When climbers think of Ecuador, instinctually think of the snowy 5,000-meter volcanic peaks located in the Andes Mountain Range or cordillera. And for good reason– some of the earth’s most impressive peaks, including the closest point to the sun, are located in Ecuador.
However, in thinking about climbing in Ecuador, you’d be remiss not to consider the world-class rock climbing the country offers. Because, after all, wherever you get massive mountains or volcanoes, you inevitably also get fantastic rock climbing.
If South America is in your crosshairs for your next rock trip, don’t forget to consider Ecuador. In this article, I’ll take a dive into two of Ecuador’s best crags– Cojitambo and Tangán– and share some thoughts about other crags to round out your trip. Keep reading to see what I mean.
Brief Climbing History of “The Avenue of Volcanoes”
Ecuador has been a focal point for mountaineering since the 1800s. Regarding mountaineering, it’s thought that the high peaks in the Ecuadorian Andes were first explored by European mountaineers and scientists. For example, German explorer Baron Alexander von Humbolt is well known for his investigations of peaks, including Cotopaxi and Antisana, and an attempted summit of Chimborazo where nicknamed Ecuador “the avenue of volcanoes.”
Later in the century, English mountaineer and explorer Edward Whymper, along with Italian guides Louis and Jean Antoine Carrel, made a successful summit of Cotopaxi. In addition, they made the first ascent of Chimborazo. The Whymper expedition catapulted Ecuador into the foreground, supplanting the country and its snowy volcanic peaks into the general interest of mountaineers and climbers from all over the world.
It wasn’t until the early 1900s when the Ecuadorian pioneer Nicolas Martinez became the first Ecuadorian to make ascents of major local peaks such as Antisana, Cotopaxi (“king of volcanoes”), and Chimborazo (“emperor of the equator”). Eventually, mountaineering in Ecuador transformed into a recreational activity like it today.
Ecuador continues to be a destination for summiting volcanoes. However, since the development of mountaineering, the discipline of rock climbing has also become more popular in the country.
Developing Rock Climbing in Ecuador
Like other parts of the world, the 1980s and ’90s proved to be a massive turning point in Ecuadorian rock climbing, especially regarding sport climbing. For example, during this time, Cojitambo, located in the southern part of the country outside the Andean city of Cuenca, experienced a big spur of development by local climbers and developers.
The development of rock climbing in Ecuador is still thoroughly under construction. That’s how much rock there is and how “young” the sport is. For example, the Columnas of Tangán, a traditional climbing paradise, began being developed by Felipe Proaño and Steve Lozano less than ten years ago and are still seeing improvements.
Not to mention, there are fewer climbers in Ecuador who are willing to do the hard work compared to other countries. Luckily for the Ecuadorian climbing community and visiting climbers like you and me, there are some route developers putting in the work. When I was there in December, a local developer in Cojitambo, Juan Gabriel Carrasco, finished a brand new, 10-bolt 5.11 sport climb.
Ideal Time to Climb in Ecuador
Due to Ecuador’s location along the equator, the country does not experience four seasons like other parts of the world. Therefore, it’s possible to climb all year in Ecuador because of the mild, spring-like climate. For that reason, Quito, the country’s capital, is nicknamed the “city of eternal spring.”
Depending on your exact location, average daytime temperature ranges from 84 to 91 Fahrenheit (29-33 C), and average nighttime temperatures range from 68 to 75 Fahrenheit (20-24 C).
With that being said, climbers tend to think there are two climbing seasons. Allegedly, the western cordillera is drier from May through August, and the eastern cordillera is drier from November through February. Perhaps more important than the time of year you climb is the time of day. Mornings tend to be dry, and afternoons can bring rain.
Cojitambo
Cojitambo is a small rural town located in the Canar province of Ecuador. It sits due west (and uphill) of the provincial capital of Azogues. Besides rock climbing, Cojitambo is most well known for the pre-Incan and Incan archeological ruins located in the area.
For ancient cultures, Cojitambo was one of four sacred mountains in the area. Each of the mountains represented one of the four cardinal directions and were popular sites for spiritual ceremonies and burials. In addition, Cojitambo specifically served as a resting point for Incan nobility traveling on the Qhapac Ñan road, an ancient road that linked the nearby cities.
Nowadays, Cojitambo serves as one of the premier rock climbing destinations in Ecuador, providing both single and multi-pitch (routes up to 200 meters) on impeccable volcanic stone.
The Climbing in Coji
The Cojiambo mountain, or Coji as the locals call it, is the remnants of an extinct volcano. Geologically speaking, Coji is a volcanic plug or neck–the hardened magma from the interior chambers of a volcano.
