Cotopaxi, Ecuador

This is Cotopaxi, one of the most recognizable volcanoes in the world. Although it is the second tallest mountain in Ecuador after Chimborazo, it is by far the most iconic because of its near-perfect volcanic shape rising high above the surrounding landscape.

I visited Ecuador in November 2025 to host a group trip and afterwards stayed behind to climb the country’s three tallest volcanoes, including Cotopaxi.

These climbs typically begin late at night when weather conditions are generally more stable and the glacier higher up on the mountain is safer to travel across. For Cotopaxi, that meant waking up around 11 p.m. and beginning the ascent shortly after midnight, climbing for hours in complete darkness with only a headlamp illuminating the terrain ahead.

Cotopaxi was especially brutal.

The mountain was extremely steep, and throughout the night we were hit by relentless freezing winds that made the climb feel incredibly exposed and hostile. By the time I returned to the refuge the next morning, one of my eyes felt almost frozen from hours of cold wind constantly hitting it. My vision stayed blurry for several hours afterwards.

But moments like the sunrise from high on the mountain make it worth it.

Watching the first light reveal the landscape around you after spending the entire night climbing through darkness is an incredible experience. Slowly, mountains, valleys, glaciers, and volcanic ridges emerge from the shadows as the sun rises over the Andes.

I took this photo a little before the climb itself during the group trip. We had spent the entire day around the mountain mountain biking and exploring the area, but the summit remained hidden behind thick clouds the whole time.

Just as we were about to leave, the weather suddenly changed. The clouds briefly broke apart, revealing the summit of Cotopaxi towering above the landscape in dramatic evening light.

If you look closely at the foreground, you can even spot the bus and a few people from the group trip standing near the base of the mountain.