In this unique area, the mountains spread over an area of several tens of square kilometers. The lowest mountain has a height of about 2,400 meters, while the average values are about 4,000 meters. Among the huge number of peaks of this mountainous region, Chimborazo is a real giant, covered with eternal ice, dropping to 4,600 meters.
This article describes where the Chimborazo volcano is located and what it is.
Location
Chimborazo is part of the Cordillera Occidental (ridge) in the Andes. What country does he belong to? The Chimborazo Volcano is located in Ecuador, 150 kilometers from its capital, Quito. It belongs to andesite-dacitic stratovolcanoes.
It is well visible in sunny clear weather even from the city of Guayaquil, located in the coastal zone (distance about 140 km). The city of Riobamba is located 30 kilometers southeast of the volcano. To the cities of Ambato and Guaranda fromChimborazo respectively 30 kilometers to the northeast and 25 kilometers to the west.
Description of the region
Almost always, the top of the Chimborazo volcano rises above the level of the clouds, thanks to which tourists can enjoy an amazing and unforgettable sight when flying on an airliner. Once Chimborazo was a raging volcano, but over time it subsided, and its top began to represent an ice point.
For the inhabitants of this region (the provinces of Bolivar and Chimborazo), the main water resource is melt water. Due to global warming and ongoing processes inside the volcano, the size of the glacier has greatly decreased. 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 since died down: 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.
This is interesting
It is believed that Chomolungma is the highest place on earth. If we take the value from its base to the very top as the height of the mountain, then McKinley and Ararat can be called the highest peaks. And if we also take into account the underground (or underwater) part of the mountain, then the highest mountain peak can be called Mauna Kea, located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Only its peak is visible on the water surface.
There are moreone interesting point. If the height of the mountain is calculated not from the earth's surface or from 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 on the planet Earth. This is Chimborazo Volcano.
This volcano has become the furthest point from the center of the Earth due to its favorable geographic location.
Origin of the name
According to the assumptions of scientists, there is more than one version of the origin of the name of the volcano. In some dialects of the Quechua language, chimba is translated as "on the other side of the river", and razu - as "ice" or "snow".
According to the locals, 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 Chapalach - “woman” and razo from Quechuan - “ice, snow”. When you combine these words, you get "snow woman" or "ice woman".
There are other versions explaining the origin of the name of the mountain.
About climbing to the top of Chimborazo volcano
In those days when this majestic giant was considered the highest peak of the planet, many scientists and travelers tried to climb. In 1802, Baron Alexander von Humboldt broke all European records. He reached the mark of 5,875 meters. After Chimborazo lost his championship status, dreamers continued to come to these places to conquer this peak.
An interesting fact is that until 1880 no onesuspected that this mountain is a volcano. English climber Edward Wimper reached the top of Chimborazo that year.
Itinerary for tourists
The starting point of the classic climb is the Karela hut, located at around 4,600 meters. A jeep brings tourists to this place, and then the ascent is made up to the mark of 5,000 meters, where the Vamper's hut is located. From this point, at midnight, climbers head to another point - Weintemille, located at an altitude of 6,270 meters. Experienced climbers believe that they should be on it no later than 6 o'clock in the morning, since the snow crust begins to melt later. And they usually go down no later than 10 am, since then there is a possibility of avalanches and stones coming down.
Everyone knows that the volcano is not active today, but travelers can 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 am.
In conclusion, some features of Chimborazo
To complete our story, here are some interesting additions:
- According to the stories of some climbers, when you are on the slope of the volcano, you can hear some processes going on inside it. However, this is highly doubtful.
- Chimborazo Volcano features the absence of the change of seasons on its slopes. This ismeans that the temperature in this area always remains unchanged. In this regard, the peak can be conquered at any time of the year, however, tourists often come here in autumn and winter.
- A characteristic feature of the volcano is that its surface is completely covered with snow. Under its cover is a centuries-old layer of ice.
