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Quito's charming and historical colonial center. Photo by Jason Spellberg

So you're an aspiring mountaineer? You've climbed some snow or ice routes in the Alps or Pyrenees. You've got glacier travel and crevasse rescue covered. Now you want to test your skills at higher elevations, organize your own mountaineering expedition and, perhaps, immerse yourself in culture? There's no better place than Ecuador.

A successful first big-mountain expedition generally requires three things: good weather, easy access, and reliable beta. Ecuador doles up the first two requirements in spades. And now, with this article, you have the third. What follows is a detailed account of how to plan your mountaineering visit to Ecuador, complete with the latest route descriptions available for the most popular volcanoes. All of this information is totally current; most of it does not yet exist in any guidebook.

Quito
In Ecuador, all roads go through Quito, which, at 9,300 feet, is the second highest national capital in the Western Hemisphere. Quito has everything a climber could want, except quality, affordable climbing gear, so be sure to bring all of your own equipment. It's best to stay in the Sucre district, which is in the “New Town,” about a 15-minute drive south of the airport. In this area, you will find restaurants, affordable hotels, plenty of ATMs, scores of mercados and farmacias where you can buy bottled water and other items, and dozens of adventure outfitters and chic Internet cafes. “Old Town,” the charming colonial center of Quito, is about 45 minutes to the south by foot. Although taxis are cheap and the public bus system is even cheaper, this historical tour makes for a safe and pleasant stroll during the day. While acclimatizing, be sure to check out the Basilica Cathedral—Quito's largest—and climb its bell towers for a light workout and excellent views of the city. Further south are several interesting museums, the presidential residence, and Quito's oldest churches, all ornately decorated with gold leaf and definitely worth a visit.

Acclimatization Peaks
If you're a lowlander, it's best to warm up on some of the lower peaks before trying the big ones. Some of Ecuador's lower peaks reach over 16,000 feet—far higher than most peaks in Western Europe. None of these lesser volcanoes hold permanent glaciers.

Pasochoa (13,800 feet) is directly south of Quito, and has a grassy, somewhat steep northeast ridge, which, after 2,000 vertical feet, leads to a small, rocky summit. Guagua (pronounced “wawa”) Pichincha (15,700 feet), just to the west of Quito, is a more challenging 3,500 feet gain. A good trail follows the crest of a narrow ridge almost to Guagua's summit, but the final pitch may require a few fifth-class moves, especially if wet or covered with snow. Both peaks make splendid day trips, not only because of the majestic views of Quito and the Andes (Guagua also has visible active fumaroles in its impressive crater), but also because they are ideal places to spot wildlife.

For a more adventurous outing, go farther south of Quito to Corazon (15,700 feet), which, due to its central location in the Andean chain, offers spectacular mountain vistas in every direction. Corazon requires as much as 5,400 feet of elevation gain, depending on where your ride drops you off. While there is a dirt road leading to 13,500 feet on the east side of the peak, it is wilder and more fun to shortcut straight up the switchbacks, bushwhacking through dense patches of scrub, grass, and eucalyptus. There are several false summits to overcome before the main summit, which is on the rim of a huge caldera. Although it is only a class 2 climb, Corazon is a physically challenging mountain that will make any visitor feel like Indiana Jones!

The beautiful Iliniza Norte (16,800 feet) is the highlight of the acclimatization regimen, but requires an overnight stay at the Iliniza hut. The hut, a two and a half hour hike from the trailhead, is situated at 15,200 feet, in the saddle between Iliniza Norte and its twin sister, Ilinza Sur. The climb involves a lot of steep trail hiking and enjoyable class 3 scrambling on surprisingly solid volcanic rock. The route snakes its way from the south face of the peak around to the north. Due to the presence of false trails and cairns, visitors climbing without a guide should be very adept at route-finding. If there is snow or rain, the technical difficulty can easily increase to low class 5. In such conditions, the slightly lower and easier west summit is usually the objective of choice. Either way, Iliniza Norte makes a splendid acclimatization climb.