Andean landscape near Banos, Ecuador

Hiking up El Altar volcano in Banos region was one of the most challenging and at the same time most beautiful hikes I have done in my life. I had to make it through knee-deep mud, pass some angry cows and spend a cold night at 4.000m, but the views I got on the way were simply amazing. I took this photo just some hundred meters before reaching the crater lake at 4.200m. I could not go any further since the hiking track ends at the crater lake; reaching the top would have required proper ice climbing gear.

^{1/320s; 18mm; f/8.0; ISO 100}

I have also posted this photo on my blog.