannot afford you busting it today.”

“Alright. So, what do we do, if it gets worse. Going to carry me up?

“Hah. Not all the way at least. But I could carry your rucksack to ease the burden on your knees.”

“Yeah, why not. But not yet.”

“Okey-doke. Let’s keep going.”

“Let’s!”

It has now been about seven hours since that discussion. We are again sitting on boulders, but the sun has set a while ago and our conditions have shifted. In order to save the knees of my girlfriend, I had carried both backpacks most of the way up to the Carrell Hut. 

Worrying on her knee was not just trying to be a gentleman, but genuinely being concerned on not to bust the rest of our holidays on one reckless activity. The ligament crossing her kneecaps had been since birth located too centrally, allowing the knees to dislocate ridiculously easily.

At the end of the day, we had hurried to get here before it got dark. So, at the moment, being seated my darling was feeling like butterfly on a sunny meadow and I – well, after the puking I had done in the lavatories of the hut I ought to feel light as a leaf, but instead I sensed couple of hammers beating in my head and felt rather miserable. 

Far away from home and even without a proper understanding of the concept of “acclimatisation”, it is clear to me, that as we now are more or less “on top of Europe” altitude wise, it would be impossible for me to push to over 6 km height in this condition.

So, living the moment, this would be our summit. Hut behind our backs, the lights of the capitol city Quito below and distant thunderstorm raging above it. We can see the lightnings illuminating the clouds and lot later hearing the soft roaring. We are well above the clouds and up here it is calm and silent.

Quite a sight to Quito!

Epilogue: 1997-1998 I was finishing my studies in technical university and did my exchange in two different campuses of the ITESM in Mexico. During the weeks I studied hard in Spanish, which was a tough cookie for a Finn that lazily visited Spanish classes for couple of years. After first month it started to be reasonable and I would not trade it away.

The free time I used for exploring the Latin America – mostly on busses and then after completing the two terms I took advantage of the Equatorian Airlines promotion on cheap flights to “The continent in a country”. It really was – from beaches through jungles to snow-capped volcanoes. 

Some background data:

Water:

Chimborazo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimborazo

Andes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andes#Climate_and_hydrology

Amazonas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_River#Watershed

Sanitation:

Clean water: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_supply_and_sanitation_in_Ecuador#Service_quality

Life:

Biodiversity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecuador#Biodiversity

Megadiverse countries: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadiverse_countries

Questions – see links above, books, Internet or digital media for answers:

1. The Amazonas. Great mountain ranges often collect water to rivers feeding lower lands. Even though some origins of the mighty Amazonas River do start from Equatorian Andes, the climate of Chimborazo, the highest peak of Ecuador is rather dry.

Glaciers of Chimborazo still provide water for two close provinces. There are two main reasons, why the glaciers have been retiring. You probably guess one, but what is the other? If in doubt, check links above or “TIPS” below.

2. Sanitation in Ecuador. Availability of clean water and sanitation are measures of sustainable living. I remember at our backpacking trip filling a bucket with water and pouring that to flush the toilet in more than one village. 

Ecuador is mostly tropical country and there is enough water. Maybe that is one reason, why the state of Ecuador has been investing less to water supply than many other Latin American countries. Different parties in Ecuador have not efficiently agreed roles between each other regarding the sanitation. Hence, nobody takes the (main) responsibility.

Can you see some analogy with the climate change and the decisions of the leading World politicians for past decades?

Can you think of ways to help the world leaders to take more leadership on climate change? Consider different ways to influence: voting (age permitting), NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations), activism, social media, every day choices. 

3. Biodiversity. High mountains are harsh places and living there is so demanding, that not too many lifeforms survive there. Area of Ecuador is quite small. But being on the equator and expanding from ocean through mountains and jungles, and thanks to Galapagos Islands it is one of the original 17 megadiverse countries.

3a. Compare. The maps of the original 17 countries (1998) and 20 current are above. Compare them. What differences do you spot? Can you think of some possible reasons?

3b. Observe. Look at the map of the current 20 countries.

– In north – central – south axis can you find concentration to one of these areas. Why?

– Observe how many “leading” countries are along. How about Europe? Can you think of reasons for this? Consider agriculture, urbanisation, industrialisation, politics.

– Could there be a link between natural diversity and level of industrialisation and development of local (human) society? Estimating this, consider also the difference between the tropics an the arctic in supporting various life-forms.

4. Discuss. Your view: What thoughts did rise in your mind having read the story, browsing through the background material and answering to the three questions above? Can you see links between the three topics handled in questions above? Discuss with your pair.

TIPS:

Waters of Chimborazo:

Check brief info of the glaciers of Chimborazo:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimborazo#Glaciers

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