Despite a long sandy grind before the Rucu Pichincha summit block, we enjoyed some easy scrambling on the ascent. Things went so well, we decided to add a few more to our day. A steep descent brought us to a well defined trail leading to Ladrillos. After that, we reconnected with the main traverse trail and went up Padre Encantado. This was our first full day in Ecuador, and an excellent introduction to the terrain and elevation.