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3-day Altar trek guided tour

Altar trek 10
Altar trek 1
Altar trek 6
Altar trek 7
Altar trek 14

Join a local certified guide on this 3-day trek around the Altar Volcano and the Collanes valley near Riobamba, in Ecuador

Not specified

Andes

3 Days

All year


Description

The Altar is an Ecuadorian volcano with several rock and ice peaks. They form a mountain circle around an old caldera cone. Its right and left edges are part of the Collanes valley which is one of the most beautiful places of the Andes.

During this 3-day Altar trek, you will enter into that valley, crossing rivers and admiring a really beautiful landscape on the way. Then, we’ll continue hiking up and find the famous Yellow Lagoon, which lies inside the crater of the volcano. And if we keep walking along the shore of the lake you will see the most stunning snow-capped peaks of the Ecuadorian Andes, with glaciers hanging from the bowels of the mountains.

By the end of this trek we will return to the base camp where we will spend the night surrounded by this amazing and unforgettable scenery.

Please keep in mind it is a 3-day adventure. However, I can extend the program and offer you a tour of 5,6 o 7 days. Just ask me to organize your adventure according to your wishes.

I will be here waiting for your message so we can discuss and plan your next adventure through the Altar Trek. It will be a really nice experience!!!

Price includes

- Guiding fee

- Accommodation included

- Transport during the trip

- Permit and entrance fees

- Group porters


Itinerary

Day 1: Quito - Hacienda Releche

Departure from Quito through the Pan Americana highway crossing the cities of Macachi and Latacunga cities. Following the route we will pass through the city of Ambato, where there is the famous colossus and active Tungurahua Volcano. The journey continues towards the high valley of Urbina where you can see the mountains of Carihuairazo or the Chimborazo. Finally we will be near the city of Riobamba from where we’ll move towards the Hacienda Releche, located in one of the entrances of the Sangay National Park in the province of Chimborazo. From this place we’ll start the walk for 6 hours. The mules or horses will carry the heavy luggage so we can reach the huts located on one side of Collanes Valley.

Day 2: El Altar Volcano

After breakfast we will start the hike to the caldera Altar. You will have the opportunity to explore, discover and enjoy the breathtaking view of its steep peaks, edges and valleys. Nature is in all its splendor, specially once we are in the Yellow Lagoon, whose feet are born in the massif of the Altar. If the weather helps we may see the Chimborazo and walk an hour to reach the slopes of Fraile. The round trip will take 5-6 hours. In the afternoon, we will return to the same cabins of the first night.

Day 3: Collanes Valley - Quito

Before returning, we will have a last tour in the Collanes Valley to enjoy this beautiful place. Then, we will start walking down along the same route in direction to the Hacienda Releche. After 4-5 hours we will have lunch and drive back to Quito.

 

Details

Meeting point

Quito

About the guide

Tomás and his team of IFMGA/UIMLA-certified mountain guides, leaders and rock climbing instructors (Alvaro, Juliana, Merlin, Rodrigo, Armin, Alfredo, and Camila) are some of the top outdoor adventure professionals in Latin America.

Whether you wish to climb some of the most stunning mountains in the Andes or discover the vibrant peaks of Central America, among other amazing options, you will find yourself in good hands with this lively team of professional local guides that will not only show you the top spots in Latin America for outdoor adventures but also, bring you closer to the colorful local cultures of the places that you visit with them.

Tomás will be your main point of contact during the booking process and will help you with all the questions you have in order to make sure you receive the best possible guiding service.

Pick one of the E-S Latam Adventure Guides' programs and start planning an unforgettable experience in the beautiful mountains of Latin America!

Languages

French | English

Certificates

AAGM | IFMGA


What people are saying about Explore-Share

Kumari Selvakumar

5.00

Sept 14, 2022

I’m extremely happy with the ease with which I could book via your site reliable and experienced guide. Thank you so very much, and I’ve started to recommend your site to my friends. Dimitris is not only an awesome guide, but a wonderful person who was always looking out to give me the best experience I can have when he found out how much I love climbing! He is the Best!

Niklas Warren

5.00

Sept 6, 2022

I am very pleased with Explore-Share! This was my first international climb, and the communication and response time were great. Herbie is a very skilled guide and very efficient. The entire booking process & payment was smooth. I will definitely use Explore-Share again. Thank you.

Greg

5.00

Aug 23, 2022

I was looking for a local guide for a hike I was planning and came across Explore-Share. They seemed to have good reviews and so decided to give them a try. The experience was very positive and completely happy with their service. I will be using them again for next trip.

Colin Finnegan

5.00

Aug 17, 2022

Easy to set up and find the perfect trip. Informative site that is easy to use. Guides are all great to work with and communicate all arrangements needed. As simple as can be!

Lesley Weber

4.00

July 16th, 2022

Thank you explore-share for a wonderful via feratta experience. We have been wanting to learn for a long time but don't have the facilities in Scotland. The guide Mitja was extremely helpful and knowledgeable, answering all my many questions and providing advice. On the day head to take another group but he quickly arranged another guide Borut, who was brilliant. We had a fantastic morning learning via ferrata at Hvadnik in the gorge. It gave us the confidence to later hire our own equipment and go out in Mojstrana. Altogether a five star + experience. Thank you.

Richard Scrivener

5.00

July 20, 2022

Hello! I have been thoroughly impressed by the service and assistance that explore-share have provided the past couple years in helping to plan my trip to the High Tatras in Poland. I really appreciated the flexibility that they provided in allowing me to rearrange my trip twice owing to covid. They were responsive and communicative throughout. This trip was part of my Stag weekend celebrations and explore-share connected me with an outstanding guide in the form of Marcel - he was an excellent recommendation and we really enjoyed our guided hike in the High Tatras with him. Marcel was an outstanding professional, placed a high focus on preparing well and staying safe, and was also a great guy! Highly recommend. Many thanks and best wishes - Richard

Yvonne Morrison

4.00

May 8, 2022

Our first time with Explore-Share. An absolutely fantastic experience from start to finish. Extremely good value, very well organised with attention to detail. We travel widely and this has by far been the best of experiences. Well done to all concerned. We are already looking at booking another trip!

Mark Stone

5.00

April 14, 2022

Great service by explore share. Our guide, Fred, gave us a fantastic day. Totally wild adventure that would be impossible on our own. I’m really impressed. Thank you very much.

James Dempster

5.00

March 9, 2022

I can’t recommend this enough. Great service, great price and the on the ground team was top notch. Top marks all round.

Leonardo Rodriguez

5.00

March 4, 2022

Everything went very well! Above our expectations! Thanks Explore-Share and Thanks Kiliholidays! Great support from all you! Thanks for the hard work and excellent level of commitment.

Daniel Martinez

5.00

Feb 2, 2022

Excellent job making your platform available to all mountain lovers. Our guide Gabrielle was an excellent companion

 

 

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