Ascent to the summit of Carihuairazo

📍 Meeting point in Riobamba 

At 9:30 a.m. the guide will be waiting for us at the Riobamba office. He will explain to us the basic safety notions to take into account, we will board the private transportation with him and head to the foot of the Carihuairazo volcano. After a two-hour road trip, we will arrive at our destination.

Acclimatization to the Carihuairazo Volcano 

The first day of the Carihuairazo Climbing tour will serve as acclimatization to the high mountain. Accompanied by our guide, we will take a short one-hour hike in the paramo, where herds of vicuñas live. The guide will take advantage of this first contact to explain the glacier hiking techniques that we will practice during the second day.

Dinner and rest at the Carihuairazo Refuge.

After the hike, we will return to the refuge located at 4,200 meters above sea level to have dinner and rest for a few hours before starting the ascent to the summit of the volcano. High mountain ascents are done at night or very early in the morning, as it is safer and more advisable and also allows us to start the day in one of the most magical places on the planet 😊.

Carihuairazo climbing

After having rested in the refuge, what is promised is debt: the guided ascent to the Carihuairazo volcano begins. But not before having a good breakfast to regain strength. At 3:00 in the morning we will leave the refuge accompanied by our guide. After a 2 to 3 hour walk through the moor we will arrive at the Carihuairazo glacier.

Carihuairazo Glacier 

From the Carihuairazo glacier we will continue the hike with our mountain guide. The ascent to the volcano is done with a maximum of two travelers per guide, so the roping will always be 2 to 3 people. In this part of the tour we will practice the techniques of glacier progression. At the end of the day, we will all be experts using crampons and ice axe!

💬 If roping or cordage progression has sounded like Chinese to you, it is a safety technique used in high mountain climbing that allows all the climbers to be linked together by a rope. The guide will always go in front and make sure that you do not make any false steps. When you go first, he will check the terrain and give you signs so that you know where to go.

Summit of the Carihuairazo Volcano

Depending on the snow conditions that day, the last 20 meters of the route before reaching the summit may be more or less technical. Around 8:00 in the morning, we will have arrived! The summit of the Carihuairazo volcano at 5,028 meters above sea level will be conquered. From there, we will enjoy unique views of Chimborazo, known as the big brother of Carihuairazo, and surely your next challenge 🙌🏼.

Descent to the refuge and return to Riobamba

After enjoying a small and more than deserved rest after reaching the summit of Carihuairazo, we will begin the descent to the refuge. Again in cordade with our guide, we will descend to the Carihuairazo Refuge where we will take the private transport that will take us back to Riobamba. We will arrive at the office where we started the tour around 13:00. Here we will finish the Carihuairazo Climbing. Shall we start preparing for the next summit?