Ecuador trekking/mountain climbing

The "warm-up" trekking begins in the Páramo of Papallacta, about 50 km from Quito and takes you to heights of 3.500 to 4.500 m. On the way to the foot of the Cotopaxi you cross old lava fields, stopping in the vast Páramo landscape quiet lagoons, wading through mountain streams, admire the impressive Antisana volcano and rest on the flanks of the Sincholagua. The daily walking time is about 5 to 7 hours, whereby you have enough time to explore a large part of the highlands in its unique beauty and its great diversity. You will constantly encounter traces of volcanic activity that has formed an amazing landscape. Sheep herds, game, llamas as well as the majestic Andean condor are part of the animal life of this rough landscape, in which many lakes as relics of the Ice Age form a striking contrast to the surroundings.

 

 

Day 1 (Sunday)
Quito / Pasochoa / Quito
Pick-up at the hotel in Quito. During the first excursion to the Pasochoa Forest Reserve, about 50 km south of Quito, you can get used to the altitude. Orchids and rare cedar species grow from the access at approx. 2.700 m to over 3.500 m. The Cerro Pasochoa reaches an altitude of 4.200 m and is home to over 120 species of birds such as hummingbirds and condors, which with a little luck you can see them. Back to Quito to the base hotel. - / LB / -

Day 2 (Monday)
Quito / Antisana
In the morning departure by jeep to El Tablon. In this small Indian settlement you load your luggage onto pack animals and start the trekking tour into the "Valley of Sleep". You cross a high mountain forest and set up camp on a 3.600 m high river. F / LB / LB LB = lunch box for on the go

 

 

 

Day 3 (Tuesday)
Antisana
You continue to climb and cross a pass at an altitude of 4.400 m. You pass a wide high valley with rivers and Páramo landscapes. Experience the pure air, the silence and the vastness of the Andes here. You set up the camp at an altitude of 3.500 m by a volcanic lake. LB / LB / LB LB = lunch box for on the go

 

 

Day 4 (Wednesday)
Antisana (continued)
It continues uphill to the high plateau of the Antisana, where you can admire the peculiar flora of the Andes and herds of wild horses. The gigantic snow peak of the Antisana (5.758 m) towers over the Páramo and is home to the condors that live here. You set up camp at the edge of the high plateau. F / LB / A

Day 5 (Thursday)
Antisana / Papallacta / Lasso
Early in the morning you will continue your trek across the Antisana plateau. Later in Papallacta you can bathe in hot thermal springs fed by the Antisana volcano and relax optimally from the hike. In the afternoon you drive to the beautiful Hacienda "Umbria". F / LB / -

 

 

 

 

Day 6 (Friday)
Lasso / cotopaxi
The Cotopaxi (5.897 m) rises majestically from the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes and is the highest active volcano in the world. The perfect cone shape of the Cotopaxi has made it world famous as a picture book volcano. Technically it is not a difficult mountain, but good physical condition is a basic requirement for a successful ascent. Rest break in the José Ribas hut at 4.800 m. F / LB / LB LB = lunch box for on the go.

 

 

 

Day 7 (Saturday)
Cotopaxi / Quito or Baños
Departure to the summit around midnight. You can quickly reach the snow or glacier border at approx. 5.000 m altitude and after about 7-8 hours the sulfur-steaming crater. A spectacular view opens up from the summit! Descent back to the Jose Ribas hut. In the afternoon you will return to Quito, where you will spend the night (8-day program) or, alternatively, start the additional week and continue to Baños (15-day program). LB / LB / - LB = lunch box for on the go

 

 

 

Day 8 (Sunday)
Bathrooms
It goes on a dusty track through the valley of the Rio Pastaza past beautiful waterfalls to Baños. You explore this picturesque Andean city with its special highland atmosphere and can relax in the thermal springs fed by the volcano "Tungurahua". Dinner and overnight in a cozy hotel. FA

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 9 (Monday)
Baños / Plazapamba
After breakfast you start a delightful trekking tour with a walking time of approx. 5 hours. In the afternoon you set up your camp in Plazapamba. F / LB / -

Day 10 (Tuesday)
Plazapamba / Carihayrazo
You hike through the Abraspungo Valley. After about 6 hours of walking with a picnic, you set up camp at the foot of the Carihuayrazo, with a beautiful view of the Chimborazo. F / LB / LB

 

 

 

Day 11 (Wednesday)
Carihuayrazo / Ambato
After an early breakfast, you tackle the ascent of the 5.100 m high Carihuayrazo. Lunch on the summit. Afterwards you hike on the road to Guaranda to the place Rio Blanco with transfer to Ambato, where you stay overnight. F / LB / -

