A wind that will move you like roly-poly dolls
Location: Ecuador (Carchi Province) and Colombia (Narino Department)
Elevation: 4723 m.
Number of days: 1 D
Technical level: low
Physical level: medium-high
A ferocious wind that pushed and pulled our bodies, making us totter, just like roly-poly dolls. Like this was our 1-day journey reaching the summit of the Chiles volcano.
With an elevation of 4723 m. and prominence of 638 m., Chiles is an active volcano located on the border of Ecuador (Carchi Province) and Colombia (Narino Department). It is almost 24 km. west from Tulcan City, the capital of Carchi. This is a summit you can attempt in just 1 day with a round trip from Quito (this is the option I went for). Or, if you prefer a more relaxed
journey, you could opt to stay in a nearby city, like Tulcan, and attempting the summit the next day.
The route to this summit does not require permits or fees, though you might encounter other types of expenses. If you are not an experienced
mountaineer and do not know the route, it is recommendable you hire a guide, or arrange the whole logistics of your visit with an agency.
The time it takes you to complete the route, as almost any other physical activity, really depends on many factors, including but not limited to your physical condition, your acclimatization to the altitude of the Highlands, the size of your climbing team, and the weather conditions. For our group, it took around 5 hours to complete the round-walk from the hut.
On a Saturday, around 12:30 a.m., we departed from Quito towards Carchi to attempt the summit of Chiles. At almost 6 a.m., the bus dropped us at a parking lot, from where, after a 15-minute walk, we arrived to the hut, that consisted of a kitchen, a little living room, a toilet, and an empty room that would later become a shared bedroom for mountaineers.
We had a filing and fueling breakfast served by the kind staff at the hut, and prepared our backpacks before our hike up the summit. Technically, this mountain is not difficult; it could be climbed by a person already acclimatized to the altitude and with a good physical condition. The trek consisted of puddly terrain, followed by a continuous rocky slope that led to the summit.
The conditions were a little harsh that day; the drizzle, the mist, and the strong wind were permanent during hike, both the ways up and down. There were times when we would had to stop for precaution, especially close to narrow ridges, since the wind was strong enough to knock us down.
When back at the hut, we changed our clothing, and headed back to the bus. By this time of the day, around 3 p.m., the weather improved considerably. Even though the wind was still unfriendly, the drizzle ceased, the weather cleared up, and the sun came out. Finally, we had lunch at a nearby restaurant run by the local people, and came back to Quito around 11 p.m.
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