Ecuador Expedition Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival to the capital city of Quito. It lies on a long and narrow Andean valley surrounded by high volcanoes at an elevation of 2,850 meters/ 9,350 ft. Our guide will be waiting for you at the airport and will take you to the hotel.
Day 2: We will spend the day sightseeing in Quito. Quito is considered to be one of the most beautiful of all South American capital cities with its well preserved colonial architecture and mild climate. We will visit the old town of Quito which has been declared a World Heritage by the UNESCO given its beautiful Colonial Architecture. We will start acclimating to the altitude while taking an easy walk through narrow streets and historical squares, admiring the old colonial churches, buildings and houses. Before returning to our hotel we will enjoy a great view of Quito from the top of the El Panecillo hill. This day constitutes an important foundation for our acclimatization. We also have a thorough equipment check and orientation including discussion of Leave No Trace practices. Welcome dinner in the evening. Overnight stay in Quito.
Day 3: On the second day of our acclimatization process we will drive towards Pasochoa (4,200 m / 13,779 ft). We will follow the direct route up the north side of the mountain. It takes approximately 3 hours to hike to the summit from the car park. Once there we can look into the old crater whose vertical walls preserve some of the last of the original forest that once covered the whole area. Pasochoa is also one of the few volcanoes in Ecuador where it is still possible to see condors, the largest flying birds. After descending, we will drive back to Quito to spend the night.
Day 4: Easy access from Quito using the brand new cable car makes Ruco Pichincha (4,698 m /15,413 ft) a great acclimatization hike. The gondola will take us up to an altitude of 3,966 m/13,012 ft from where we will have a first glance of three of the highest snow-capped Ecuadorian mountains. Cotopaxi, Antizana and Cayambe. From there we will start our hike, which will take us to the top of this ancient volcano in three hours. Two hours later we will be back in Quito and drive to the beautifully restored hacienda Guachala (2,800 m/9,186 ft), the oldest one in Ecuador where we will spend the night.
Day 5: After breakfast, we will drive up to 4,286 m/14,062 ft on Cayambe. Our acclimatization goal will be to hike up to the hut and farther on to the beginning of the glacier (4,877 m/16,000 ft). It is worth mentioning that sometimes condors can be seen here flying above the Paramo land or the area around the refuge. In the afternoon our private transport will take us back to Guachala honoring the adage “Climb high; sleep low”.
Day 6: We will drive back up to the hut on Cayambe to start reviewing mountaineering skills on the nearest glacier, including self arrest, basic cramponing techniques, self rescue and crevasse rescue. We will return to the hut to spend our first night at 4,630 m/15,190 ft. The Cayambe hut is located on the south-west flank of the mountain and is the nicest mountain refuge in the country. The views of the volcano and its surrounding from there are outstanding.
Day 7:We will come back to the nearest glacier to reinforce what we reviewed the previous day. We will have lunch at the hut and afterwards prepare our climbing gear and packs for the climb early the next day.
Day 8: ith 5,789 m/18,993 ft, Cayambe is the third highest mountain in the Andes of Ecuador. It is also the highest point on earth through which the Equator line passes. Cayambe is located on the eastern cordillera, some 65 km north-east of Quito. This heavily glaciated volcano is considered active. According to some people the meaning of the word Cayambe is: “water, the source of life”. We will start the climb at about midnight. From the refuge, we will ascend the rocky ridge up to the beginning of the glacier. Once on the glacier we will aim to the rock outcrop known as Jarrin peaks. From the top part of this rocky feature we will head towards the summit. From the top we can admire the subsidiary north and east summits of Cayambe as well as big mountains such as Cotopaxi and Antizana in the south. The ascent takes seven hours and the descent three to four hours. After the climb we pack up and travel to Hacienda Guachala, to rest and relax before heading off to our next objective.
