El Nariz del Diablo is the highlight of a fantastic rail trip that meanders through the rich tapestry of cultivated fields and páramo spread across the southern half of Ecuador's 400-kilometer long Central Valley, aptly christened "The Avenue of the Volcanoes" in 1802 by the German explorer Alexander Von Humboldt.
The journey begins in the train station of city of Riobamba. The train travels south from Chimborazo through a number of small villages and large expanses of open country before arriving at the small town of Alausi, where it begins a hair-raising descent of the Devil's Nose.
Most travellers sit on top of the rail cars to take advantage of the spectacular vistas provided by the engineers’ ingenious solution of carving a series of tight zigzags into the side of the mountain, which allow the train to climb a gradient of 1-in-18 from 1800 to 2600 meters, by going forwards then backwards up the tracks.
A hundred years after it was constructed, the steep grade of the Devil’s Nose stretch of track precludes its use as a freight or efficient passenger line, but affords the perfect means for present-day explorers who want to discover the rugged and breathtaking Ecuadorian countryside.
*Update: due to safety concerns passengers are no longer allowed to ride on the roof of the train.