Pichincha Volcanoes

This pair of volcanoes 10km west of Quito present different opportunities. They are historically resonant, early to be noted and climbed.

Gorgeous rock and paramo landscape, complete with dramatic cliffs and ridges and huge views.

Guago (Baby) is higher (at 4,776m) and active (check the status - it can be very active), so its crater is fascinating as well as offering superb views from its rim. But it is easy (30 mins) to the crater), as you can get by 4WD to a refuge near the top, although walking up the approach track (some 8 hrs) is itself worthwhile, so you can make it a 2-day hike staying at the (reportedly cold) refuge. Approach from Lloa.

Rucu (Old) Pichincha is lower (at 4,627m) and inactive. It used to need careful approach to the start points because of robbery/dog problems, but you can now take a cable car (TeleferiQo, itself a breath-taking journey) from Quito, so get quite high (4,000m) easily and then explore the slopes on a variety of paths, for reasonably undemanding and beautiful walking with splendid views over Quito (a great acclimatisation option) or head on for a more demanding assault on the peak. There are two traditional approaches (from Cruz Loma and Loma de los Antenas) to the peak, one harder but more thrilling than the other. They take around 5-6 hrs.

Note: there used to be robbery risks with both these hikes, but (as of 2015) these are thought to have calmed. Do check whether they are currently safe, though.

This can be strenuous walking in mountains with uncertain weather, where altitude can cause problems. Come prepared, including proper acclimatization.

Have a look at TripAdvisor - there are tens of millions of reviews, so you may get good, current views on guides, places to hike and places to stay in Quito.

Ecuador Climbing and Hiking Guide - Viva, has a worthwhile sections on this walk. Find relevant books by using our Amazon search function:

Find the books and maps listed above, and many more:

For more information and photos, including detailed practical information and some warnings, see our Quito Area walk page.

ANYONE GOT ANY GOOD PHOTOS? WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO POST THEM!