Climbing The Equator

by Neville Shulman

  CLIMBING THE EQUATOR

  ADVENTURES IN THE JUNGLES AND MOUNTAINS OF ECUADOR

  NEVILLE SHULMAN

  CLIMBING THE EQUATOR

  Copyright © Neville Shulman, 2005

  Maps designed by Ron McGeary

  Photographs by Neville Shulman, Tammy Ambrose, Bruna Colombo-Otten, Esther Carmeli and Ecuadorian colleagues

  The right of Neville Shulman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Condition of Sale

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent publisher.

  Summersdale Publishers

  Ltd 46 West Street

  Chichester

  West Sussex

  PO19 1RP

  UK

  www.summersdale.com

  Printed and bound in Great Britain

  eISBN: 9780857653963

  Climbing The Equator is dedicated to all the children of South America who need our support and encouragement. All the book royalties are being donated to charities involved in caring for South American children.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  Foreword by John Blashford-Snell

  Foreword by Chris Bonington

  Chapter 1: The High Road to Ecuador

  Chapter 2: Running the Jungle

  Chapter 3: Tough Times on El Norte

  Chapter 4: The Centre of the World

  Chapter 5: The Bumpy Ride of Independence

  Chapter 6: El Sur Takes Me to the Limit

  Chapter 7: A Tale of Four Cities and a Mountain

  Chapter 8: Adventurers, Explorers, Mountaineers

  Chapter 9: The Huaoranis on the Run

  Chapter 10: More Tribes and Traditions

  Chapter 11: Cotopaxi Breaks

  Chapter 12: More Mountains to Climb

  Chapter 13: There’s a Jungle Out There

  Chapter 14: The Mountain in the Jungle

  Chapter 15: Flora at the Equator

  Chapter 16: Creatures Great and Small

  Chapter 17: Galapagos Stories

  Chapter 18: The World’s Tallest Mountain

  Chapter 19: Hidden in the Forest

  Appendix 1: Lucky Thirteen

  Appendix 2: El Niño

  Appendix 3: Protecting the Future

  Appendix 4: Ecuador’s Mountains

  Bibliography

  Plate Section

  FOREWORD BY JOHN

  BLASHFORD-SNELL

  Colonel John Blashford-Snell, explorer and writer, known as the ‘Indiana Jones of Britain’, is the Chairman of the Scientific Exploration Society and has led many expeditions including those of the Blue Nile, Zaire rivers, Kota Mama and British Trans-Americas.

  Although I have led expeditions in much of South America and explored some of its remotest regions, it is to my great regret that I have never been to Ecuador. However, I hope to remedy this very soon, and then will certainly have Neville Shulman’s book to hand.

  Having known the author for many years, I admire his enquiring mind and the intelligent way in which he has described this meeting place of the high Sierra, the Amazon rainforest and the fertile Pacific coastal plains, above which towers the snow-covered peak of Mount Chimborazo.

  Neville provides a vivid description of the extraordinary wildlife and particularly the fascinating birds. He gives thrilling accounts of his climbs to the high altitude summits of the Andes, facing many dangers and braving challenging, uncertain conditions.

  Neville’s books are always a great read and this is certainly no exception. He also vividly describes the background and history of Ecuador and we experience the problems of the many indigenous tribes and feel for them, as he obviously does.

  Ecuador is a country full of spectacular contrasts and diversity and there are interesting facts and information in every chapter. The author’s thought-provoking approach provides us with many insights and opportunities to evaluate the way we think about the rainforest and its inhabitants, whether human, animal or the huge variety of reptiles and insects to be found there. The Galapagos Archipelago is an incredible and special place, full of magical creatures and habitats, and throughout Neville’s expedition we encounter enchantment as we accompany him on his colourful journeys. This is an entertaining book with plenty of surprises.

  FOREWORD BY CHRIS BONINGTON

  Sir Chris Bonington is internationally acknowledged as one of the world’s finest mountaineers and is a prolific writer and photojournalist. He has led expeditions throughout the world and was with Colonel Blashford-Snell on the Blue Nile expedition.

  This is another intriguing and fascinating book, this time on Ecuador, by Neville Shulman, who as always excels in telling the stories of his adventures and at the same time providing in-depth information and background on the region visited. His approach is from many perspectives and is imaginative and appealing. I have climbed Sangay, the most active of Ecuador’s volcanic mountains, and know full well the dangers and difficulties that can be encountered in this small but very attractive South American country. Neville’s own mountain struggles clearly illustrate the powerful forces to be encountered and he nobly experiences both failure and success, but feels privileged, as we all do, to be able to climb these high altitude mountains.

  This evocative book explores the whole panorama of jungles and rainforests, as well as their indigenous tribes and colourful animals, and their extensive and exotic bird life. Ecuador, like Peru, was the land of the mysterious Incas and of course includes the Galapagos Islands which contain so many extraordinary creatures, such as the giant tortoise and marine and land iguanas, that so greatly influenced the naturalist and writer Charles Darwin. Neville Shulman’s book provides compelling insights into the backgrounds of all the animals, birds and marine life of the Galapagos, and it is enthralling stuff.

