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A WORLD APART
The mountain is an extinct Volcano,
having a crater in the form of a horse-shoe (larger than
that of Cotopaxi), open towards the west; with an
irregular rim, carrying some of the finest rock peaks in
Ecuador ... The walls of the cirque are exceedingly
rugged, with much snow, and the floor is occupied by a
glacier, which is largely fed by falls from
'hanging-glaciers' on the surrounding slopes and cliffs.
Edward Whimper, 1892.
Etymology:
CAPAC-URCO means 'Great Mountain', CAPAC means Hill
and URCO means mountain.
El Altar, situated at 170 km south of
Quito, is an extinct volcano which at one time was
probably higher than Cotopaxi until a huge ancient
eruption almost completely destroyed the cone, leaving a
steep-sided and jagged crater of 3 km in diameter. For
mountaneers, El Altar undoubtedly involves the most
technical climbing and has one of the longest approaches.
Suggested itinerary:
| Day
1. |
We
will depart from Quito in the morning, heading
south towards Ambato and Baños. Before reaching
Baños, we will turn towards Penipe and then head
up to a small village called Candelaria. At this
point we will walk through a rural village
towards Hacienda Releche. Here dinner will be
served, and we will spend the night. |
| Day
2. |
After
an early breakfast, mules will be packed to carry
our gear to our camping site. We will begin
walking with daypacks towards the campsite and
stop halfway for a lunch break. Dinner will be
served. |
| Day
3. |
Breakfast.
From our campsite we will hike up towards the
crater walking along a waterfall and through
brushland. When we reach the crater we will
descend to the Laguna Amarilla, where we will
have lunch before heading back to camp. Dinner
will be served. |
| Day
4. |
After
breakfast, we will head back towards the Hacienda
where our car will be waiting. Return to Baños
or Quito. |
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Trekking in Ecuador: Altar