Route Climbed: Normal Routes Date Climbed: December 28-29, 2005
December 28, 2005: After waiting for two days for the rain to stop (it had been constantly raining for the past 2 weeks in Quito; the rainy season that should have occured on October/November was delayed 'til December/January), DeeDee and I took the Teleferico up from La Comuna to Cruz Loma and started hiking at 10:00am towards Rucu Pichincha. The last 200 feet to Rucu' s summit was interesting scrambling on mixed class 3 rock/snow. Reached Rucu' s summit at 1:00pm. Then, we took our sweet time descending while talking to various other groups. Got back to the Teleferico upper station by 3:00pm.
December 29, 2005: Rented a small 4WD truck (a Chevrolet Vitara). Drove up to 3820 meters (12,533 ft). Couldn't drive any higher because of major mud on the dirt/muddy road. Started the Guagua Pichincha hike at 10:50am. Summited by 1:30pm. Talked to a Polish & a German guy at the summit. Left summit at 1:45pm. Back at the truck at 2:58pm (~ 4 hrs roundtrip). Then, we drove to Aloasi, Machachi and stayed at Hosteria La Estacion.
Route Climbed: Direct from downtown Quito Date Climbed: February, 1958
Karl Nelson and I arrived in Quito at the height of the rainy season after hitchhiking down the Pan-American Highway from Utah forty-eight years ago. We started early in the morning from Quito and hiked up through paramo grass to the rocky crags that represent the edge of Pichincha's crater. Unfortunately clouds had already set in as we achieved the summit and we were denied any view. However as we were climbing the slopes immediately above Quito earlier that morning, we espied the snow cone of Cotopaxi rising to the southeast.
Wet weather discouraged us from attempting any other peak in Ecuador at that time. We went on to Peru and Bolivia where we summited El Misti and Huayna Potosi. We had planned to return to Ecuador later in 1958 but never realized it after I caught hepititus in Argentina and Karl was drafted into the U.S. Army.
In six months of travel by thumb from Utah to Argentina, we expended less than $300 each. It cost a weakened me more than that just to fly DC-4s back to Mexico City where I recovered my strength and took a bus back to Salt Lake City. It was far more adventurous and challenging to travel back then before the age of jet travel.
Route Climbed: normal route Date Climbed: Jan 15, 2005
Great acclim route and easy 3rd class scramble to the true summit. We had a dusting of snow and a lot of fog during our climb, so no views for us. Very nice and easy climb.
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: January 22, 2005
Summitted Guagua with cp0915, Thomas, and Brett. Used as accli climb for bigger mountains. Had great views of Illinizas, Cotopaxi, Antisana, Cayambe, Corazon, Ruminahui, just to name a few.
cp0915 - Jan 25, 2005 11:31 am Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2005
Guagua Standard
-Jan 22, 2005
great weather...fantastic views from the summit of guagua
(I don't know what was better, though - the views from Guagua or the front row seat to the student riot - students throwing rocks, police in full battle gear throwing tear gas, a tank on fire - we had in Quito the day before!)
-Jan 2, 2009
Returned with DB and Andy Mac for a link-up of Guagua and Padre Encantado. With temps in the teens and 50 feet of visibility, we stopped at the summit of Guagua. Still, an interesting day out...especially the hired truck breaking on us, leading us to walk several miles down the mountain to catch a ride back to Quito in Lloa.
Not a good peakbagging start to 2009, as I'd failed on Pasochoa the previous day because of bad beta.
Route Climbed: East Ridge Direct Ascent Date Climbed: December 2004
We used this climb for the acclimatization. Started at around 3900 m, where we went by car. Great view of the valley with Quito, in the far Cotopaxi, Antisana, etc.
Route Climbed: Standard Route Date Climbed: March 2002
A beautiful day with no one else on the mountain. We summitted Guagua after hiking miles and miles up the dirt road from Lloa. Stirred up the dogs and the guard at the hut, but we felt safe the entire time. No indication of bandits or thieves.
Route Climbed: El Bosque to Condor Rumi (North Ridge Approach), East-Side Direct Rock Ascent Date Climbed: April 2003
Took the bus to El Bosque, climbed north ridge from Quito up to Condor Rumi, climbed the east rock ridge of the summit peak. Good training hike, although dangerous for tourists. A vertical mile from the city to the summit.
