Hiking the Avenue of the Volcanoes

Alexander von Humboldt called the central valley the Avenue of the Volcanoes. The name survived because it is accurate. You can walk for a week and never leave sight of a cone. You can also get into trouble by treating altitude as a view.

Walks that suit most people

The rim of Quilotoa and the multi-day loop through Sigchos, Isinlivi, and Chugchilán are the highland trek that rewards ordinary fitness and a little humility. Sleep high before you start.

El Cajas, west of Cuenca, is a day of lakes and cloud. Trails are marked and the weather is not. Cuicocha, near Otavalo, is a crater-rim walk with Imbabura across the water. Ingapirca, north of Cuenca, is an Inca site and an easy cultural walk rather than a hike. It belongs in the same week if you are already in the south.

Laguna Limpiopungo in Cotopaxi National Park is a stroll on the páramo. The path toward the refuge is the step up. It is still not the summit.

Ice

Cotopaxi’s summit and Chimborazo’s summit are glaciated climbs. Chimborazo, at 6,263 meters, is the farthest point on the earth’s surface from the planet’s center, because the earth bulges at the equator. That fact will not help you on the glacier.

Use an accredited mountain guide. ASEGUIM is the Ecuadorian mountain-guides association. Rent gear from the outfitter your guide trusts. If you do not already know how to move on a rope, do not buy a summit as a souvenir. The drive to Chimborazo’s high refuges is already a serious altitude day.

Habits

Acclimatize in Quito or Cuenca. Carry more water than the distance suggests. Start early, and turn around when cloud, headache, or time says so. The country has more trail than you will walk. Leave the next ridge for the morning.