Carihuairazo

Infobox Mountain
Name=Carihuairazo
Photo=Chimborazy y Carihuairazo desde Quisapincha 1.jpg
Caption=Carihuayrazo left of bigger Chimborazo as seen from the north
Elevation=5,018 m (16,463 ft)
Location=Ecuador | Range=Andes, Cordillera Occidental
Coordinates = coord|01|24|25|S|78|45|00|W|type:mountain
First ascent=1951 A. Eichler, H.L. Uribe, J. Morawiecki
Easiest route=glacier/snow/rock climb AD
Type=Caldera
Age= Paleogene (Gomez 1994)
Topographic
http://www.igm.gov.ec/cms/files/cartabase/enie/imagenes/ENIEIV_C1_ALTA.jpg]
Last eruption=Unknown

Mount Carihuairazo (also "Carihuayrazo") is a volcanic caldera neighboured by Ecuador's highest mountain Chimborazo.

Geography

Location

Carihuairazo is located in the Cordillera Occidental of the Andes of central Ecuador, 150 km (93 miles) south-southwest of the capital Quito. Its neighboured by 6,267 m high Chimborazo. The nearest cities are Riobamba (~30 km to the southeast), Ambato (~30 km to the northeast) and Guaranda (~30 km to the southwest). Carihuairazo's 1.5 km wide heavy eroded caldera opens to the east.

The Carihuairazo forms part of the "Reserva de Produccion Faunistica Chimborazo" which forms a protected ecosystem to preserve the habitat for the andens native camelids Vicuña, Llama and Alpaca.

Glacier

Carihuairazo's Glacier has lost an important part of its mass during the last decade as a result of global warming and ash covers caused by the recent volcanic activity [Tungurahua's recent activity period started in 1999 with the most significant eruptions between October and December 1999 and May and July 2006 (cite web | title = Actividad Volcan Tungurahua | publisher = Instituto Geofísico, EPN Ecuador | url = http://www.igepn.edu.ec/vulcanologia/tungurahua/actividad/actividad.htm | accessdate = 2006-08-12 )] of its eastern neighbour Tungurahua.

Volcanism

Carihuairazo must have been a Volcano of similar dimensions to its neighbour Chimborazo before explosions during the last period of activity destroyed the mass of the peak, leaving today's caldera. There is no evidence of historic activity and Carihuayrazo is considered inactive.

History

Etymology

An interpretation of its name is that it's a combination of the Quichua words "Cari" (man), "huay" (wind) and "razu" (Ice/Snow) (Schmudlach 2001). Local Indian mythology narrates that Carihuairazo and El Altar which are both volcanic calderas have been destroyed by "Taita (Father) Chimborazo" fighting for the grace of "Mamá Tungurahua".

First Ascent

Carihuayrazo was climbed by Edward Whymper and the brothers Louis and Jean-Antoine Carrel during their 1880 Ecuador expedition. It is not entirely clear out of Whymper's descriptions but it is believed that they climbed the "Mocha" (4,960m) and not the "Maxima" summit (5,018m). The first ascent to the "Maxima" summit is attributed to Arturo Eichler [In 1934 Arturo Eichler emigrated for political reasons from Germany to Ecuador, he later became an important ecologist in Venezuela (cite web | title = Arturo Eichler - Biografia | publisher = Fundacion la Era Agricola | url = http://www.eraagricola.org/arturoeichler.htm | accessdate = 2006-08-05 )] , Horacio Lopez Uribe and Jean Morawiecki [Jean Morawiecki was interim in charge of the French Embassy in Ecuador 1950/51 (cite web | title = Ambassade | publisher = Ambassade de l'Equateur en France | url = http://www.ambassade-equateur.fr/ambassade.htm | accessdate = 2006-08-05 )] in 1951 (Neate 1994).

Climbing

Due to the glacier retreat and its consequences climbing Carihuairazo has shifted from a PD glacier route with some rock scrambling to a AD route with a technical climb to the summit tower (Maxima, 5,018m).

*Carihuairazo can be climbed year round with best seasons being December-January and July-August.
*A good height acclimatization is highly recommended for this climb.
*The mountain is contained on the IGM ("Instituto Geografico Militar") 1:50000 Map "Chimborazo (CT-ÑIV-C1)" (IGM 1991, [http://www.igm.gov.ec/cms/files/cartabase/enie/imagenes/ENIEIV_C1_ALTA.jpg] ).

Routes

The normal route to Carihuairazo Maxima (5,018m) starts from a camping spot at ~4,600m, reaching the main ridge either via the SW-ridge or from West via the glacier, followed by a difficult technical climb to reach the summit tower.

References

*cite book
last = Gomez
first = Nelson
title = Atlas del Ecuador
publisher = Editorial Ediguias
date= 1994
id = ISBN 9978-89-009-2
*cite web
last = IGM (Instituto Geografico Militar, Ecuador)
title = Chimborazo Ecuador, CT-ÑIV-C1
date= 1991
url = http://www.igm.gov.ec/cms/files/cartabase/enie/imagenes/ENIEIV_C1_ALTA.jpg
accessdate = 2008-01-26
*cite book
last = Neate
first = Jill
title = Mountaineering in the Andes
publisher = Expedition Advisory Centre
date= 1994
id = ISBN 0-907649-64-5
*cite book
last = Schmudlach
first = Günter
title = Bergführer Ecuador
publisher = Panico Alpinverlag
date= 2001
id = ISBN 3-926807-82-2

ee also

*List of volcanoes in Ecuador

Notes

External links

* [http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/151791/carihuairazo.html Mountaineering information for Carihuairazo]
* [http://www.ambiente.gov.ec/AMBIENTE/snap/pagina_n14.htm Official page of the protected area "Reserva de Produccion Faunistica Chimborazo"] (Spanish)