Cayambe with its 5.790 m altitude is Ecuador’s 3rd highest mountain. Due to the volcanic activity of Cotopaxi and impossibility of climbing it , Cayambe is the most popular one.
Anyway, for hitting a record, you’re better off with Cayambe as it counts with the highest snow covered point on the equator line.
Our tour:
The tour is usually scheduled for 2 days. On day one you drive up to the refuge Ruales Oleas Berge at approximately 4.700 m via a really bad dirt road. A 4-wheel-drive is an absolute must and not even all of them can make it. The refuge is compared to Cotopaxi rather small and counts with beds for more or less 25 persons. If you come late or without reservation, you might have to bring your tent!
Around midnight the ascent starts. Starting with a long and rocky, but easy route until reaching the glacier. After that it is time to put on the crampons. The ascent is quite interesting and beautiful. You start along a common glacier, afterwards you have to cross a field of penitents, before the zone with crevasses starts.
The last part is a bit steeper. But if you are lucky, the first sun rays will warm you up. In any case a poncho (even being a 1 USD thing) can make your life much more comfortable. Climbing Cayambe is often a humid and rainy tour.
On top of Cayambe:
The views are amazing and really motivating to keep going, step by step the summit a bit closer. On days like these, usually the amount of aspirants reaching the summit is quite good. No amount of money can pay for the happiness in the mountaineers’ faces after having reached the summit of Ecuador’s 3rd highest mountain.
And it’s definitely worthwhile, enjoying a nice breakfast and the views of the surrounding volcanoes before taking the same route back down to the refuge.
Check out more informatione about Ecuador and Baños or visist our website via andeansummitadventure.com.
One thought on “Climbing Cayambe (5.790 m)”