Cayambe (volcano)

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Cayambe

Elevation	5,790 m (18,996 feet)
Location	Ecuador
Range	Andes
Coordinates	0.029° N 77.986° W
Type	Compound volcano
Last eruption	1786
First ascent	1880 by Edward Whymper
Easiest route	rock/snow climb

For other uses of Cayambe, see Cayambe (disambiguation page)

Cayambe (or Volcán Cayambe) is the name of a volcano located in the Cordillera Oriental, a branch of the Ecuadorian Andes. It is located in Pichincha province some 70 km (43 mi) northeast of Quito. It is the third highest mountain in Ecuador.

Map showing the location of Cayambe and other volcanoes in Ecuador.

Cayambe, which has a permanent snow cap, is a Holocene compound volcano which has not erupted in historical times. At 4,690 m (15,387 ft) on its south slope is the highest point in the world crossed by the Equator and the only point on the Equator with snow cover (see, for example, Google Earth images). The volcano is located within the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve.

The town of Cayambe takes its name from the volcano.

Cayambe was first scaled by British climber Edward Whymper and his two Italian guides and companions Juan Antonio and Luis Carrel in 1880, and is a favourite of mountain climbers today.