Such a tall chimborazo. Chimborazo volcano: height, location Coordinates of Chimborazo mountain

In this unique area, the mountains are spread over an area of ​​several tens of square kilometers. The lowest mountain has a height of about 2,400 meters, and the average values ​​are about 4,000 meters. Among the many peaks of this mountainous region, Chimborazo is a real giant, covered with eternal ice, dropping to 4,600 meters.

About where the Chimborazo volcano is located, and what it is, is described in this article.

Location

Chimborazo is part of the Cordillera Occidental (ridge) in the Andes. What country does he belong to? Chimborazo volcano is located in Ecuador, 150 kilometers from its capital - Quito. It belongs to the andesite-dacite stratovolcanoes.

It is clearly visible in sunny clear weather even from the city of Guayaquil, located in the coastal zone (distance of about 140 km). The city of Riobamba is located 30 kilometers southeast of the volcano. The cities of Ambato and Guaranda from Chimborazo are respectively 30 kilometers north-east and 25 kilometers west.

Description of the region

Almost always, the summit of the Chimborazo volcano rises above the level of the clouds, thanks to which a delightful and unforgettable sight opens up to tourists when flying on an airliner. Once Chimborazo was a violent volcano, but over time it subsided, and its peak began to represent an ice edge.

For the inhabitants of this region (provinces of Bolivar and Chimborazo), melt water is the main water resource. Due to global warming and the ongoing processes inside the volcano, the size of the glacier has decreased significantly. In addition, ice is mined here for sale in the domestic markets of the country (for cooling), since the climatic conditions here are too hot for human life.

This volcano has long been quiet: its last eruption happened 2-3 thousand years ago. By European standards, it is incredibly high. The height of the Chimborazo volcano is 6,384 m.

At its very foot, the Guayas River originates.

It is believed that Chomolungma is the highest place on earth. If the height of the mountain is taken from its base to the very top, then the highest peaks can be called McKinley and Ararat. And if we also take into account the underground (or underwater) part of the mountain, then the highest can be called the Mauna Kea mountain peak, located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Only its peak is visible on the water surface.

There is one more interesting point. If the height of the mountain is calculated not from the earth's surface or from the sea level, and not even from the bottom of the sea, but from the center of the planet, then the mark in Ecuador can be taken as the highest point of planet Earth. This is the Chimborazo volcano.

This volcano has become the farthest point from the center of the Earth due to its favorable geographic location.

origin of name

According to scientists, there is more than one version of the origin of the name of the volcano. From some dialects of the Quechua language, chimba is translated as “on the other side of the river”, and razu is translated as “ice” or “snow”.

According to local residents, the word chimbarazu translates as "snow on the other side." There is another version, according to which the name of the volcano came from the addition of two words: schingbu from Chapalachian - "woman" and razo from Kechuan - "ice, snow". When these words are combined, the result is "snow woman" or "ice woman".

There are other versions explaining the origin of the name of the mountain.

Climbing the summit of Chimborazo volcano

In those days, when this majestic giant was considered the highest peak of the planet, many scientists and travelers tried to make ascents. In 1802, all records in Europe were broken by Baron Alexander von Humboldt. He reached the mark of 5,875 meters. After Chimborazo lost his champion status, dreamers continued to come to these places to conquer this peak.

An interesting fact is that until 1880 no one suspected that this mountain was a volcano. A mountaineer from England Edward Wimper reached the summit of Chimborazo exactly in this year.

Tourist route

The starting point of the path along the classic ascent is Karel's hut, located at an elevation of 4,600 meters. Tourists are brought to this place by a jeep, and then the ascent is made to the mark of 5000 meters, where the Vamper hut is located. From this point, at midnight, climbers head to another point - Veintemille, located at an altitude of 6,270 meters. Experienced climbers believe that they should be on it no later than 6 am, as the snow crust begins to melt later. And they usually descend back no later than 10 o'clock in the morning, since then there is a likelihood of avalanches and stones.

Everyone knows that the volcano is not active today, but travelers may expect other troubles. For example, part of the slope up to the El Castillo saddle is quite steep, so unexpected rockfalls often occur here. There are also areas where there is a risk of falling into the abyss when climbing after 8 in the morning.

