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Trail Description:
Cajas National Park is in the southern of Ecuador, Azuay province. It takes 35 minutes from Cuenca heading west to this place. From Guayaquil it takes 3 hours heading south-east.
There are two theories considered about the origin of the name Cajas. The first theory. Cajas (boxes) is an original word from the Quichua language: Caxas and its meaning is: cold. The second theory considered comes from the appearance, geological formation and height of its mountains that visually form boxes surrounding the lagoons inside. The Cajas National Park is impressive, not only its beauty and great extension of 28,544 hectares also because at times it seems like not finding limits in nature. Mountain after mountain, summit after summit caress the sky with its different morphologies, because the altitude range in the national park goes from 3,152 (10341 feet) meters above sea level to 4,445 (14583 feet) above sea level.
However, we were struck by the fact that there are no volcanoes in this high place. Pichincha Volcano (active) has a height of 4,784 m (15696 ft) a.s.l. Atacazo-Ninahuilca Volcano (active) has a height of 4,455 m (14617 ft) a.s.l. Sincholagua Volcano (extinct or resting) has a height of 4,873 m (15988 ft) a.s.l. The nearest volcano from here is Sangay Volcano (constant eruptive activity since 1628) 5,300 m (17389 ft) a.s.l. The last volcano located south of Ecuador on the Cordillera Real in Morona Santiago province.
So why had nature made every effort to create and group the country’s volcanic activity in the north-central region, but not in the south? The answer was this stretch of the Andes mountain range is older. Characterized by less volcanic activity and without the common denominator of the high peaks.
A geologist, professor at a polytechnic university in Ecuador and was also Minister of Environment years ago. During a geographical interview, he explained us that Cajas National Park approximately 10,000 years ago was covered by glaciers. The mountains of the national park are eroded in the summit, this is the result of the erosion that would have produced the ice that was here and later melted until forming this great lacustrine system, conformed by bodies of water that in total add: 786. 165 lagoons have an extension greater than 1 hectare and the remaining 621 less than 1 hectare.
It is estimated that there are 500 vascular plants distributed in 243 genera and 70 families, but the scientific numbers on species does not end there. There are at least 16 species of vascular plants that are unique in this area and there are 71 other endemic species in this part of Ecuador. Cajas National Park is rightly considered a center of plant endemism.
Cajas National Park has 152 species of birds, 43 mammals, 15 amphibians and 4 reptiles. UNESCO declared it in 2014 as one of the core areas Reserva Biósfera Macizo El Cajas (Macizo de Cajas Biosphere reserve). But by 2002 the entire area had already been declared Ramsar site or Wetland of International Importance.
Walking is the main activity in the national park. One wishes to go as far as one can in life and Cajas National Park through its wonders in nature envelops its visitors with its enchanting and breathtaking landscapes.
The national park is a place where you can go for walks on your own, and there are also those for those who prefer to be accompanied by a professional guide from the Protected Area. Walking in isolated natural areas brings many benefits and rewards: a dose of pure air, contact with wildlife, a moment of solitude, and most importantly: discovery.
It is always recommended to register at the checkpoints in the national park. One of the checkpoints is in the Refuge. Registration is very simple and takes very little time. It is important to do because it contributes to preserving Cajas National Park and also safety of visitors. Cajas National Park is large. The national park rangers carry out patrols daily, but with 28,544 hectares of irregular surface it is difficult to be in each place.
The weather in the national park is not regular. Frequent frosts, drizzles, fog and days of intense sunshine will be the meteorological variable that will accompany you along the trail. The meteorological history reports that there have been some snowfalls and their lagoons have reached freezing point due to low temperatures.
The temperature in the national park ranges from -2 °C / 28.4 °F to 18 °C / 64.4 °F. Waterproof and warm clothing, sunscreen, water, calorie rich food or chocolate, comfortable shoes (waterproof) must be worn.
