Cotacachi Volcano History | Ecuventure
Climbing stories

Travels amongst the Great Andes of the Equator, Edward Whymper

Whymper: The Cotacachi from Caranqui

Whymper: The Cotacachi from Caranqui

From studying Cotocachi at a distance, it had been settled to make an ascent from the south or south-west. When sweeping the horizon on the top of the Pointe Jarrin, I found that it was much the most elevated and the only snow-clad mountain in the north of Ecuador, and had determined that the more southern of its two peaks was the loftier. The Chief of the Staff, on the contrary, maintained that the northern was the higher point. I overruled him, for on the cross-wire of the theodolite, when we were nearly on a level with the top of Cotocachi, there was a marked, though small, difference between the two peaks in favour of the southern one…

We crossed this natural bridge, and then steered north-north-west to Iltaqui (10,049 feet)—a very diminutive hacienda and the highest house upon the mountain—which was in charge of one old Indian…

After leaving Iltaqui, we were guided by the Indian up a small valley leading towards what may be termed the southern ridge of Cotocachi, and when this was struck turned sharply to the right, towards the summit. Cracks and fissures in the crest of this ridge again suggested that settlements were occurring. Our guide led well, and got us soon after mid-day up to the foot of the final peak, and more than 14,000 feet above the level of the sea. The ground then became too rugged for the mules, and we halted to consider.

From this direction, Cotocachi appears pyramidal rather than conical; and has a face on the east (fronting the basin of Imbabura) that is precipitous; and another less abrupt one on the west, largely covered with snow. This was to be our way; and catching sight of a small bit of flat ground a little higher, in the right direction, all hands set to work carrying baggage to it. The second trip upwards was being made when a transformation scene occurred. A clear sky became overclouded, the mountain was lost in mist; and, after the usual succession of rain, hail and sleet, a furious fall of snow took place, which rendered the air so thick that, although only a few yards apart, we could not see each other. The whole of the natives dropped their loads and fled, while Verity and the Carrels stuck to their work, and laboured to place the tent amid driving showers of snow, circling in a veritable tourmente. The gusts filled the tent and defied their efforts to install it. The wind tossed us about like playthings—neither the long arms of Louis nor the strong ones of Verity and JeanAntoine availed anything. The whirling snow mocked our efforts, and for the only occasion on this journey we found it impossible to erect our habitation properly.

The tents taken to Ecuador, in general style, resembled that which is described in Serambles amongst the Alps. The four poles, however, were divided. Their upper halves were fixtures, and when the lower ones were withdrawn the tents could be folded, and made into packages of convenient size for mule-travelling. The wood was varnished to hinder it absorbing moisture; but on this northern journey some of my people thought to do a clever thing and scraped the poles to make them run in more easily, and thus made matters worse instead of better. The wood swelled, and did not slide in as freely as before; and in the hurry of the occasion some of the canvas became puckered, and prevented one of the lower halves from entering its socket. We struggled in vain to rectify it; and, when the tent was at last pitched, one or another had, for the next fourteen hours, to support the faulty corner to save the structure from collapsing.

In the morning six inches of new snow was lying around, and the mountain was loaded with it. Shall we proceed? If this had been dry, powdery snow I should have declined. There is no objection, beyond the labour involved, to traversing new-fallen snow upon mountain-slopes provided it will cohere, and adhere. Particles of granular snow coalesce slowly; and in cold weather, particularly, several days may elapse before they will bind. Happily, we never saw snow of this description in Ecuador, although it's common in most high regions. Our snow was generally wct. It may have been the product of intense cold; but, falling through atmosphere with temperatures considerably above the freezing-point, it arrived upon the ground in a thawing condition, and had not the tendency to slip upon slopes, which is a characteristic of the granular state.

We therefore proceeded, after a preliminary inspection, and at 11.35 a.m., on the 24th of April, stood on the very highest point of Cotocachi. One hundred and ninety minutes were occupied in going from the camp (14,490 feet) to the summit (16,301 feet), and we consequently ascended 571 feet per hour, a rate much inferior to that attained on Antisana and Cayambe, which is to be attributed to the caution employed to avoid disturbance of the snow, and to the greater steepness of the ground. I noticed that 657 steps were made without stopping, when between 15,000-16,000 feet high; and this compares favourably with the experiences of many practised mountaineers at a similar elevation (pressure) upon Mont Blanc . Though it must be admitted that the steps were short ones (as we were quite unable to do anything approaching this during the earlier part of the journey), there is reason to believe that we had, in the course of the last four months, become somewhat habituated to low pressures.

The true summit of Cotocachi is a pointed peak of lava, broken up by frost, extremely steep at the finish, and upon that account bearing little snow. I estimate it to be 150 to 180 feet higher than the northern, or second summit. This mountain is probably the eleventh in rank of the Great Andes of the Equator. Tradition says that it was in eruption some centuries ago, and it's not unlikely that a crater lies buried beneath the glacier which at present occupies the depression between its two peaks.

Other opened routes
Highest Summit (Southern): Edmundo Pazmiño, Aníbal Sánchez, José Sándoval, and the Colombian Horacio López Uribe1948

* Cover painting: "Nevado Cotacachi Ecuador", Tarquino Mejía

Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological ReserveIbarra