Climbing
Ecuador's "avenue of the volcanoes", formed by the twin range of the Andes running the length of the country, offer numerous climbing opportunities, from relatively easy day-trips for strong hill-walkers to challenging technical peaks for experienced climbers. The most popular snow peaks , requiring full mountaineering equipment, include Cayambe (5790m), Cotopaxi (5897m) and Iliniza Sur (5263m). Lower, less demanding climbs, suitable for acclimatizing or simply enjoying them in their own right, include Guagua Pichincha (4794m); Imbabura (4609m); and Pasochoa (4200m). Not all of the higher peaks require previous mountaineering experience : many beginners make it up Cotopaxi, for instance, which demands physical fitness, stamina and sheer determination rather than technical expertise. Others, such as Chimborazo, should only be attempted by climbers with experience behind them. It is, of course, essential that climbers with limited mountaineering experience are accompanied by an experienced and utterly dependable guide , whose first concern is safety. Ecuador's best-trained mountain guides are those certified by an organization called ASEGUIM (Asociacion Ecuatoriana de Guias de Montana), whose members have to pass exams and take courses spread over a three-year period before receiving the Diploma de Guia. It's always worth paying the extra for an ASEGUIM guide (usually in the region of $250 in total per person, per climb) - remember that even relatively straightforward, non-technical climbs carry an inherent risk, and your life may depend on your guide. More experienced climbers should also seriously consider ascending with a guide, whose intimate knowledge of the route options, weather patterns, avalanche risks, glaciers and crevasses can make all the difference to the safety and success of an attempt at summiting. All your equipment will be provided by your guiding company, if you're going with one, or can be rented from these companies or from specialist mountaineering outlets in Quito . Check the equipment over very carefully before deciding which company to sign up with. Guides also provide all food on the climb, but you should take your own chocolate and nibbles, to keep your energy levels up, as well as your own water bottle. Accommodation is usually in mountain refuges, which serve as the starting point of the climbs. Note that you will usually only get three or four hours' sleep before a big climb, as it's common to set off around midnight or 1am, so as to ascend and descend before the sun starts to melt the snow over crevasses. One point that cannot be stressed forcefully enough is the importance of acclimatizing before attempting the higher peaks. This should involve spending a few days at the altitude of Quito (2800m), taking in a combination of rest and moderate exercise, followed by at least four or five days around 3500-3800m, ideally including some trekking at this altitude and hill-walking up to around 4200m and then a little higher. If you ignore this warning and try to shoot up Cotopaxi after a couple of days' hill-climbing around Quito, you may well find yourself vomiting every half-hour or so as you try to ascend, or simply too dizzy and nauseous to carry on climbing. A couple of good bases for acclimatizing include the walker's refuge at La Urbina (3620m ) near Riobamba, and the tiny village of Salinas (3500m ), near Guaranda. As well as taking time to acclimatize, another measure that helps combat the effects of altitude is drinking enormous quantities of water as you ascend.
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