For 5 decades, this man has harvested ice from Ecuador's tallest mountain

[nbj914]

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/media/film/Outside-at-Tribeca-The-Last-Ice-Merchant-of-Chimborazo.html

[gk1]

This reminded me of the Quechuan porters (or Chaskis, in their language) that work on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. For four days, they carry 24 kg of camping gear and tourists' bags, ascending and descending as much as 1,200 meters in a day, including one steep 900-meter ascent to an elevation of 4,115 meters (if I'm remembering correctly). Oh, and they do it all in worn-out sandals.

Apparently there is a movie about one such Chaski, though I haven't seen it: http://www.michacrafilm.com/.

[mixmastamyk → gk1]

I've seen the same in Nepal.

[OpieCunningham]

Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.

[0xbadcafebee]

I know it has nothing to do with YCombinator but I love seeing articles like this.

[rollypolly → 0xbadcafebee]

It may not be computer-related but I enjoyed reading the article.

For one thing, I learned that Quito is at an elevation of 9,500 feet.

Being at the same latitude as the Galapagos Islands, I pictured Ecuador to be more like a Caribbean nation geography-wise.

[mixmastamyk → rollypolly]

Many big cities near the equator are at elevation. The weather is more tolerable so people are attracted to the cooler spots.