Day 12 (Thursday)
Ambato / Chimborazo
Today you drive via Ambato to the highest mountain in Ecuador, the Chimborazo (6.310 m). The winding road winds through a picturesque landscape up through gorges, past the Carihuayrazo to the plateau on the slopes of the Chimborazo. From the Hermanos-Carrel hut (4.800 m), the lower of the two refuge huts, you ascend to the upper hut at an altitude of approx. 5.000 m. 
This hut was named after the Chimborazo first climber. F / LB / -

 

 

 

Day 13 (Friday)
Chimborazo / Quito
Shortly after midnight you set off for the summit of the mountain, which is the highest mountain in the world measured from the center of the earth. After about 9-10 hours you will reach the Whymper summit (6.310 m) with a breathtaking view over the firn top of the pre-summit! After a short break, the descent to the Hermanos Carrel hut takes place, from there drive back to Quito. LB / - / -

 

 

 

 

Day 14 (Saturday)
Quito or Papallacta (reserve day)
If the ascent was not possible the day before, you have the chance to undertake a second ascent today, otherwise there will be a day trip to Papallacta. Overnight at the base hotel in Quito. F / LB / - LB = lunch box on ascent

 

 

 

 

Day 15 (Sunday)
Departure / transfer
In the course of the morning the transfer to the airport takes place. Return flight home or start of the booked connection program, e.g. Galápagos. F / - / -

 

Ecuador's superlatives: ascent of the Cotopaxi and / or the Chimborazo
8 or. 15-day adventure tour from / to Quito

Number of participants:
5 - 7 or 8-12 people	Group trip (at least 5 or 8 participants)
2 - 4 people	Exclusive tour
Special groups	(on demand)

The journey begins on Sunday mornings in Quito. When booking a KLM flight, usually departure the day before (Saturday) with arrival the next morning (Sunday). If the flight departs on a Saturday and arrives on the same day (e.g. Iberia), an additional night is required.

Trekking / mountaineering special program
Accommodation in simple shelters or typical hotels and haciendas of the middle class or upper middle class (in Quito first class)	8 days from € 1.349  (Prices per person in EUR)

 

Would you like to travel in a group of 3 or more people?

Then use our contact form so that we can make you an individual offer.

Depending on the availability of the services, travel dates are also possible every Sunday with the start of the journey in Quito. More information on request!

 

Included in the tour price:

• Overnight stays in tents, hotels or haciendas of the simple middle class / in Quito first class in the booked room category (shower / toilet)
  
• Full camping equipment (including tents), dining tent, sleeping mats, etc.
  
• cook
  
• Full board starting on the 1st day (lunch), ending with breakfast on the last day
  
• Transport in an all-terrain vehicle
  
• Pack animals
  
• National park fees (Cotopaxi and Chimborazo)
  
• Hut fees
  
• Multilingual mountain guides
  
• Crampons, pickaxes, harness, rope, gaiters, oxygen, first aid supplies
  
•  Legally prescribed customer money protection

Included in the tour price:

• Transatlantic flight (offered separately) and Ecuadorian departure fee
• possibly short-term fees
• Tips to local guides and hotel staff
• Extra orders that go beyond the scope of the planned meals
• Beverages.

You must bring the following items with you:

Backpack / duffel bag, daypack, sleeping bag, rain or. Windwear, very warm clothing, crampon-compatible mountaineering boots, headlamp, sunscreen, sunglasses, binoculars, thermos.
The guides are equipped with cell phones and two-way radios (for emergencies).

What is usually the best season for mountaineering in Ecuador?
There are two climber seasons in Ecuador: June to August and December to February. The eastern Cordillera is usually drier from December to February, the western from June to August (although it is often windy in August) and the Cotopaxi has clearer days during this time than in other months.
Bad weather periods from March to June and September to November should be avoided. The weather can fluctuate at any time of the year, however, and the Cotopaxi has been climbed every day of the year so far. Whymper's great tour in 1880 took place from December to July - with seven attempts to start. In the mountains of the Eastern Cordillera (e.g. El Altar, Sangay, Llanganates, Sara Ucru) the weather tends to be bad.

The equinox has to be taken into account so close to the equator, which is why mountaineering tours start all year round and across the country. The time of day is even more important than the time of year - every snow-covered summit should be reached around seven in the morning so that the descent is completed before noon. The Ecuadorian sun gives the snow a sugar-like consistency, which can make walking over it not only tedious, but also sometimes dangerous (danger of avalanches). Rock that has been cemented by ice can melt away and become another trap for climbers.
The night and early morning are usually clear, while around noon it is often cloudy and visibility can drop to zero. This is another reason why one should mountaineering at night. The weather is usually best when the moon is full, and the light of the Ecuadorian full to half moon is so strong in the snow that you often don't even need lamps.

Summary: 
Usually the best months for mountaineering in Ecuador are: December, January, February, June, July and, with some restrictions, August.