When I was hiking along a new section of the Royal Inca Road in Peru back in 2024, I mentioned to my friend Mariyana Castleberry that I was heading to Ecuador that summer. Her eyes lit up with a fire that took me by surprise.

“Are you going to Cotopaxi?” She asked me. “I am,” I replied.

Her eyes took on a dreamy look as she stated, “That is the most beautiful summit that I’ve ever stood upon.”