Cayambe Summit Climb

The only glacier on the equator - 5,790 m, quiet routes

From $405 Per person. VAT not included. Minimum 2 climbers, or a private departure for 1 person.
2 days / 1 night
Climbing
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Cayambe Summit Climb — Ecosportour, Ecuador
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  • Only glacier on the equator
  • Ecuador's third highest peak
  • 4x4 to the refuge at 4,600 m
  • Glacier school included
  • Departures every day
  • Duration
    2 days / 1 night
  • Difficulty
    Challenging
  • Departure
    Ecosportour office, Venezuela N11-99 y Carchi, Quito Historic Center (corner of the Basilica del Voto Nacional), 10:30 a.m.
  • Departure days
    Every day, with a minimum of 2 climbers (private excursion available for 1 person)
  • Languages
    English, Spanish
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Tour overview

Humboldt called Cayambe one of the monuments with which nature has made a great difference in the world. At 5,790 m (18,996 ft) it is Ecuador’s third highest peak, after Chimborazo and Cotopaxi – and the only volcano on Earth whose glaciers cross the equator, 3 km from the summit.

Cayambe sees far less traffic than Cotopaxi. Its lesser-travelled routes make the ascent quiet and genuinely wonderful. There are crevasses on the glacier; that does not make the mountain dangerous, it makes a certified guide essential.

A private 4×4 takes you all the way to the Ruales-Oleas-Berge refuge at 4,600 m inside Cayambe Coca National Park – the road is rough enough that nothing else gets there. You rest, take the glacier school with your guide, eat and sleep early.

At 00:30 a.m. you leave for the summit: 7 to 8 slow hours on ice, with a final section at 45 degrees, to reach the top at sunrise. Edward Whymper was the first to stand there. Back in Quito around 2 p.m.

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Itinerary

  • Day 1: Quito to the Ruales-Oleas-Berge refuge (4,600 m)

    Equipment check with your guide at our Quito office at 10:30 a.m. We drive north to the town of Cayambe for lunch, then continue by 4x4 up the rough access road to the Ruales-Oleas-Berge refuge at 4,600 m, inside Cayambe Coca National Park. Briefing and glacier school to handle the equipment, dinner and early rest.

  • 00:30 a.m.: a cup of tea, packs ready and out onto the glacier. Seven to eight hours of very slow walking on ice, with a final section at around 45 degrees, to reach the summit at sunrise between 6 and 7 a.m. Descent to the refuge, breakfast, and back in Quito at around 2 p.m.

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What's included

Included

  • Private 4x4 transport
  • ASEGUIM-certified bilingual guide (Spanish/English)
  • Meals: lunch and dinner on day 1, breakfast on day 2
  • Refuge with bed and mattress, or camping equipment
  • Briefing and glacier school, weather permitting
  • Technical mountain equipment: plastic boots, crampons, harness, carabiner, helmet, head torch (without batteries), 2-finger outer gloves, gaiters, ice axe, waterproof trousers, waterproof jacket and rope

Not included

  • Extra food and drinks; 2 litres of water per day
  • Personal equipment (see what to bring)
  • Sunscreen
  • Sleeping bag
  • Sunglasses
  • Camera
  • AAA batteries for the head torch (2 pairs)
  • Snacks
  • Tips
  • VAT

What to bring

  • Lycra-type base layer shirt and trousers
  • Fleece jacket and trousers
  • Inner gloves
  • 2 to 3 pairs of socks
  • Two backpacks: one 40 L and one 15 L
  • Buff
  • Sleeping bag
  • Sunglasses and sunscreen
  • 2 litres of water per day, plus snacks
  • 2 pairs of AAA batteries for the head torch
  • Camera
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Good to know

  • Far fewer people. Cayambe's routes are much less travelled, so the ascent is quiet and calm. It is also the only volcano in the world whose glaciers cross the equator line, 3 km from the summit.

  • There are crevasses on the glacier, but they do not make the mountain dangerous - they make a certified guide necessary. You climb roped up, and your ASEGUIM guide runs a glacier school at the refuge before the ascent.

  • The final section reaches about 45 degrees. Everything before that is a slow walk on ice: 7 to 8 hours from the refuge to the summit.

  • By private 4x4. The access road to the Ruales-Oleas-Berge refuge at 4,600 m is in poor condition, so a 4x4 vehicle is the only way up.

  • No. Cayambe is one of Ecuador's main high-altitude acclimatization and summit objectives and no previous experience is required - but you do need to arrive properly acclimatized.

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Book this tour

Tell us your dates and we will confirm availability within 24 hours.

Write to us and we will hold your places while you decide.

From $405 Per person. VAT not included. Minimum 2 climbers, or a private departure for 1 person.
  • Only glacier on the equator
  • Ecuador's third highest peak
  • 4x4 to the refuge at 4,600 m
  • Glacier school included
BOOK NOW
Tour information
  • Duration:
    2 days / 1 night
  • Difficulty:
    Challenging
  • Languages:
    English, Spanish

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