Hiking Volcanoes in Ecuador: Imbabura, Rucu Pichincha, and Cotopaxi

Ecuador is a country of volcanoes. With around 50 volcanoes in the country, some active and others long since inactive, Ecuador is a hiker’s paradise. Cotopaxi and Chimborazo tend to get the glory, but there are plenty of other volcanoes in Ecuador worth checking out. I was lucky enough to hike on three of the main peaks: Imbabura, Rucu Pichincha, and Cotopaxi.

Imbabura

Located not far from the border with Colombia near the city of Ibarra, Imbabura is considered a training mountain for some of the higher peaks. At “only” 15,190 ft, Imbabura does not have snow/ice at the peak year-round, making it an accessible summit without mountaineering gear. After crossing the border from Colombia, Imbabura was first on my list.

There are two main routes to the summit of the volcano. I chose to take the one that started from La Esperanza, a village about 40 minutes outside of Ibarra. The trail to the summit is fairly obvious, although it does get tricky with the rocks at the top, but it is definitely doable without a guide if you have a map and a buddy to hike with. However, I was traveling solo and didn’t meet any other hikers in my hostel so I decided to hire a guide for the day (especially since it was my first summit at that altitude I didn’t want to be hiking alone).

We started the day around 6:30 a.m., taking a truck up the road from the village to reach the trailhead. The trail begins at around 10,500 ft elevation and climbs steadily up the mountain. It was beautiful to see the change in flora as we climbed up. At the lower elevations, there were plenty of wildflowers and herbs growing along the trail. My guide pointed out several of them and explained what they were traditionally used for – everything from curing stomach pain to disinfecting wounds. He also pointed out some of the poisonous berries, which I found to be useful information.

As we climbed higher, the bushes gave way to long grasses covering the mountainside. The weather was absolutely beautiful on the lower slopes (though the summit was covered in clouds) and I was able to get a great view of the valley below. In the distance I could even see Cayambe, one of the permanently snow-covered volcanoes in the north of Ecuador. From there, the trail became steeper. Grass turned to scrub-brush and rock. I definitely was feeling the altitude at this point, though luckily just in my breathing. I took plenty of rest stops on the way up to adjust before moving on.

The final section was the trickiest bit – it was all steep rock with no trail. I put my hiking pole away at this point and began to climb up using my hands. I was glad to have my guide ahead of me at this point as I’m not sure I would have gone up the best way on my own. I actually rather enjoyed this part – it was fun to do a bit of climbing and it wasn’t too technical. At last, after nearly 5 hours of hiking/climbing I reached the summit of Imbabura. Of course, it was completely surrounded in clouds so I couldn’t see any view, but it still felt wonderful to reach the summit of the mountain.

The climb back down was much easier, only taking about 3 hours to get back to the trailhead. It was a long day but very rewarding. I had summited my first volcano!

Rucu Pichincha

I managed to have one more summit experience in Ecuador, this time near Quito. Not far from the sprawling capital of Quito is Rucu Pichincha, one of the still active volcanoes in Ecuador. The hike to the summit is accessed via the Teleferico, the cable car that runs up the side of the mountain from Quito up to 12,943 ft elevation on the mountainside. There is a wonderful view of Quito from the top of the Teleferico, but for those that want to make it to the summit of the mountain, the trail begins behind the viewing platform.

I managed to find a few friends from my hostel who wanted to do the hike, so we set out one morning from Quito to make the attempt! It took about an hour and a half to get to the Teleferico, wait in line, and go up on the cable car (although I’ll admit the views from the cable car were beautiful), so it was close to 10 a.m. before we started the hike. However, the weather was absolutely gorgeous and fairly soon after starting the trail I could see the peak of Pichincha in the distance. It was nice to be able to see my end goal (in contrast to the summit of Imbabura which was permanently cloaked in clouds).

The trail to the summit was much easier than the hike up Imbabura as well. There were steep portions, but the climb was more gradual. There was also not as much elevation change as the trail started higher, though the summit of Pichincha is a bit higher at 15,400 ft. Again, I was impressed by the variety of wildflowers and different plants growing on the mountainside. In front of me was the beautiful view of the looming summit and behind me was a birds-eye view of the city of Quito.

The last portion of the trail was the only truly difficult part for me. The hard-packed trail gives way to loose sand the final kilometer or so. It gets very steep here too, which makes for difficult going in the sand. I had to make lots of zig-zags to avoid slipping back down too much. Just before the summit, the sand turns to rock, which I had to climb up. Finally, after about 3.5 hours of hiking, I reached the summit. It felt amazing to have made it to another summit, and this one even higher than the first. I was actually able to see some of the view from here too, amidst the clouds blowing in and out. Getting back down the mountain only took a couple of hours, getting me back to Quito in plenty of time to enjoy a big dinner to celebrate the accomplishment 😊

Cotopaxi

I’ll start this out by saying that no, I did not summit Cotopaxi. I didn’t even try. At 19,348 ft, Cotopaxi is the second-highest mountain in Ecuador, second only to Chimborazo. However, for hikers, Cotopaxi is more iconic for its perfect cone shape and snow-capped peak. Getting to the summit requires two days, a guide, and mountaineering gear. I decided to opt for the much simpler hike up to the refugio, the small lodge on the mountain where would-be summiters stay before heading to the peak.

Cotopaxi is located about halfway between Quito and Latacunga. There are plenty of day tours which will take you there and back for around $50, but it is possible to go there on your own for cheaper. I went with a friend from my hostel in Latacunga, taking a bus headed for Quito which dropped us outside the national park. From there, it is about 24km to the parking area where the hike to the refugio begins. There are of course taxis waiting to negotiate rates for the drive up. We managed to negotiate $15 each for the driver to take us up to parking area, wait 2 hours while we hiked, and drive us back down.

I was skeptical about whether there would be any good views of the mountain – it was raining in Latacunga and solid clouds at the beginning of the road. However, as we drove deeper into the national park, the clouds parted and I got my first view of Cotopaxi. It was gorgeous, looking even more beautiful than the photos I’d seen. I could see clearly all the way to the snow-capped summit. Perfect weather for hiking.

We reached the parking area and began the hike up the mountain. It is not a very long hike, only about 45 minutes if you’re going slow, but it was very windy and cold. The elevation is no joke either – 16,400 ft at the refugio. The views of the volcano were absolutely stunning though. I didn’t have enough time to go up to the glacier (the highest point you can go to without a guide) but seeing the glacier above me was already impressive.

Cotopaxi may not have been a very long or difficult hike, but it was impressive in a different way. I enjoyed just seeing the shear size of the volcano and the natural beauty of it. It was definitely one of the highlights of my time in Ecuador.

All three of the volcanoes I hiked on in Ecuador were very different, but all amazing. I loved the feeling of getting to the summit, but also just seeing and experiencing these gorgeous mountains. I’d definitely recommend taking the time to visit them if you’re headed to Ecuador!