In conclusion, about some of the features of Chimborazo

To complete our story, here are some interesting additions:

1. According to the stories of some climbers, when you are on the slope of a volcano, you can hear some processes occurring inside it. However, this is highly questionable.
2. The peculiarities of the Chimborazo volcano include the absence of a change of seasons on its slopes. This means that the temperature in this area always remains unchanged. In this regard, the peak can be conquered at any time of the year, but tourists more often come here in autumn and winter.
3. A characteristic feature of the volcano is that its surface is completely covered with snow. There is a centuries-old layer of ice under its cover.

Chimborazo volcano(Spanish Chimborazo; height 6310 m.) is the highest point. Refers to extinct volcanoes. As noted by scientists, the last time it erupted in the first millennium (550) AD.

If you take the top of a volcano and relate it to the center of the Earth, then the top of Chimborazo will be the most distant point on the planet.

In the period XVI - early. XIX centuries. the summit of the volcano was considered the highest in the world.

Photo gallery not opening? Go to the site version.

Description and characteristics

Chimborazo is part of the Cordillera Occidental (Spanish Cordillera Occidental; "Western Ridge") in the Ecuadorian Andes. The volcano is located 150 km from (Spanish Quito) - the capital of Ecuador. The volcano belongs to andesite-dacite stratovolcanoes.

In clear weather, the volcano is clearly visible from the city (Spanish: Guayaquil), located in the coastal zone, and the distance to Guayaquil is about 140 km. 30 km southeast of Chimborazo is the city (Spanish San Pedro de Riobamba), 30 km northeast - Ambato (Spanish Ambato), and 25 km southwest - Guaranda ( Spanish Guaranda).

The summit of Chimborazo is always above the cloud level. When flying on an airliner, tourists have a delightful, completely unforgettable sight.

The mountains of this area are spread over an area of ​​several tens of km². The height of the lowest mountain is 2 km, and the average value is within 4 km. Among the many mountains of this region, Chimborazo rises as a real giant, the top of which is covered with eternal ice, dropping to a mark of 4.6 km. The main water resource for the inhabitants of the provinces of Chimborazo and Bolivar is melt water. Due to global warming and the ongoing processes inside the volcano, the glacier has decreased significantly. In addition, ice is mined here for further sale in the country's markets for cooling purposes - the climate here is too hot for humans.

Chimborazo summit

origin of name

According to scientists, there are several versions of the origin of the "name" of the volcano. In some dialects of the language, the word " chimba"Means" on the other side of the river ", and the word" razu "means" snow "," ice ".

Locals claim that the word "chimbarazu" translates as "Snow on the other side." According to another version, the name of the volcano is composed of two words: "Schingbu" (Chapalachian - "woman") and "Razo" (Quechua - "ice, snow"). If you combine these two words, you get "Ice Woman" or "Snow Woman".

Of course, there are other versions of the origin of the name Chimborazo.

Climbing Chimborazo

When this giant was considered the highest peak on Earth, many travelers and scientists tried to make ascents. So, in 1802, all European records were broken by the baron Alexander von Humboldt, who managed to rise to the mark of 5875 m. Despite the fact that Chimborazo has lost the status of the highest peak in the world, tourists often come here who dream of conquering it. Until 1880, no one knew that Chimborazo was a volcano. It was in that year that Edward Wimper, an English climber, climbed Chimbarso and reached its summit.

The classic climb assumes that the path starts from the Karelian hut (Spanish: Cabaña de Karel), located at the 4.6 km mark. A jeep arrives here, bringing tourists. Further, the ascent continues to the 5 km mark, where the Vamper hut (Spanish: Sabaña de Whymper) is located. From the Vampera hut, climbers head at midnight to the fourth point called Cumbre Veintemilla, located at an altitude of 6.27 km. As experienced climbers note, it is necessary to be at this mark no later than 6 am, since later the sun melts the snow crust. Travelers descend from here no later than 10 am. At this time, the likelihood of rocks and avalanches is high.

Everyone knows that the volcano is inactive now. But other traps await travelers. For example, the section of the slope up to the saddle of El Castillo is quite steep, and unexpected rockfalls often occur here. And on the section from Veintimilla to Whymper there is a high risk of falling into the abyss if you climb after 8 in the morning.

There are many agencies in Ecuador that organize group ascents of Chimborazo. If the journey is independent (and this is not forbidden at all), you need to act as carefully as possible.

Some climbers argue that if you listen, while on the slope of the volcano, you can hear how some volcanic processes are taking place inside, which, however, is very doubtful.

