Illinizas

城市概覽

Depending on the source, the altitude of the summits may be given differently. The altitude for the rocky northern summit can be given as anything between 5,116 and 5,126 meters above sea level, whereas the southern, glaciated summit is given as anything between 5,248 and 5,263 m ASL. As such they are the sixth and eight highest peaks in Ecuador. The two summits are about two kilometers apart, and make up what's left of the volcano that used to be much higher. There's likely been an original higher peak between them, which was blown away in a massive explosion a long time ago. Nowadays the volcano is extinct. The northern summit is ice-free, and the glacier on the southern summit has been shrinking over the years.

Etymology The name comes from the language of the indigenous American Colorados people, where Illan means "man" and isha means "us". The summits are also known by the names "man summit" (Illiniza) and "woman summit" (Tioniza). This comes from a legend where a father asked a wizard to turn a suitor of his daughter into stone - thus the suitor became the southern summit. But the girl then asked the wizard to turn her into stone also, and she became the northern summit, next to her lover forever.

First summiting

The first summiting of Illiniza (at least by Europeans) was a continuation of the race to be the first to summit Matterhorn. Edward Whymper who was the first person on Matterhorn (1865) and Chimborazo (1880), tried twice to climb to the summit of Illiniza Sur but failed both times. In 1880, then, the brothers Jean and Louis Carrel were the first climbers on that summit. Before that Jean Carrel was the first person to reach the difficult Italian summit of Liongrat, but was the second to reach Matterhorn just a few days after Whymper. Illiniza Norte has a special meaning for the Ecuadorian mountaineering community, as it's the only five-thousander to be first summited by Ecuadorian climbers — they were Nicolas G. Martinez, Franz Hiti and Alejandr

如何抵達

The closest village where you can stock up on provisions is 1 Chaupi. Other towns in the valleys are Latacunga and Machachi on the Panamericana and the smaller localities of Santa Rita and Santa Ana del Pedregal. Illiniza is commonly approached from the east. About 7 km south of Machachi, turn off the Panamericana and drive west towards Chaupi. From Chaupi on the road gradually becomes more of a mud track on volcanic ash. Rainfall has created deep ditches in different places and you need a good terrain vehicle to drive here. 2 La Virgen at about 4200 m ASL is the highest point reachable by car. It's about 10 km away from Chaupi but given the condition of the road, expect the drive to take an hour. Here you'll find a parking lot and some signs, it's the official entrance to the natural reserve but there's no other infrastructure like a kiosk or park office. You can camp here, though, and there's water in a stream. From here it's a three-hour walk to the Nuevos Horizontes hut (see Sleep below). First the path goes through a swampy landscsape with small trees and shrubs, then the landscape turns more volcanic.

必看景點

1 Laguna Verde. A picturesque green mountain lake between the two summits and slightly northwest of the saddle at an altitude of about 4690 m. (updated May 2022) In the village of Chaupi there's a hill with good views of the surrounding and a small Inca ruin.

住宿

1 Refugio Nuevos Horizontes (a bit below the saddle (ensillada) between the two summits). An unserviced hut at 4,770 m ASL, built in 1960. It's built in brick with a good roof and has about a dozen beds and cooking facilities. There's no running water or firewood, but you can get water from a nearby mountain stream. stay for foreigners $15, camping $5. (updated May 2022)

順遊推薦

Nearby cities and national parks include Cotopaxi, Laguna Quilotoa, Latacunga, Isinliví, Chugchilán, Zumbahua and the national capital Quito.