Tren del Hielo I – Southern Andes

The adventure begins in Riobamba, a typical Andean city located in the Ecuadorian Central Andes. A clear day view is breathtaking: Capac Urcu volcano rises above the horizon with its five-peak crowned summit; witnesses of a past eruption a thousand years ago. The Majestic Chimborazo – Ecuador´s highest peak and the closest point to the sun from the center of the Earth, – rises northbound. As we move north, if we are lucky, the shy Carihuairazo volcano might appear amidst the fog from time to time. Once at Urbina station we meet Baltazar Ushca, the man who braves low temperatures and high altitude to harvest ice from the bowels of Taita (father) Chimborazo. Tourists from every corner of the world come here to learn about this ancient trade while enjoying ice-creams prepared with this very same ice and blackberry juice.

Just before we depart to Riobamba, we pay a visit to La Moya. The descendants of the ancient Puruha people await for us to share their once secret daily live in the Andes and enjoy a typical lunch (not included) in the paramos of Chimborazo volcano.