Chimborazo

Last night I climbed Chimborazo. The ascent started at 11:30 PM from the refuge pictured below, where my guide Patricio and I had spent the afternoon lounging around while hail beat on the roof. The weather for the climb, however, was clear. We got to the top before sunrise after 5 1/2 hours of gargantuan effort, most of it on a 50-degree slope of snow and ice.

On the summit, my smile belies my addled wits and churning stomach. Altitude of almost 21,000' is nothing to shake a stick at.
Patricio. Not addled.
Once again, looking far more put-together than I felt, although my eyes do show a bit of the desperation that distracted me from appreciating the stunning sunrise. That lump in the background is the true summit, where the previous two pictures were taken.
The start of the way back down. Looks like the end of the world, doesn't it? Our route led straight down this drop-off and eventually we ended up on the tiny ridge you can see, about 2,500' or 3,000' down. Patricio's advice: "walk normally." Right. Note the mountain's shadow.
Chimborazo was a worthwhile sojourn into mountaineering, but in the end I think I'll stick to rock climbing, hiking, and other less masochistic pursuits.