Ecuador. Volcanoes are becoming more and more popular among “reckless” tourists. There are fears of safety

Since a new hardened route to the shelter on the slope of the Cayambe volcano – the third peak was opened in February last year Ecuador In terms of height (5790 m above sea level)-the number of visitors on weekends doubled from around 200-300 to 400-500. During the holidays there are weekends when 1300 people appear in the shelter – says the ENEX agency on Wednesday. Another expired volcano, El Altar (5319 m above sea level), currently attracts to 100 visitors per day. Before Pandemia, up to 15 people came here a day.

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The Ministry of the Ecuador Environment has introduced a limit to 600 tourists a day, but controlling the number of people who reach here “is a challenge, especially in the case of poorly equipped tourists venturing on the glaciers,” Enex indicates. The increase in interest in volcanoes raises concerns about safety, but the mountain authorities and guides are also concerned about more garbage left and pets left in protected areas.

“Then you see how people get lost, call for help, so that someone can direct them to the right path,” said local media Jaime Vargas, head of the local mountain guide association, talking about “reckless” tourists.

Ecuadorian volcanoes attract many willing, among others because of … snow. Although summer is currently in the southern hemisphere, winter conditions prevail high in the Andes. The El Universo portal said this week that at the weekend the Chimborazo peak (the highest in Ecuador, measures 6268 MEM) visited hundreds of people, including tourists from South America regions, where snow is rare. According to the portal, some visitors complained about a large crush on the way to the top.

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