Climbing Volcanoes in Ecuador
Itinerary

Day 1: Depart U.S.A. Most flights arrive in Quito in the late evening. Your guides will meet you at the airport and transfer with you to our hotel. Overnight at Hotel Mercure Alameda in Quito.

Day 2: We meet in the hotel lobby for an orientation meeting and our first team breakfast. The day is spent exploring Colonial Quito with a local tour guide. There is also time to relax and recover from our flights. Overnight at Hotel Mercure Alameda in Quito. (B)

Day 3: After breakfast we leave the city to explore Pasachoa Forest Reserve, a 1,000 acre park at the base of the extinct volcano. The Pasachoa caldera, with its steep flanks and dense vegetation, is surrounded by some of the last remaining high altitude forest of the highlands. This enjoyable hike helps with our acclimatization and prepares us for our upcoming climbs. We return to Quito and overnight at Hotel Mercure Alameda. (B)

Day 4: Leaving the city of Quito we travel to Illiniza Norte, a jagged peak just west of Cotopaxi National Park. This is our second acclimatization hike; this time to 15,000 feet. We spend the night in a traditional Ecuadorian farmhouse, located near the base of Cotopaxi. Overnight at Hacienda El Porvenir. (B, D)

Day 5: After breakfast, a short drive from Hacienda El Porvenir takes us to the end of the road at the base of Cotopaxi. A short 45 minute hike leads to the Jose Ribas Refugio at 16,000 feet. Overnight at Jose Ribas Refugio. (B, D)

Day 6: In the morning we hike out to the toe of the glacier to focus on reviewing basic mountaineering techniques that will prepare us for our summit attempt. We settle in early in anticipation of our alpine start. Overnight at Jose Ribas Refugio (16,000’). (B, D)

Day 7: Summit day on Cotopaxi (19,348)! With an early alpine start, we use the first hour to approach the glacier. A long, initial pitch gains access to an interesting maze of crevasses on the lower slopes of this beautiful volcano. The ascent then weaves through impressive crevasse fields for several hours before ascending the final steep slopes to the summit. The deep, sheer-walled volcanic crater is an incredibly impressive sight. After our summit celebration and photo session, we descend safely to the hut. Upon reaching the vehicles, we head out of the park to one of Ecuador’s most beautiful colonial haciendas, the 300-year old La Cienega. Climbing time is approximately 10 – 12 hours. Overnight at Hosteria La Cienega. (B)

Day 8: Our adventure continues after breakfast as we travel to the town of Cayambe to relax and explore some of the local culture. We have the option to visit Otovalo, a town known for its beautiful woolen products or Cotacachi, a town famous for its leather industry. After shopping and sightseeing we transfer to Ecuador’s oldest and possibly most historically and socially important hacienda, the Guachalá. Overnight at Hacienda Guachalá. (B)

Day 9: Using 4 x 4 vehicles, we drive to the hut at the base of Cayambe. The afternoon is spent preparing for our summit attempt, with the option of a short hike. Hiking time is approximately 1 – 2 hours. Overnight at the climber’s hut (15,300 feet). (B, D)

Day 10: Summit day on Cayambe (18,997’)! With an early alpine start for the summit, our route begins by climbing through some low rock outcroppings before stepping onto a spectacularly crevassed glacier. Once on the glacier, the route climbs directly to the upper reaches of the mountain, where a challenging final push to the summit awaits us. After enjoying our success, we descend to our private vehicles, and drive to Quito for our celebration dinner. Climbing time is approximately 10 – 12 hours. Overnight at Hotel Mercure Alameda in Quito. (B)

Day 11: Early morning transfer to the airport for our outbound flights.

Key: B, L, D = Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner included.