Hiking the Andes Highlands in Ecuador

 

Altitude is very humbling.  At over 14,000 feet climbing a small hill makes you gasp for air.  What would be an easy peasy climb in normal altitudes the Andes turns you into an out-of-shape wreck.  Regardless, it was still a lot of fun but you had to pace yourself.  Altitude does not affect all people.  If you have mountain goat lungs like Darren then you are set.  For me at over 14,000 feet climbing uphill was akin to little trolls squeezing my lungs until they hurt.

We hired a guide because climbing at these altitudes can be dangerous especially when a cloud descends and you can't see your hand in front of your face.  People get lost all of the time and then get into precarious situations.  I found a private tour on TripAdvisor.com the professional guide picked you up at your hotel drove you to El Cajas National Park and guided you on two separate hikes at two different elevations, lunch was included and you got dropped off back at your hotel 8 hours later.  We lucked out and got Flavia who was a young Ecuadorian guide who had been doing this for 10 years.  All guides have to have a University degree and then receive training to guide in different areas of the country.  Flavia was extremely knowledgeable on every question.  I asked her about plants, and animals virtually everything and I am a curious girl and ask questions constantly.  We even got into some political discussions comparing our two Prime Ministers.

Alpacas and Llamas are wild and live in the park and outside of it as well.

Datura or Trumpet Flower variety that is native to Ecuador and used for medicinal purposes but can be highly toxic if used incorrectly.

Passion Flower Fruit was flowering.  Passion Flower is delicious.

Flavia was prompt, picked us up at our hotel at 9:00 am and drove us out of the city for a 45-minute drive up into the mountains.  Our first hike was fairly easy at 11,000 feet which I had experienced before skiing at Breckenridge, Colorado.  I had altitude sickness then with a bad headache and shortness of breath.  I have been in the Andes Mountains for quite some time so I was not experiencing the headache just shortness of breath.  We hiked around this pristine glacial lake, there were over 200 in the park.  It was very pretty and we ran into a young lady and we started talking and her grandfather was from Saskatchewan, a small world.  She now lives in Ecuador.

Pampas Grass is native to the Andes.

Different varieties of orchids are endemic to this region of the Andes.

The park entrance.

Lord of the Rings type of terrain.

Another tree bearing fruit and it is also delicious.

A variety of Gentian flower which was a striking blue.

Flavia leading the way.

An underwater plant that looked like coniferous branches.

Very pretty lake scene where gulls and ducks were active

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We got back into Flavia's vehicle and she drove us up to another hiking area further up the mountain to over 14,000 feet.  I was a bit headachey but not bad. We took in the views and I began to take a multitude of photos because the terrain and flora are so incredibly different looking.  The ground high up in the Andes is like a sponge of beautiful organisms growing, breathing, and collecting water.

The ground is a green sponge of tiny growing plants.

  This is where Cuenca gets its drinking water.  The water collects in the ground and then when saturated it expels the water into tiny rivulets which make their way down to the Tomebamba River which runs through Cuenca.  

Tiny rivulet making its way to Tomebamba River.

Half of the water collected in the Andes Highlands runs towards the Pacific and the other half runs towards the Equatorian Amazon Rainforest.  The Andes Highlands rains or spits constantly and you may be in a wet blanket of a cloud.  At higher altitudes of 15,000 plus then it would be snow.

It was 12 degrees in the Andes Highlands that day.

Rain in the distance.

The cloud mist moves in and out continuously and provides water for the highlands.

Beautiful ground cover.

Interesting looking tree life.

Tree fungus.

There are no seasons on the equator and Ecuador is the closest country to the sun due to its elevation.  Ecuador grows food year-round and Flavia's favourite fruits are available year-round, This is an interesting concept that I have never realized before.  Flavia did an educational exchange to Maryland when she was a teenager and was able to compare South America to North America in conversation and she was a very interesting young lady.

A tiny Lupin variety.

White blooms.

The wildflowers were beautiful tiny specimens of plants that I am familiar with.  The trees were very unfamiliar to me and come from one species and they are the only tree to grow at these altitudes.

Dainty and tiny Balloon Flowers.

This is the national flower of Ecuador.

A very hardy fern variety.

Colorful yellow moss.

Another glacial lake.

Flavia and Darren look at the only grass that grows in the Andean Highlands.

We begrudgingly finished our hike but then the rains were starting to come.  We had good luck with the weather because we both sent our rain jackets home with Daxtin.  

We drove 15 minutes down the mountain to a lovely homey restaurant with gorgeous views and had one of the best soups I have tasted.  It was an Ecuadorian special of potato soup with squeaky cheese and avocado and a lovely filet of trout with salad.  A shotglass full of cane-sugar alcohol which you poured into your tea was very strong and tasty.

View from the restaurant before the clouds moved in.

After the clouds rolled in.

This soup was delicious.

It was a wonderful experience to hike in the Andes and I would love to do it again.