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Emyr · Joined: 08 Jan 2007 Posts: 1

I'm thinking of going to Ecuador to climb Cotopaxi later this year. Anyone here done it? Could you give me a rough idea how difficult it is?

I managed to do the Inca Trail relatively easily. Is it considerably more challenging that that? I don't have any mountaineering experience.

Fiske · Joined: 04 Sep 2006 Posts: 7

We climbed Cotopaxi in November - it was our first high peak, and I had no previous experience with crampons and ice axe. My advice - give yourself a reasonable acclimatization schedule. We live at 7000 ft (about 2200 m) and so did not have any issues on arriving in Quito, but we still spent four days hiking and climbing smaller peaks before attempting Cotopaxi (we hiked the Quilotoa loop with all of our gear: Isinlivi to Chugchilan to Quilotoa, then we bussed to El Chaupi and climbed Iliniza Norte independently - no special gear necessary). We also went with an expensive, reliable company and felt that it was very worth while. The company is called Andean Face and can be booked through the internet for $220 per person (booking just anywhere in Quito will cost you about $140, but it's a bit of a gamble as to what kind of a guide and equipment you get). We would really recommend Andean Face.

As for difficulty, I think everyone experiences altitude differently, and that is the main obstacle that you face. With our acclimatization schedule, we felt quite strong going up and did not experience any headaches or nausea, although of course you get very tired. I was a bit stupid too - sometimes the guide would have to tell me something twice before I really understood. But my husband had no problems at all. I will say that the climb is steeper than we had expected, and I thought that some of the soft snow we encountered was difficult. But we made it up in average time and had a great view from the summit. It is a very special memory for my husband and me!