Keith Lockwood

Type-Two Cotopaxi Adventure

In this extract from The Gap Years, Tom French returns to Ecuador, a country he first discovered through mountaineering in his youth. Now in his 60s and several years into a personal journey of rediscovering adventure, he joins climbing partner Mark Pattison for an ascent of Cotopaxi, Ecuador’s iconic 19,300-foot volcano. What begins as a relaxed acclimatisation trip quickly becomes a race against deteriorating weather and time. From torrential storms and flooded mountain roads to a freezing ascent through the darkness, French captures both the exhilaration and suffering of high-altitude climbing, culminating in a spectacular sunrise summit and a hard-earned lesson in the meaning of Type 2 fun.