Iliniza Norte Volcano Summit
per person
Iliniza Norte Volcano Summit, Ecuador, is the mountain that climbers start within preparation to reach the higher peaks. This mountain should not be missed as part of your acclimatization process, it is the perfect option before climbing Cotopaxi.
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Day 1: Machachi 3,000 masl – Iliniza Norte Summit 5,126 masl – return to Machachi
Our Iliniza Norte Volcano Summit trip meeting point is the town of Machachi, at the Hostel Casa del Montañero at 07:00am. With all our equipment ready, the 4x4 transport takes us through the village of El Chaupi to the La Virgin car park, located at 3,900 masl. Here we start the walkthrough a polylepis forest, we then continue for 3 hours to arrive at the mountain Nuevos Horizontantes refuge, located at 4,750 masl, where we rest and enjoy our packed lunch along with a hot drink.
After a well-deserved rest, we continue along a rocky ridge with some steep sections and after 3 hours we reach the summit of Iliniza Norte, which has a height of 5,126 masl. Once we have enjoyed the view of the surrounding volcanoes, we descend via a different route that leads us through an area of sand and scree. We then pass by a small river and finally back through the polylepis forest, within 2 hours we are back at the car, and heading back to Machachi (1-hour drive).