Come and enjoy nature’s own altar, a short drive and a long walk from Riobamba. El Altar stands out on the eastern horizon of the city, its various peaks offering mountaineers and trekkers a wonderful experience.
The trip to get up close to El Altar, and pay homage to an Andean highlight, involves driving out from Riobamba in the direction of Penipe, and then up to a tiny village called La Candelaria. From there you can stay in a hacienda called REY LECHE — literally Milk King — referencing the highly fertile farmland in the foothills of this once active volcano.
It has been calculated that El Altar could have been the highest peak in the Americas, over 7,000 m, making it higher than Aconcagua (Argentina) and Huascarán (Peru). A few centuries ago the crater caved in and left many pointed peaks, the highest being 5,319 m, with religious names like the Bishop, Big Nun, and Small Nun.
Waking up early after resting in the REY LECHE hacienda, we start the long trek to the foot of the peaks. It is an arduous journey, along a wide muddy path (which can be almost impassable when it rains a lot), that goes on forever with fleeting glimpses of the mountains. After a good few hours, though, one is rewarded with perfect views of El Altar as the valley of Collanes opens out, where some of the first streams that form the Amazon Basin flow through.
By now we are pretty tired; it has been a long way, and it is still further. We note a distant campsite and a grand waterfall in the distance. Our guide tells us that up by the waterfall is the lake which is our destination for today. We want to see the Yellow Lake (Laguna Amarilla), really blue, which was hollowed out as the volcano collapsed.
The last hour is tough going. It has already been seven and a half hours: a few meters of scrambling, a push from our guide, a couple of false finishes, and then finally cries of “it’s here, it’s so beautiful.” And it really is mind-blowing — a huge turquoise lake and all the peaks around one — bliss. A quick ice-cold bath and rounds of photos, and back to walking before the evening comes in.
The best is to do it in two days and camp near the lake. We didn’t have time — work on Monday. The result ended up in us getting back to the farm at around 9:30, a full 14 hours of walking, 34 kms. Some do it in 10, others in 20 when the mud is terrible, and some don’t even make it to see this incredible example of a church of Nature.
Here at the Hotel Mansion Santa Isabella, we can set you up with local guides and a dose of enthusiasm, to make sure you get the most of your time in the best climbing and trekking region of Ecuador.