Route Climbed: GuaGua Pichincha-Standard Date Climbed: February 2003
I actually climbed the higher summit (15,728) of the Pichinchas, GuaGua Pichincha. This is the one that erupted about 3 years ago covering Quito and surrounding areas with tons of ash. It only recently was reopened to climbing. The crater was still very active as evident from the smells and sounds. Too cloudy to see anything from the summit.
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: January 2000
Climbed as an accclimating hike with one other friend. Our guide actually was ill and had to stay back in Quito. He went over the route with us before we left. No trouble at all. Very well worn track leads up from the antenna. We did not encounter any trouble, dispite reports of bandits and dogs. Very wet and misty climb. A few snow fluries while scrambling up the summit pyramid.
missadventure - Feb 8, 2006 11:09 pm
Route Climbed: normal route Date Climbed: dec 2000hiked up as an acclimatization day
forjan - Jan 13, 2006 3:06 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Routes Date Climbed: December 28-29, 2005December 28, 2005: After waiting for two days for the rain to stop (it had been constantly raining for the past 2 weeks in Quito; the rainy season that should have occured on October/November was delayed 'til December/January), DeeDee and I took the Teleferico up from La Comuna to Cruz Loma and started hiking at 10:00am towards Rucu Pichincha. The last 200 feet to Rucu' s summit was interesting scrambling on mixed class 3 rock/snow. Reached Rucu' s summit at 1:00pm. Then, we took our sweet time descending while talking to various other groups. Got back to the Teleferico upper station by 3:00pm.
December 29, 2005: Rented a small 4WD truck (a Chevrolet Vitara). Drove up to 3820 meters (12,533 ft). Couldn't drive any higher because of major mud on the dirt/muddy road. Started the Guagua Pichincha hike at 10:50am. Summited by 1:30pm. Talked to a Polish & a German guy at the summit. Left summit at 1:45pm. Back at the truck at 2:58pm (~ 4 hrs roundtrip). Then, we drove to Aloasi, Machachi and stayed at Hosteria La Estacion.
colint - Jan 6, 2006 5:03 pm
Route Climbed: via Teleferico Date Climbed: January 2006This was my first ascent outside of the United States, and quite an enjoyable hike.
C.Wagner - Aug 22, 2005 2:18 pm
Route Climbed: 4 WD track to Gagua Pinchincha Date Climbed: July 10, 2005Start at 0800 somewhere on the 4WD track (altitude 3700 m = 12000 ft)
Refuge at 1020 (altitude 4500 m = 14600 ft)
Summit at 1200
Smell of sulphur !
Nice view, the morning, then cloudy
Very easy (track)
Good acclimatisation
mpa - Aug 11, 2005 5:38 am Date Climbed: Jul 24, 2005
Route Climbed: Normal route to Rucu PichinchaThe newly built cablecar 'TeleferiQo' from Quito makes this a nice daytrip.
Cautious - Jun 24, 2005 9:29 am
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: January 2005Nice easy scrambling to the summit. Good acclimatisation hike
andre hangaard - May 26, 2005 5:23 pm Date Climbed: May 1, 2005
Route Climbed: regular route to GuaguaNice hike. On the summit rather bad weather.
Soon it started to snow and it got cold.
Quick descent to hut for some hot tea!
Nyle Walton - Apr 12, 2005 11:39 am
Route Climbed: Direct from downtown Quito Date Climbed: February, 1958Karl Nelson and I arrived in Quito at the height of the rainy season after hitchhiking down the Pan-American Highway from Utah forty-eight years ago. We started early in the morning from Quito and hiked up through paramo grass to the rocky crags that represent the edge of Pichincha's crater. Unfortunately clouds had already set in as we achieved the summit and we were denied any view. However as we were climbing the slopes immediately above Quito earlier that morning, we espied the snow cone of Cotopaxi rising to the southeast.
Wet weather discouraged us from attempting any other peak in Ecuador at that time. We went on to Peru and Bolivia where we summited El Misti and Huayna Potosi. We had planned to return to Ecuador later in 1958 but never realized it after I caught hepititus in Argentina and Karl was drafted into the U.S. Army.
In six months of travel by thumb from Utah to Argentina, we expended less than $300 each. It cost a weakened me more than that just to fly DC-4s back to Mexico City where I recovered my strength and took a bus back to Salt Lake City. It was far more adventurous and challenging to travel back then before the age of jet travel.
