Carihuairazo
Encyclopedia
Mount Carihuairazo is a volcanic caldera
neighboured by Ecuador's
highest mountain Chimborazo
.
of the Andes
of central Ecuador, 150 km (93.2 mi) south-southwest of the capital Quito
. Its neighboured by 6,267 m high Chimborazo
. The nearest cities are Riobamba
(~30 km to the southeast), Ambato (~30 km to the northeast) and Guaranda
(~30 km to the southwest). Carihuairazo's 1.5 km wide heavy eroded caldera opens to the east.
The Carihuairazo forms part of the "Reserva de Produccion Faunistica Chimborazo" which forms a protected ecosystem to preserve the habitat for the andens native camelids Vicuña
, Llama
and Alpaca
.
.
which are both volcanic calderas have been destroyed by Taita (Father) Chimborazo fighting for the grace of Mamá Tungurahua.
and the brothers Louis and Jean-Antoine Carrel
during their 1880 Ecuador expedition. It is not entirely clear out of Whymper's descriptions but it is believed that they climbed the Mocha (4,960m) and not the Maxima summit (5,018m). The first ascent to the Maxima summit is attributed to Arturo Eichler, Horacio Lopez Uribe and Jean Morawiecki in 1951 (Neate 1994).
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
neighboured by Ecuador's
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
highest mountain Chimborazo
Chimborazo (volcano)
Chimborazo is a currently inactive stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known eruption is believed to have occurred around 550 AD....
.
Location
Carihuairazo is located in the Cordillera OccidentalCordillera Occidental, Ecuador
The Cordillera Occidental range is one of two main mountain ranges in the Andes in Ecuador, the other being the Cordillera Central. It spans the whole country from north to south. The highest peak of the Cordillera Occidental is Chimborazo ....
of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
of central Ecuador, 150 km (93.2 mi) south-southwest of the capital Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
. Its neighboured by 6,267 m high Chimborazo
Chimborazo (volcano)
Chimborazo is a currently inactive stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Occidental range of the Andes. Its last known eruption is believed to have occurred around 550 AD....
. The nearest cities are Riobamba
Riobamba
Riobamba is the capital of the Chimborazo Province in central Ecuador, which is located at the Chambo River Valley of the Andes. It is south of Ecuador's capital Quito and located at 2754 m on the Avenue of the Volcanoes...
(~30 km to the southeast), Ambato (~30 km to the northeast) and Guaranda
Guaranda
San Pedro de Guaranda is a city in central Ecuador. It is the capital of Bolívar, a province located in the Andes mountains. The city has is connected by road with other hubs including, Riobamba, Babahoyo and Ambato....
(~30 km to the southwest). Carihuairazo's 1.5 km wide heavy eroded caldera opens to the east.
The Carihuairazo forms part of the "Reserva de Produccion Faunistica Chimborazo" which forms a protected ecosystem to preserve the habitat for the andens native camelids Vicuña
Vicuña
The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre...
, Llama
Llama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
and Alpaca
Alpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
.
Glacier
Carihuairazo's Glacier has lost an important part of its mass during the last decade as a result of global warming and ash covers caused by the recent volcanic activity of its eastern neighbour TungurahuaTungurahua
Tungurahua, , rahua : "Throat of Fire" or from Panzaleo) is an active stratovolcano located in the Cordillera Oriental of Ecuador. The volcano gives its name to the province of Tungurahua...
.
Volcanism
Carihuairazo must have been a Volcano of similar dimensions to its neighbour Chimborazo before explosions during the last period of activity destroyed the mass of the peak, leaving today's caldera. There is no evidence of historic activity and Carihuayrazo is considered inactive.Etymology
An interpretation of its name is that it's a combination of the Quichua words Cari (man), huay (wind) and razu (Ice/Snow) (Schmudlach 2001). Local Indian mythology narrates that Carihuairazo and El AltarEl Altar
El Altar is an extinct volcano on the western side of Sangay National Park in Ecuador, 170 km south of Quito. Spaniards named it so because it resembled two Nuns and four Friars listening to a Bishop around a church altar...
which are both volcanic calderas have been destroyed by Taita (Father) Chimborazo fighting for the grace of Mamá Tungurahua.
First Ascent
Carihuayrazo was climbed by Edward WhymperEdward Whymper
Edward Whymper , was an English illustrator, climber and explorer best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. On the descent four members of the party were killed.-Early life:...
and the brothers Louis and Jean-Antoine Carrel
Jean-Antoine Carrel
thumb|Jean-Antoine Carrel was an Italian mountain climber. He had done climbs with Edward Whymper and was his rival when he attempted to climb the Matterhorn for the first time. Carrel was in the group that became the first Europeans to reach the summit of Chimborazo in 1880...
during their 1880 Ecuador expedition. It is not entirely clear out of Whymper's descriptions but it is believed that they climbed the Mocha (4,960m) and not the Maxima summit (5,018m). The first ascent to the Maxima summit is attributed to Arturo Eichler, Horacio Lopez Uribe and Jean Morawiecki in 1951 (Neate 1994).
Climbing
Due to the glacier retreat and its consequences climbing Carihuairazo has shifted from a PD glacier route with some rock scrambling to an AD route with a technical climb to the summit tower (Maxima, 5,018m).- Carihuairazo can be climbed year round with best seasons being December–January and July–August.
- A good height acclimatizationAcclimatizationAcclimatisation or acclimation is the process of an individual organism adjusting to a gradual change in its environment, allowing it to maintain performance across a range of environmental conditions...
is highly recommended for this climb. - The mountain is contained on the IGM (Instituto Geografico Militar) 1:50000 Map Chimborazo (CT-ÑIV-C1) (IGM 1991, http://www.igm.gov.ec/cms/files/cartabase/enie/imagenes/ENIEIV_C1_ALTA.jpg).
