Cayambe, Stratovolcano in Cordillera Central, Ecuador.

Cayambe is a stratovolcano rising to 5,790 meters about 70 kilometers northeast of Quito, carrying a permanent snow cap and extensive ice fields. The southern flank shows steep slopes with crevasses, while the northern side offers gentler approaches.

British mountaineer Edward Whymper reached the summit in 1880 with Italian guides Jean-Antoine and Louis Carrel for the first recorded ascent. Geologists later documented volcanic activity dating back thousands of years.

The name comes from the Quechua word Cahan, meaning high cold place. Local communities have regarded the mountain as part of their landscape and stories for generations.

The Ruales-Oleas-Berge refuge stands at 4,600 meters and is reached by a 4x4 track that is usually in poor condition. From it climbers can easily reach the Glaciar Hermoso for mountaineering practice. The main route crosses much-fissured terrain of moderate inclination, steepening to 45° near the top, with a large bergschrund at about 5,500 meters.

Cayambe's summit lies about 3 km north of the Equator, and the Equator crosses one of its glaciers at 4,690 m, the highest point on Earth crossed by that line and the only place on it with permanent snow. The peak is also the point on Earth's surface farthest from its axis, so it rotates fastest as the planet spins.