A towering, mythical, half-moon shaped formation of nine glaciated peaks at the very heart of the Ecuadorian Andes, where the highlands meet the Amazon Rainforest: In Spanish and most often referred to as El Altar but also named Capac Urcu in Kichwa is undoubtedly Ecuador’s most stunning mountain and a true gem of technical climbing which should be on every serious mountaineer’s bucket list.

Climbing the peaks of El Altar requires lots of technical knowledge and experience as a mountaineer, which is why it’s a climb that we only offer on our advanced mountaineering experience despite of its awestriking beauty. If you’re an experienced mountaineer looking for your next big challenge go and check out this carefully planned advanced mountaineering trip for hardcore climbers!

Getting to basecamp

The most beautiful and adventurous (read challenging and very muddy) trek of approximately 5-6 hours will lead you to Campamento Italiano; a place truly out of this world. Wide grasslands surrounded by lush cliffsides with waterfalls cascading down their slopes, the occasional rainbows arching across green and moist canyons and enchanted polylepis forests like something out of a fairytale culminates in a raw and rugged landscape with a rocky ridge surrounded by towering glaciated peaks, which will function as basecamp for the climb. And remember to look up once in a while, because you might be lucky enough to also spot condors soaring above. Like taken out of the picturesque scenes from Lord of The Rings and the journey from The Shire to Mordor, no wonder the Kichwa name Capac Urcu means ‘Lord of The Mountains’.

Many different ecosystems play their part in the beauty of this otherworldly site inside of the Sangay National Park. Our basecamp Campamento Italiano is essentially the ridge which separates the rainforest and the highlands, which also results in extremely unpredictable weather conditions, which can change in a matter of minutes. Protecting a breathtaking 502,067 hectares and ranging from 900 (2,952 ft.) to 5,319 meters above sea level (17,450 ft.), the national park is an unbelievable place housing two active volcanoes Sangay and Tungurahua, which surrounds the extinct volcano El Altar. UNESCO declared the park a World Heritage Site already back in 1983.

Ancient Andean Tales

The Incas believed in the ‘Apus’, which are the spirits of the mountains. Ancient legends have it, that Taita (Father) Chimborazo was crazy in love with Mama (Mother) Tungurahua and he fought all of her lovers leaving them all diminished in size. Finally, after proving his strength, Mama Tungurahua agreed to marry Taita Chimborazo and they were blessed with a baby: Guagua Pichincha (Guagua meaning child in Kichwa), which towers over Quito. The marriage between the two was far from ideal though with Taita Chimborazo oftentimes being unfaithful. This led to Mama Tungurahua starting to flirt with Capac Urcu (El Altar). When Taita Chimborazo found out about this he raged in anger and beat up his wife’s lover. This left El Altar seriously damaged and reduced in size.

It is believed that El Altar was once one of the world’s tallest mountains with 7,500 meters above sea-level (24,606 ft.). According to Inca legends the top of El Altar collapsed after seven years of activity in about 1460, but the caldera is considered to be much older than this by geologists. The collapse created its famous half-moon shape of nine peaks around a crater lake. In the ancient legends it is therefore believed that at the moment of the affair El Altar was Ecuador’s highest mountain, but after the epic fight with Taita Chimborazo Capac Urcu was reduced to 5,319 meters above sea-level (17,450 ft.), which made Taita Chimborazo the highest peak of Ecuador with its 6,270 meters above sea-level (20,571 ft.). Taita Chimborazo remains married to Mama Tungurahua, but he will never forget her betrayal. He therefore punished her by sending their baby Guagua Pichincha far away to safeguard Quito, which broke Mama Tungurahua’s heart.

The legend also has it that when the baby cries, the mother always answers. And there have been reports of the two volcanoes being active simultaneously, supporting the myth. Remember this tale when you visit the gaping wound that is the stunning Capac Urcu with us and as you trek through the pristine scenery, look back for a glimpse of Taita Chimborazo. It may sound like gibberish, but a cloudless day is certain to convince any trekker or climber of its validity. High above the Andean Páramo and lush valleys, the Apus dominate. Ecuador’s volcanoes inhabit a world of their own, and Taita Chimborazo is forever keeping an eye on Capac Urcu.

Climbing El Altar

Help us cherish our Ecuadorian ancestors’ legacy by climbing with Summit Stoke, where we make an effort to keep these legends and ancient cultures alive. On our advanced climbing experience, we will set out for the summits of two of the nine peaks: Monja Grande and the highest of the nine: El Obispo, which caresses the sky overhead with its 5,319 meters. (17,450 ft.) The routes are technically difficult and involve mixed climbing on loose terrain, steep snow and icy cracks, hanging seracs and narrow summit ridges. None of the peaks are scaled effortlessly and we are talking D+/TD grade climbing. Because of this, El Altar is also not very visited which just makes the climbing even better in our opinion; you will often find yourself all alone with your group out there!

The best months for climbing the Lord of The Mountains is December, January and February, which are the driest months in the highlands of Ecuador and our trips to El Altar are of course planned accordingly. Do you want to set foot on this mythical site and experience the energies of the living legends by yourself, while putting your mountaineering skills to the ultimate test? Go join our Advanced Mountain Experience and we will see each other very soon!