GUNUNG · Ekuador

Cotacachi Volcano

Volcán Cotacachi

Information

Elevation: 4.944 m
Country: Ekuador (EC)
Location / Range: Cordillera Occidental (Kordilyera Barat), Provinsi Imbabura, Cagar Ekologi Cotacachi–Cayapas
Mountain type: Gunung berapi tidak aktif (dormant) berpuncak batu, Kordilyera Barat Andes Ekuador
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: 0.3608, -78.3492
Difficulty: Berat (puncak tertinggi berupa pinakel batu yang menuntut scrambling/pemanjatan; sering bersalju di puncak)
Best Season: Bulan yang relatif lebih kering Juni–September dan Desember–Februari; cuaca Andes ekuatorial dapat berubah cepat sepanjang tahun
Permits & Rules: Berada di dalam Cagar Ekologi Cotacachi–Cayapas; disarankan memakai pemandu gunung bersertifikat karena puncak berbatu dan bersifat teknis
Hazards: Puncak batu lapuk dan terekspos (bahaya jatuh dan rockfall), salju serta es di bagian puncak, kabut dan perubahan cuaca yang cepat, dan ketinggian di atas 4.900 m

Description

Cotacachi (4,944 m / 16,220 ft) is a dormant volcano in the Western Cordillera of the northern Ecuadorian Andes, west of Imbabura Province and rising above the city of Cotacachi. Its summit lies within the Cotacachi–Cayapas Ecological Reserve and its highest reaches are often capped with snow. Unlike many broad ice-capped Ecuadorian volcanoes, Cotacachi's true summit is a rocky pinnacle that requires scrambling or a short climb, making it more technical than a simple walk-up. It was first climbed on 24 April 1880 by the legendary Edward Whymper together with the Italian guides Jean-Antoine Carrel and Louis Carrel — the same team that pioneered many of Ecuador's high peaks. Today Cotacachi is a popular objective for Ecuadorian and international climbers seeking to combine Andean scenery, the nearby Cuicocha crater lake, and the challenge of a rocky summit.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Rute normal via jalan antena ke pinakel puncak

Berat (jalan kaki Andes + scrambling/pemanjatan batu di puncak)

1 hari (summit day dari titik akses tinggi)

The most common route on Cotacachi uses a dirt road toward high antennas/relays on the mountain's flank, cutting down the height that must be hiked. From there climbers follow ridges and rocky slopes to the summit pinnacle (4,944 m), whose final section requires exposed scrambling or a short rock climb — often snow-covered. Because of the technical summit and fast-changing equatorial Andean weather, a certified guide and an early start are strongly recommended.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Cotacachi (4,944 m), a dormant rocky-summited volcano in Imbabura Province, Ecuador, is climbed via an Andean approach that ends in a scramble up the summit pinnacle. The videos below capture the experience of reaching for the summit of Cotacachi — including a direct summit ascent and a climb of the Cotacachi–Cuicocha volcanic complex within the Cotacachi–Cayapas Ecological Reserve — and its surrounding landscape.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.