Cayambe, Cotopaxi & Chimborazo mountain climb tour, 16 days

Extreme Trekking | Mountain Biking | Mountain Climbing | Scuba Diving | White water rafting & kayaking | Other Adventures

Sample itinerary

Day 1
Arrive in the capital city of Quito (2,850 meters or 9,184 feet) and transfer to the four stars Reyna Isabel hotel. We will meet you at the airport and accompany you to the hotel. There will be a short orientation talk after which you can rest from your flight and explore

Day 2
Today we visit the old town of Quito to see the spectacular churches and museums that date back to the 15th century. Later that afternoon, we'll drive to the monument of the "Equatorial Line" located 15 kilometers outside of Quito. Upon returning to Quito, we will drive to the Hacienda El Chaparral at 3,153 meters or 10,345 feet and stay overnight in the beautiful hacienda.

Day 3
Today, we begin the acclimatization process as we hike to an altitude of 3,263 meters or 12,470 feet on Pinchincha. It will take us approximately four hours of travel through the Andean forest located above the Hacienda El Chaparral to reach our intended altitude. Walking up the hill, we will have an impressive view of Quito and most of the mountains in the country. Back at the Hacienda El Chaparral, we will enjoy a hearty dinner and another restful evening. La Mitad del Mundo “the middle of the world” is a 30-meter high stone trapezoidal monument topped by a brass globe that is 4.5 meters in diameter. It is built right on the equator and is the place where, in 1736, Charles-Marie de La Condamine’s expedition made the measurements that showed that this was indeed the equator.

Day 4
This day we will visit the colorful handicraft market of Otavalo and the Cotacachi leather market, this is a great opportunity to purchase some lovely souvenirs. We have lunch in the historical Cusin Monastery, and later in the afternoon, we will take a short walk along the shores of Cuicocha Lake. As we traverse the shoreline, we will take in the spectacular Ecuadorian sunset as well as the scents of the beautiful endemic Andean orchids. A wonderful dinner awaits us at the Hacienda Pinsaqui where we will spend the evening.

Day 5
Early in the morning we will drive up to the foothills of Imbabura peak, where we will hike up to the summit at 4,630 meters or 15,190 feet. It will take us about four hours to reach the summit. From the summit, we will see beautiful views of all the surrounding lakes and peaks. Back at trailhead, we will drive to the Hacienda Guachala, which is the first Hacienda build by the Spanish in Ecuador. Here we enjoy a hearty dinner and spend the night.

Day 6
Today we embark on the scenic overland drive to the mountaineer's hut on Cayambe. After driving to an altitude of approximately 4,511 meters or 14,800 feet, we take a short 45-minute hike to the Ruales-Oleas-Berge hut and the nearby glacier, where we will review our ice axe, crampon and glacier travel skills. After five hours of training, we will have a delicious lunch back at the Ruales-Oleas-Berge refuge. We will then drive back to Hacienda Guachala, enjoying the sunset and the incredible landscape on the way down. Another satisfying dinner is had shortly followed by a good night's rest.

Day 7
After a hearty late breakfast, we travel back to the mountaineer's hut on Cayambe. Where we spend the afternoon organizing our equipment and preparing for tomorrow's summit attempt. We will have an early dinner and an early lights out.

Day 8
Today we summit Cayambe! We depart well before sunrise, hiking up a scree slope until we arrive at the glacier. From here we ascend moderate snow and ice slopes until reaching a steep section just below the summit. After carefully ascending this short section, we arrive at the summit where we can enjoy the spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and the "Valley of the Volcanoes" to our South, which includes Antisana, Cotopaxi, and Chimborazo. We spend the night back at the nearby Hacienda Guachala, where we will have a well-deserved hot meal and warm bed waiting.

Day 9
Late in the morning we will leave Guachala, driving south through the famous avenue of the volcanoes to the entrance of the Cotopaxi National Park where we will visit the park museum. After which we will drive to the Tambo Paxi Refugio where we will spend the night relaxing and renewing our energy for Cotopaxi.

Day 10
After a late breakfast, we will take a scenic drive up to 4,566 meters or 14,980 feet to trailhead. Next, we embark on a short 45-minute hike to the Jose Ribas mountaineer's hut at 4,800 meters or 15,750 feet. This hut is located on the north face of Cotopaxi and is noticeably busy. An early dinner is prepared and eaten; afterwhich preparations are made for an early morning departure for our summit attempt.

Day 11
Shortly after midnight, we depart the hut for the scree slopes approaching the glacier. After a couple of steep sections on the glacier, we will arrive at the Yanasacha Wall at 5,698 meters or 18,696 feet. From there it is a 1-½ hour climb to the summit at 5,897 meters or 19,347 feet. Once on the summit we can peer down into the crater and far to the south we can see the mighty Chimborazo. After enjoying the spectacular views, we descend to the hut and catch our ride to the Hosteria La Cienega, one of the oldest haciendas in Ecuador and a quiet place for us to rest and recuperate.

Day 12
After a late breakfast, we embark on a beautiful drive through the stepped fields that the Indian communities maintain on the base of the Chimborazo. Along the route we will stop to buy some fresh trout in a fish hatchery that is run by Indians at over 11,880 feet. We enjoy sunset on the way up the mountain and eventually reach the lower Carrel mountaineer's hut at 4,798 meters or 15,744 feet. After a delicious grilled trout dinner, we will rest and relax around the fire.

Day 13
After a late and hearty breakfast, we will hike up to Whymper hut located at 5,000 meters or 16,400 feet. Here we will have a chance to organize our gear and prepare for tomorrow's summit attempt. We enjoy an early dinner, and shortly thereafter, get a good night's sleep.

Day 14
We depart at midnight for the summit, hiking up the steep slopes for two hours until we reach the main glacier. Here we rope up and put on crampons, before climbing some steep sections up to the false summit. From the false summit, we climb for an hour more to the highest point in Ecuador at 6,310 meters or 20,702 feet. After we enjoy the impressive views of the countryside below us, we descend safely for three hours to the hut. Once at the hut, we pack our gear and drive down to Hacienda Manteles. The Hacienda is a lovely farm located just below the mountain. We eat, relax and recover from the day's successful summit.

Day 15
In case of bad weather we will have an extra summit attempt day. If the extra day is not needed we can visit the nearby town of Baños, where we have the option to explore the zoo, a nearby cloud forest in the Amazon Basin, or visit a fascinating Oropendola nesting site. After which we will drive back to Quito, for a celebration dinner at one of the fine Ecuadorian restaurants. The evening is spent at the Reyna Isabel hotel.

Day 16
Transfer to the airport and departure from Ecuador.

Tour operators offering this adventure:

Ecuador tours and Galapagos cruises : www.latintrails.com