Quito's new telefériQo takes passengers up to Cruz Loma (4100m) from where you can hike to the top of jagged Rucu Pichincha (about 4680m). Beyond the rise of Cruz Loma and past a barbed-wire fence (which no one seems to pay any attention to), well-marked trails lead to Rucu Pichincha. It's approximately three hours to the top, and some scrambling is required. Don't attempt this hike if you've just arrived in Quito; allow yourself a couple days' acclimatization.

Before the telefériQo went in, climbing Rucu Pichincha was dangerous due to armed robberies, but that danger seems to have disappeared entirely. It's easy to assess from the top of the telefériQo, and you can inquire at SAE if you want to make sure. It's a spectacular hike, best done in the morning before the clouds roll in.