The Illinizas are a pair of volcanic mountains that are located to the south of Quito. These twin mountains are separated by a saddle that is about a kilometer long. The peaks are among the highest in Ecuador, with Illiniza Sur standing at 5248 mts is slightly taller than Illiniza Norte at 5126mts.
Iliniza Norte is the remnant of an old volcanic edifice, while Iliniza Sur is a younger stratovolcano of andesitic-dacitic composition. It contains a caldera filled by lava flows and domes and is surrounded by thick pyroclastic flow deposits. Most activity of the heavily eroded Illinizas volcano took place before the Holocene, recent studies said the southern flank was active during the past 10,000 years.
Physical Requirements / Technical Difficulties
The volcano is excellent for those who need to acclimatize or for those who wish to have a challenging hike combined with non-technical climbing at a beautiful surrounding. For the experienced hiker or soft climber, the northern peak is a truly fun climb with some exciting scrambles thrown in. It offers great opportunities to observe volcanic craters, the Paramo, and the whole Avenue of Volcanoes.
Duration of the Ascent
The climb takes approx. 6 hours going up to a height of 5126m (16817 ft). It is important that you are prepared for this kind of altitude. Thus we recommend acclimatizing at least two days around 3000m (9842 ft)
Equipment
As mentioned in order to do Illinizas climbing no experience is required and these are some of the equipment is recommend it to use.
Polar jacket, Polar Pants, Herness, Snow Boots, Ice ax, Crampons, Gloves, Helmet, Walking Poles, Glaciers sunglasses, Mittens
For travelers with a bit of speed Mountain Biking Ecuador is also a great opportunity to explore Ecuador, so don’t hesitate to ask about this amazing activity as well.
Now that you know a little more about Illinizas volcano climbing activity, let’s plan together your next Ecuador adventure experience.
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