Another feature of Chimborazo is the absence of changing seasons on the slopes of the volcano. This means that the temperature on the territory of the volcano does not change. Therefore, you can conquer the summit at any time of the year, but tourists most often come here during autumn and winter.

The Chimborazo volcano is located in the central part of Ecuador, in the Ecuadorian Andes, and is part of the Cordillera Oxidetal mountain range. The extinct stratovolcano Chimborazo is the highest mountain in Ecuador, the top of which is 6310 meters above sea level. Due to the location of the volcano in the Equatorial Bulge zone, its summit is the farthest point from the center of the Earth on the surface of the Earth. For a long time Chimborazo was considered the highest mountain peak in the world, in 1856 the palm passed to Everest, whose height - 8848 meters above sea level, was determined by Indian mathematicians. The summit of the volcano is completely covered with ice; on the northeastern slope, the glacial arm descends to 4600 meters above sea level. The caldera of an extinct volcano is located at an altitude of 5020 meters, its diameter is about 2 km, the edges are rocky, peaked. Chimborazo has four peaks - Peak Whimper (6,310 meters), Peak Ventimia (6,227 meters), Peak Polytechnic (5,570 meters) and Peak Nicolas Martinez (5,570 meters). At the foot of the volcano, the Guayas River flows into the Guayaquil Bay. The first attempts to climb the top of the volcano were made already in the 17th century. In 1802, the expedition of Baron Alexander von Humboldt was able to reach an altitude of 5875 meters, in 1831 Jean-Baptiste Bossingalt and Colonel Hall climbed to a height of 6006 meters above sea level. The first to conquer the impregnable Chimborazo were the legendary climbers Edward Whimper and brothers Louis and Jean-Antoine Carrel, who climbed to the top of the volcano in 1880. Many were skeptical about the news of the "capture" of the volcano, so Edward Whimper in the same year made a second ascent to the top of Chimborazo, but on a different route. The Whimper Trail, which runs along the western slope of the volcano and leads directly to its summit, remains the most popular climbing route to this day. There are also several other routes to the top that are considered more difficult and dangerous. On the way to the summit there are two transshipment bases - Karrel's hut (located at an altitude of 4850 meters) and Whimper's hut (located at an altitude of 5000 meters). Chimborazo is dangerous for climbers due to the frequent avalanches and rockfalls. In 1993, one of the worst tragedies in the history of climbing in Ecuador happened here - on the approaches to the summit an avalanche covered a group of 13 climbers, 10 of whom remained forever on the slopes of Chimborazo. In October 2002, an expedition exploring a new route to the top of the mountain discovered traces of one of the largest plane crashes in Ecuador - the wreckage of an aircraft and the remains of passengers on the ill-fated flight 232, carried out on August 15, 1976 on the route Quito - Cuenca. The plane disappeared from radar in the Chimborazo area, its search continued for more than a month, but to no avail. The plane, along with 59 people flying on it, was declared missing, and only a quarter of a century later, the fate of the HC-ARS board became known. Nevertheless, thousands of climbers from all over the world come to Ecuador to conquer the highest peak near the equator. Chimborazo is depicted on the coat of arms of Ecuador - the volcano and the Guayas River flowing at its foot symbolize the beauty and natural wealth of the country.

Chimborazo volcano Volcán Chimborazo Address: Riobamba, Chimborazo, Ecuador Tel: +593 302-7358; +593 261-0029 Web: areasprotegidas.ambiente.gob.ec/areas-protegidas/reserva-de-producci%C3%B3n-faun%C3%ADstica-chimborazo	How to get there: Mariscal Sucre International Airport, Quito - 235 km Estación de Tren de Ambato Train Station - 75 km Estación de Tren Riobamba Train Station - 50 km Nearby is the Via Ambato Guaranda E491 motorway	Validity: constantly Working hours: Entrance to the Chimborazo nature reserve: Monday - Sunday 08:00 to 17:00 The best time for climbing December - January and July - August Price: 350 USD / 1 person Climbing the top of the Chimborazo volcano is allowed only when accompanied by accredited mountain guides. The cost of the ascent (base camp + equipment rental + food + transport services): * individual - from 350 USD * as part of a group (from 2 people) - from 245 USD / per person

Chimborazo (Ecuador) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

• Last Minute Tours around the world

At the end of the earth, in the mysterious country of Ecuador, the top of the extinct one and a half thousand years ago the Chimborazo volcano, which is part of the Western Cordillera Andes mountain system, props up the clouds. The name of the volcano comes from the Quechua word "chimbo" - "on the other side", and "race" - snow. Its height reaches 6267 m (according to other sources, 6384.4 m) above sea level. The Indians living at its foot still have great respect for the formidable peak.

