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Hi all,

I will be backpacking through Ecuador throughout July time and would love to climb Cotopaxi. I will however be the first to admit that i have no knowledge when it comes to these sort of things and this would be my first climb at this level so understand i may be biting off more than i can chew (please tell me if you would advise against this trip). Has any one climbed this particular volcano and if so would you be able to shed any advice on the climb and gear required or if this is stuff that will be available once I am there.

Any advice surrounding climbs I could do through out South America will be appreciated!

Kind regards,

T

I wouldn't recommend against it as long as you take a reputable guide. Most guide services will provide gear rental.

One word of advise though; make sure to take enough time to acclimatize. A lot of people don't. Climbing several smaller peaks before hand helps. Iliniza Norte, Pichincha, Corazon, Rumiñahui etc. are all good acclimatization peaks.

Most people that fail on the peaks fail either because they didn't acclimatize enough or because of the weather.

From what I saw, the reputable guides offer outdated but usable gear, and despite what you may hear or read, the park rangers really, *really* want you to go with a guide. Scott's advice is all good, and if you're there for a whole month, you'll have plenty of time to acclimate, since much of the country is pretty high.