Guided expedition across the Ecuadorian Volcanoes

Upon your arrival at the Quito airport, you'll need to take an official taxi to your hotel. Only official taxis operate from the Quito airport, ensuring a generally safe experience. Our staff will meet you the next morning.

We will meet you at 9:30 AM for an introductory briefing about the program. As this is your first day at an altitude of 2,800 meters (9,184 feet), we will take you on a light walk to visit some of Quito's main colonial churches, such as Santo Domingo, the Basílica, and the renowned San Francisco, the first religious building constructed in South America by the Spanish in 1538.

Then, we will drive to El Panecillo hill, where an impressive statue of the Virgin overlooks the city, offering one of the best views of Quito. Exploring the city is an excellent way to begin your acclimatization process! We will spend the night at Vieja Cuba or a similar hotel.

After spending a day acclimatizing in Ecuador, we are ready for our first volcanic summit. Following a short drive, we will hike into the countryside towards Pasochoa, an ancient and heavily eroded volcano that has been inactive since the last Ice Age.

One of the highlights of this excursion is the possibility of seeing condors, the largest flying birds in South America. We will return to Quito for the night. Activity: 4-5 hours of hiking up and down

Taking the cable car, we quickly ascend to 4,000 meters (13,200 feet), where we begin today's hike. Pichincha provides an excellent opportunity for further acclimatization. Rucu, which means "Old" in Quichua, is one of the three major peaks of the Pichincha massif, on whose eastern side Quito is situated.

The hike is straightforward and takes about 4 to 5 hours round trip. Then we'll return to Quito.

We depart Quito at 8:30 AM and head towards Cayambe, a massive, glaciated extinct volcano. Located about 68 km northeast of Quito, Cayambe is the highest point on the equator. It is the third highest mountain in Ecuador, known for its excellent climbing opportunities and intriguing glaciers.

With easy access from a comfortable hut, the glaciers of Cayambe are perfect for our glacier school review. The presence of huge crevasses, complex icefalls, and seracs provides an ideal environment for learning ice climbing, crevasse rescue, and various other basic skills.

During the glacier training on Cayambe, we cover several key topics:

• Snow climbing, ice axe positioning, and maintaining balance while moving
• Self-arrest techniques
• Ice climbing with a top rope and crampon techniques
• Prussiking
• Roped glacier travel
• Discussions on high altitude physiology and other expedition-related topics

After the training session, we return to the refuge for a hearty meal. On Day 6, we have the opportunity to attempt the summit of Cayambe. The ascent route traverses diverse glacier terrain up to the summit crater. A challenging bergschrund near the top requires careful route finding and adds an exciting obstacle. The climb typically takes seven hours, with the descent taking about three hours.

After summiting Cayambe, we descend to Hacienda Guachala (or a similar hotel) for the night.

Today we take a break from climbing to recharge for the days ahead. We'll enjoy a leisurely drive to Cotopaxi National Park, stopping for a delicious lunch along the way.

Tonight, we'll rest at either Tambopaxi Lodge or Hacienda Los Mortiños, both offering stunning views of the iconic Cotopaxi volcano.

Today, we ascend to a staggering 4,600 meters before hiking the final stretch to our hut at 4,800 meters. After a rewarding afternoon of rest, we'll prepare for our nighttime summit attempt.

At 1 AM, we'll start with a one-hour hike to the glacier. Here, we don crampons and harness up for the challenging terrain ahead. Navigating crevasse fields, we ascend the mountain, reaching steeper sections protected by ropes.

The summit, typically achieved in 6-7 hours, offers breathtaking views over the crater. We descend in approximately two hours, returning to the hut by early afternoon.

To aid recovery for the upcoming Chimborazo climb, we'll transfer to the lower altitude of Baños for the next two nights.

Today we venture to the vibrant town of Baños, nestled in the heart of the Amazon basin. Renowned for its breathtaking waterfalls and thrilling activities, Baños offers a refreshing change of pace.

We'll hike to the iconic Devil's Pot waterfall. For the adventurous, a thrilling canopy zipline ride across the Pastaza Canyon awaits.

Afterward, we'll soak away the day's excitement in the relaxing hot springs of Baños, the perfect way to unwind before dinner

We’ll travel by jeep to Plaza Roja (4,852m), a short distance from the Carrel hut. From there, we’ll begin a three-hour hike to High Camp (5,350m), where we’ll spend the afternoon acclimatizing and preparing for our summit attempt. Your assistance in carrying equipment to the camp is greatly appreciated.

Our summit attempt starts at midnight, following the safer western ridge to the Castle Saddle (5,500m). From there, we'll ascend the final stretch to the Whymper Summit. This route typically takes 6-7 hours. The descent back to camp takes approximately 2-3 hours. After a well-deserved rest and celebratory drinks, we'll pack up camp and return to the valley.

If adverse weather conditions arise, we may delay the summit attempt by one day to ensure the safety of our team.