Climbing Cayambe, Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, 16 days

Details

Highlights

Price per person

Price includes

• Guiding fee
• Accommodation
• Half-board meals during trip
• Transport to the start of the trip
• Transport during the trip
• Group equipment
• Permit and entrance fees

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival

  Transfer to the hotel from the airport of Quito.

• Day 2: Otavalo

  We will visit the Indian market of Otavalo, hike one hill above the town of Otavalo and San Pablo lake, the biggest in Ecuador. After an hour and a half, we will stop to enjoy a typical Otavaleño and Ecuadorian meal. We’ll take an afternoon drive back to Quito, stopping at the Equatorial Monument or Equatorial line.

• Day 3: Acclimatization on the Guagua Pichincha or Rucu Pichincha

  We will make our acclimatization ascent on the Guagua Pichincha or Rucu Pichincha volcano at 4,800m.

• Day 4: Quito city tour

  We will make a scenic tour across Quito, and also will visit the national ethnological museum and other interesting places.

• Day 5: Quito – Cayambe

  We’ll depart from Quito at 9:00 A.M., and arrive at the Cayambe volcano refuge by 3:00 P.M. (4,700m).

• Day 6: Cayambe Glaciers School Day

  We will go on the glacier at 8:30 A.M to continue our acclimatization. We will engage in the moderate glacier section to familiarize ourselves with the  climbing techniques and equipment. I will train you on glacier skills, all necessary techniques for climbing the high peaks like Cayambe, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo and other mountains. We’ll learn rope-handling, glacier travel, snow climbing, basic crevasse rescue skills and safety techniques. After 6 hours training, we go back to the refuge for a delicious lunch and early dinner. We will get prepared for a midnight departure to Cayambe.

• Day 7: Cayambe summit

  We’ll get up at midnight for breakfast and final equipment check up. We will leave the refuge at 1:00 A.M. and climb with headlamps for the first 4 hours. We’ll reach the final Cayambe summit at about 9:00 A.M. We will return to the hut around 2:00 P.M.

• Day 8: Oyacachi Hot Springs

  We will spend our day swimming in the hot pools of Oyacachi. After a relaxing afternoon, we will drive to La Cienega hotel near the Cotopaxi volcano.

• Day 9: Cotopaxi

  We will drive into the Cotopaxi National Park. From here we will have a 45 minute hike with full packs up to the Jose Rivas hut. We will enjoy a hot tea and a short rest before heading out to the glacier for an afternoon review of technical training and equipment preparation.

• Day 10: Cotopaxi summit

  We will climb for 7 hours to the summit of the Cotopaxi volcano. We will overnight at Hosteria La Cienega.

• Day 11: Chimborazo First Refuge

  We will arrive at the lower refuge of Chimborazo “Carrel” at 4,800m around 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon and continue with our acclimatization.

• Day 12: Chimborazo Second Refuge

  We will walk 40 minutes with full packs up to the Whimper hut on the Chimborazo flank, located at 5,000m.  There, we will rest and prepare ourselves for the early morning departure.

• Day 13: Chimborazo Summit

  We will climb for 8 or 9 hours to the summit of the volcano. We will  first traverse moderately angled ice slopes, climb through a series of icefalls and up to the steep ice ramps, climbing simultaneously on moderate grounds belaying up the steep pitches. Our team will rope together in order to cross crevasses and finally make it to the summit.

• Day 14: Baños

  We will spend the day at the colorful town of Baños.

• Day 15: Baños – Quito

  We will drive back to Quito and have a farewell dinner at our hotel.

• Day 16: International flight departure

Other details

About the Guide