A few months ago, I thought someone had spilled garden dirt in my apartment building lobby until a friend explained to me that it was ash that had traveled all the way from Sangay! Another volcano near me, Tungurahua, erupted in 2016, and when describing the eruption, my coworkers told me that it spewed so much ash that midday looked like midnight! With this amount of ash, people have to stay inside and keep their windows closed to avoid lung damage. I still can't believe that I live among massive, powerful volcanoes, and most days, I just put my trust in the scientists monitoring their activity and try to focus on enjoying the views instead of worrying about their dangerous potential.
This past weekend, my roommate and I hiked to Carihuairazo Volcano's base camp. Carihuairazo is a smaller volcano not far from Chimborazo with a peak elevation of about 16,400 feet. I thought it was five kilometers roundtrip, but we ended up trekking about 12 kilometers total. Unfortunately, I felt pretty altitude sick and really struggled to catch my breath for a good portion of the hike, but the views of both vicuñas and the summit were definitely worth it!
In addition to their fascinating geological features, the volcanoes also play a spiritual and social role for Andean people since many Indigenous populations view the volcanoes as sacred. For example, Chimborazo is referred to as "Tayta," meaning elder and my hiking guide explained how people ask permission from the mountain to travel on it out of respect. Local stories about the volcanoes' origins explain that Carihuairazo is Chimborazo's baby!
Overall, the Andes Mountains are one of the most topographically and visually interesting places I have ever been.
