By Jan Smolaga
It was demanding and rewarding! I was part of the first group to take on the new Ecuador Volcano Trek itinerary, so there were plenty of surprises along the way. This 11-day itinerary explores Ecuador’s “Avenue of the Volcanoes,” a stunning valley south of Quito with some of the world’s tallest active volcanoes. The equator runs through this region, including the slopes of our final summit, Cayambe, the only place on the equator with snow (nice little factoid!).
Our team on Cotopaxi – note the plume of gas from the erupting summit
We landed late evening in Quito. After some rest, it was an early start for a packed day. We met the local crew who would support us over the next 6 days of mountain climbing and trekking, with the chance to hire technical gear like crampons, mountain boots, and harnesses. Then, it was out to explore Quito and adjust to the high altitude of 2,850m. We visited the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo (“city at the middle of the world”) and the equatorial line, then the Colonial Quarter, before transferring to the next day’s trekking location – the Quilotoa Lagoon.
Quilotoa Lagoon
Pictures don’t do this lagoon justice. It is one of the most scenic places I’ve visited and a great introduction to the volcanic trekking to come. Trekking in a loop around the lagoon, we enjoyed views of the turquoise waters and some challenging steep ascents! There was a well-earned plate of food (and bottle of something cold & fizzy) waiting at the end, before we transferred to our Hacienda accommodation, home for the next 5 nights.
This was a pleasant surprise, and for anyone who has taken on a climb like Kilimanjaro or the Everest Base Camp Trek, the quality of the accommodation is a huge step forward. You get your own room, comfortable bed, and a little log burner to help you stay warm (and dry off boots and clothes) each night. They even have a hot tub, sauna, TV with Netflix, and plenty of board games – so each evening the team was able to relax after a hard day of trekking. Of course, we all told ourselves that this was important for the acclimatisation process, but in reality, we were all just glad to not be in tents!
Next day, we visited the second volcano – Pasachoa. This is an extinct volcano known for its excellent views of Cotopaxi and the surrounding peaks – although the day we summited it was very cloudy, so we didn’t quite get the spectacular vistas. The hike took about 3-5 hours, and we were rewarded with sightings of the famous Andean condor and a little bit of Ecuadorian drizzle.
Next up was Rumiñahui, a long-extinct volcano in Cotopaxi National Park. This gave us our first proper views of Cotopaxi, which was erupting at the time. The constant plume of gas from the top was a reminder that we were in volcano country (and there were more reminders to come…). We started up Ruminahui with blue skies and sunshine, but by the time we neared the top, the skies opened with hailstones and rain, so we made a very hasty descent back to the warm bus, and on to the warm welcome of the Hacienda.
Unexpected hailstorm on Ruminahui
Day 6 was one of the most fun days, and the first time things began to step up in terms of technical skills and difficulty. We tried out technical gear for the first time, using rope & harness, mountain boots, crampons, and ice axes. This was a key day, learning skills like self-arrest and glacier movements. It was the highest day so far, taking us up to the Cotopaxi hut and beyond to the glacier line at around 5,000m. We definitely felt the thinner air, and I was blowing hard on the way up to the glacier, with the extra weight of the technical gear!
Training for self-arrest
That evening, as I was drifting off to sleep, I felt someone or something rocking my bed and knocking things over. I initially thought it might be some kind of Ecuadorian spook, or a wayward drunk come in to the wrong room, but seconds later my phone pinged with an alert. “Phew,” I thought, “just an earthquake“. This was only a “small one” according to our local crew, 4.8 on the Richter scale, yet a reminder that we were well truly in the avenue of the volcanoes!
The next day was all about gaining more altitude on Illinizas Norte. This challenging climb took us up to 5,126 meters, with spectacular views of the surrounding peaks.
After a final night at the Hacienda, it was a more relaxed day. In the morning, we gathered our gear, packed a bag for the Cayambe hut, and left the rest to be transferred to Quito. We drove to Cayambe town, stopping for a huge lunch. Knowing we would be pushing ourselves on the summit that night, I enjoyed a steak and a cheeseburger. We then jumped into 4×4 vehicles to transfer up a rough mountain track to the Cayambe hut.
Arriving at Cayambe Hut
After dinner and a briefing, we were split into our summit groups. We had 2 clients and a guide on each rope team, meaning we had to work together in threes to make it to the top. This required good communication and coordination – if one person needed to stop and rest, everyone in the rope team did.
We managed a few hours of sleep, before gathering in the hut for warm drinks and light snacks. While we waited, the group perused the map on the wall. The consensus was that once we got past the initial steep slope and onto the plateau shown on the map, we’d be on the home straight. This did not turn out to be the case.
DO NOT BELIEVE THIS MAP
Then it was off to the top. The initial climb from the hut is a scramble over rocks, gaining altitude quickly before reaching the glacier line. Here we switched to mountain boots and crampons, then got harnessed up into our rope teams. It was still dark, so we couldn’t see the ice fields, but we saw the lights of Cayambe town far below.
The initial scramble from the hut
From then on, it was a tough slog up the glacier. Having climbed Kilimanjaro before, this was a significant step up in difficulty. The gradient was much steeper, and walking on a glacier rather than loose scree was challenging. Moving up a steep incline with heavy boots and crampons takes some getting used to, but once we hit a rhythm, we made good progress.
The team climbing the glacier, with Cayambe town far below
Our team had mixed abilities, so over the next few hours, we spread out on the mountain. After a few stops for water and snacks, I changed rope teams as my partner began to feel unwell from the altitude (although he made a speedy recovery!). I ended up with the team medic and lead guide, both very fit and very fast climbers – so it began to feel like a sprint up the mountain. I was gassed! The relief was immense when we caught up to another group, and I switched to a more moderately paced rope team.
As the sun began to rise, I was looking forward to the incline easing up. I asked one of the guides when we would hit the coveted plateau shown on the map. He laughed and said “There is no plateau”, only a part that is slightly less steep than all the other steep parts. And, we’d already climbed it. The map lied.
NOT PICTURED: Plateau
That last approach was one of the most challenging hours of my life! We cut a path through some crevasses, marked out with red flags, with some faster climbers passing us on their way back down. The snow eased up, giving better views, and the sense of being close gave a final boost. At the 5,790m summit, we shared hugs, attempted to take pictures with cold fingers, then descended.
On the way down, the clouds parted, and the views were incredible. Although I didn’t spend too long taking them in, as we were walking down a very steep glacier and I didn’t fancy taking a terminal shortcut.
After reaching the hut, there was time for a quick nap, some snacks and drinks, before transferring back to Quito. That evening we had a slap-up dinner (and some drinks) to celebrate summiting Cayambe.
I would strongly recommend this challenge to anyone who has taken on a trekking peak like Kilimanjaro or an altitude trek such as Everest Base Camp and wants to go for something more technical. Cayambe is 200m shorter than Kilimanjaro, but I’d rate it as 40% more challenging – yet it’s well worth it!
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