4.6
(25)
Mountain Leader
El Chaupi
ASEGUIM
ASEGUIM Guide from Ecuador
Fernando Iza was born and raised in the Cotopaxi Province of Ecuador and knows the country’s peaks intimately. He is an official ASEGUIM mountain guide with more than 18 years of mountaineering experience climbing in all of Ecuador, as well as in South America, Switzerland, France, and the United States.
Fernando has worked for mountaineering companies in Ecuador, Europe and the United States from a young age. Now, he has set up his own basecamp at Ilinizas Mountain Lodge, right next to Iliniza Volcano, Rumiñahui Volcano, and the famous Cotopaxi Volcano. He has summited Cotopaxi more than 637 times and has summitted Chimborazo Volcano close to 200 times.
Fernando got his degree in Tourism Technology at Cenestur Institute, and in 2021 started studying Business administration with Cuosera.
He has completed important courses such as:
The most spectacular guided tours that Fernando has done.
Mario
Fernando was excelent, I fell secure with all his experience. TOP!
MICHAIL
Fernando is a very experienced guide, with a great know-how in hiking high altitudes. The hike was demanding, so having a guide who was responsible and knew how to coach us while climbing was extremely important. We could not make it to the top, but the adventure was absolutely worthy!
Carolyn
Had a really great trip climbing in the Ecuadorian Andes. Fernando is a very capable guide. His true passion is big, technical climbs and he is a less excited about the more basic acclimatization hikes. The lodging and food in El Chaupi is great. There was not a ton of advanced communication and the pre-trip prep each night before was a little sparse and lacking in detail. There was limited flexibility if we wanted to adjust the itinerary (such as including an extra walk to a lagoon, ect). Overall, a good experience.
Jana
There were no briefings about the upcoming itineraries, I’d mostly find along the way, what’s the plan. He would make changes to his moods. He didn’t inform me in adavance about the specifics of each refugio/ lodge/ camp concerning the distance from car, electricity and would make fun/made snide comments “your choice” of the things I packed at the aftermath, but offered no guidance. I have read from others that he is very knowledgeable and explained a lot- that hasn’t been my experience, he surely is an apt mountaineer, but he wasn’t actively explaining or showing things, he was just always on his cellphone. He could be very short, abrasive and inpatient. At one time even another climber intervened “to save me”
Dick
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