- Height above sea level: 4 784 m;
- The last eruption: 2008;
- The mountain range: the Andes.
The Pichincha volcano is in Ecuador and is active, attracting tens of thousands of tourists every year. And this is despite the fact that it is active and keeps the people of Quito in tension for many centuries. The volcano has very high peaks - 4,784 and 4,698 meters, and Pichincha itself is the second highest in Ecuador.
Defiant character of Pichincha
The Pichincha volcano is one of the most active in the world, and since the center of the capital is only eight kilometers from it, it poses a certain danger to Quito and its inhabitants. The volcano has two peaks, the height of the first - 4698 m, and the second - 4784 m. The first is called "Child" (Guagua), and the second - "Old Man" (Rucu). Also, the volcano has an active caldera, reminding that Pichincha does not sleep.
In the first half of the last century, he was considered extinct, and the Ecuadorians dismissed him, only occasionally recalling his "exploits" that caused considerable damage. But in 1981 there was an eruption, during which the hot lava flew over the earth 25-30 km. You might think that this is just incredible, but scientists estimated the volcanic explosivity of 5 points, and the eruption in the 10th century - at 8. That is, the horror that the volcano brought to the inhabitants of Quito is not the greatest. But fortunately in 1981 the city suffered no critical damage, in contrast to 1660. On October 28, the eruption lasted 12 hours, due to which Quito was covered with a layer of ash and pumice. From the burning lava Quito defended the relief of Mount Rucu, so even the outskirts did not suffer. Ashes from the eruption flew in the air even for 430 km to the south in the city of Loja , as well as in Colombia, it is 300 km to the southwest.
In 1981, 1990 and 1993, phreatic explosions occurred that preceded eruptions. Then in 2000 there was a weaker eruption, and after 8 years the whole world followed the seven phreatic eruptions of Pichincha. It's amazing that next to the capital of Ecuador there is such an unruly volcano and, fortunately, its eruptions do not carry the death of civilians. But still there is damage from it, because pyroclastic flows practically destroyed agriculture in the vicinity of Quito, which negatively affected the economy. The eruptions of the Pichincha volcano led to the fact that it is almost impossible to conduct agriculture in its environs, from which the country's economy suffers.
Ascension to Pichincha
It's amazing that an active and dangerous volcano is the most popular among tourists, climbing it is not as difficult as on other volcanoes lying in the vicinity of Quito. Hundreds of bold travelers from all over the world are making an ascent and want to get as close as possible to the craters of Pichincha. In addition, climbing to the very top you can see Quito from above, because the city is at the very foot of the volcano.
Where is Pichincha?
The Pichincha volcano is visible from anywhere in Quito and it's easy to get to it. You can leave immediately from the Marshal Sucre Airport , which is located to the sights even closer than the city center. The road to the volcano leads alone, for this it is necessary to go to San-Francisco Rumiurcu, then onto the N85 and follow the signs.
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