15413 feet/4698 meters mountain just a couple of miles of center of capital city. Amazing view!
$3 taxi to the cable car from the hostel we stayed in the Ecuador capital, Quito. Reasonable price. Cable car starting point is already a little above 10000 feet. Cable car takes you 3000 feet above it. Then another 2500 feet hike up to the top. Some people make mistakes: just landed Quito from sea level and next day this hike, since so accessible from the city. Then a lot of people get altitude sickness. We took caution: we did this hike after 1 day Quito stay + 3 day Quilotoa loop (previous blog entry). Also we took slow, then it was fine. Even if you are not a hiker, it is worth taking the cable car. Already spectacular view right after you took of the cable car at the top (if sunny and early morning). We took the cable car 10 min after the business started. Then this! Cotopaxi and Illiniza Norte and South, then the second picture is Antisana.
After we enjoyed the view we started hiking towards the Rucu Pichincha summit. As you see in the left picture, trail is well established and easy to walk. Nice view of Quito. Amazing that the mountain higher than Mount Whitney (highest in the lower 48 in the U.S) resides just next to the capital city of country and you can do a day hike without Alpine start. We just got up like 7 a.m. on the comfy bed with blanket. Only final 20 min has some rock scrambling, but other than that, it is quite doable hike. Magnificent view at the summit.
Nice view of Quito. Amazing that the mountain higher than Mount Whitney (highest in the lower 48 in the U.S) resides just next to the capital city of country and you can do a day hike without Alpine start. We just got up like 7 a.m. on the comfy bed with blanket. 
Only final 20 min has some rock scrambling, but other than that, it is quite doable hike. Magnificent view at the summit. 
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