Ruminahui Central

Overview

Overview

Located in Cotopaxi National Park, Ruminahui is an underrated and incredible hike that is relatively simple to do if you have a car.

Getting there

Driving south from Quito take a left to enter the park before Latacunga. The park opens at 8 am, so it’s best to get there right then. Register with the park. Their strictness for climbing Ruminhaui without a guide has varied over the past two years. Best to bring some kind of paper and official document showing you are a hiker. This can seriously be anything. When I went with a climbing club and we just has a sheet of paper with an official looking logo and our names and signatures. The time after that, they didn’t ask for any paperwork but I think it was more flexible because I was with Ecuadorians. When they see you’re a foreigner they are generally stricter. If you don’t want to do the papers, just tell the guards you’re heading to the lake.  From the

entrance of the park it’s another half hour or more to get to the base of the mountain. Follow signs to the lake. Park your car and take the boardwalk around the lake to get to the the hike.

The Hike: Total Distance Round Trip: 7 miles Total Elevation Gain: 2,428 A decent Wikiloc route can be found here. Although I would just stick to the decent route as your ascent route as well. I’ve never taken the other way.

The trail is for sure confusing if you don’t know where you’re going but just be sure to use Maps.Me and you’ll be 100% fine. The typical Ruminahui hike brings you to the central of 3 peaks.

If you’re looking for a challenge you can do the north peak as well. It is not technical and can be accessed from the base of the north peak. Just know that the trail here sometimes doesn’t exist and can be hard to find. Again, Maps.Me can help you.

A more technical challenge to tackling Ruminahui Norte would be to approach it from the north face instead of the central face. This requires climbing gear and technical knowledge. As you approach do NOT following the ridge rock line up. It cliffs out for 70 feet before the actual face of the mountain.

Other tips 

In general you really need a car for this mountain. While you could get dropped of at the turn off from the Autopista highway, you’re still over an hour from the base and then you have to make it out the same day. There is always the possibility of hiking and camping but be aware that you are technically only allowed to camp in specified camping areas which are not within walking distance of the mountain. That said, how strictly that rule is enforced/how they would catch you, I’m just not sure.

All said, if you have the opportunity to do Rumi, get at it! Its an incredibly climb with breathtaking views of Cotopaxi and condor sightings are common.

And remember, ABOVE ALL: Look good, have fun, be safe. Good Luck!

–Mquigs

External Links

Hike Ecuador