Until the 19th century, Chimborazo was considered the highest mountain on the planet. Measuring the height of the mountains from the center of the Earth, Chimborazo is several meters higher than Everest.

Climbing

Chimborazo itself is a giant ridge with 4 hump-peaks, the highest of which are Ventmilla (6100) and Weeper (6300). The main feature of the area is the lack of seasonality, so you can conquer the peak at any time of the year. But the best periods are autumn and winter.

A standard climb takes 2-3 days, but it all depends on the tour you buy. There are two shelters for a halt on Chimborazo: Lower, located at the end of the road, and Upper. Classic route:

• start from the Karelian hut at an altitude of 4600 m,
• ascent to a height of 5000 m to the Vamper hut (named after the first person who conquered this peak),
• ascent to the fourth peak of Cumbre-Ventimia - this must be done at night, until the sun melts the crust,
• descent until 10 o'clock in the morning, as later the danger of rockfalls and avalanches increases.

Climbing routes

The trek along the North side - Las Muralas Rojas - takes 8-9 hours, the trip along the North side through the Telman glacier - 8 hours, the southeastern route will take a day and a half, the most difficult route is "Arista del Sol", 2/3 which is a rocky area, lasts 2 days.

As for difficult sections of the path, it is worth highlighting the section to the saddle of El Castillo - this is a steep slope and on the way back there is a danger of rock falls, and the section from the top of Ventimia (6267 m) to the top of Vimper (Whimper) (6310 m), where you need to take into account that the snow covering the glacier becomes very soft in the daytime, and it must be overcome as early as possible, by 7-8 o'clock in the morning.

Riobamba town at the foot of Chimborazo

Chimborazo Volcano is the highest point, and until the beginning of the 19th century it was considered the highest mountain in the world. In addition, it is completely safe, which attracts many travelers at its foot. The volcano is located very close to the capital, only 150 kilometers away. Tourists staying in the coastal area in clear weather can appreciate the beauty of one of the main attractions of Ecuador and see how the top of the mountain disappears into the clouds, as it is higher than their level. The total height of the Chimborazo volcano is 6267 meters.

Natural features of Chimborazo

Despite the fact that the volcano leads a calm lifestyle, it is far from being stormless inside. Such heat emanates from the depths of Chimborazo that the eternal ice, starting from the 4.6 km mark, is gradually decreasing, becoming the main water resource for the provinces of Chimborazo and Bolivar. Tourists are always eager to taste the melt water from the top of the highest volcano; moreover, it has an extraordinary taste. In addition, ice from Chimborazo is mined for sale in the markets, because the air temperature in Ecuador is very high and the ice helps to escape the heat.

Climbing Chimborazo

Despite the fact that Chimborazo has not been the highest point in the world for a long time, climbers do not lose the desire to climb it. Every year dozens of professionals and hundreds of amateurs come here with expensive equipment to at least get closer to the top. The summit was first conquered in 1880, then no one knew that Chimborazo was a volcano. Further studies showed that the last time the eruption took place in the distant 550 and there is nothing to be afraid of.

The classic ascent program starts from Karel's hut, located at 4600 meters above sea level. A jeep brings tourists there. At midnight, climbers follow to Weintemilla (fourth point), which is located at an altitude of 6270 meters. You need to go through this path before 6 in the morning, otherwise the ascent will have to be stopped, since after dawn the sun melts the snow crust. After a maximum of four hours, the descent begins, as at 10 am there is a danger of rocks and avalanches coming down. In general, climbing Chimborazo is fraught with many dangers, but experienced guides make the trip both fun and safe.

Where is Chimborazo volcano located?

Chimborazo volcano is located in the Andes mountain range in Ecuador, you can get to it from nearby cities:, Babaoyo, Ambato, or. Once in any of these cities, you can follow the signs to the volcano. Also, in order to admire the beauty of Chimborazo, you can choose a sightseeing bus, during the trip you will learn interesting facts about Chimborazo and its surroundings.