Every breath came out as steamy frost as I panted with the effort to breathe at an altitude of 12,000 feet in the Andes Mountains of Ecuador. Passenger jets traveled between cities at lower altitudes than this. The few birds at this height included the Andean Condor, with its nearly 12-foot wingspan, that is strong enough to carry off a dog or small child. Im not in bad shape physically, but the effort here made me look like I was just finishing an Olympic marathon. Mist hung so heavily over the lake that when I cast, I saw nothing. Only a faint splash told me my Mepps had hit the water. My stiffened hands began an erratic retrieve. My guide and I chatted in an undertone like two errant school boys waiting outside the Principals office. My wife Doris huddled nearby jigging her Mepps spinner more to stay active and keep warm than to fish.

Were not going to use a boat, I asked our guide.

Not a good idea, he responded. The waters too cold.

You could just make out the dark bill of his baseball cap and the dark sleeves of his jacket through the mist. The frost from his breath as he spoke was noticeable too.

Would it help to use a fiberglass boat? I quietly shot back, steamy blasts of frosty breath punctuating my every syllable.

There was a guy who fell in two summers ago, he continued. They got him out fast but he died from exposure from the cold water anyway. There was no way to save him from up here.

Oh Thoughts of canoeing out onto the calm but chilly grey surface evaporated from my mind.

There was no time to think of anything else. My collapsible rod was dancing a jig in my stiff-from-the-cold hands despite the colorful, heavy mittens I wore. I had my first high mountain Rainbow Trout. It was a real beauty just like the scenery that surrounded the three of us.

The Paramo is a protected national park wilderness area of Ecuador in the Andes mountain range that passes from north to south from Venezuela to Chile. Most of the park lies at altitudes above 10,000 feet and is accessible by special permission only. The Andes splits into three mountain ranges near the border of Ecuador and Colombia in its northward trek. Several active volcanoes also punctuate the mountain range.

Its 3000 mile plus journey is from the Patagonia area in Chile from which you can view icebergs from the Antarctic shelf, to the steamy Llanos tundra and swamps of Venezuela where the dreaded Anaconda can grow to 25 or more feet in length. Deadly Piranha and merciless crocodiles lie in wait beneath waters born from the Amazon and Orinoco River basins. But the high-altitude lakes and streams of the Paramo are clear, cold and oxygen-rich, the habitat of Trout species worldwide.

Less than a dozen people fish the Paramo area each year. Trout can grow to impressive sizes and are plentiful. Three footers are not uncommon in the deeper lakes that can go down to 300 feet or more. Theres a daily limit of twelve fish, but its rarely reached. Most fishermen stop long before the effort required to bag their limit of scrappy rainbows and other deep-water trout species. The main cause is AMS Acute Mountain Sickness that results from over-exertion at the high altitude without sufficient acclimatization. Uncontrolled it can actually kill you.

The spectacular scenery filled with top-of-the-world vistas and volcanoes like Chimborazo, Sangay and Tungurahua smoking through their snow-capped summits, unspoiled natural surroundings, water so pure people often drink it right from the lake or stream, and fishing grounds with virtually no pressure on them at all. These are but a few of the attractions the Paramo has to offer. Rugged, yes. Difficult and demanding, moderately. Worth it absolutely.