  CHAPTER 1

  THE HIGH ROAD TO ECUADOR

  The snowstorm swirls furiously around me, its thick flakes dazzling and blinding me from seeing a way ahead as well as preventing me from finding any way back. I feel trapped and isolated, as I lie exposed at full stretch across an unrelenting rock face, which is becoming more slippery and coated in wet ice with every passing moment. Luis is shouting something across to me but whatever he is saying is all too easily swept away by the force of the wind, whipping ferociously around me and threatening to loosen my grip on the one jutting stone on which my safety seems to depend. I strive hard to hear some of his words, not even being certain whether they are spoken in English or Spanish, although I suppose them to be probably a mixture of the two. I try to understand the meaning of the muffled sounds, guessing at the instructions that he is trying to convey; ‘jump, va, rápido, let go, forward, ahora.’ Am I really hearing Luis’s shouts, or merely imagining something fashioned out of the noises created by the frenzied wildness of the wind?

  Whatever his words are I know it has to be my choice. I can’t remain as I am for much longer and it is time for a fast – and urgent – decision. I need to go for it, somehow, some way. I remember the Russian proverb I have carried as a mantra on many mountains before, ‘Doveryai no proveryai’ – ‘Trust but verify’. There’s no chance of that now. Here I will have to trust without knowing. I prepare myself mentally to let go and to slide forward, hoping to find another secure hold to prevent myself falling further down the rocks. How many times in the past have
I experienced moments such as this and how many more would there be to encounter on these high Ecuadorian mountains? This now - or - never moment feels as if it has locked me into its own space. High up on a mountain the thin atmosphere can play very strange tricks on the mind. Time has no real meaning in the ordinary sense and can stretch in any direction, creating its own dimension. My body is refusing to let me move and my mind starts to flash backwards.

  I am again feeling the call of the wild, and it is time to plan a journey to another remote part of the world. Many friends working for charities I’ve supported in the past are also asking when and where I will go next, and if I would consider fundraising for them. It’s the extra spur I need. But where should I go?

  As always, needing some inspiration, I begin by looking through my maps and atlases, searching for a place, a name even, which will pull me in a certain direction and help me to decide. I always strive to find a unique corner of the world, some intriguing spot in which to attempt another challenge that might again persuade friends and colleagues to support my efforts, whilst also providing me with opportunities to expand my understanding and gain some personal insights. I always cover the cost of the entire expedition myself, so at least they can be confident that the entirety of any donations will go directly to the particular charity, and that has usually encouraged them to give more. Having already climbed a number of mountains on several continents, trekked through many remote jungles and rainforests and even travelled to the Arctic and Antarctic Poles, finding a fresh challenge that is equally inspiring won’t be easy.

  I spend a great deal of time considering possibilities but it is proving very difficult to come up with something really interesting, hopefully spectacular and worthy of supporting. I even consider re-visiting Mont Blanc, my first major conquest, and adding on some other Alpine peaks. I can’t work up enough enthusiasm for that as an expedition formula however, as I need each adventure to be unique and individual.

  Browsing through my collections of antiques and artefacts gathered from so many different parts of the world, I come across a small Incan musical instrument. It is a simple, coloured, clay carving in the shape of a seated musician playing his pipes, with two tiny holes, one on the back and one in the base, used jointly to obtain a breathy, low - pitched single note. Or at least that’s all I have ever managed to create from it. Probably the Incan musician to whom it had originally belonged had been able to produce some wonderfully melodic sounds from it. Holding this tiny, beautiful object created over 500 years ago, I start to feel that it holds the key to deciding my next expedition destination. The Incas were a mystical race who mysteriously vanished, shortly after being vanquished by the invading Spanish in the sixteenth century. Theirs is an intriguing story and their legacies still influence the contemporary peoples of their regions in so many ways. Many of them undoubtedly carry Incan blood and it’s easy to see that some still have their facial characteristics.

  The two countries of the ancient Incas were Peru and Ecuador and from previous travels through both of them I know that they are saturated with interesting places that would provide numerous opportunities for further exploration. My further research however, reveals Ecuador in particular to have some special and appealing features.

  Of particular significance to me is the fact that Ecuador is home to a beautiful, challenging and very high mountain, Chimborazo. Chimborazo is, in fact, considered to be ‘the tallest’ in the world, due to its location on the ‘bulge’ that occurs on the earth’s surface around the equator and runs through the centre of Ecuador.

