[ Quito, Ecuador]
Happy Sunday, friends.
I returned to Quito after 8 days of memorably difficult riding along the Tres Volcanes bikepacking route. My segment peaked at just over 4000 meters, and included almost 5000 meters of vertical ascent. I camped at the base of Cotopaxi under clear skies and a full moon, and spent an amazing night with a local family in a tiny village called El Hospital. I was enchanted by the rural culture, the landscapes, and the friendly folks I met along the way.
The main reason I cut the trip short (about 230km out of 440) was a broken camera. It went on the fritz after my Cotopaxi overnight (just under 3900 m, very cold, lots of condensation), throwing an error message every time I powered it on. My guess was that it was weather-related, but the shutter mechanism stopped working reliably and the camera was almost unusable. When I DID use it, I feared I was causing permanent damage; so I took the bus back to Quito.
In the end, after visiting two authorized Sony service centers, it turned out to be a malfunctioning IBIS unit (In-Body Image Stabilization). Luckily it could be serviced and I didn’t need to order—and wait for—a new part. Total damage: $100US.
Could’ve been much worse.
Regarding the ride itself, image details are in the captions as usual.
Hope you all had a great weekend.
Be kind to yourselves, and take care of each other,
As always,
—jim
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