Hiking & Summiting Ecuadorian Volcanoes

You’ll be greeted at the airport and taken to your hotel in Quito for the evening.

Today you’ll enjoy a full-day private city tour in the historical part of Quito, including La Basilica Church, La Compañia Church and El Panecillo Hill. See the transformation from the new part of the city to the absolutely beautiful historical and colonial part of Quito. Visit all the interesting churches, plazas etc., but also enjoy time to simply soak up the local atmosphere, the many shops, and the stores.

Afterwards, continue to El Panecillo, the hill in the center of Quito overlooking the city and the historical center. From here, on clear days, you can see several of the snow-capped volcanoes surrounding Quito. After lunch, visit Mitad del Mundo, where you can stand on the equatorial line.

Head to the trailhead of your journey today, located at an altitude of 3848m. From this point, a very well marked trail ascends progressively until the base of the crater. The last section is the steepest, following a mountain trail up to the crater rim. The last meters to the summit are done by the edge of the crater with nice views down to the valley of Machachi, also known as the Volcanoes Avenue, and the highlands to the west. On clear days there is a perfect view to the Cotopaxi, Sincholagua, Rumiñahui and Artisana volcanoes.

The descent follows the same trail. Back at the starting point, the group will be transferred to the outskirts of the Machachi.

Follow a well marked trail on the eastern side of the mountain. During the ascent there are excellent views down to the Volcano Avenue and the town of Machachi. This is a very pleasant hike and a perfect way to acclimatize. Another advantage is that this volcano is much less visited than other acclimatization mountains and this provides a very different atmosphere.

The last few meters before reaching the summit go over an easy scrambling section. The summit is just in the crater rim and has a panoramic view to the Western flank. The descent is done by the same trail.

The climb starts along a trail through the “paramo” (Andean highland), which changes as it gains altitude into a rocky moraine. The terrain gets steeper, reaching a well marked ridge that ascends to a valley that divides the twin peaks where the Nuevos Horizontes hut (4677m) is located.

This morning’s goal is to climb the North Ilinza, one of the twin summits of the Iliniza massif. The north summit is the easier of the two from a technical point of view, but still a demanding physical ascent. Head towards the col and then up to the north. The climb in itself is very panoramic as it follows the southern ridge of the mountain with spectacular landscapes on both sides. During the ascent there will be short easy scrambling sections before reaching the summit.

Depending on the logistics, weather conditions and the physical shape of the team, the descent can be done by the same trail or following the northern ridge.

After a good rest and a well deserved breakfast, hike to Cotopaxi’s mountain hut (4847m), up to the low part of the glacier (4990m). Once there, the team will gear up and follow the guide’s instruction in the use of crampons, ice axe, rope, and all the appropriate technical gear for the climb. This is in no way an alpine course, just a brief introduction into the techniques needed for the ascent.

After the training, the team will head back down to the hut for the night. The rest of the afternoon is for the climb’s preparations. The guides will do a detailed briefing about all the aspects of the ascent and help with all the gear. An early dinner will be served and then rest, until the guides call for breakfast, usually around midnight.

The summit day starts very early; usually in the range between 11 PM and 2 AM. The team will begin the ascent from the hut following a well marked trail that gently ascents over a fine stoned moraine. Once on the edge of the glacier (4990m), the group will gear up. Cotopaxi’s climb requires endurance and a good deal of mental strength. Cotopaxi’s glacier is quite safe and the climb is not technically difficult, but there are a few crevassed areas and some few icy slopes that make the route interesting.

Cotopaxi’s summit is one of the most spectacular ones, looking down into the double rim crater and, on clear days, it is possible to see most of the neighboring volcanoes.

The town of Baños lies in the Tungurahua province at the foothills of the active Tungurahua volcano (5023m). Baños is called the “Gateway to the Amazon'' as it’s the last Andean town before reaching the Amazon basin. Due to its privileged location, this town offers a great deal of activities. The best known are the hot springs (baños).

Baños also have some great scenery with famous waterfalls that lie a few kilometers down the valley.

After a day of leisure, the group will pack and drive back to the highland towards Chimborazo National Park. Chimborazo volcano is an impressive mountain. After crossing the park borders, the landscape turns very arid.

A short acclimatization hike starts by a moraine valley up to the Whymper hut (5000m) and then back down to the Carrel hut. The rest of the afternoon/evening will be to prepare for the climb and have an early dinner.

Chimborazo is the highest mountain in Ecuador and also the highest in the world measured from the center of the earth due to its location on the tropical belt. The mountain has five major summits all linked by a ridge called the “Arista del Sol” (Sun’s Ridge).

Climbing Chimborazo by its normal Southwest route is a challenging affair, with a long 1468 meter ascent and descent in one push at a considerable altitude. The terrain is also complex, as it changes from an easy moraine trail to ice, snow and rock sections, with some easy scrambling. Even though it is not a technical climb, it is physically demanding. The climb starts between 10 PM to 1 AM. The main summit, Whymper, is at 6268m. This is a memorable ascent to a summit above 6000 meters and a test of physical and mental endurance.

Time to leave the volcanoes of Ecuador! You’ll be picked up at the hotel and transferred out to Quito’s airport.