  Of further interest to me in Ecuador are the remote and fabled Pacific islands known as the Galapagos Archipelago. These islands contain many endemic and amazing creatures that were the primary influence on Charles Darwin in creating his evolutionary theory of natural selection. Darwin, the noted naturalist, geographer and philosopher is one of a handful of men who have always been an inspiration to me and it has been a lifelong ambition of mine to follow in his footsteps to the Galapagos Islands. This decides it. Ecuador will be my own ‘natural selection’, the destination of my next expedition. During my travels through this tiny country, my prime goals will be attempting to scale the ‘tallest’ mountain, Chimborazo, and encountering the descendants of some of the creatures that inspired Darwin all those years ago.

  I immediately start to commit myself mentally and physically to the expedition, announcing my intentions to my friends, training hard, making my plans and research as well as selecting the charities for which I will fundraise this time. As with my previous expeditions, I always find it important before going to learn more about the country of my choice, its history and background, its different peoples and the habitats of the creatures I hope to encounter. I now start to feel the surge of adrenalin and emotion that I always experience before any expedition, the contemplation of the unknown, and of who and what I might expect to discover.

  The sub-continent of South America consists of some 12 countries of extraordinarily diverse cultures, backgrounds and ways of life. I have been exceptionally fortunate to travel in and through most of these fascinating countries and experience their enchantments first hand. The whole region is very exciting and full of wonderful sights, interesting sounds and strong flavours. Ecuador, although one of South America’s smallest countries is, for a number of reasons which I will endeavour to make apparent, one of the most magical and in many ways epitomises all that is so interesting and special about this vibrant continent. At the same time Ecuador sadly also symbolises the many economical and sociological difficulties of South America. This has primarily occurred as a result of successive, sometimes corrupt, governments giving insufficient attention to the nurturing of the magnificent flora and fauna with which this country has been so richly blessed.

  Ecuador has it all: wild and impenetrable jungles and rainforests, high Andean, snow-capped mountains, wide curving valleys, sweeping rivers, indigenous tribes of countless cultures and traditions, and so many exotic creatures and flora that provide an illustration of the vast spectrum of Nature’s gifts. We can consider Ecuador as a microcosm of the whole world, as a way of examining the immense problems created by so many generations failing to address extensive global warming and its myriad consequences. In its continuing misuse and reckless over-exploitation of its land and natural resources, Ecuador has inherited many of the environmental problems which so many countries need to address in order to attempt to overcome the enormous and continuing dangers that lie ahead for all of us. A Zen question expresses the predicament that we all find so difficult to resolve. ‘Who can untangle the tangle of this world?’ Who indeed, but certainly we must all try.

  Although Charles Darwin only visited the Galapagos once, for an intensive five weeks in September 1835, his amazing encounters and experiences there allowed him to prepare and publish his ground-breaking theories on evolution, and in so doing turn many previous theories upside down. I believe that upside down is often a good way, and it is particularly a Zen way, to approach and consider anything. As Roald Dahl, the famous writer, stated, ‘A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest of men and women.’ Ecuador is full of nonsenses and surprises and is certainly a place to inspire contemplation about the nature of life. This book endeavours to express the knowledge and impressions – as imperfect and painfully acquired as they were – of my Ecuadorian travels and adventures.

  An important caveat is always to remember that Ecuador is a country of mañana, where something will often only take place tomorrow or indeed very many days later. If you can, take your time – it’s not a place to hurry through but one in which to linger and slowly and gently enjoy its many delights. Moreover, everything may not be as it first seems, and Ecuador is certainly a country of contrasts and contradictions. Not least, it is important to remember that there are several spellings of the indigenous names and also a number of confusing interpretations of their meanings. There are also often differing calculations of the heights
of some of its mountains, as well as the distances between places, even the area measurements of the National Parks. The Ecuadorians are not at all fazed by this and hopefully you won’t be either. It’s always a matter of trying to feel and understand the soul and spirit of this gorgeous country.

  The heart of the country actually relates back to many of the indigenous tribal traditions, established well before even the Incas invaded and certainly long before the Spanish conquistadors were on the scene. Unfortunately the rights of these indigenous tribes have been abused over many centuries and this has stirred enmities and suspicions that remain to the present day. A number of those who came seeking New World riches found in Ecuador a country whose people were all too easy to exploit and whose traditional ways they could ignore or reject without any recourse. Or so they thought. These indigenous tribes, previously known erroneously as ‘Indian’ by those invading their territories, have primarily lived within the jungle and the rainforest and they know and respect its mysterious habitats as well as the wild animals and creatures they contain. Any further use of ‘Indian’ other than the proper term ‘indigenous tribe’ has been restricted and has only been used where considered necessary in the context.

  Unfortunately, commercial interests have for far too long now been allowed to take precedence and to dictate how the land should be used, so indeed it is often misused. We all should care about the past, as it helps to shape the future. The often oppressive and uncaring intrusion by loggers, prospectors and so many others into the rainforest causes immense damage.

  Climbing in the mountains should allow me time for contemplation, for reflection, and I hope to learn a great deal. I can only hope the spirit of the indigenous peoples of Ecuador will always be present during my expedition and help to guide me through the dangers that I will face.