RModelli - Feb 20, 2005 9:24 pm
Route Climbed: normal route Date Climbed: Jan 15, 2005Great acclim route and easy 3rd class scramble to the true summit. We had a dusting of snow and a lot of fog during our climb, so no views for us. Very nice and easy climb.
esugi - Jan 31, 2005 7:22 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: January 22, 2005Summitted Guagua with cp0915, Thomas, and Brett. Used as accli climb for bigger mountains. Had great views of Illinizas, Cotopaxi, Antisana, Cayambe, Corazon, Ruminahui, just to name a few.
cp0915 - Jan 25, 2005 11:31 am Date Climbed: Jan 22, 2005
Guagua Standard-Jan 22, 2005
great weather...fantastic views from the summit of guagua
(I don't know what was better, though - the views from Guagua or the front row seat to the student riot - students throwing rocks, police in full battle gear throwing tear gas, a tank on fire - we had in Quito the day before!)
-Jan 2, 2009
Returned with DB and Andy Mac for a link-up of Guagua and Padre Encantado. With temps in the teens and 50 feet of visibility, we stopped at the summit of Guagua. Still, an interesting day out...especially the hired truck breaking on us, leading us to walk several miles down the mountain to catch a ride back to Quito in Lloa.
Not a good peakbagging start to 2009, as I'd failed on Pasochoa the previous day because of bad beta.
bluescrummachine - Jan 13, 2005 7:22 am
Route Climbed: East Ridge Direct Ascent Date Climbed: December 2004We used this climb for the acclimatization. Started at around 3900 m, where we went by car. Great view of the valley with Quito, in the far Cotopaxi, Antisana, etc.
jweidman - Jan 10, 2005 3:24 pm
Route Climbed: East Ridge Direct Date Climbed: 3 Jan 2005Great views around sunrise of Cotapaxi, Illiniza, etc.
big_g - May 30, 2004 12:00 am Date Climbed: Apr 23, 2004
Route Climbed: std crater rimThe first of many times up the massif.
What can I say... A bold ascent.
Thinking about a Guagua - Rucu traverse now.
[update: the traverse is time well spent]
Miguel Angel Perez - May 7, 2004 12:15 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: Dec. 2003Climbed Guagua Pichincha for aclimatizing before going to Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. Nice trek and very good for aclimatizing.
Too sad it was cloudy and couldn't see the crater nor the amazing views of other volcanoes.
gato - Apr 12, 2004 6:22 pm
Route Climbed: Standard Route Date Climbed: March 2002A beautiful day with no one else on the mountain. We summitted Guagua after hiking miles and miles up the dirt road from Lloa. Stirred up the dogs and the guard at the hut, but we felt safe the entire time. No indication of bandits or thieves.
schitthaedt - Sep 15, 2003 7:51 pm
Route Climbed: El Bosque to Condor Rumi (North Ridge Approach), East-Side Direct Rock Ascent Date Climbed: April 2003Took the bus to El Bosque, climbed north ridge from Quito up to Condor Rumi, climbed the east rock ridge of the summit peak. Good training hike, although dangerous for tourists. A vertical mile from the city to the summit.
miztflip - Jul 23, 2003 6:48 pm
Route Climbed: GuaGua Pichincha-Standard Date Climbed: February 2003I actually climbed the higher summit (15,728) of the Pichinchas, GuaGua Pichincha. This is the one that erupted about 3 years ago covering Quito and surrounding areas with tons of ash. It only recently was reopened to climbing. The crater was still very active as evident from the smells and sounds. Too cloudy to see anything from the summit.
Jerry L - Mar 6, 2003 4:38 am
Standard Route / Date Climbed: January, 1976 & February 20, 2003My first climb was in 1976 while I was living and working in Ecuador with the Peace Corps.
I returned in 2003 with my son and climbed it again. Nice climb with beautiful views between the clouds. Great memories of time spent with my kid.
mdostby - Mar 29, 2001 8:12 pm
Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: January 2000Climbed as an accclimating hike with one other friend. Our guide actually was ill and had to stay back in Quito. He went over the route with us before we left. No trouble at all. Very well worn track leads up from the antenna. We did not encounter any trouble, dispite reports of bandits and dogs. Very wet and misty climb. A few snow fluries while scrambling up the summit pyramid.