Sincholagua

Sincholagua

Location: Cotopaxi National Park
Province: Pichincha
Duration: 4.9 miles (one way) 8-11 hours
Elevation: 11,900 feet - 15,370 feet


Camp Site: S 00° 34.106' W 78° 25.860'
4X4 Trail: S 00° 33.869' W 78° 25.518

Marker & Tower: S 00° 33.428' W 78° 24.602'

Parqueadero: S 00° 33.031' W 78° 23.745'
(Old Parking Area and beginning of the Ridge line)
Leaving Ridge: S 00° 32.472' W 78° 23.231'
Summit: S 00° 32.113' W 78° 22.471'

Guagua Pichincha

Guagua Pichincha - Under Construction

Location: West of Quito
Province: Pichincha
Duration: 4-5 hours
Elevation:

Parking: S 00˚ 11.255΄ W 78˚ 35.117΄
Refugio: S 00˚ 10.711΄ W 78˚ 35.812΄
Main Peak: S 00˚ 10.588΄ W 78˚ 35.988΄
Peak 2: S 00˚ 10.841΄ W 78˚ 36.087΄

Rucu Pichincha

Rucu Pichincha


Location: Rucu Pichincha Volcano, Quito
Province: Pichincha
Duration: 3-6 hours
Elevation: 13,000 -15, 413 feet, (3,800m - 4698m)


Teleferico Base: S 00˚ 11.545΄ W 78˚ 31.167˚
Teleferico Upper: S 00˚ 11.210΄ W 78˚ 32.229˚
Horse Rental: S 00˚ 10.912΄ W 78˚ 32.363˚
Base of Rock: S 00˚ 9.927΄ W 78˚ 33.610˚
Summit: S 00˚ 9.811΄ W 78˚ 33.981˚

Description: Hiking Rucu Pichincha is a relatively straight forward climb and very good for acclimatization. The trail head begins at the upper part of the Teleferico and is very obvious. If you are looking for a faster trip (and not acclimating) you can pay $10 to have a horse take you up to the base of the summit. This could save you 30 minutes to an hour of walking (Note: the horses do not bring you back down). When you reach the "base of the rock," you will hike around the right side of the mountain in order to avoid a straight accent (ropes and gear are necessary for a straight accent). Continue to follow the trail. You will eventually cross a landslide area before scrambling to the Summit. Note: People have been mugged along the trails of this hike. Extreme caution should be taken at this time. I would advise that one hike this trail in a large group or climb another trail such as Guagua Pichincha.

How to get there: (Via Teleferico) To climb Rucu take a cab to the Teleferico. There are also shuttles in Quito that have the name "Teleferico" on the side. This shuttle will be a little cheaper than a taxi, but you will make a few stops along the way to pick up more passengers. It costs $4 US to ride the Teleferico cable car to the trail head (The price is for a round trip ticket. The express line costs $7 and is a good choice on weekends when the queue is long. The Teleferico opens at 9 a.m. on Fridays and Weekends and 10 a.m. Mon.- Thurs. Closing time is at 6 p.m.

Lake Cuicocha

Lake Cuicocha













Location: Lake Cuicocha
Province: Imbaburra
Duration: 4 to 6 hours; 14km , 8.5 miles
Elevation: 10,000 - 11,400 feet. (Ascending and Descending throughout the climb)

Trail Head N 00˚ 17.584΄ W 78˚ 21.184΄
Pavillion N 00˚ 18.941΄ W 78˚ 21.716΄
Traverse Creek N 00˚ 18.864΄ W 78˚ 22.143΄
Dirt Road N 00˚ 18.181΄ W 78˚ 22.815΄

Description: Cuicocha is a moderately easy hike around a volcanic lake formed at the base of Cotacachi volcano. The elevation during the hike rises and falls with a range from 10,000 feet to 11,400 feet. Although this hike goes around the lake, there is no water source available during the dry months (the creek feeding the lake is usually dry during this time). Take plenty of water and snacks. The hike is filled with different examples of flora and fauna; be sure to take a camera or binoculars. The spectacled-bear is native to this region, but there has not been a sighting for many years (to my knowledge). Also, note that the last 45 minutes of the hike is on a dirt road with no view of the lake. This is really the only disappointment of the hike. Enjoy.





How to get there: Lago Cuicocha is near Otavalo in the Imbabura province, 68 miles northeast of the capital Quito. It's part of the Cotacachi/Cayapas Ecological Reserve. Take the Panamerica Highway north from Quito. You will pass the town of Otavalo (a great town for shopping) and turn left on a road that takes you to Cotacachi. [N 00 Follow this road until you reach the circle where you will follow the sign (to the right) to Laguna Cuicocha. From here you will enter the town and make left at another sign. Continue on this road until you reach the Laguna Cuicocha Park entrance. You will have to pay $1 for non-residence, or $.50 for residence of the country. The trail head begins at the visitor center on the right [N 00°17'33.41" W 78°21'12.28"]. While it is possible to hike around the lake clock-wise, it is advised to follow the trail along the lake counter-clockwise as most of the signs are posted for this direction.