Ski Mountaineering in Colombia & Ecuador
Although by no means the best place to look for skiing in the Andes there are some skiing possibilities in these three northern countries. There are a couple of tiny "resorts" and in all of them some reasonable ski-mountaineering opportunities, butt you're going to have to enjoy travelling because you won't get many turns in return of r a all the effort.
We now have a separate page on Ski-Mountaineering in Peru.
Colombia
There is some limited skiing on the volcanoes of the Los Nevados range, particularly on the southwest side of Nevado el Ruiz (pictured above), where there is a convenient access road to 4900m. Pictured below an ascent of this very easy angled glacier in the dry season.
Further north the peak of Ritacuba Blanco in the Sierra Nevada del Cocuy would make a good easy but short ski ascent. Mules can be hired for the 3-4 hour walk to the snowline, and the glacier is generally not too badly crevassed. The picture was taken on the 5410m high summit.
Ecuador
Skiing opportunities in Ecuador are limited to ski ascents of the countries four highest peaks, Chimborazo, Cotopaxi, Cayambe and Antisana. These are the only peaks with significant snow. Access to these peaks is easy, with huts at 4500-5000m on all of them bar Antisana. But the peaks are not the most straightforward for skiing due to some big crevasses and often considerable avalanche danger.
Walking across the summit plateau on Chimborazo.
The steep sided cone of Cotopaxi is skiied and snowboarded relatively often. The normal route starts in the lower left and finishes just right of the steep rock face
Peru
We now have a separate page on Ski-mountaineering in Peru.
