
Where is Cerro Atacazo?
Ecuador, south-america
9.5 km
4,155 m
hard
Year-round
Cerro Atacazo is a stratovolcano at an elevation of 4.155m (13,631ft) above sea level located in
highest roads in the country
Where is Cerro Atacazo?
The peak is located southwest of
, in the north-central part of the country.
What’s at the summit of Cerro Atacazo?
, the summit is crowned with many antennas. The views of Quito are
Is the road to the antennas at the Summit of Cerro Atacazo unpaved?
The road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s a bumpy gravel road that has been eroded by rainstorms and is dusty in dry weather and muddy in wet. This is a demanding, tough road in remote mountains with uncertain weather, where altitude can cause real problems. You’ll need a
4WD, high-clearance vehicle
. Your vehicle needs to be in good shape and be prepared for a lag in power.
How long is the road to the antennas at the Summit of Cerro Atacazo?
The road to the antennas is very steep. It’s 9.5km (5.9 miles) long starting from
. Over this distance, the elevation gain is 943m and the average gradient is
Travel Guide to La Virgen Pass
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Road Details
- Country
- Ecuador
- Continent
- south-america
- Length
- 9.5 km
- Max Elevation
- 4,155 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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