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Cotopaxi National Park
(page 2 of 2)
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Cotopaxi's welcome house, located at 4800 meters, is called the Refugio
José Rivas. The refugio boasts a large living room with fireplace,
an open dining room and a snack bar that serves delicious hot chocolate
and hot tea. In another room there are two large stoves for cooking.
Amenities include bathrooms, water, solar lighting and electricity.
The refugio can accommodate up to 60 people in suites with bunk beds
and mattresses. All you need is a warm sleeping bag. A night at the
refugio costs $7.84 for Ecuadorians and $16.80 for foreigners.
The refugio is the departure point for ascending to the
top of Mt. Cotopaxi. Climbers typically leave between
24:00 and 1:00 in the morning. The most common ascension
route is the right side of the northern face. The summit
is reached in about 5 1/2 hours. A spectacular sunrise
awaits those who conquer the mountain.
The climb is not considered technical, but you will still
need crampons, ice axes, ropes and an experienced guide.
For recommended tour operators please visit our Tour Operators
section.
Inside Cotopaxi National Park there are three other lesser
peaks for climbers to practice on: Sincholagua (4893m),
Rumiñahui (4712m) and Morurco (4840m).
For those less inclined, it is still posible to get close
to the glaciers without having to don the full climbing
gear. From the refugio, there is a dirt path that in a
half hour will take you to the edge of Cotopaxi's glaciers.
From here, one can see on the mountain's north face an
enormous black rock amidst the white snow. The rock is
called, "Yanasacha", which in Quechua, a native
language, means "big rock."
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Ecuador's Environmental Minister is in
charge of managing Cotopaxi National Park. The current director,
Edi Coello, explains that the park is overseen by 6 park
rangers, 4 technicians and one local guard for each of the
park's major attractions.
"The presence of private land owners within the Park has made
it necessary to work with them as private operators. They are helping
to promote adventure tourism in the area. Tambopaxi [a center for acclimatization,
see ad] is a perfect example." Unfortunately, the state entity
in charge of taking care of Cotopaxi National Park is underfunded.
As a result, certain sections of the park have been neglected. Services
which could conceivably make a visitor's experience more enriching--more
marked trails for example-- cannot be implemented for lack of resources.
Fortunately, Cotopaxi, in its bare moonlike magnificence and endless
possibilities, continues to enthrall the adventurer.
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