Since my hometown in Pennsylvania sits almost at sea level, I had a rough time adjusting when I first arrived. In all honesty, I still don't feel 100% "normal" seven months into living here. Adjusting to elevation can leave you feeling fatigued and out of breath when doing simple tasks like bending over to tie your shoe or walking up stairs. Some people take prescription medication or eat coca leaves (raw or in candy form) to help them adjust.
Riobamba is located in the Chimborazo Province, named after Ecuador's tallest volcano which looms over the city. In fact, the Chimborazo Volcano is the closest place on Planet Earth to the sun! It boasts an impressive 20,550 feet of elevation, which although this is less than Mt. Everest's 29,030 feet, the planet's equatorial bulge plus the altitude means there is no place closer to outer space. I hiked to Chimborazo's second base camp in December with a guide and loved seeing the many vicuñas, which look like mountainous llamas, all throughout the reserve. My guide was once spat on by one after getting too close on a bike, and the animal's extremely acidic spit sent him to the doctor and left him with a scar! While up on the volcano, the high altitude really fatigued me, and I had to stop walking every ten yards or so to catch my breath. Chimborazo is a stratovolcano that hasn't erupted in almost 1,500 years, and the snowy, barren landscape made it feel like I was on Mars.
While many Ecuadorian volcanoes are considered inactive, Sangay Volcano (located about 30 miles from Riobamba) has been active this year.
