Around a bend, it appears before us in all its glory: Chimborazo, the highest peak in Ecuador. Crowned with eternal snow, this slumbering giant commands respect. With record-breaking altitude, breathtaking landscapes, vicuñas, high-altitude camping, and the mountain sickness that comes with it, put on your hat and parka, we’re taking you hiking in Chimborazo National Park!
Thursday, October 19, 2023.
To each his own honor! “Papa Chimborazo” is the nickname given by the Quechuas to the Chimborazo volcano. Its soulmate is Mama Tungurahua, the imposing volcano that overlooks Baños. Ecuadorian volcanoes are surrounded by a rich mythology, depicting their love stories, their anger, and their rivalries. Quechua legends tell of Mama Tungurahua’s bad temper and Papa Chimborazo’s kindness, the protector of the Sierra people, who has been dormant for nearly 1,400 years! However, there’s no doubt that Chimborazo is the most revered of all. And when we see its massive form emerge from around the bend, we can’t help but understand why. Yes, Chimborazo commands respect. It even appears on Ecuador’s coat of arms. Standing at 6,263 meters, it is the highest peak in the country.
For a long time, explorers believed that Chimborazo was the highest mountain in the world. They were wrong, of course… but not entirely. Measured from the center of the Earth, Chimborazo is indeed the highest peak on the planet! How is that possible? 🤔 Simply because it is located very close to the Equator, and the Earth is more bulging at this level than at the poles! So, measured from the center of the Earth, rather than from sea level, Chimborazo is higher than… Everest by a good margin: 1.8 kilometers. This unique feature makes Chimborazo’s summit the farthest point from the center of the Earth, but also the closest point on Earth to the Sun! ☀️ Fascinating, right?
As we approach Chimborazo National Park, we realize how lucky we are: we had expected to wait for several days to admire the volcano, just like we had to do at Cotopaxi National Park due to bad weather, but Chimborazo stands before us, completely clear! This was unexpected, especially since it’s the afternoon, a time when clouds usually spoil the view at such high altitudes. Today, the massive, towering Chimborazo volcano greets us, crowned with its eternal snow. It’s breathtaking.
We decide not to miss our chance. At the entrance to Chimborazo National Park, we register: names, surnames, passport numbers, emergency contact. At the park entrance, we’re already at 4,400 meters above sea level. The track offers incredible landscapes: Chimborazo volcano on one side, the valley on the other. At this altitude, nothing grows, and vast arid plains stretch in all directions. This is where we spot our first vicuñas, a mammal that lives on the high plateaus of the Andes. Unlike llamas and alpacas, vicuñas have never been domesticated and are found only in the wild. There are plenty of them in Chimborazo National Park! They’re not shy: when we stop to take photos, they raise their heads and look at us with curious eyes.
We easily reach the first refuge of Chimborazo, perched on the slopes of the volcano at 4,800 meters above sea level. A new altitude record for Jeepy! From there, we continue on foot. Once again, we are very lucky because the weather is incredible, despite a few clouds: plenty of sunshine and, most importantly, no wind! A short hour of walking takes us to the Whymper refuge, located at 5,000 meters above sea level. Our breath is short, and our hearts are racing, but we are starting to get used to these sensations caused by the altitude.
Our altitude record, set three days earlier on Mount Cotopaxi, is 5,064 meters. We’d really like to break it, even if just by a few meters! So, we head up to the Condor Concha lagoon. Well, instead of a lagoon, we find a large puddle of water 😆 The official sign shows 5,100 meters, but our GPS disagrees. Just a few more meters and we’ll surpass the symbolic 5,100-meter mark! Nothing can stop us now! The trail ends here, but we climb a few more meters to break our record! ✌️ Once again, what a thrill!
Having accomplished our feat, we quickly descend to the parking lot, where we are allowed to camp. We set up a bit off to the side and prepare to spend the night at 4,800 meters above sea level. We spend the late afternoon outside, in the sun, watching as the sun gradually sinks below the horizon, clouds drift around Chimborazo, and foxes and vicuñas wander nearby. How happy we are to be here, so far from everything, so high, so alone, but together 😊.
But Rémi has a headache. After two hours and a painkiller, it doesn’t go away. He’s also starting to feel nauseous. Could it be altitude sickness? At this altitude, probably. We make the wisest decision: descend. It’s 7 p.m., it’s dark, we’re in the clouds, and it’s raining. We cautiously drive down the park road to the entrance… but it’s locked! Darn. And there’s no one around. We’re trapped in Chimborazo National Park! So, we have to spend the night here, at 4,400 meters. But it’s still better than 4,800, right? Rémi feels a little better, though the headache persists. We settle into the Jeep, both feeling a bit unwell: headache for Rémi, loss of appetite and shortness of breath for both of us. A good night’s sleep, and we hope we’ll feel better tomorrow! ☺️
Friday, October 20
The night camping at Chimborazo National Park was restless, but how could it be otherwise at such an altitude? Luckily, by morning, we’re both feeling better. Plus, it’s 5 a.m., and the Chimborazo volcano stands before us in all its glory. Now that’s a wake-up call! What a beautiful surprise 😀
We decide to go back up! It’s impossible to miss such an opportunity to see the volcano so clearly and up close. Once again, we’re walking the park’s trail, surrounded by vicuñas. We can hardly take our eyes off this impressive volcano. How beautiful the Chimbo is! We settle in at the same spot as the day before. The weather is so nice that we even indulge in a sunny breakfast. Who would have thought that was possible at 4,800 meters? 😃
While we heat up the tea and coffee, enjoy a delicious breakfast, and have a little photo session, the clouds begin to rise from the valley and gather around the volcano. So, we pack up. It’s time for us to leave Chimborazo National Park and continue our road trip in Ecuador.
A beautiful track takes us through the Ecuadorian mountains, across fields and valleys. What a harsh way of life these farmers must have, living in small houses in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the clouds!
The track takes us to Salinas de Bolívar, a small village in the mountains. What brings us to Salinas? A funny story! In 1971, a Swiss missionary arrived in Salinas and taught the villagers how to make… cheese! Since then, other factories have been established, including one for charcuterie. So, cheese and charcuterie—after 17 months on the road, there’s no way we’re passing this up! We stock up on cheeses, including raclette cheese, and especially sausages (yes, plural 😂) and prosciutto. You can probably guess what’s coming next? That’s right, tomorrow night, it’s raclette! 🤤🤤 Thanks, Eric and Muriel, for the tip on your blog! 😁
So we leave Salinas with the fridge well-stocked, heading towards the big city in the south of Ecuador: Cuenca, six hours of driving away. Little do we know, but in Cuenca, we’ll find just the perfect things to go with our freshly bought cheese! 🥖😁
