Iván began climbing mountains in Ecuador such as Illiniza Norte, Rumiñawi, Tungurahua and Carihuairazo and soon enough, his hobby became a passion. On Oct 23, 1978, he reached the summit of Chimborazo (6,310 m), his country's highest peak. In 1988 he started climbing in the Cordillera Blanca (Perú) and in Bolivia, having summitted mountains such as Artesonraju, Alpamayo, Huascarán and Illampu.