Cayambe mountain climb tour, 10 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 will 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 (3,153 meters or 10,345 feet) and stay overnight in the beautiful hacienda.

Day 3
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 while enjoying the scents of the beautiful endemic Andean orchids. A wonderful dinner awaits us back at the Hacienda El Chaparral, where we will spend another restful evening.

Day 4
After a hearty breakfast, we will drive for two hours southwest from Quito to the Ilinizas area. From trailhead at Hacienda, we will hike to our basecamp located at La Virgen situated at 4,240 meters or 13,910 feet. After a late lunch, we will take short hike from camp to visit the nearby "Polilepis Andean Forest". We then return to basecamp and relax for what remains of the evening.

Day 5
The next morning, our mules will come to pick up our equipment for transfer to highcamp. We then hike up to the mountaineer's hut at 4,650 meters or 15,250 feet located in a saddle nestled between the north and south Ilinizas peaks. We will have plenty of time to relax and prepare for the acclimatization climb the following morning.

Day 6
Shortly before sunrise, we leave the hut hiking up to the summit on the south ridge of the mountain. We will have the opportunity to enjoy the sunrise over the Amazon with amazing views of Cotopaxi and the nearby South peak. The summit at 5,126 meters or 16,817 feet is reached after four hours of steady climbing (largely on rock). By mid-day we are back at the hut, where we find our mules waiting for us for the descent to trailhead. We then drive to Papallacta Hot Springs just east of Quito, for a well-deserved soak. We will spend the evening at this beautiful recuperative location.

Day 7
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, where we will spend the evening. Dinner is served and preparations are made for tomorrow's summit attempt.

Day 8
We summit Cayambe! Today 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 at the nearby Hacienda Guachala, where we will have a well-deserved hot meal and warm bed waiting.

Day 9
In case of bad weather, this is an extra summit attempt day. If the extra day is not needed, we can visit the area around the Hacienda Guachala, where we have the option of exploring some local Indian villages. 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 10
Transfer to the airport and departure from Ecuador.

Tour operators offering this adventure:

Ecuador tours and Galapagos cruises : www.latintrails.com