Words by SMG Guide Stephen Inman
This winter, my first ski turns came at over 18,000 feet on Cayambe, in Ecuador, as part of a two-week-long ski trip I went on with two other guides in November. Though skiing powder in Sun Valley is an amazing way to spend your winters, I also love high-altitude skiing and this Ecuador trip was an opportunity to test a partnership for larger projects while spending quality time with some great friends. I’m always looking for new terrain to bring clients and Ecuador offers the perfect mix of challenge, culture, and high-altitude skiing.
I’m currently in the final stages of the Mountain Guide Certification (IFMGA) process with the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA). This process takes most guides several years to complete and involves a significant amount of training, travel, and testing. One of the amazing aspects of the program is getting to know fellow guides across the country and sometimes across the world. Kyle, based in Utah, and I have worked together on Denali and in Washington State and were ready to try a bigger trip together. Len, a native Ecuadorian, had taken an avalanche course with Kyle and offered to help us get familiarized with the logistics of climbing and skiing in his country. With a solid team, we set out to climb and ski Cayambe, Chimborazo, and Antisana–hoping to set a new route up Antisana.
After a long travel day, we landed in Quito and set out to acclimatize as much as possible before hitting the mountains. Quito sits at 9,350 feet which meant we could acclimatize through some great day hikes around the city, including a fun rock scramble that allowed us to ride the teleférico back down to town. Getting the opportunity to go right from our apartment in Quito to an acclimatization hike and back down to the city for dinner is a major benefit to any trip in Ecuador. This offered us the opportunity to spend a bit more time getting familiar with the country before heading deeper into the mountains.
Our first big climb after acclimatizing in Quito was Cayambe, which sits at 18,996 feet. Cayambe was a great climb, with Kyle, Len and I all summiting and skiing down together. We summited Cayambe on Thanksgiving and it was the only mountain Len climbed with us, so we all felt extra lucky to be up there together.
Our next objective was the new route on Antisana. Antisana is just a touch shorter than Cayambe at 18,875’ but is known as one of the more technically challenging climbs in the Ecuadorian Andes and can be logistically challenging to get to. Luckily, Len was able to help us navigate how to get permits and how to get to the trailhead. But, about 1,000 feet short of the summit we ran into some proper ice climbing. We attempted to climb wearing our lightweight ski mountaineering gear but decided to back off without any real ice-climbing equipment. Despite having to bail so close to the summit, we still got some amazing turns in on the 4th tallest volcano in Ecuador. And, we met some great folks at the base of the climb who shared their trailhead snacks with us. Another win!
Part of what makes Ecuador such a special place is its location on the equator, which means it’s the same weather all year long and rest days can be spent in shorts and t-shirts. After coming off of Antisana we took a few rest days with Len playing tour guide. Len brought us to several different amazing sport climbing spots and we were able to do some climbing at 14,000 ft. We also got to indulge in some traditional Ecuadorian food, including the famous Ecuadorian dish, guinea pig, which perhaps unsurprisingly tasted a bit like chicken.
Our last goal was to climb and ski Chimborazo, the largest volcano in Ecuador at 20,600 feet. We didn’t quite have a view from the top of Chimborazo as we were surrounded by clouds but Kyle and I were still able to ski from the summit and make some amazing turns up high. Standing on the top of Chimborazo you’re not just at 20,600 feet, you’re also, at that moment, the closest people on Earth to the Sun, because of the Earth’s bulge at the equator. Despite the thin air and questionable snow at times, Chimborazo was the perfect wrap-up to a special trip.
Throughout the two weeks we spent in Ecuador we had the opportunity to meet other guides, try local cuisine, experience a new culture, and ski some amazing peaks. I’d highly recommend a trip to Ecuador if you’re looking to take your skiing into higher altitudes, and I can’t wait to get back to the country myself.
