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3-day Trek from Isinlivi to Laguna Quilotoa, Ecuador

For 3 magnificent days, enjoy a trekking adventure from Isinlivi to the Laguna Quilotoa in Ecuador with ASEGUIM certified guide Fernando and his team.

Group

Andes

3 Days

Jun

Fit

Intermediate


Highlights

  • Spend 3 days visiting and exploring different areas of Ecuador.
  • Drive through the incredible Avenida de los Volcanoes.
  • Marvel at the beauty of the Quilotoa lagoon.

Description

For 3 exciting days, explore some of the most beautiful spots in Ecuador. Those spots include the villages of Isinlivi and Chugchilan, as well as the gorgeous Quilotoa Lagoon (3,914m).

Our trip will start in the capital city of Quito. From the city, we will drive through the amazing Avenida de Los Volcanes, where you can gaze at a number of the country’s most incredible peaks. At the conclusion of the first day’s drive, we will arrive at the village of Isinlivi. For the rest of the day, you will get to explore the village, talk to the people living there and soak in the beauty.

On the second day of this trip, we will hike for approximately 4-5 hours. The hike is slightly challenging. As a result, participants on this trip should be in good physical condition. In the village of Chugchilan, you will get to enjoy the old styles of Ecuador, including regular donkey and horse transportation by the local population.

On the final day of this trip, we will make our way from Chugchilan to the Quilotoa Lagoon, via Huayama. During the trek, which can be challenging at points, you will get to enjoy great views of the Toachi River Canyon. When we reach the Quilotoa lagoon, you can marvel at the pure and reflective blue water in the middle of the crater before we depart and go to the village of El Chaupi.

This 3-day adventure is definitely a treat for anybody that has wanted to explore Ecuador. If you are interested, then send a request today and let’s start planning your adventure!

Would you like to enjoy a longer, more extensive trip to Ecuador? Then come on this 16-day adventure that will take you to several summits, including Cotopaxi and Chimborazo.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

- Accommodation included

- Transport during the trip

- Breakfast

- Lunch

- Dinner

Price details

Along with the guiding fee, the price also includes transportation, hostal accommodations and meals, but does not include personal gear, such as clothes etc, flights, hotel in Quito, insurance and gratuities.


Itinerary

Day 1: Isinlivi (2,700m)

At approximately 8:00 am, we will leave Quito and make our way through the Avendia de los volcanes to the village of Isinlivi, where you will get to explore before resting for the night.

Day 2: Chugchilan (3,200m)

Today, at approximately 7:30 am, we will hike from Isinlivi to the village of Chugchilan. The hike will take about 4-5 hours and involve trekking down to the Toachi Canyon. We will spend the night in the Cloud Forest Hostal.

Day 3: Quilotoa Lagoon (3,914m)

From Chugchilan, we will hike to the Quilotoa lagoon. At the lagoon, you can rest, take pictures and explore. The hike will take approximately 4-5 hours. We will then drive to the village of El Chaupi.

 

Details

Accommodation

Hostals in the village of Isinlivi and the Cloud Forest hostal in Chugchilan.

Meeting point

Quito

About the guide

ASEGUIM Guide from Ecuador.

I was born and raised in Cotopaxi Province – Ecuador and know the country’s peaks intimately. I have great mountaineering experience of more than 12 years of climbing in all Ecuador, and I also climbed in South America, Switzerland, and France.

I manage a guiding company, so sometimes I'm the one guiding the trips, but sometimes I'm focused on company management, and one of the certified guides of my team will be guiding you. All the guides with whom I work are professional and certified guides.

I worked for the Nuevos Horizontes refuge on Ilinizas Volcano from a young age and have professional Guide Training, and I am officially Licensed as a Nature guide organized by the Ministry of tourism.

Some of the guiding courses I attended are:

* Mountain Guides Course by ASEGUIM (Ecuadorian Association of Mountain Guides),
* Mountain Guides Evaluation by ENSA (Ecole Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme) in October 2006. An event organized by the Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador and ENSA of France
* Pre-Course UIAGM an event organized by ASEGUIM and ENSA (Ecole Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme)
* First Aids course, Ecuadorian Red Cross

I live and manage a hostel and lodge in El Chaupi, a beautiful mountain village an hour south of Quito, just in between Illinizas Ecological Reserve and Cotopaxi National Park. It looks like a typical Swiss town in the Alps, and has everything to become a great mountaineering center, the ‘Chamonix or Zermatt of South America’!

I speak fluent Spanish, English, and little German, French, Hebrew, and Quichua.

The guiding team I lead is committed and experienced. Contact me to help you organize an unforgettable adventure.

