Illiniza Sur
Brief
Description: The Illiniza expedition is staged
directly out of Quito, Ecuador. After several initial days of sight-seeing
and the obligatory visit to the market at Otavalo, this expedition will
acclimatize on the slopes of Pasochoa (14,000 feet), a tropical
rainforest reserve. Following an attempt
of Cotapaxi, the more technical and
challenging Illiniza Sur will be attempted via the direct
route.
The
Direct Route on Illiniza Sur is a beautiful undertaking
regardless of your climbing ability. Rachowieki and Wagenhauser,
in their book Climbing
and Hiking in Ecuador,
begin their route description as follows:
"The difficult Direct
Route is via the north face and begins from the Nuevos Horizontes hut
then heads west into the saddle between the north and south
mountains." The route then turns toward the beautiful Sur, or
South Illiniza, and ascends rock strewn flanks until approaching
the main couloir, or ice gulley. Several hours of
beautiful alpine ice climbing bring one to the summit ridge. A short
traverse then captures both the summit and a breathtaking view of the western
Cordillera including Chimborazo,
Cotapaxi, and Anitsana.
Dates:
The climbing season in Ecuador is complex
but forgiving. Therefore all trips are currently arranged
privately. Contact Granite Arches with your preferred dates by clicking
here. Note that much
shorter itineraries are possible for people already in Ecuador and acclimatized.
