Chimborazo

Climbers should have successfully completed any of the following Alpine Ascents Beginner Mountaineering Courses: Cascades 6 Day training course, Alaska or Rainier 8 Day, Alaska 12 Day, Cascades 13 Day, or have equivalent skills and experience. Those who had a strong performance on a 3 Day Baker or Rainier climb may also join. Climbers must have basic knowledge of progression on snow and ice, self-arrest, crevasse rescue, and glacier travel. Snow and ice slopes are moderate (up to 45 degrees). During the expedition, we will spend three days on the glaciers reviewing skills, a requirement based on our desire to have similarly skilled team members.

Climbers must be in very good to excellent physical condition. Summit day can be 10 hours long on Cayambe and 12 hours long on Chimborazo.

Along with the required crampon skills, review cardio training on the Training page of our web site. This climb generally boasts 100% success. Acclimatization will be the key to successfully and safely achieving the main goals of this expedition. We strongly recommend following the advice of our guides to acclimatize properly: try to improve your crampon skills, especially for Chimborazo.

The expedition leader will be Jose Luis Peralvo and he will have as many assistant guides as necessary to ensure a low climber-to-guide ratio.

Ecuador has two climbing seasons: June through August (although it is often windy, August being the windiest month), and November through February (which is considered the best season for climbing in Ecuador). Cayambe creates its own microclimate and has the highest number of clear days of the Ecuadorian mountains, and can be climbed year-round. For safety reasons, and to increase our chance for success, it is very important to climb the Ecuadorian volcanoes at night. Snow conditions are better and safer, and the weather tends to be more stable and clear during the night and early morning.

Generally, our maximum for this climb is nine climbers, plus guides.

You will not be sharing a tent. Lodging for this expedition is in hotels or old haciendas converted to hostelries and mountain huts.

On summit day climbers carry approximately 20 lbs.

Please review the Gear List.

Those requesting rental gear must submit an expedition rental form with payment by fax or mail. All rental gear will be mailed to the climber prior to the climb. Climbers are expected to clean all rental gear and return it to us by mail following the expedition.

We recommend that you get a pair of anti-balling plates for your crampons. These useful devices are made of a special type of rubber that prevent crampons from balling up in soft snow conditions. There are different types depending on the model of crampons and brand, so please make sure to get the right anti-balling plates for the crampons you have.
While all items are required, there may be times when some of the items on the Gear List may not be used (such as warm weather or changing conditions). The Gear Lists are created by the guides to assist in preparing climbers to summit in any conditions.

While it is impossible for us to list all brands for certain gear, we do offer a wide variety of equipment in our Gear Shop, that has been handpicked by our staff of mountaineering experts. Please feel free to call our offices with any gear questions or substitutes. Plastic boots are required for this climb.

There will be bottled water available while staying in hotels, haciendas, and during the first two acclimatization hikes. In the mountains, we will boil all water. Boiling water for several minutes will kill anything that can live at the altitude the huts are located. Mountain huts are supplied with clean glacier-melt water.

Meals in the mountains consist of a diet rich in carbohydrates, both because our bodies do not process fat and protein efficiently at higher elevations, and to compensate for the increase in caloric need that high-altitude climbing involves. We try to make meals and breakfast varied and as normal as possible. There are a wide selection of meals available in the restaurants of hotels and haciendas we will stay on this trip.

You may bring power bars, Gu, Power Gel, cereal bars, or similar high-energy foods. We also recommend powder Gatorade to fight dehydration. Alpine Ascents provides all meals on this expedition.

No requirements at this time.

Fares are generally less expensive when booked early. You may use our travel agent (Charles Mulvehill 1-800-727-2157) or book flights yourself. Please note that flights booked online are often difficult to change. Please send us a copy of your flight schedule as early as possible, as this allows us to book pick-ups and hotels.

Your guide or an Alpine Ascents representative will meet you at the airport. Look for a large Alpine Ascents sign.

We are happy to make arrangements such as personalized tours, extra hotels rooms, airport pickups, and arrange for private rooms. Please indicate that you would like a private room on your application and we will contact you with information on single-room supplement costs (for hotels only).

The personnel at the airport immigration department in Quito will ask you how long you plan to stay. After your answer they will give you a 30-, 60-, or 90-day tourist visa. Please make sure your passport has at least six months of validity left.

In the cities and in hotels, telephones are readily available. Cell service is available in most towns and there is sporadic coverage on the mountain. Our guides also carry a satellite phone.

Check the Reading List on the Ecuador page of the web site.

You can always call our offices and we will have our Ecuadorian lead guide contact you. Thirty days prior to departure we will mail a list of the other team members to you.

At least $500 should easily cover any extra expenses and tips. Most climbers prefer to bring about $1,000 and credit cards.

We suggest a total of $150 for all Ecuadorian guides. You may have some perfunctory tips at hotels and at time of transport. Tipping is not required, but a common practice. Climbers may also opt to tip the lead guide ($100+ is average).

You may submit an application online or call our offices with a credit card or mail/fax an application with a check or credit card number.

Each climber should submit an application online application and flight information.

We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express, personal checks, and Alpine Ascents gift certificates. To reserve a space the deposit is $700.00 and balances are due 120 days prior to departure. Unpaid balances can result in forfeiture of trip.

See our Price & Schedule page.

The easy access to the high mountains in Ecuador makes not difficult an early departure. If for any reason you need to depart early, our guides and local staff will assist in obtaining the necessary transportation and reservations to get you home as quickly as possible.