Volcan Chimborazo as seen from the Ambato-Guaranda Highway. This is the highest
mountain in Ecuador at 6310m, (20702 feet), and for climbing, is one that requires
considerable effort and climbing experience with climbing aids like ropes,
crampons, ice axes, and so on.
Our plan was to stay at the lower Carrel Refuge (4800m, 15700ft) overnight, and
do an acclimization climb to the Whymper Ridge from the upper hut, the Whymper Refugio.
Basically the plan was to acclimate to higher elevations and then spend the next
couple of days at slightly lower elevations prior to summiting Cotopaxi.
We left Quito on a bright sunny Saturday morning and drove south along the
Pan-American Highway passing the Ilinizis, and through the cities of Machachi, Latacunga, and Ambato. At
Ambato we turned west and followed the Ambato-Guaranda road up onto the paramo
along the base of Chimborazo. As with previous trips to this area the drive is
spectacular and at about the same place as before we encountered dense clouds
and rain.
Passing through this rainy area we turned south onto the road leading to the
city of Riobamba, putting the mountain on our left. This road is
also the highest road in Ecuador as it reaches elevations greater than 14500 feet.
Along the way we saw herds of Vicunas, small camel like animals that only live at
high elevations where it is cool and low in humidity.
After a while we turned into the entrance to the Chimborazo National Park and
onto the dirt road that leads to the lower Carrel Refuge. The road actually goes
directly to this hut so it was an easy way to reach the same elevation as the
climb on Guagua Pinchincha the week before.
We unloaded our sleeping bags and other gear at the Carrel refugio and then left
for a hike to the higher refugio, the Whymper Hut (5000m - 16400 feet) and then
a climb up to the Whymper Ridge.
This was a fairly easy climb, despite the higher elevations, and after about
2-3 hours we were at an elevation of 17120 feet, on the Whymper ridge. It was hard to
imagine that when Edward Whymper and his companions summited Chimborazo in the 1890's that
this ridge was under snow and along a glacier. For us it was rock and scree.
We stopped at that point on the ridge for pictures and a snack, and since it was late
in the afternoon and the Sun was setting we headed
back down to the Carrel Hut for a dinner of burritos and tea.
I turned in around 10 p.m. after some great conversations with two climbers,
from Brazil and Spain. Following a very cold and nearly sleepless night I was up,
as usual, at sunrise, and went outside for a wake-up walk along the ridge near
the hut. We had a breakfast of pancakes and pineapples and then loaded Edison's
jeep and drove down from the hut and back onto paved roads and headed north back
toward Quito.
Along the way we encountered a parade of people dancing and playing music.
There was a tremendous traffic jam as the parade wound its way along the two-lane
road leading into Ambato. Eventually we were able to pass them and proceeded into
Ambato to get some groceries for the next few days.
Watch or download a video from this climb. (118 Mb WMV format).
Back to Ecuador 2005
