Rucu Pichincha Hike Guide

Hiking Rucu Pichincha is the wildest adventure near Quito. The extinct volcano is a technical challenge but a great introduction to high-altitude mountaineering.

On a clear day, a jagged triangle-shaped summit can be seen high in the sky above Quito, Ecuador’s capital city. This is Rucu Pichincha, which, along with Guaga Pichincha, forms the Pichincha Volcano system.

At 4,697 m, Rucu (what the locals call it) is the shorter of the pair and also the closest to the capital, making it a good day hike from the city. The summit of Guaga Pichincha takes a few more hours to get to and sits at 4,784m.

Although hiking Rucu Pichincha is technical in parts and the thin air makes breathing more difficult, it’s a worthwhile adventure. There aren’t many Andean peaks that are this accessible and the views from the top are breathtaking to say the least.

Rucu Pichincha hike overview

The hike takes 5-7 h there and back and covers roughly 11 km.
You gain 650 m of elevation.
It’s moderately difficult until the last 1 h 30, when the trail becomes steep and technical.
You need to take the TelefériQo (cable car) to reach the trailhead which costs $9 US.

A man looks towards a mountain summit in the near distance. He is wearing a blue micro fleece and a camera is attached the the strap of his backpack. The mountain in view is Guagua Pichincha and this is the view of it from the neighbouring mountain, Rucu Pichincha.

You can make the hike more technical by taking Paso de La Muerte, but you’ll need climbing equipment and prior experience.
You can turn the hike into a full day by starting in Quito instead of taking the cable car.
You don’t need a guide for this hike, but I recommend it if taking Paso de La Muerte.
You might be affected by altitude sickness once you reach the upper cable car station (4,050 m) and onwards. Chewing coca leaves can help reduce symptoms.
If you want a guide. I recommend Tre Panchin: +593 99 572 7833. He’s based in Quito and highly experienced.

How long does it take to hike Rucu Pichincha?

If starting the hike from the upper cable car station at Cruz Loma Viewpoint, then getting to the summit and back will take between 5-7 h depending on your fitness. But if hiking from Quito, expect to reach the summit in 7-9 h. Hiking back down to Quito will take roughly another 4-5 h.

Detailed trail guidance

This guidance is for starting the hike from the upper cable car station as this is the route I’ve done twice. The trail is dirt, fairly wide and is easy to follow almost the whole way. It’s only the last 1 h 30 min where you need to pick your route more carefully as things get technical.

Although I haven’t hiked from Quito, I’ve spoken to locals who have, so I’ll touch on this later on to give you a better idea.

The upper TelefériQo station

The trail starts at the upper cable car station, which is officially known as Cruz Loma Viewpoint. I’ve included everything you need to know about using the cable car later in this article.

Walk through the large café and exit the other side where you’ll join the trail. You can get coffee and small bites to eat in the café and there are also toilets. The espressos are pretty good and I recommend buying one to go.

Woman wearing blue uniforms run a kitchen in a restaurant.

Features along the trail

The trail climbs uphill from the café and within 10 min you’ll reach the famous swing that overlooks Quito. I recommend stopping for a quick go before dropping down to the restaurant or comedor.

The restaurant is run by some local women and the food is really good. I’ve got more information about eating here in my TelefériQo guide.

Just after the restaurant the trail becomes steep and uneven for a few hundred metres. After this the underfoot flattens out becoming easy again. Continue and pass by the tall pylon – you can hear electricity running through the cables.

A man swings above a mountainside overlooking a city in the valley below. This is the swing at the Teleferiqo in Quito. — With some camera trickery, you can make it look like you’re flying above Quito on the swing.

Forks in the trail

At this point you’re not far from the base of Rucu Pichincha’s jagged summit and it won’t be long before you come to a fork in the trail. At the fork you need to head downhill and it’s steep and technical for a few metres. By now the trail will also have become narrower and steeper in general.

There’s a second fork along this section of the trail. Well, it’s more like an upper and a lower rocky shelf, and you need to take the upper shelf. It’s very technical here; the shelf is narrow and falling could end badly. Go slowly and mind your footing.

Two walkers head along a dirt trail towards a mountain summit shrouded in cloud.

Steep sand bank

This is where the going gets tough. Shortly after crossing the rocky shelf you enter a long and steep sand bank which brings you close to the summit.

Stick to the right-hand side of the sand bank where there’s more vegetation making it easier to climb. Above you’ll see large black rocks which you need to head towards. At the top you’ll see a sign indicating the way to the summit. Although it’s only a few hundred metres long, it takes around 1 h to climb the sand bank.

On the way back down, you can speed up your descent by basically skiing down the sandbank. Your shoes will fill with volcanic sand, but it’s really fun.

flowers grow on a moss which itself grows on a rock. There is a sandy slope below the flowers and vast views in the background. — Looking down the sandbank from the top.

Rocky section leading to the summit

This section doesn’t last long, but it’s the most technical and dangerous part of the hike.

At the top of the sand bank you need to bear left and join a rocky ridge which brings you to a final fork in the trail. This time you can either bear left and continue hiking through the rocks for roughly 30 min more to the summit, or bear right and rock climb for about 10 min.

