CALIFORNIA ALPINE GUIDES
ECUADOR VOLCANOES
Ecuador, South America
ITINERARY
Day On Arrive in Quito (9500 ft) and overnight at our cozy hotel in the Mariscal Sucre district.
Day Two After a breakfast meeting, we take a morning tour of old town Quito and then an afternoon gondola ride up towards Pichincha high above the city at 13,000 ft for a short acclimating hike. Overnight again in Quito.
Day Three We leave Quito in the morning and drive into the beautiful Northern Highlands near the town of Otavalo and go on an acclimating climb on Fuya Fuya (13,986 feet), a perfect acclimating peak with spectacular views of the the crater lake Mojanda. The night is spent at a luxurious lakeside resort on the shores of Lake San Pablo with big views of our next climb, the volcano Imababura.
Day Four Summit day on Imbabura. We rise early for the long day of mostly steep hiking with a little scrambling at the top of this 15,200 ft volcano. The evening is spent back at our lakeside resort.
Day Five After visiting the town of Otavalo, we drive to the near the hut on Cayambe. We hike the remaining 1 1/2 miles to the hut while our packs and gear are shuttled via 4wd vehicle. The hut is comfortable dorm accommodations with restaurant service.
Day Six Aclimating day near the hut on Cayambe and hike up to the glacier with Glacier skills practice at the toe of the glacier.
Day Seven Summit attempt on Cayambe (18,996 feet). After an early alpine start, it's a moderate glacier climb with some potential short steep sections. Descend to the hut and then travel back to our comfortable hotel in Quito.
Day Eight Drive to the Cotopaxi National Park and a restful afternoon at Tambopaxi, a resort within the National Park with spectacular views of Cotopaxi.
Day Nine Full rest day in the park, with a visit to a nearby high altitude lake and widlife refuge and preparing for our ascent of Cotopaxi. We base out of Tambopaxi resort instead of the nearby hut for everyone's comfort and enjoyment.
Day Ten Summit day on Cotopaxi (19,388 feet). Rising for a very early alpine start, we drive a short distance to the trailhead and begin our climb. A spectacular glacier climb with some steeper sections and perhaps some exciting crevasse crossings. At the top, we are rewarded with big views and a smoking crater. After the descent we take an afternoon drive south to the resort town of Banos near the edge of the jungle.
Day Eleven Rest day at Banos. With it's relatively low elevation of around 6000 ft, Banos is a perfect place to allow our bodies to fully recover. Activities include exploring the local waterfalls or perhaps an exciting zip line or bungee jump.
Day Twelve Drive and then hike to the hut on Chimborazo. Overnight at the hut in and prepare for the next days ascent.
Day Thirteen Summit attempt day on Chimborazo (20,564 feet). A long day of steep snow and glacier climbing rewarded by standing on the top of the furthest point from the center of the earth. After our descent, we travel back to a luxurious hacienda resort in nearby Riobamba.
Day Fourteen Travel back to Quito and overnight at our hotel in Quito or catch evening flights home.
Itinerary subject to change