TOURISM AND RECOMMENDATIONS

• Arrival: Riobamba is the biggest city near the park, and it can be accessed from the capital, Quito, by taking the Pan-American highway and going south for four or five hours. To get to volcano Sangay, from Riobamba one must go east towards Baños, but take a detour south in the town of Pondoa, reaching in a few minutes the park entrance, where one can start the climb of the mountain. To reach Sangay volcano, one can use the same route for El Placer, using the road passing by Chambo and Alao from Riobamba. From Alao it is a 14-hour long and harsh hike to Sangay, but worth the scenic view, although it is not recommendable to climb the volcano. Altar can be reached by a detour in the town of Penipe, on the road from Riobamba to Baños. From Penipe one arrives to Releche ranch, where one can get food and lodging, and where one can start the hike to climb the mountain.
• Climbing Tungurahua and El Altar: from Releche ranch, the place of arrival, the base of El Altar is reached after a five to six-hour hike. There are natural caves and camping places there, to rest before climbing the volcano. To climb El Altar one needs special equipment, because one encounters many gullies and steep slopes on the way up, finishing with a nearly vertical climb. Tungurahua's slope is not steep at all, but it is still very demanding physically because from Pondoa, the place of arrival, it is an ascent of more than 10.000 ft in altitude. The climb to the refuge, where one can spend the night and cook, takes barely three hours from the park entrance. Four more hours starting at dawn, takes one to the summit, where one can enjoy the beauty of the craters, being careful not to get too close to the steam vents.