Saraurco is a peak located to the south-east of the Cayambe volcano, within the Cayambe Coca National Park. This rarely visited mountain rises on the eastern margins of the Andes mountain range, in a remote, beautiful and wild corner of moorland. Despite its small elevation of 4676m, the Saraurco still preserves some of its glaciers, which not long ago reached a level lower than 4300m, according to Stübel’s notes around 1870, something completely unprecedented for Ecuadorian geography. At present, it is possible to climb to the Highest Summit without having to walk on glacier, although it is most likely that you will get some sections of snow interspersed with small walls to climb, mostly of good rock and without major difficulties.
Category Archives: Central North Sierra
Pichincha and Cotopaxi
The Cunucyacu natural hot springs and its twin Yancayacu springs are at the foot of Iliniza Sur inside Los Ilinizas Ecological Reserve National Park. This hiking trail begins next to the hot springs stream and climbs through the sandy slopes until it reaches Laguna de los Patos at 4724m, very close to the steep rocks of the South Iliniza. The biggest attraction is the dazzling view of the South Iliniza with its sharp and ice-laden edges…
A beautiful hike through a section of the Cayambe Coca National Park, starting at the Papallacta antennas and ending at the Papallacta Hot Springs. As you follow this hiking trail through the magnificent Papallacta paramo, you will be able to contemplate beautiful views of many Andean lagoons, including Parcacocha, Anteojos and Baños; you will pass by the “Cascada Milagrosa” Waterfall and then arrive to the Cayambe Coca National Park Papallacta Access Control…
A classic hiking trail for those who want to acclimatize for any of the Ecuadorian snow-capped mountains, since the route is long and always goes above the 4000 meters. A highly recommended trail due to its proximity to Quito and its attractive landscapes…
The Antisana has four perfectly individualized peaks: the Central or Highest, the Northeast, the East and the South. The Highest Summit, frequently visited despite its tremendously broken and challenging glacier, presents the least climbing difficulty, but still offering great challenges. The South Summit is a very attractive mixed climbing peak, its difficult routes have been only once climbed, with the exception of the normal northeast route which has a greater number of conquests…
The Atacazo volcano with its 4457 meters is completely visible from the south of the Quito. It appears as extensive paramo fields that end up at the rocky peaks which line its old caldera. Few adventurers know that towards the volcano west side rise the volcanic domes of the Ninahuilca surrounded by an exhuberant cloud forest…
The Guagua Pichincha volcano had its last eruptive phase between 1999 and 2000; since then the volcanic activity has remained low, with some periods of greater or lesser intensity. The descent to the crater is restricted because of the risks that still exist, especially by volcanic gases and groundwater explosions that are unpredictable, in addition the ever present risk of falling rocks. However, when the volcanic activity is low, a few researchers and intrepid explorers continue to descend to the crater bottom…
The Lloa – Mindo trail starts to the west of Quito, southwestern area of the Guagua Pichincha Volcano. It’s an ancient trail, probably pre-Hispanic, that connected the mountains to the coast, starting from the andean town of Lloa and arriving at the Mindo jungle. At present it has become customary to hike this trail in the summer months, a single day and the shortest route ignoring the vehicular road sections…
A light hike, to enjoy the beauty of the Papallacta zone and return loaded with good energies…
Quilotoa is a beautiful volcanic crater with a lagoon of green waters inside. The volcano is in the Cotopaxi Province and has a crater of approximately 3 kilometers in diameter and the lagoon is 375 meters below the crater viewpoint, with a calculated depth of up to 250 meters. In the volcano surroundings have settled some ancestral indigenous communities, now distributed in the picturesque towns of Zumbahua, Chucchilán, Tigua, Isinlivi and Sigchos…