Antisana, 5704 m (18,714 ft) high, the fourth highest mountain in Ecuador was explored by the British mountain climber and writer Edward Whymper in 1880. Signs of volcanic activity last appeared in 1803. The Antisana is known for heavy snow fall which leads to a big active glacier with the world’s biggest equatorial snow and ice masses. Even today, despite its spectacular appearance and the quality of its routes it is not climbed very often. One of the reasons is the lack of solid, permanently usable routes.