Alausí

Nariz del Diablo (Devil's Nose) Train

The 13 km Alausí-Sibambe section of the Ecuadorian Railroad, tells its history by itself. The emotion overwhelms the visitor when he embarks on this railway adventure from the Alausí canton. It is like taking a trip back in time. The machine represents the backbone of the local economy. Craftsmen and street traders take advantage of the waiting time of national and foreign tourists to sell their products. It is also the opportunity to offer all the gastronomy of Chimborazo. A good picture is not missing. The time has come to board the train for a journey from 2800 meters above sea level to the depths of the Chanchan River valley, Simbambe station, at 1400 meters above sea level. Throughout the journey, the traveler feels vertigo because of the constant presence of the adjacent cliff. The legends that accompany the train, as told to the tourists, are part of its attraction. The story about how the zigzag was built is the most important of all. "The world's toughest train" was the name well earned for the work that 100 years ago cost the lives of 2,500 people, including the chief engineer, the American John Harman. In a few kilometers the railway descends 270 meters through the Devil's Nose, an imposing rock formation in the shape of a nose. The original name of the hill is "Condor Puñuña" or "Place where the condor sleeps". The arrival point, before the return to Alausí, is the Simbambe station. Cafeteria service, stories, traditional dances, folklore and handicrafts are waiting for the tourists. The Center of Interpretation and the Museum of the "most difficult train in the world" Cóndor Puñuna, has native guides of the Puruhuá nationality, who live in the Nizag community. They tell the stories of the train, its lifestyle and customs. Spectacular and unforgettable Andean landscapes, culture in its pure state, are waiting to delight the adventurous travelers. In 1895, President Eloy Alfaro, hired the Americans Archer Harman and Edward Morley, for the construction of the "most difficult railway in the world". The "Compañía de Ferrocarriles de Quito y Guayaquil" began the task in 1899. The railroad arrived in Alausí in 1902, to Riobamba in 1905. Finally to Quito in 1908. The parish of Pistishí, in Alausí, was named Parroquia La Nariz del Diablo on May 21, 1941.