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| Andes
Guide |
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Introduction
 Running
the length of Ecuador and splitting the country into two from north
to south the mountains and valleys of the High Andes form the heart
of Ecuador. The Pan American road runs down the inter-Andean valley
from the border with Columbia at Tulcan, to Loja, south of Cuenca
where it turns west to the coast to cross the Peruvian border at
Haquillas.
Quito, the capital is located at 2900m in a valley on the western
slopes of Pichincha volcano, and there are several cities and towns
to visit and stay at as one travels north and south in the highlands.
Sadly the old railway service is limited to a once a week excursion
on Sundays from Quito to Boliche, a service on Saturdays from Quito
to Riobamba, and three times a week an excursion from Riobamba,
down the Devil’s Nose and then back up again. There is no
service from Riobamba to Quito and the service from Ibarra to San
Lorenzo has been suspended. There are many hot and mineral springs,
the most famous at Papallacta, 2 hours east of Quito and at Banos
4 hours to the south. There are also Hot Springs in Banos and near
Cuenca.
Prior to the arrival of the Spanish in 1534, the Incas ruled the
Andes for about 50 years from 1480, there legacy being the quechua
language, still spoken as a first language by more than half of
the population. The area is still home to a number of indigenous
peoples, from the Canaris, north of Cuenca to the black communities
of the Chota valley in the north. The most famous are the Otavaleneos.
Bought here by the Cuscenous (Incas) at the end of the 15th century
or early in the 16th century, the Otavalenians have maintained their
own identity while successfully integrating into the modern economy.
Their strength is their love of textiles, expressed in their weavings,
coupled with a sharp business sense, that has led the young men
and women of this nation to travel all over the globe selling their
weaving and other artisan products from Ecuador.
The peaks of the Andes are as distinct as the people. Cotopaxi
(5987meters) the highest active volcano in the world has an almost
perfect conical shape, as does the Sangay (5500meters), with major
volcanic events taking place as frequently as every 15 minutes!
In both cordilleras you will find remote areas, with excellent opportunities
for adventure.
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Geology
With only two exceptions the peaks of Ecuador are all volcanic
in origin, formed as the marine plate is forced under the continental
plate. Many of the volcanoes are still active including Sangay,
Tunguahua, Cotopaxi, Pichincha and Quilatoa. Others are dormant.
In the jungle both Reventador and Sumaco are still active.
The volcanoes dominate the landscapes as they do the geology. In
the Papallacta valley there are cliffs with giant crystals of basalt,
there are areas of volcanic mud, notably around Cangahua, which
has given its name to this mud. The obsidian flows from above El
Quinche provided knife-making materials to pre-colonial people of
the Andes as far south as Chile. Many of the volcanoes, like Cotopaxi,
are no more solid than pumice and ash!
Earthquakes are common throughout Ecuador as the land is being
formed. The lahars around Cotopaxi look like frozen rivers when
seen from the refuge. There are lava flows that flowed out of Antisana
that blocked the rivers above Papallacta and caused a large lake
to form. Volcanic layers laid down eons ago have been folded back
on themselves exactly on the equator visible in cuttings on the
road from Guallabamba to Tabacundo. The volcanic landscape has been
modified by the action of glaciers. Forming the basins in the inter-Andean
valley that are now separate provinces of modern Ecuador. A glacial
moraine, where the continental divide crosses from one cordillera
to the other, separates each province.
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Suggested Clothing
You will find it surprisingly chilly in the highlands of the Andes
once you are out of the sun. It is worth having a warm sweater or
fleece, and a windbreaker at the altitude of Quito. By 4000m, the
altitudes of the paramos it can get down to freezing at night, and
feel much colder when it is windy. It is essential to have plenty
of warm clothes and a hat and gloves. By 5000 m you are approaching
the level of permanent snow and glaciation and so you need to have
specialist clothing if you are staying at this altitude for more
than a few hours. Good hiking boots are the best thing to have on
your feet anywhere in the Andes, although on some of the treks at
certain times of year it will be necessary to have rubber boots,
which are easily available in Ecuador in sizes up to about #44 or
#45. Do not forget sun block and sunglasses, both of which are essential,
but can be bought in Quit.
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Adventures