Nice page. Useful resource while preparing for my climb on Iliniza Norte. Good description of how to get there.
There are not a lot of Ecuadorian mountains on summitpost, except for the well known names as Chimborazo and Cotopaxi. So this kind of efforts, maintaining a mountain page for Norte, are really appreciated.
Hey, nice work on this page -- and great shots of the mountain, too!
One thing I remember about this climb is that there were two summits - and the one WITHOUT the cross and stuff on it seemed to be higher (I climbed both for the hell of it)....
We had to pay the $5 per person at the Ranger station, and we got very official receipts and were asked to register. Also, be very careful at the summit w/ the cross, as when we summited, the rocks and cross were literally buzzing w/ electricity. It wounded like a broken converter or something, but then the ball on my stocking cap started burning my head w/ static! Scared the crap out of us,but a few meters below was fine. Have fun!
As my climbing log notes and as SPer HIGH EXPEDITIONS has noted, the weather has made this mountain a lot more technical. Snow, ice, and unstable rock are of much greater concern.
See HIGH EXPEDITIONS posting in climber log about Polish climber who died.
Also, refuge is in top shape and fees for the park are now $2. If you do not pay on the way in, stop and pay on the way out.
I climbed Iliniza Norte on 16.10.2018 as an acclimatisation climb before attempting Chimborazo. It's a beautiful place, and most of the clouds are concentrated around the south summit, so even if the weather isn't perfect, it's well worth climbing up there.
I ended up walking from El Chaupi, following the route that the Komoot app suggested. It was beautiful, but involved a fair bit of crawling under barbed wire fences and walking on private land. The cowboys I came across didn't seem to mind and were quite excited to see someone other than a cow.
From the trailhead at La Virgen the trail is very well marked up to the refuge. Along the summit ridge the trail is pretty easy to follow as the colouration of the rock is different where thousands of boots have walked all over them. The only section where I had to consult the summitpost notes again was just under the false summit where for some reason the wrong direction looks more travelled on. Remember to traverse around to the north (right as you look up towards the summit)!
I got back to LA Virgen around 14:30h and there was only one pickup truck waiting for a specific party, so if you want to make sure you don't have to walk back to El Chaupi, get the phone number of a taxi service/pickup truck guy.
Happy climbing!
PS: I didn't have a guide and just wanted to see how far I'd get as an acclimatisation climb, but there was noone to ask and the two guides I encountered didn't seem to mind, and the hut warden didn't say anything either.
mpbro - Jul 5, 2002 2:54 pm - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentUpdate: 4 Aug 2003 -- Awesome work. Looks like a really nice resource.
-Morgan
El Tigre Valderrama - Aug 4, 2003 1:09 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled Commentthe page is ready, have you revote?
Tigre
Henning Lege - Nov 1, 2002 5:38 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentUsually I do not vote, but if stupid people for stupid reasons downvote a really nice page ...
Rockhopper - Jun 9, 2003 12:50 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentNice page. Useful resource while preparing for my climb on Iliniza Norte. Good description of how to get there.
There are not a lot of Ecuadorian mountains on summitpost, except for the well known names as Chimborazo and Cotopaxi. So this kind of efforts, maintaining a mountain page for Norte, are really appreciated.
big_g - Feb 22, 2004 9:34 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentLots of info!
Andinistaloco - Mar 3, 2005 12:54 am - Voted 10/10
Untitled CommentHey, nice work on this page -- and great shots of the mountain, too!
One thing I remember about this climb is that there were two summits - and the one WITHOUT the cross and stuff on it seemed to be higher (I climbed both for the hell of it)....
Bouska006 - Jun 1, 2008 12:22 pm - Hasn't voted
Little extra infoWe had to pay the $5 per person at the Ranger station, and we got very official receipts and were asked to register. Also, be very careful at the summit w/ the cross, as when we summited, the rocks and cross were literally buzzing w/ electricity. It wounded like a broken converter or something, but then the ball on my stocking cap started burning my head w/ static! Scared the crap out of us,but a few meters below was fine. Have fun!
Inday - Mar 4, 2011 2:12 pm - Hasn't voted
Bad weather has changed the mountainAs my climbing log notes and as SPer HIGH EXPEDITIONS has noted, the weather has made this mountain a lot more technical. Snow, ice, and unstable rock are of much greater concern.
See HIGH EXPEDITIONS posting in climber log about Polish climber who died.
Also, refuge is in top shape and fees for the park are now $2. If you do not pay on the way in, stop and pay on the way out.
Konstantin - Oct 16, 2018 5:01 pm - Voted 7/10
Great climbI climbed Iliniza Norte on 16.10.2018 as an acclimatisation climb before attempting Chimborazo. It's a beautiful place, and most of the clouds are concentrated around the south summit, so even if the weather isn't perfect, it's well worth climbing up there.
I ended up walking from El Chaupi, following the route that the Komoot app suggested. It was beautiful, but involved a fair bit of crawling under barbed wire fences and walking on private land. The cowboys I came across didn't seem to mind and were quite excited to see someone other than a cow.
From the trailhead at La Virgen the trail is very well marked up to the refuge. Along the summit ridge the trail is pretty easy to follow as the colouration of the rock is different where thousands of boots have walked all over them. The only section where I had to consult the summitpost notes again was just under the false summit where for some reason the wrong direction looks more travelled on. Remember to traverse around to the north (right as you look up towards the summit)!
I got back to LA Virgen around 14:30h and there was only one pickup truck waiting for a specific party, so if you want to make sure you don't have to walk back to El Chaupi, get the phone number of a taxi service/pickup truck guy.
Happy climbing!
PS: I didn't have a guide and just wanted to see how far I'd get as an acclimatisation climb, but there was noone to ask and the two guides I encountered didn't seem to mind, and the hut warden didn't say anything either.