181015 Cotopaxi
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 3.68 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3,323 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Difficult
- Elevation loss
- 3,323 ft
- Max elevation
- 19,321 ft
- TrailRank
-
63
5
- Min elevation
- 16,022 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Time
- 8 hours 17 minutes
- Coordinates
- 1572
- Uploaded
- October 19, 2018
- Recorded
- October 2018
near Ovejería, Pichincha (Ecuador)
Viewed 3238 times, downloaded 163 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
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Cotopaxi is an active volcano located in the Latacunga canton, Cotopaxi Province (Ecuador). Its summit is located 5897 m above sea level, above the volcano's own crater. Although its meaning is not clear, one of the most accepted is that it comes from Kichwa and means "moon neck."
The ascent is a route for people with good physical preparation, with good acclimatization to the altitude and although it is not very technical, once the snow (ice) begins, you put on your crampons and the ascent continues by rope. To try to reach the summit we specifically prepared for a month in Bogotá and as prior acclimatization, already in Quito, we climbed Rucu Pichincha (4,794): (the link only works on the web, not in the app):
・🚶♂️Rucu Pichincha
We contracted with an agency (Gulliver) and it went very well (expensive). They pick you up at the Hostería Papagayo (we slept there on 14OCT) although they also take you there for an additional price. From the inn, where they pick you up at 11 in the morning, the price includes everything you need: round-trip transportation, food, accommodation in the shelter, equipment and guide (I don't know if we were very lucky but ours was extraordinary). The outward transportation is a short acclimatization tour in the National Park until reaching the parking lot at the foot of the refuge (4,500 m). You have to go up to the refuge (4,864) where you arrive around 3:00 p.m. and have time to have dinner and rest until 11:00 p.m. when we get up to have tea and prepare the equipment to leave at 12:00 p.m. From there, trust your legs, your head, your heart and the weather.
For us the route was very hard, we made the ascent in 5h 30' and we arrived exhausted but tremendously proud and satisfied with what we had done. If you are lucky and the weather is good, the view is spectacular. You are above the Cotopaxi crater seeing the fumaroles and from the summit you can see the five miles of the volcano corridor: El Altar (5,319), Antisana (5,753), Carihuairazo (5018), Cayambe (5,790), Iliniza (5,248), Sangay (5,280), Tungurahua (5,023) and Chimborazo, the highest in Ecuador (6,320), in addition to many other four thousand in the area. At 6 o'clock we started the return trip in which we spent 2h 15', to arrive back at the refuge at 08:15. Take a look at the upload video:
・🎥 Cotopaxi Summit
In short, a privilege to reach (almost) 6,000 meters. Thank Sergio (our guide) for his know-how (he had climbed Cotopaxi more than 100 times), because without him we would not have made it.
Waypoints
Mountain hut
16,023 ft
Waypoint
Summit
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Todo fue muy bien preparado, nuestro guía, Sergio, un gran conocedor de la zona y experto en el ascenso al Cotopaxi, después de una larga noche de subida, el amanecer en la cumbre y las vistas de todo el corredor de los volcanes es maravilloso,
Hola Fede! En marzo queremos ascender a este volcán y querría preguntarte en qué fecha lo hicisteis vosotros? Y dónde contactasteis con Sergio? Muchas gracias de antemano y esoextaculares las fotos!!