It is the largest park in Ecuador’s central Andes, connecting three provinces, Morona Santiago, Tungurahua and Chimborazo. For Pioneer Journeys this National Park is a very special destination because it contains three of Ecuador’s best climbing options: Tungurahua Volcano, the sharp Altar and the mysterious Sangay volcano.
It was in 1979 that the Ecuadorian authorities decided to protect 270,000 hectares of pristine landscapes and astonishing biodiversity. A few years later, UNESCO declared that reserve a World Heritatge Site, and then the government doubled the protected area to more than half a million hectares.
Pioneer Journeys adventurers and guides like so much Sangay National Park because of its enormous backcountry that remains pristine and hard to reach…a lot of true adventure possibilities.
Doing a trekking on it one can find 10 different life zones through its 4,400 meter altitude range: wetlands, lowland rainforest, alpine tundra, midrange woods, etc. That condition creates a huge diversity of flora and fauna: anteaters, jaguars, monkeys, and more than 500 different bird species. The Andean Tapir is one of the most precious animals of that territory, sometimes seen near the Sangay Volcano. There we can also see one of the most rare deer species, the Pudu Deer, one of the smallest of the world and in critic danger of survival.
Also the Sangay National Park contains two different indigenous groups: the Canalos Quechua and the Shuar. This is also the place of ancient Indian archeological discoveries, dated as far back as 500 B.C.
Sangay Volcano
You must know that Sangay Volcano is the most active one in Ecuador! Emerging above the Amazon Jungle on the edge of the eastern Andes, the smoky Sangay (5230 m above sea level) has always been an untouched mysterious jewel for adventurers and climbers.
Its name was taken from the Quechua word “samak” which means “frighten”. Its reputation is certainly true: when is well active, one can see rock falls, easily feel the tremors and the sulfur…if you climb it you might be able to say you’ve climbed perhaps the most thrilling climb in all South America.
The first recorded success ascent was in 1929! The main problem of climbing it has always been the tremendous volcanic activity…only when the volcano is quiet one can attempt to climb its slopes, and that doesn’t happens often. The mountain’s continual activity quickly makes any detailed route description obsolete because the peak and surroundings are being continually transformed. That’s why hiring a guide is so important, besides the fact that in order to reach the slopes of the volcano one have to do a long, difficult hike. Te best time to climb it is from October to February on the driest time in the area. July and August are usually sodden and the hike to the base usually takes two or more days.
This adventure gives you also the opportunity to see and literally walk over some geologically marvels! La Playa, for instance, is a flat lava platform at the very base of the volcano, from where one can admire enormous lava rocks, see and hear explosions several times per minute. From there the climber faces lava and snow slopes (not steeper than 35 degrees) and on the top one can see three perfect craters, usually with fog moving in and out. 6 hours for the ascent and 4 for the descent, a gift for our souls full of feelings and nature!
See http://www.pioneerjourneys.com/sangay-trekking.html for all Santay Trekking details.
See http://www.pioneerjourneys.com/trekking.html for all trekking option in Ecuador.
Sales Manager
PIONEER JOURNEYS
The Custom Adventure Travel Company of Ecuador
Web: www.pioneerjourneys.com
Skype user: pioneer.journeys
E-mail: jnebot@pioneerjourneys.com
Cell phone: from abroad (00593) 91334508
from Ecuador 091334508
Office: from abroad: (00593).2.3332687
from Ecuador: (02)6042278
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