Upwards to 4,800 Meters: Where the Air Gets Thin on Chimborazo, Ecuador’s Highest Volcano

Today, we continued our journey south from Baños. But before heading in the right direction, we couldn't resist the thrill of a detour east to explore the Ruta de las Cascadas—also known as the Highway of Waterfalls. This was a must-see on our itinerary!

This scenic route follows the Rio Pastaza canyon, dropping from 1,800 meters in Baños to 950 meters in Puyo. It passes more than a dozen waterfalls along the way. Some are visible right from the road, making the drive itself an experience. We stopped at three, the last being Pailón del Diablo, a massive and powerful waterfall that deserves its own post later.

After returning to Baños, we finally set course for Chimborazo, Ecuador’s highest volcano at 6,263 meters. It’s an extinct stratovolcano near Riobamba and holds a unique record. While it’s not the tallest mountain in the world by elevation, its summit is the farthest point from the Earth’s center due to the planet’s equatorial bulge. In other words, if you measure from the core of the Earth, Chimborazo is higher than Mount Everest and technically the closest point to the sun!

Before heading up the volcano, we stopped for lunch at Marco Cruz Lodge, where we had the incredible opportunity to meet the man himself. Marco Cruz is a legendary Ecuadorian mountaineer, often called the father of Ecuadorian mountaineering. He was the first Ecuadorian to summit many of the country’s peaks. Having lunch at his lodge, chatting with him, and witnessing the relics of a bygone era was a truly unique and privileged experience.

After lunch, we drove up to the Carrel Refuge at 4,800 meters, where we left the car and started our hike up to the next refuge at 5,000 meters. But we didn’t quite make it. We stalled at 4,950 meters and had to turn back. The icy path was getting dangerously slippery, and without the right shoes, we weren’t willing to risk a fall on the way down. Safety first!

When we returned and started the drive to Riobamba, we were exhausted but filled with a sense of accomplishment—we gave it our all! A day that began in the cloud forest with waterfalls ended in the snow at nearly 5,000 meters on Ecuador’s tallest volcano. We may not have reached the top, but we pushed our limits, and that's what matters. 

The picture on display was taken after we entered the national park and drove up to 4,800 meters, where our hike would start.