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This mountain is one
of the most beautiful to ever be seen, and one of the
highest in the world; it can be considered one of the
eternal monuments with which Nature has marked the great
divisions of the globe.
Alexander von
Humboldt, 1802.
Etymology:
Cayambe in the quitus language means "Origin of
the youngless" (CAY: boy; BE: water, origin of
the life).
Cayambe, a massive extinct volcano, is
located about 65 km northeast of Quito and is both
Ecuador's third highest peak and the third highest peak
in the Americas North of the equator. It has the
distinction of being the highest point on the earth's
surface through which the equator directly passes.
Suggested itinerary:
| Day
1. |
Departure
from Quito. We will reach the Cayambe's village
which lies just below the mountain. From here we
will take a dirt road that will lead us to
Hacienda Piemonte and will go into the
Cayambe-Coca Natural Reserve. Later on we will be
up in the Quebrada de los Mirlos where we will
have our lunch and then hike up to the Bergé,
Ruales, Oleas Refuge (4,650 m - 15,257 ft).
Dinner will be served, and a brief explanation
about what we will do the next day will be given
by our guides. |
| Day
2. |
After
midnight breakfast, we will prepare to leave the
refuge. The standard route to the summit, which
weaves around crevasses in the glacier, takes
about six hours. Once on the summit, on a clear
day we will be able to see most of the peaks over
5,000 m (16,405 ft) in Ecuador plus the Amazon
basin. The descent to the refuge takes about
three hours, and in the afternoon we will be back
in Quito. |
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Climbing in Ecuador: Cayambe 