Cark Park at 4580 m | Tourist Attraction

November 15th, 2024 by sonny jadun

Drive my 4runner with RTT and heavy load to the Refugio. No problems. Decided not to camp in the parking lot as temp were dropping below freezing. I was worried about Windshield flood system freezing & getting damage. Moreover, I was windy & cold and no cell signal plus all covered in cloud and no visibility. it did not make sense.
From the parking lot you have 2 options to get to Refugio. One is the winding trail & the other is Sandy direct path. Use Maps.me or all trail for the windy path. it is more flater & manageable. Coming down from the Refugio, follow footsteps and head straight down the sandy path.
Also, the visibility in the evening or when it is cloudy, you can get lost. Must carry trail downloaded or follow someone, No Solo please. Coming down solo to parking lot okay if following straight sandy path.

July 28th, 2024 by roaming_dutchies

Parking still good, unlevelled and windy so put some rocks behind your wheels. From here it took us 1 hour to the Refugio and another 1,5hour to the ice of the glacier at 5300m. The part after the Refugio is actually much nicer with better path and scenic views. Don’t stop there!

June 13th, 2023 by nomadxplorers

Went up this road and then to the glacier. Ok with 2wd but not big rvs. It took us 45 min to the refugee and then same up to 5100m to the glacier. Our 1988 van did not like the altitude though. Very hard to start the engin after 3 hours at 4580m ! Fortunately we had Startpilot.
Also try to park downhill.

March 4th, 2023 by undetoursurlaterre

on est monté ici en fourgon aménagé. (fiat Ducato traction). sans problèmes. la route est un peu chaotique mais ça le fait. par contre nous ne sommes pas restés la nuit et trop de pluie verglaçante, nous ne sommes pas allés au refuge.

May 27th, 2022 by asobolife.com

The road is still quite good all the way up to the parking lot. Most vehicles should have no problem. The last 100m near the top the road does get quite bumpy in some areas so just be aware on where your wheels are.

We recommend to park in the lower parking lot. The upper one is smaller and less flat.

November 6th, 2019 by bradyanddanica

Just checking in to update and confirm everything is as reported. The road is bumpy but well kept, wide, and generally do-able for most vehicles. We are an underpowered and overweight van, so we too had to stop about three or four switchbacks before the parking lot and hoof it up. Be prepared to work at altitude!

June 22nd, 2019 by bdesmoitier

I guess they renovated the road because no high clearance or 4x4 necessary now (see photo of the road), we did it with our 2WD without any issue. Maybe a “powerful” motor is recommended because the road rises up and up to 4500 meters. When it rains, the road can be a little slippery. Enjoy the view !

March 18th, 2019 by Run Run Andante

We saw many car 2WD, sedan and city car could do it. Bumpy road.

Vimos muchos autos 2WD, autos de ciudad pudieron hacerlo. Ruta con mucha calamina (irregular)

November 23rd, 2018 by gogobrunhilde

Bumby and sometimes muddy road which is pretty steep.
We did it with our 2WD-Van, but high clearance is recommended.
Nice view if there is no fog 😁

July 9th, 2018 by goroxygofar.wordpress.com

The pathetic engine in our Westy doesn’t function at this altitude so we parked about 1 k before this spot and hiked up to the Refugio.

April 8th, 2018 by barnis

pretty rough road but it’s soft. there were a lot of 2WD cars at the top but you need a bit of power. it was snowing at the top and a bit slick coming back down. the walk up to the refugio is a bit tough but worth it for some soup of hot cocoa

January 16th, 2018 by j_vermeulen

the road was good until the very end. we got through in our 2wd van but needed the clearance we have. other not 4x4 cars parked on the side of the road just below the bad part

December 17th, 2017 by Calderescapes

Road up was pretty darned washboardy today. Right before parking area pretty rough. We had sunshine and spectacular views though. Also we saw lots of people camping near the Laguna, not allowed up here.

November 11th, 2017 by instagram.com/wanderingfamvan

Road up here is in ok shape. Locals do drive up here with a 1.2 liter small passenger cars. Doable in any kind of vehicle

October 5th, 2017 by hammond-5

Beautiful spot! the road up was actually fine, we managed in our dodge ram with no problems at all. Park up and hike.

August 18th, 2017 by lasti.ch

Climbed up with our Truck. Was an adventure, but no Problem. Road is bumpy!

August 18th, 2017 by sh.encamino

The street is crazy
You need a car with is high
4x4 is very good
The Vulkan is close at this time

August 8th, 2017 by torsten.glaes

We made it with 2wd, driving experience and a bit luck comparer to some city suv! Don't hesitate, if you're not able to drive the last tricky part, park the car 2-4 bends underneath the carpark and walk up! The road is definitely in bad conditions

June 19th, 2017 by anvanesser

If you take your passport with you, you can get it stamped up at the refugio. Just ask the nice guy with the beard in the kitchen.

May 18th, 2017 by travelamateurs.com

Hike from parking lot up to refugio is about 30-40 minutes. Refugio had several food options and beverages, including coca tea if you're feeling the altitude. Beautiful views of the mountain and surrounding valleys if the clouds clear. Unfortunately, a recent avalanche prevented any hikes above the refugio.

March 31st, 2017 by ntoverland.wordpress.com

Drove up here with your 2WD dodge van, the road is doable with most cars. High clearance us recommended and good tires for the snowy part up there.
The walk to the base camp takes around 40 min. Don't go too early, or you can't enjoy hot beverages there, since in our case there was nobody before 10 am.

December 14th, 2016 by 20000lieuxsurlaterre.fr

From here to the refuge 40 minutes hiking; once there (4864m) : HOT CHOCOLATE !...

November 5th, 2016 by dc-adventures.co.uk

Here is the highest point you can drive to in Cotopaxi NP. Nice views!