The 7 Summits Club group "Kalya Nulya" held a training session on snow-covered terrain on the slopes of Mount Cotopaxi

January 8th. Greetings from Ecuador, from the "Kalya Zero" group, from an altitude of 3,700 meters on the slopes of Cotopaxi!

Today we had snow and ice training on the Cotopaxi Glacier. We took jeeps to 4,500 meters, then hiked up to the Jose Ribas refuge at 4,800 meters. From there, we reached the glacier at 5,000 meters. There, on a comfortable snow slope, we walked in ropes and crampons, and briefly learned how to self-arrest with an ice axe.

We were hurtling downhill as it started to hail. By 5 PM, we returned to our cozy hotel with fireplaces and canelasa. We had a total blast. Tomorrow is a rest day—we plan to go horseback riding. After lunch, we'll climb up to the refuge and set out for the summit that same night.

Lyudmila Korobeshko, the 7 Summits Club guide in Ecuador, was on the line.