The refuge is located next to the Toreadora lagoon. In this place you will find: parking lot, restrooms, park ranger service, restaurant and an interpretation center. The lagoon has docks and is one of the most photographed places in the national park. This place is the starting point for the trails. Campfires are not allowed in the national park.
The trail begins at the refuge of Cajas National Park located: 2°47’0.20 «S / 79°13’20.51 «W. You can reach this place by taking Cuenca – Puerto Inca (E582). This is a secondary road from west to east located in the Guayas and Azuay Provinces. It is a route used with high frequency by people who travel between Guayaquil – Cuenca by land.
The trail begins at an altitude of 3,954 m (12972 ft) above sea level, heading east. You must always maintain this course as you advance along the trail. Although the national park is as wide and extensive as if we could walk on it in complete freedom, when you leave the trail you will realize that this is not the case. Here we share one of our experiences. The first time we visited the national park, we began to walk the road with the help of our GPS (Global Position System) device.
We had advanced 5 kilometers (3.11 miles) when we realized we would not be able to cover the trail due to two reasons. The weather changed and there was a strong wind coming from the East with a light drizzle.
Both factors combined resulted in a lower wind chill at the 2°C (35.6 °F) temperature recorded by our sensor. It was really affecting all of us, especially those who had more difficulty acclimatizing to the altitude. To avoid altitude sickness, it is recommended to walk slowly and breathe continuously to oxygenate. Despite the weather conditions we might have been able to go forward and finish the course on the trail. Time. It is a general cultural issue for those who drive through the E582 or who visit or work in the national park. After 16h00 (4 Pm) it is not recommended to start or continue walking because periodically after this time the fog presents itself and depending on the atmospheric conditions it can become very thick fog in the place. It is not a rule that is observed every day, but honestly it is very rare the day that this phenomenon does not happen. When we were on our way it was around 17h00 and we had a little more than 6 km (3.72 mi) to go. The altitude and the irregularity of the land make it difficult to advance quickly. We had enough information to navigate, but it was not our intention to walk at night with fog and rain.
So we locate the refuge and deviate from the trail. Afterwards, we understood that it was a good idea to turn off the trail because in a little more than an hour we arrived at the refuge, but in this lapse of turn it was when our body wasted more energy due to the fact we made much more effort to climb mountains and in some cases to border them by their steep rocks of difficult access. Fortunately, the vegetation absorbs the rainwater, and we did not find muddy areas on our journey. As we walked, we came across a family of Swiss who were disoriented in the national park. They were walking east and we were going west. When we explained to them our plan to go to the refuge, they joined us and we all came to this place. Whenever we went to Cajas National Park, we found someone who was disoriented or almost lost. On the last time, we met a group of Brazilians and Chileans who were trying to find a way together to continue or leave the main road. The trails are not marked all the way. It is understandable because the terrain and the climate disappears the marks in time.
But it’s not all about navigation and orientation. We share this as a space of compression, knowledge and precaution. It is important to remember that in Cajas National Park 157 species of birds have been identified, on this trail there is a possibility to observe several species. Some birds are endemic to Ecuador or exclusive to the national park. It is also a good place for the observation of micro fauna such as non-flying micro mammals, reptiles and amphibians. And it doesn’t all end there. There are several species of medium-sized and large mammals that are the most common and easiest to observe as rabbits (Sylvilagus brasilensis), and with a little more fortune perhaps you can observe deer, yamalas (a small type of deer), moorland wolves among others. It is important to remember that being careful, silent and wearing dark clothes, and respecting the environment. Early in the morning is when the percentage of possibilities to observe fauna increases.
Cajas National Park, a plant endemism center has forests of one of the most captivating trees in the area. We are referring to the small forests locally called Quínoas (Polylepis sp.). It is the only woody tree found in the national park and has the capacity to grow over 3,900 m (12796 ft) a.s.l. Among the species found here and now are: incana, reticulata, weberbaueri, lanuginosa. Commonly known as «Paper Tree» for its thin bark layers on its trunks that only allow the growth of plants that do not cause damage such as epiphytes.
Trail Forth 