Languages

German | French | English

Certificates

ASEGUIM

Residence

El Chaupi


What people are saying about Fernando Iza

Daniel McNamara

5.00

October, 2022

Thank you for putting this trip together for me at the last minute after my group canceled on me. Fernando was a great guide who knows the route up Cotopaxi very well. The meals and lodging were also great and well worth the price, in my opinion.

Lauren Kuklenski

5.00

August, 2022

Great experience. We did Rumiñawi, corázon, and Illiniza Norte as acclimatization hikes. All of them were beautiful. We attempted Cotopaxi but had a snow storm and heavy winds during the night of the summit and we were forced to turn around. The 3 initial climbs prepared us well for Cotopaxi and the altitude. There were some technical scrambling portions on corazon and Illiniza which were very cool. Overall would highly recommend!

Benjamin Stewart

5.00

June, 2022

Fernando was a fantastic guide who got me to the summit despite extremely difficult weather conditions! I would highly recommend him to anyone hoping to climb Ecuador's big peaks.

Kirsten Yehl

5.00

September, 2021

Fernando was an outstanding guide. We (my 16 yo son and I) spent a week with Fernando and did 3 acclimatization hikes and a successful Cotopaxi climb. All were amazing. On the last two, Illiniza Norte and Cotopaxi, Fernando was very attentive to safety. He also read and understood our strengths and weaknesses after the first few hikes and used that insight to guide us up the mountain. We stayed most nights at Fernando’s hostel, it was very comfortable, a great experience. His family is lovely and the meals were delicious. Was an unforgettable experience and we truly appreciate Fernando, both his guidance and hospitality.

Jan Zehnder

2.00

July, 2021

Even though Fernando is a fun and an experienced guide, I can't give him more than two stars. I was quite sick for the first three days so I could not keep up my normal pace. On my first hike I even had really bad balance disorders. This did not bother Fernando at all. Most of the time he was walking very far ahead. While descending he suddenly started walking so fast that I even lost him out of sight. I found him 2km later lying in the grass on his phone. I passed him and he just kept on being on his phone without even bothering about my medical situation. Beside his impatience the second thing is, that Fernando is always on his phone. I felt a lot better on my last day so we went on climbing Cotopaxi. He promised us a glacier school (since I've never used these tools before) but then at the refugee he just said that it's learning by doing. So when I tried to put on the crampons in the middle of the freezing night it of course took me a while. He didn't even bother to help, so my friend had to put on my crampons for me. Instead he just kept on walking. This repeated itself at our descent. I found him 20 minutes later sitting in the hut already. The only reason I decided not to give one star is his lovely wife. She is an excellent cook and kept the house clean and tidy.

Pavel Janecek

4.00

June, 2021

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Adam Burrage

5.00

December, 2019

Great experience climbing with Fernando: Well organised and we made the summit with him on Chimborazo. I'd recommend him for guiding in Ecuador.

Dick Fields

5.00

December, 2019

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Barbara Matter

5.00

July, 2019

The traveller did not leave a comment.

The Reality Twister

5.00

March, 2019

Fernando is an excellent and knowledgeable guide, and the itinerary is a nice balance of climbs and recovery time, including time to explore a couple of cities. He also made sure we were well-equipped for the climbs. The guides are geared more toward getting you up and down than toward building any technique. It's not billed as an instructional course, so that's not a complaint -- just pointing it out for those who like to use one experience to build to another rather than just reach the summit.

Chase Taylor

4.00

March, 2019

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Bryan McBride

5.00

July, 2018

Fernando was a wonderful guide. Even though we didn't make it to the top we had a great experience. We plan to return in the future and make it to the top! We hope to have Fernando guide us again.

Mike Burkus

5.00

July, 2018

Fernando is a wonderful guide who understands the Cotopaxi route well. I recommend the climb for anyone looking for a tough mental and physical challenge.

Gareth Treharne

5.00

June, 2018

The traveller did not leave a comment.

Lara Pedrini

5.00

May, 2018

Fernando is an incredible guide. He is very experienced and has extensive knowledge of the area. He will always make sure you are safe and comfortable. I highly recommend Fernando to anyone wishing to explore/hike/live/breathe the area. What an incredible experience!

Luis E Valdes

5.00

February, 2018

It was a great experience. Everything was very well arranged and taken care of. The guide (Fernando Iza) was extremely professional, safe, and friendly. I was very happy about everything, and would recommend booking with Fernando Iza for any hiking trip on Ecuador.

Marcela Hronesova

5.00

January, 2018

The traveller did not leave a comment.


 

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