I am starting my third week at USFQ in Quito Ecuador and I can confidently say I have been making the most of my time here. Although studying abroad is a long time away from home, it goes by very quickly and I think it’s important to take advantage of any freetime to explore. Also, since my program includes six weeks in Quito and the remaining 10 weeks in the Galapagos, there is much less time to explore the areas I will be living in. So far we (the other students in my program and I) have been planning day trips every weekend, most of them including hikes!
As a member of the Mountaineering and Whitewater club at USC, I spend a lot of my free time at home hiking with friends as well, and it has been a treat to be able to continue this hobby during my time abroad. Located in the Andes mountain range, Quito is the second highest capital in the world, so I have gotten the opportunity to experience different hikes than those I do at home in the Appalachian mountain range.
This first hike I did here was an attempt to summit the mountain Rucu Pichincha. The hike started out with a ride of the Gondola called the Teleferico. At the top of the Gondola ride is a beautiful view of the city of Quito and the surrounding mountain range. The hike was about 3 miles to the top of the mountain, but we only made it about 3/4 of the way up. Don't underestimate the affects of altitude. The higher we got the more lightheaded and out of breath we all became. Not only this, but towards the end of the hike the trail gets very narrow and steep that one wrong step could mean serious consequences. Although we turned around before the peak, the hike was absolutely breathtaking the entire time, and I can confidently say I had never experienced anything like it before!
These pictures are from a hike I did this past weekend over Ilaló volcano. The hike was very challenging with hours of steep elevation gain and decent, but nonetheless I had an amazing time. We hiked up the volcano at the beginning and were rewarded with lunch awesome views of the surrounding mountain range once we got to the top. We then hiked along the ridge of the volcano for miles with constant views of the countryside. We even passed a couple friendly cows and saw a rainbow!
This hike was done as a field trip for my GIS class. We got the opportunity to map the hike using a GIS tracking device while sightseeing and experiencing the wildlife around out home town, Cumbaya.
There are endless benefits to hiking but here are a few I think are relevant to the study abroad experience:
A great way to meet your fellow students. Hiking is where you really get to know the people you go with since many hikes can last 5-6 hours and there is nothing to do but walk and talk!
A way to get active and challenge yourself. With all the changes experienced while abroad, staying active is an easy way to keep your mental health steady. I also find that challenging myself with others is a great bonding activity. I give all of these hikes most of the credit for how quickly I have become comfortable and friendly with my new friends here.
You get to see the native landscape of your host country. In my case, the Andes mountains are very different from any landscapes I had seen before and I always jump at the chance to experience something new.
I’m very lucky for the easy access I have here in Quito to all of these beautiful hikes, but I imagine there are opportunities in any study abroad location to walk around in the Great Outdoors. So take advantage!
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