Ecuador Andes

The most part of climbers visit Ecuador Andes because of famous volcanoes Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. Chimborazo will always be a special mountain because its summit, along with summit of Everest, tops the list of the "most-most" world's mountains. No doubt that Everest is the highest mountain of the world but Chimborazo holds a top position in the list of the farthest points of the Earth's center. Climbing Chimborazo requires good physical conditions, excellent acclimatization and cramponing skill and it is one of the "classic" one-day-ascent along with the Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn. In addition, a trip to Ecuador will allow you to combine Chimborazo with ascents to other distinguished volcanoes such as Cotopaxi or Antisana. Well, fans of diving at the most remote parts of our planet can go to the Galapagos after the climbing as well.

The Ecuador Andes consist of two main ranges - the Cordillera Occidental (or Western) and Cordillera Oriental (or eastern). There is a huge depression separates those two Cordilleras. Along the depression is located the one of the highest volcanic chain in the world, the highest volcanoes which are Chimborazo (6310 m) and Cotopaxi (5897 m).

The Ecuador Andes mostly lie in the Ecuador and just a very small part belongs to neighboring countries Peru and Colombia.

All the highest Ecuadorian mountains such as Chimborazo, Cotopaxi and Antisana have the glacial ice on their summits which was mined by locals (the so-called "Hieleros" from Spanish "Hielo" for "Ice") to be sold in the markets of the surrounding cities.

 

In August 1976 SAETA Flight 232 carrying 55 passengers and four crew members aboard a Vickers Viscount from Quito to Cuenca disappeared en route. In February 2003, after 27 years, the aircraft was found with the bodies of its 59 occupants at 5 400 meters (17 700 ft) elevation on Chimborazo by Ecuadorian climbers on the rarely used eastern route Integral.

 

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