Two people hike a rocky ridge on a mountain shrouded in cloud. This is Rucu Pichincha in Quito.

Both ways are technical, but the climbing section is way more technical and dangerous. It’s mostly scrambling, but there are a few moments where you need to move vertically.

I’ve done this hike twice and have gone both ways. If you’ve got upper body strength, then you can tackle the climbing section, if not, then you should bear left.

The summit of Rucu Pichincha

On a clear day the scenes from the summit are unreal. In one direction you can see all of Quito, the vast Pichincha landscape, and the distant glacier-capped peaks including the iconic Cotopaxi (5,897) and Chimborazo (6,263), which is actually closer to the sun than Mount Everest.

A hiking trail runs along a rugged ridge to a mountain summit. The summit is shrouded in cloud. This is Guaga Pichincha, part of the Pichincha Massif near Quito, Ecuador. — Guagua Pichincha as seen from Rucu Pichincha.

In the other direction is the summit of Guaga Pichincha and the enormous crater of the Pichincha Massif. You can see the trail leading to the summit of Guaga and it takes roughly another 2 h to reach it from Rucu Pichicha. Because of the cable car opening times, you can’t do this on the same day and get back in time.

Two men pose for the camera. They are atop a mountain summit. One of the men holds a cake in the palm of his hand. — Celebrating my 29th birthday at the summit of Rucu Pichincha with my friend Eduardo.

A pair of curiquingue, beautiful black, white and yellow raptors, hang around the summit too. They were there both times I was and are not shy. They’ve become pretty accustomed to humans, but this is because people have fed them. But you shouldn’t feed them as they become reliant on it.

A black and white bird with a yellow beak perched atop a rock. — One of the curious *curiquingu*e.

The towers of a large basilica. The tower has detailed architectural adornment and a clock face. Behind the tower a tall statue can be seen faintly atop a distant hill. This is the Basilica del Voto Nacional in Quito.

Where to stay in Quito

My accommodation recommendations based on personal experience or excellent ratings across major booking platforms.

Community Hostel: a budget hostel with a fun vibe. There are great views from the rooftop terrace.
Apartamento 32 Juana de Arco: a holiday apartment with all amenities in the historic centre.
Friends Hotel & Rooftop: A mid-range hotel in the historic centre offering veggie and vegan meals.
Hotel La Basílica: A centrally-located, higher-end hotel with beautiful rooms and church views.

Taking Paso de la Muerte

There’s another way to get to Rucu’s summit which bypasses the sandbank. The route is called Paso de La Muerte (Death Pass) and it’s easy to see why.

This section of the hike is incredibly technical with full on rock climbing requiring proper equipment. I’m not sure if anyone has actually died here, but these pictures show you how tough it is.

I do not recommend attempting Paso de La Muerte if you’re not a strong climber and don’t have prior technical climbing experience.

Getting to the trailhead with TelefériQo (cable car)

You’ll need to take the cable car from Quito to get to the Rucu Pichincha trailhead. The cable car station in Quito is on the western edge of the city roughly a 15-min taxi ride from the historic centre.

A line of cable cars climbing a mountainside overlooking a city. These are the cable cars in Quito, Ecuador. — the cable car ride lasts 18 min and climbs 1,100 m vertically from the city.

A ticket for the TelefériQo costs adult foreigners $9 US. Under 18s pay $7 US and seniors $6.5 US. The cable car is open:

Monday to Thursday: 10:00-18:00
Friday: 8:00-18:00
Weekends: 8:00-19:00

Here’s my complete guide to the cable car in Quito with information about all the activities it gives you access to.

Hiking from Quito

There’s a dirt road which climbs the mountainside from Quito and leads to the upper cable car station; this is the route. It’s a 10-km hike from the city centre to Cruz Loma Viewpoint and takes 3-4 h to. I’ve been told that it’s mostly easy but there are steep sections.

Cover your back

I never do extreme activities abroad without travel insurance and SafetyWing’s affordable and flexible policies keep me covered. They have an essential and complete plan so you can pick which best suits your needs.

What to bring on the hike

Coca leaves – if you think you’ll suffer from altitude sickness. Although there’s no way of knowing beforehand.
Water – I’d bring at least 2 L.
Money – to pay for the cable car and anything at the café or restaurant.
Snacks – you’ll work up an appetite on this hike.
Waterproofs – the weather can be unpredictable at high altitude. I don’t recommend doing this hike in the rain, it would be very dangerous at the summit.
Warm jacket for the summit.
Proper footwear – the terrain is technical.
Headlamp – in case something goes wrong and you’re on the volcano when it’s dark.

A rugged mountain summit at the end of a rolling plain. The summit is shrouded in cloud. This is Rucu Pichincha near Quito. — The ruggedness of Rucu Puchincha makes it look highly technical, but it’s suitable for beginners.

Enjoy hiking Rucu Pichincha Volcano

This hike is my favourite thing to do in Quito. Rucu is a peak that took my love for mountaineering to new heights – no pun intended – and I genuinely think anyone who visits the capital should try it. It’s a brilliant introduction to high-altitude mountaineering and you’ll feel a great sense of achievement at the top.

More Quito guides:

Rucu Pichincha Volcano Hike Guide