{"id":6422,"date":"2025-11-24T09:43:45","date_gmt":"2025-11-24T09:43:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.topsummitsoftheworld.com\/cima-30-gaizinkalns\/"},"modified":"2025-11-24T10:21:23","modified_gmt":"2025-11-24T10:21:23","slug":"summit-30-gaizinkalns","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.topsummitsoftheworld.com\/en\/summits\/summit-30-gaizinkalns\/","title":{"rendered":"Summit n\u00ba30: Gaizinkalns"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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SUMMITS<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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SUMMIT N\u00ba 30: Gaizinkalns (Latvia)<\/b><\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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LATVIA<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Gaizinkalns <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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09\/11\/2025<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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ALTITUDE<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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312m<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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ANNA CAPDEVILA AND ANDREU L\u00d3PEZ<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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DIFFICULTY LEVEL\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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LOW<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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CHRONICLE<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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It’s Friday, and the air is thick with the sounds of the airport and the anticipation of a getaway. My flight departs at 2:00 PM from Terminal 2 at El Prat Airport, so I have a couple of hours to spare before heading there. In just over a month and a half, I’ll be off to Latin America to attempt the ascent of Aconcagua in Argentina, as well as Ojos del Salado in Chile. I’ve already done an hour on the stationary bike, which, along with the hypoxia machine, allows me to simulate altitudes of up to 6,500 meters and will help with acclimatization. But now’s not the time to talk about Argentina or Chile; it’s Latvia’s turn, the chosen destination, along with the “rookie” (in this project) Anna Capdevila.<\/p>

Anna Capdevila and I met on a mountain hike, and since then she’s become one of my closest and most sacred friends, so we walk this path together. She’s been dealing with a very difficult situation on a personal level for the past few months, and I was so happy when she told me last August that she wanted to do a Top Summits climb. And since I’m a highly receptive and empathetic person when it comes to travel, here we are… waiting for the 3-hour and 40-minute Air Baltic flight to Riga, the capital of Latvia.<\/p>

Latvia is located in the Baltic Region and borders Estonia to the north, Lithuania and Belarus to the south, and Russia to the east, as well as sharing a maritime border with Sweden. It became an independent country in 1991, coinciding with a democratic movement in the Baltic states and the subsequent dissolution of the USSR (ending 45 years of a socialist republic). The Latvian population totals approximately 1.9 million people, and its capital, Riga, has just over 600,000 inhabitants.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\u00a0<\/p>

Although the Air Baltic flight from Barcelona to Riga covers a distance of over 2,500 kilometers, time flies by (literally). Anna is someone who takes great care of the people and communities around her and makes everyone’s experience better, including the Barcelona-Riga flight, by bringing a crossword puzzle magazine and some sweets for when we get stuck and can’t find the solution.<\/p>

Riga airport isn’t very big, and it’s not too difficult to find the Europcar offices, the car rental company for the project. Anna will be driving. I don’t like to drive, but she does, so our travel partnership begins with understanding and a well-complemented team.<\/p>

The Wellton Riverside SPA Hotel boasts a prime location on the banks of the Daugava River, which flows for 1,020 kilometers before emptying into the Gulf of Riga, just over 15 kilometers past the city center of Riga. We are also situated next to Riga’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.<\/p>

We left our luggage in our room and immediately headed to Riga’s historic center to explore the local cuisine. With a good nose for good food, we chose a restaurant with tasteful decor, friendly staff, and expertly prepared dishes.<\/p>

After a brief stroll through the city, we took the next step in our culinary exploration, eventually arriving at the 26th floor of the Radisson Hotel. From the Skyline Bar, we enjoyed one of the best views of the city. I opted for a cocktail of rum, kiwi, watermelon, and melon, a daring choice that turned out to be a resounding success.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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We won’t linger too long, since on this express Baltic getaway we’ll be living in accordance with the few hours of daylight\u2014”sunlight” in quotes, since we won’t see it at all during the trip. The sun rises in Latvia at this time of year, when we’re traveling, at 7:30 a.m. and sets at 4:30 p.m., given our fairly northerly latitude. So, the first hour of those two times will mark when we need to be up and about, and the second will act as the limit for our urban exploration. In short, we’re going to sleep impatient and eager to discover this beautiful city, which has given us such a promising start.<\/p>

At 7:30 a.m., we’re awakened by the light filtering through the curtains, confirming that the blinds still have many territories to conquer. Anna has planned the trip meticulously, and we have a “roadmap” with the city’s main points of interest. We began by braving the frigid Baltic temperatures and heading to Riga’s Central Market, which, with its more than 72,000 square meters and over 3,000 stalls, is the largest covered market in Europe. And within those 72,000 square meters, we were resourceful enough to find food and breakfast, since we hadn’t managed to do so at the hotel.<\/p>

The proximity to the Baltic Sea meant a constant breeze, making the wind chill feel very low. However, one must remain positive, and the low temperatures of a Baltic November meant there were few tourists on the streets, allowing for a peaceful and refreshing visit to the city.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Leaving the market, with its stark, austere, very Soviet-style architecture, we followed the course of the Daugava River, crossing the main bridge and leaving the historic center behind us. Before us stood the spectacular and modern Riga National Library, housing over 4 million books and offering panoramic views of Riga’s historic center, weather permitting.<\/p>

We continued on until we reached the Riga Ferris Wheel, an imposing and massive structure where, to be sure, there were zero tourists\u2014fog and Ferris wheels simply don’t mix. We missed the Ferris wheel, but instead encountered a surprise: a pink building with striking blue domes appeared before us\u2014none other than the Orthodox Trinity Church. After visiting so many countries, I can confirm that I like the style of Orthodox churches.<\/p>

We retrace our steps and cross the bridge again, intending to visit Riga Castle. However, I’m not sufficiently prepared for this endeavor, nor is my presence intimidating enough for the guard to grant me access (to put it more bluntly, Riga Castle is not open to the public). This isn’t a problem, though, as Riga’s historic center is a constant spectacle of beauty. In a short time, the following highly recommended sights pass before our eyes:<\/p>