I’ve seen the lava flow from Kilauea (4,190′); I’ve witnessed the destruction caused by the eruption of Mount St. Helens (8,363′) in 1980; and I’ve admired the silhouettes of tallest and most voluminous stratovolcanoes in the Cascade Volcanic Arc–Mt. Rainier (14,411′) and Mt. Shasta (14,162′).
Mt Shasta
But none of these situations prepared me for Chachani (19,871′), El Misti (19,101′), and Picchu-Picchu (18,583′) which are immediately noticable when one lands at the airport of Peru’s second largest city Arequipa. While only El Misti is considered active, its summit lies a mere 10.5 miles away from the center of the city.
El Misti from a rooftop in Arequipa
It is right there, in your face, looming over the city. Its last eruption was in 1985, just a few years after Mount St. Helens blew off its top. The city takes the threat seriously and not long before I arrived ran a test evacuation.
Now while El Misti may be 5,000′ higher, it is not snow-covered year-round like Shasta. [My photos of Shasta and Misti were taken in October and June (think December since it's in the Southern Hemisphere).] To reach Shasta’s peak one must ascend 7,000 feet over ice, snow and rock; a climb that takes eight to nine hours under the best conditions. Only about 1/3 of those who attempt the ascent complete it. (For a good description of the hike, see http://gorp.away.com/gorp/publishers/foghorn/cli_shas.htm or http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150188/mount-shasta.html.) The ascent of El Misti is about the same (2,400m), but while one is hiking at much higher altitudes, it is not as technically challenging. (See http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/150393/el-misti.html.)
No, it never even crossed my mind to attempt the climb. I was saving my knees for Colca Canyon and the Inca Trail.