Ecuador Volcanoes
Climbing on the Equator

Ecuador is the smallest of the Andean countries. Sitting astride the equator it offers many distinct habitats, from high snow-capped volcanoes and Amazonian rain forest to tropical beaches and the unique Galapagos Islands. Combined, these very different landscape types create a country with one of the greatest varieties of flora and fauna on Earth. Lying at the northern extremity of the Andean Chain, much of Ecuador is at relatively high altitude, with the capital city of Quito being one of the highest capitals in the world, at 9480 feet/2890 meters. Ecuador is also one of the most volcanically active parts of the world and the country's most important mountains are all volcanoes. With its lush equatorial rain forest, together with a host of spectacular mountains, Ecuador offers almost endless possibilities for trekking and climbing. Our itinerary has our group climbing three volcanoes, each progressively higher and physically demanding. We will spend time visiting many small villages and markets along the way as well as taking an acclimatization day to practice snow skills. We have left the ascent of Cotopaxi until the end of the trip to give the group members as much time as possible to gain fitness and acclimatization. Driving northwards from Quito to the Indian village of Otavalo, we begin our trip with a straightforward ascent of the relatively modest peak of Imbaburra (15118ft.). We then turn our attention to Cayambe (18991ft.), Ecuador's third highest mountain and the third highest mountain on the North American Continent. The summit lies just inside the northern hemisphere and the highest point on the equator is just south of the summit at 15088 feet. After our ascent of Cayambe we then drive south to the Cotopaxi National Park. As final preparation for our attempt on the most challenging of our objectives - Cotopaxi (19335ft.), the highest active volcano in the world. We propose to climb Cotopaxi from the north via its "Normal Route," as this gives us the best chance of making a successful ascent. It should be noted that the prevailing snow and ice conditions on these very high volcanoes can change from year to year and from season to season. We end this ambitious trip in the spa town of Banos which is poised on the very edge of the Ecuadorian Antiplano above the vast reach of the Amazon jungle.