Central Highlands - Adventure Guide to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands - page 168

Several outfitters in Quito provide guide services for the Condor
Trek. If lugging all of your own gear sounds like hard work, you can
sign up for a tour with pack animals, although carrying your own
pack provides a greater sense of achievement at the end of the day. If
you decide to go it alone, this route requires good navigational skills
and topographic maps (IGM 1:50,000 Papallacta, Laguna de Mica,
Sincholagua, and Cotopaxi). Also, be sure to talk with someone who
has done the trek before. A detailed route description can be found in
Rachowiecki, Thurber and Wagenhauser's Climbing and Hiking in
Ecuador (Bradt Publications, 1997).
Cotopaxi National Park
Hiking and climbing opportunities on Cotopaxi Volcano and through-
out the park are superb. Fromthemain entrance, the firstmajor stop-
ping point along the rugged dirt road is Laguna Limpiopungo , set
among the southeastern flanks of the jagged and scenic Rumiñahui
Volcano , a haven for Andean bird life. Having lived near the ocean, I
was quite surprised when I first heard the old familiar cry of the sea-
gull, at an altitude of 12,426 feet! The call is actually that of an An-
dean gull that resides near the lake, which is really more of a marsh.
A few species of ducks also reside there. The páramo habitat in this
area is truly unique. You'll see hummingbirds, the Andean lapwing,
and an orange-faced falcon known as the carunculated caracara, as
well as the characteristic dwarfed vegetation.
At Limpiopungo, you can stroll around the lagoon, enjoy a wonder-
fully scenic picnic, or set up camp not too far away. Weather permit-
ting, the views of Cotopaxi Volcano looming in the east - at 19,283
feet - are fabulous. There is also a small trail along the east side of
Lake Limpiopungo that heads northwest toward the summit of
Rumiñahui, at 15,408 feet. Although the summit can be reached
without technical gear, it is a rough and rocky scramble and should
not be attempted by the casual hiker. Other than that, you can hike
just about anywhere without getting lost. Just pick a landmark and
head toward it. Remember that everything here is more distant than
it appears due to the massive scale of the mountains. Cotopaxi actu-
ally looks as if you can throw a rock and hit it. Be sure to bring plenty
of water.
From the lagoon, it's a long hike or a breathtaking hop, skip, and
jump (by auto) to the parking lot onCotopaxi. At the parking lot below
the climbers' refuge you will immediately notice the high altitude of
15,042 feet. Hiking from here to the refuge, at 15,696 feet, may seem
like a stone's throw away, but it is a very exhausting “walk.” Spend at