2-day Cotopaxi Volcano ascent

Join one of the guides on ASEGUIM certified guide Fernando's team on this 2-day Cotopaxi Volcano ascent. And reach to the amazing crater of this active volcano!

Andes

2 Days

All year

High

Intermediate

Description

This 2-day Cotopaxi Volcano ascent will take you to one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world.

The Cotopaxi Volcano (5897 m) is one of the most active on the planet. It's located 50 km south of Quito, in the Cotopaxi National Park in Ecuador. Its name means moon neck in the Aymara language.

This ascent is not a technically difficult one, but you'll need some glacier climbing experience.

One of the most amazing features of this trip is that we'll get up at midnight of our second day of traveling to get to the summit at 6 am, shortly after the sunrise. This will give us incredible views of the surroundings with a magical golden light.

I’ll be happy to guide you through this 2-day Cotopaxi Volcano ascent. So send me a request and if you specify all your needs we’ll embark on this amazing ski touring project!

And if you're looking for another mountaineering adventures in Ecuador, please check my Antisana Volcano climb in 2 days or my Chimborazo Volcano 2 Day Guided Tour.

Price includes

Accommodation included
Guiding fee
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Transport during the trip
Permit and entrance fees

Price details

Not included: personal mountain gear (warm clothes, sleeping bags, sunglasses, head lamp, etc.), international flight tickets, hotel in Quito, tips, personal insurance, luggage insurance and trip cancellation, oher nonspecified expenses.

Itinerary

Day 1: Quito (2800 m) - José Ribas mountain hut (4862 m)

We will leave Quito early in the morning around 11:30 a.m. and drive south through the Avenue of the Volcanoes until we arrive at the village of El Chaupi. There we will prepare all the necessary equipment for the ascent. We will have lunch at Andes Alpes Restaurant, and then we will continue to the entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. From here will drive east to the Cotopaxi parking lot (14,764ft/4500m) then we’ll hike for around an hour to the José Rivas Refuge (15,951 ft. / 4862 m.). We will then have dinner and rest until midnight. At this point, we will pack our belongings and get ready to make our final ascent.

Meals: Lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Jose Ribas Refuge

Day 2: José Ribas mountain hut (4862 m) - Summit Cotopaxi (5897 m) – Quito (2800 m)

Midnight will be our wake up time and the departure to the top (19,347ft/5897m) will be around 1 am, after having a light breakfast and getting our stuff ready for the ascent. At the entrance of the glacier, your guide will explain all necessary tips needed for using crampons and ice axe if needed. The climb will take us about 6 to 8 hours and once at the summit we’ll take our time for pictures of the crater and surroundings, and then we’ll head back down the refuge, which will take us 2 to 3 hours. Once at the refuge we will pack our belongings, have something to eat and go down to the parking lot, where our transportation will be ready to take us back to Quito (9,186ft/2800m).

Meals: Light breakfast pre-ascent and full breakfast after the climb

Details

More info

You can rent equipment.

Meeting point

Quito.

FAQs

Will I need to bring any technical equipment of my own? Is it possible to rent equipment, and if so, what would be the approximate cost of that?

Included: Helmet, Harness, Carabiners, Ice ax, Dynamic Rope, Gaiters, Crampons, Mountaineering boots

What are some recommended accommodations near our adventure location?

We understand that finding the perfect place to stay is an essential part of your adventure experience. To help you with this, we’ve curated a list of three highly recommended hotels that offer comfort, convenience, and a touch of local charm. These accommodations are well-suited for adventurers looking to relax and rejuvenate after an exciting day of exploration

Casa Joaquin Boutique Hotel Cotacachi Ecuador

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Hotel Sol de Otavalo Cotacachi Ecuador

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Hotel El Alamo Cotacachi Ecuador

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About the guide

Fernando

4.6

(25)

Mountain Leader

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:

Mountain Guides Course by ASEGUIM (Ecuadorian Association of Mountain Guides),
Mountain Guides Evaluation by ENSA (Ecole Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme) in October 2006. This event was organized by the Ministry of Tourism of Ecuador and ENSA of France
Pre-course UIAGM, an event organized by ASEGUIM and ENSA (Ecole Nationale de Ski et d’Alpinisme)
Wilderness first aid courses
Ecuadorian Red Cross courses
He speaks fluent Spanish and English, as well as a little German, French, Hebrew and Kichua

The most spectacular guided tours that Fernando has done.

Antisana South Peak Open new rout
Alpamayo
Matterhorn
Denali

Languages

German | French | English

Certificates

ASEGUIM

Request more information

What people are saying about this trip

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!

Daniel

Thank you for putting this trip together for me at the last minute after my group canceled on me. Fernando was a great guide who knows the route up Cotopaxi very well. The meals and lodging were also great and well worth the price, in my opinion.

Benjamin

Fernando was a fantastic guide who got me to the summit despite extremely difficult weather conditions! I would highly recommend him to anyone hoping to climb Ecuador's big peaks.

Pavel

Bryan

Fernando was a wonderful guide. Even though we didn't make it to the top we had a great experience. We plan to return in the future and make it to the top! We hope to have Fernando guide us again.