The rock is andesite. Due to the nature of volcanic andesite rock, the climbing in Coji is characterized by pockets, huecos, crispy crimps, and flakey jugs. The majority of the climbing is bolted, including the multi-pitch routes. However, there are also tons of cracks with established trad routes.
Most of the routes feature low-angle and vertical slab climbing. However, the flanks of the cliff also have super steep and overhung shorter sports climbs you perform powerful moves on small holds and feet. Because of the low angle of many of the routes, the climbing in Coji is impeccably slabby with thoughtful and improbable movement, delicate sequences, and balancey moves.
Getting to Cojitambo
Cojitambo is located in the southern part of the country. The climbing is most easily accessible via the closest large city–Cuenca. You can fly directly to Cuenca and its Mariscal La Mar Airport. Flights from the international airports in Quito Guayaquil or less than one hour.
On the other hand, you can also easily get to Cuenca via bus and the Terminal Terrestre Cuenca. Buses from Quito run south along the Pan-American Highway, arriving in around eight hours. And buses from Guayaquil arrive in around three hours.
From Cuenca, you can get to the small town of Cojitambo with two more buses. First, you need a bus from the station in Cuenca to the city of Azogues. From there, catch a bus directly to the plaza in Cojitambo. The trip typically lasts between one and two hours and costs only a couple of dollars.
Alternatively, you can arrange for private transportation to Coji from Cuenca. This will cost between $20 and $30 dollars and take significantly less time, less than one hour.
Recommended Equipment
The vast majority of climbing routes in Coji are bolted. Fortunately, most of the routes are well protected with bomber expansion bolts or glue-ins. The anchors all feature two bolts and rings or chains.
Therefore, you can enjoy climbing in Coji with only your sports climbing rack. However, there are traditional routes you can climb if you bring your trad rack.
Sport Climbing Rack
- 60-meter rope (or 70 meters if you want to link pitches)
- 10-20 quickdraws will get you up any single pitch, and allow you to link pitches
- 5- 8 extendable quickdraws are convenient for managing rope drag on long pitches
Optional Trad Climbing Rack
- Single .00 and .1
- Doubles .2 through 2
- Single 3 and 4
- Rack of nuts and nut tool
Accommodations in Coji
Cojitambo is a very small town. Therefore, the city itself does not have a wide selection of traditional hotel or hostel accommodations. The nearby and bigger city of Azogues has more options in that regard.
However, there are a couple of local climbers in Coji that offer accommodations or camping. For example, local climber and route developer Juan Gabriel Carrasco has a shared bedroom with two bunk beds, a shared bathroom, and kitchen access. His home is less than one mile from the cliff and only costs $10 per person per night.
Juan Gabriel is a massive figure in the local climbing community and an indispensable resource for travelers. Staying with him is one of the best ways to experience Cojitambo. If you are interested in staying with Juan Gabriel, feel free to reach out to me directly for his contact information.
Columnas de Tangán
The Columnas of Tangán is located a couple hours outside the town of Sigchos, located in the Cotopaxi province of Ecuador. Climbing in Tangán is a family operation. The climbing area is on private property and is managed by the owner, Don Ramiro Uribe, and his wife, Mariana.
Don Ramiro is there to be your guide, along with his horse and donkey, to help you carry your items in and out of the canyon. Mariana can be employed to prepare meals. In addition, their sons Fabian and Javier help connect climbers with Ramiro for planning accomodations.
The Uribe family has been living off the land for generations. They raise dairy cows and grow food on the property. And now they manage climbing tourism. But before that, Tangán was enjoyed by Ramiro’s ancestors. Ramiro has found many artifacts around Tangán from Incan and pre-Incan cultures, including ceramic masks and headless skeletons. Needless to say, the energy in Tangán is wildly palpable
The Climbing in Tangán
Tangán is essentially a U-shaped canyon of hexagonal basalt columns. Due to the nature of the columnar basalt, the climbing in Tangán is almost entirely traditional crack climbing– splitter cracks of nearly every size are endless in Tangán. You can get burly in body-swallowing off widths, flow up endless hand cracks, and wrench down on technical finger locks. Besides the jamming in Tangán, there is also a lot of laybacking, stemming, and some face climbing.
Getting to Tangán
Tangán is out there. Most climbers visit Tangán from Quito via the Pan-American Highway. From Quito to the trailhead of Tangán, it’s about three hours. Your arrival time will depend greatly on the road conditions between Sigchos and Tangán and the vehicle you are in. Typically, the bigger, the better because the rough can get rough.
