Cotopaxi (5897 m)

Airfare is not included on this trip, so you are responsible for arranging your own transportation to and from Quito, Ecuador. There is no program planned for the first day, allowing you to arrive in Quito whenever it suits you. Upon arrival, we will meet at our charming hotel in the heart of Quito, the world's first ever UNESCO World Heritage site. After checking in at the hotel, you can explore the city on your own. In the evening, we will meet with the guide and the rest of the group for a welcome dinner together and go through the itinerary for the coming days.

We start the day with a trip into Quito's old town, with a visit to Independence Square, where the majestic presidential palace and centuries-old cathedrals await. Explore the impressive La Compañía Church, known for its glittering gold altars, and the historic San Francisco Monastery with its baroque masterpieces. After immersing ourselves in Quito's rich history, we drive up to "El Panecillo" to enjoy the fantastic view of the city below. After lunch, the adventure continues at the Middle of the World, where you can literally stand on the equator and explore the fascinating Intiñan Museum, which showcases Ecuador's diverse cultures. In the evening, you can explore the city on your own and enjoy one of the many restaurants Quito has to offer.

We set our course for our first taste of the mountains in Ecuador with an acclimatization trip up the Pasochoa Volcano. This is an extinct volcano, covered in lush high-mountain forest. We will feel on our bodies today what it is like to hike at an altitude of 4000 meters!

We increase the altitude a bit today with a new acclimatization trip, up to the iconic Rucu Pichincha. After breakfast, we take the scenic TelefériQo cable car from 2850 meters up to Cruz Loma at 3950 meters, where we get fantastic views of Quito and the Andes. From there, we begin our hike through the high mountains toward the summit at 4784 meters. At the summit, we enjoy panoramic views of the Andean volcanoes, including Cotopaxi, before returning down to the cable car and back to Quito. We continue moving up in altitude and head on to the Papallacta Highlands where we stay overnight at 3200 meters. A nice surprise today is the opportunity to bathe in hot springs.

We stay in the Papallacta Highlands to explore the area, we go on a trip for 4-5 hours and reach up to 4000 meters. The goal of the trip is to continue staying at high altitude without exhausting ourselves. We are changing lodges today too! We drive on to Tambopaxi Lodge at 3700 meters, our home for the next two days, with a formidable view towards our goal - Cotopaxi! Here we increase the altitude we sleep at even further, to slowly acclimatize.

If you have energy, today offers a full-day hike for further acclimatization, up to the summit of Central Rumiñahui. Today's peak is lower than Rucu, but allows us to continue spending time at higher altitudes. For those who want to rest, it is possible to stay at the lodge and/or take a shorter version of the trip. The rest of the day we rest for the upcoming summit push to Cotopaxi. In the evening we look toward Cotopaxi, excited and nervous as we look up at this magnificent volcano covered in snow and ice!

After a hearty Ecuadorian breakfast we head to Cotopaxi National Park, surrounded by impressive mountain scenery. Our first activity will be "Glacier School," where we will check our gear, play on the glacier with the guides and our team, and get to know the climbing group (rope team). This training will prepare us for the ascent. After a traditional lunch we spend the afternoon relaxing, acclimatizing, and exploring the beautiful Andean trails before eating an early dinner and resting before the climb. We hike up to Jose Rivas Refuge (4850 m), the starting point for the summit push. This is only about 300 vertical meters of hiking from the parking lot. Here we go to bed very early after dinner around 6:30 PM, to be ready for the summit push around midnight!

The summit climb begins around 12:00 AM, depending on weather and pace, under the guidance of professional mountaineers. After reaching the summit of Cotopaxi Cotopaxi 5897 meters (around 6:00-7:00 AM), we can celebrate with views of the Ecuadorian highlands, take photos, and enjoy the moment. Next, we descend to the Cotopaxi refuge for rest and a warm meal before continuing to the starting point. Afterward, we travel to our accommodation in Papallacta, which is also a natural hot spring near the Ecuadorian Amazon, where we will have time to relax and enjoy the warm water. The trip concludes with a group dinner, where we share stories and experiences from this adventure.

Time to say goodbye to Ecuador! You are not leaving empty-handed — the experience of climbing a majestic volcano will stay with you forever. Today we travel from Papallacta to Quito, where participants can take an afternoon flight home or onward to a new trip. Of course, we have plenty of suggestions for what you can do next!

Many want to visit the Galapagos Islands to relax on the beach and/or the tropical Amazon rainforest to explore the lush ecosystems. Contact us for suggestions and prices.