Visit the highlands of Andes and see a beautiful crater-lake on this 4-day Quilotoa trek in Ecuador with an ASEGUIM certified mountain guide Javier.
Private
Andes
4 Days
All year
High
Intermediate
Located in the most western volcano in the Ecuadorian Andes, Quilotoa is a 3 km wide water-filled crater. On this trip, we’ll go explore this beautiful caldera and also see the unexplored highlands around the villages in Western Cotopaxi. These remote and dry regions have distinct Andean characteristics and still carry an indigenous charm.
You are not likely to forget this amazing trip all your life. We’ll begin by visiting the beautiful crater lagoon and go on to explore the typical highland vegetation. As you will traverse these highlands, you’ll also meet welcoming natives who live here.
The people of Quilotoa still practice their age-old traditions and customs. So those looking for a complete-authentic experience are definitely in for a treat!
We’ll begin the journey by driving towards the city of Latacunga. Passing via the little village of Pujilí, we’ll head towards the town of Tigua. Here, you’ll get a chance to visit the Tigua Painters’ Gallery and see the colorful paintings by indigenous artists.
The next day, we’ll walk for a good 5 hours to get to Quilotoa Crater. Passing by private farms, we’ll reach this emerald crater-lake. You’ll spend the rest of the day seeing the famous Tigua paintings and carved wooden masks.
The third day takes us to the beautiful village of Chugchilán. The trail offers spectacular views of the canyon of Toachi River. This small town is a perfect example of a typical mountain village in Ecuador, with a small plaza, a church, and a school.
The final day involves a couple of half-day hikes around Chugchilán. You can either choose to visit the local cheese factory or hike towards Sigchos or simply stroll in the town before we head back to Quito.
It will be an exceptional experience, I assure you. So, send a message now to reserve your seat. I will be glad to guide you! Also, check out my expedition across the Ecuadorian Volcanoes here.
5.0
(10)
Mountain Guide
He has been climbing in Ecuador for more than 25 years and has been working as guide for 15 years. As a mountaineer, he has led many ascents in the Andes, the Alps, the Karakorum and the Himalayas. The eight expeditions he headed in Nepal include guiding on two 8000-meter peaks.
He is currently the mountain rescue coordinator of the Ecuadorian Association of Mountain guides (ASEGUIM), and has completed several courses with ENSA, the French National School of Guides. He is also the program director in Ecuador of the American Alpine Institute
During his cycling career he won seven times the National Road Racing Championship, and also a gold and silver medal in the Pan-American games of 1990, for which he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Honour for the highest merit in Sports.
If Javier Herrera is not available, he works with an excellent team of bilingual ASEGUIM/UIAGM guides.
Languages
English
Certificates
ASEGUIM
Andreas
Fredy, Pablo and Christian were our guides. We were one of very few parties who managed to summit all of the mountains and that was because of the flawless planning of our guides. Fredy knew exactly what each of us was capable of, timed the departures perfectly and was always there to help physically or morally. There was not a question left unanswered and whenever one of us (four total) struggled a bit or had wishes he tried everything to help. The planning of the whole trip was perfect, all acommodations were beautiful as well as the food along the way great. Andean Face and Fredy Tipan all the way! Thank you for this unforgettable trip, the many times we laughed and the memories that will last forever.
The simple fact is there are any number of guide services that can get you to the top of Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. But if you really want to have the experience of a lifetime, then choose Andean Face
The whole trip was fantastic! Of course the three climbs were very challenging, especially the Chimborazo, but thanks to Jose and Mauricio for their encouragement I enjoyed the location of the different haciendas for the rest. A true ecuadorian experience! I will definitely recommend Andeanface to other climbers.
I'm very happy with the expedition and to have reached planned summits. The guides were very good and dedicated The logistics were very good and the drivers were very kind and did also a great job. I have enjoyed it a lot and it was a very good experience for me.
This was a fantastic trip from beginning to end. Javier, I especially appreciate how well Javier took care of my daughter's (gluten free) dietary restriction, and that he arranged to take my daughter and I for the covid tests required for our return to the U.S. at the end of our trip. The entire team of guides were all knowledgeable, professional, personable and highly attentive to the group's needs. I appreciate how well thought out the itinerary was planned. The daily hikes along the Avenue of the Volcanoes increased in elevation every day in order to acclimate to the higher altitude, giving the best chance of success in reaching the summit of Cotopaxi-the main event-at the end of the week. Cotopaxi is a VERY tough hike, unlike anything that I've ever done before and certainly outside my comfort zone Again, simply a fantastic trip from beginning to end.
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