Ecuador: Adventure to Ecuador's Glittering Mount Chimborazo

At 36,000 feet, Ecuador's dormant volcano Mount Chimborazo holds the title of world’s tallest mountain. That’s right; it’s technically taller than Mount Everest; thanks to its location near the equator, the Ecuadorean summit gains an extra 16,000 feet on its rival due to the Earth’s ellipsoid shape and tendency to bulge in the middle. And what’s more, glossy brochures actually encourage daring types with little or no previous experience to join expeditions to scale it.

Your mountain climbing adventure will begin with strenuous preparations and get more difficult from there. Seasoned guides teach members of the group how to use special gear, implement safety precautions and rescue tactics, and assess weather conditions. Then they’ll break you in with baby steps like ascending 19,000 foot Mount Cayambe and active volcano Mount Cotapaxi. This acclimation process often proves physically uncomfortable, involving shortness of breath, fatigue, and stomach upset. After approximately two weeks of intense conditioning, you’ll be deemed ready to hike to the top, or "attempt the summit," in alpine parlance.

Mountain snow is firmest at night, so your group will sleep during the day and start climbing around 10 P.M. The moon and stars shine so brightly that extra lights may be unnecessary, but the glittering expanse of snow hides potentially dangerous crevasses and avalanches that could force the expedition to retreat, at best. Still, after climbing for a few hours, most team members are willing to take the risks. That’s because about ten hours after you start, you will reach the highest point on Earth to find a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean and neighboring Peru’s mountain ranges. Was it worth the discomfort? For most adventurers, the answer is a resounding yes.