Day 9: Travel by bus to Cotopaxi. The region around Cotopaxi has the highest number of clear days per year in the Ecuadorian Andes. This exquisite mountain rises in Cotopaxi National Park, the showpiece national park in all of mainland Ecuador. On our drive, we pass through several vegetative zones and anticipate encountering llamas, herds of wild horses, foxes, Cara-Cara falcons, eagles, Andean gulls, lapwings, etc and interesting paramo vegetation. We will stay at Tambopaxi (3,766 m/12,356 ft). This rustic but elegant lodge offers great views of the north face of Cotopaxi. There is a telescope so that we can have a closer look of the normal route up the mountain. Today will be dedicated to rest and recover strength for the upcoming climb.
Day 10: After breakfast, our transport will take us to the park land on the northern slopes of Cotopaxi (4600 meters / 15,100 feet). From there, we will have to hike for approximately an hour to the Jose Ribas Refuge (4,800 m / 15,750 ft). Once at the hut, we will prepare the climb of the most coveted Ecuadorian mountain: Cotopaxi.
Day 11: Alexander von Humboldt said: “Cotopaxi’s shape is the most beautiful and regular of all the colossal peaks in the high Andes. It is a perfect cone covered by a thick blanket of snow…”. We will begin the climb at about one in the morning. An early start allows us to take advantage of the better snow conditions and thus travel more quickly and safely. The normal route is technically not challenging but physically demanding. It involves climbing on moderate glaciated slopes (generally 30º- 45º). After approximately seven hours of climbing we will reach the top where we can enjoy magnificent views of the gigantic crater and of mountains such as Antizana, Cayambe and Chimborazo. After the summit climb, we descend Cotopaxi and head to the historic La Cienega Hostelry for rest and recovering.
Day 12: On our way to Chimborazo we will visit San Augustin de Callo. This hacienda was built on the site of an Inca palace. It constitutes one of the two most important archeological sites in Ecuador, and the point furthest from Cuzco of Imperial style construction. Besides the farmhouse has a unique blend of architectural styles: 15th century Inca, 16th century Colonial and 19th century Republican. After visiting this interesting place, we will travel by bus to the Chimborazo Basecamp lodge (3,950 m/12,959 ft) located at the foothills of the highest volcano in Ecuador. This cozy accommodation in a spectacular setting will give us another opportunity to rest before our most demanding climb. There will be several opportunities to spot vicuñas once we reach the foothills of Chimborazo. These camelids together with the other members of their family: alpacas and llamas are the biggest native South American mammals.
Day 13: Chimborazo is with 6,310 metres/20,702 feet the highest mountain in Ecuador. This old volcano is considered extinct although some recent studies show that it might still be considered active. Its main summit has the distinction of being the farthest point from the centre of the earth making Chimborazo somehow the tallest mountain in the world. It does not matter from which side you look at Chimborazo, it will impress you by its size and beauty. Today we will travel by bus to the Carrel hut (4,862 m/15,951 ft). From there, it will take us between thirty and forty five minutes to walk to the Whymper refuge (5,047 m/16,558 ft) where we will spend the afternoon preparing for the climb the next day.
Day 14: We will start the climb at about midnight following the El Castillo route. This route is considered the normal way up the mountain because it is objectively the safest one at the moment. It normally takes eight hours to get to the Whymper summit from where you will enjoy one of the best views in Ecuador. To the east and south-east: part of the Amazon rain forest, El Altar which is the most difficult mountain to climb in Ecuador and the active volcanoes Tungurahua and Sangay. To the north and north-east: mountains like the Ilinizas, Antizana and the famous Cotopaxi. The descent to the Whymper hut takes between three and four hours. After returning to the hut, we pack and descend to Riobamba town. The Abraspungo Hostelry will give us beautiful Andean scenery at the end of our climb.
Day 15: After having breakfast we will drive along the Avenue of the volcanoes back to Quito. Farewell dinner in the evening.
Day 16: Return flight USA.