The Uribe family can organize a transport service to and from Quito. Similarly, you can take a bus to Sigchos. If you get yourself to Sigchos, transport can be organized from there.
Once you’ve made it to the entryway of Dan Ramiro’s property and the trailhead for Tangán, you’re only about a 20 to 30-minute hike downhill to the cliff, which can be made easier if you hire Don Ramiro’s animals to porter your equipment for $5.
Recommended Equipment
Tangán is Ecuador’s premier traditional climbing crag. And the crackers are splitter– many of the routes require doubles, if not triples, and even sometimes quadruples of a single size to protect adequately. So the bigger the rack you can bring, the better.
What sizes you decide to double, triple, or quadruple will depend on the size of the cracks you enjoy climbing the most. But here is a baseline rack to get you started brainstorming
- 60-meter rope
- Single .00 and .1
- Doubles .2 through .4
- Triples .5 through 3
- Single 4 and 5
- Rack of nuts and nut tool
And don’t forget your crack gloves or lots of climbing tape!
Accommodations in Tangán
Staying in Tangán is simple, albeit rustic. It’s like going backpacking with climbing gear. You have two choices– you can bring camping gear and stay in the camping area. The camping area is grassy and flat, ideal for tents. Or you can stay in a cabana that was built for climbers. The cabana is equipped with a fire pit, table, chairs, beds, and kitchen supplies.
The camping area is $5 per person per night, and the cabana is $10 per person per night.
To be comfortable in either, a baseline of camping equipment is recommended.
From either of these two locations, you are only a stone’s throw away from the cliff. You also have access to running water (that should be filtered or purified) and composting pit toilets.
To begin planning your accommodations in Tangán, please feel free to contact me personally for contact information. Otherwise, coordinating directly with the Uribe family is the best way to make plans. Important contact information can also be found in the local guidebook.
Guidebooks for Rock Climbing in Ecuador
There are two super helpful guidebooks for climbing in Ecuador. Both are written by one of Ecuador’s most prominent climbers and route developers (and now author), Felipe Proaño.
In terms of online information on websites like Mountain Project, information is relatively limited, especially for rock climbing. Most of the detailed information regards mountaineering. Nonetheless, it’s worth having a look.
Additional Nearby Climbing Crags
The country of Ecuador is full of amazing rock climbing destinations. And because of its relatively small size, you can explore many different zones during a single trip. Here are some other areas to consider when planning a rock trip to Ecuador.
Baños de Agua Santa
The town of Baños de Agua Santa, commonly referred to simply as Baños, is located in the Tungurahua Province of Ecuador. Baños is one of Ecuador’s best locations for adventure sports like rock climbing, canyoneering, bungee jumping, cycling, hiking, and white water rafting.
What also makes Baños unique is that it functions as a gateway to the Amazon Basin via the Pastaza River. Therefore, the local climate and ecosystem are somewhat tropical, yet you are still almost 2,000 meters (5,971 feet) above sea level.
There are two main climbing areas in Baños– one directly under the bridge just a few minutes from town and the other inside the local San Martin Adventure Park. Both crags feature bolted sport climbing on super interesting basalt rock. There’s even a couple of two-pitch climbs.
Acantilado de San Juan
San Juan is located in the Central Andes region of Ecuador, outside the local town of Riobamba. While the climbing in San Juan is amazing by itself, the setting only makes it better.
The zone is 3,800 meters (12,500) above sea level. The cliffs are found more or less around the base of Chimborazo, so as you are cragging, you get to enjoy views of one of the most prominent volcanos in Ecuador (and South America).
The volcanic cliffs of San Juan have it all. While the majority of the climbs on the 10 to 60-meter walls are sport, there are also traditional lines to be climbed. The style is super varied– there are slabs, vertical faces, and overhung roofs and bulges.
Final Thoughts About Ecuadorian Rock Climbing
Climbing has been occurring in the Ecuadorian Andes since the 1800s. Since then, it’s only gotten better, especially in terms of rock climbing. That’s because the climbing community is growing, routes are being developed, access is being improved and more information is being shared around.
Before, climbers would fly straight over Ecuador en route to places like Peru, Chile, and Argentina. That’s great– those places are amazing! But now I implore you to consider Ecuador as your next destination for rock climbing in South America. Once there, support the local leaders and communities with your dollar, appreciate the hard work of the developers, and be respectful. You will not be disappointed.
If you need more convincing, check out the trip reports I wrote about my recent trip to Cojitambo and Tangán.
