Antisana, Cotopaxi & “Condor Trek”, roundtrip from Quito, Ecuador (14 days)

We’ll meet at the airport and transfer to our hotel.

On our first day we’ll tour the city of Quito. Due to its mild weather and well-preserved colonial architecture, it is considered one of the most beautiful of South America. Then, trekking across its enchanting streets will be the perfect way to acclimatize. Also, we’ll have a safety briefing and go over all our gear. Finally, we’ll have a welcome dinner in the evening. And we’ll stay at our hotel to get ready for the next day’s adventures.

Using the new cable car, we’ll reach an altitude of 3,966 meters. Thereupon, we’ll hike to the summit of Ruco Pichincha (4,698 m). After that, we’ll head back to Quito. And we’ll take a bus to the Termas Papallacta hot springs, where we’ll stay for the night.

After a delicious and nutritious breakfast, we’ll take a bus to the entrance of the Cayambe-Coca Ecological Reserve. Later, we’ll hike to the La Virgen High Pass (3,952 m). On the way there, we’ll pass by mesmerizing lakes, including Laguna Sucus. After our hike, our bus will be waiting at La Virgen to head back to Termas Papallacta for dinner and another evening in the spa.

We’ll depart from Termas Papallacta, driving to El Tambo (3,400 m) where our kit and supplies will be waiting on mules. Thereon, we’ll hike through Andean grasslands to the shores of Volcano Lake (3,800 meters), where we’ll set camp.

After breakfast, we’ll hike to the base of Antisana, enjoying views of the four highest mountains in Ecuador, along with the Santa Lucia Lake and the high plateaus. Then, after about 6 hours we’ll reach our second camp.

We will keep hiking to the edge of the Antisana glacier (4,789 m), before we establish our Antisana Base Camp (4, 533m).

We’ll depart early after breakfast, trekking up to the glacier for a day of glacier school. Then, we’ll return to our Base Camp to spend the night.

On this day we’ll reinforce our glacier skills during the morning. And, in the afternoon, we’ll prepare our climbing equipment, and get some rest to get ready for the ascent.

Before midnight, our cook will have our breakfast ready. Thereon, we’ll head towards the summit, passing by glaciers, and avoiding the crevassed areas and towers of glacier ice. Then, we’ll be reaching the summit with the sunrise to get a hypnotizing view. Upon completion, we’ll descend to Termas de Papallacta for a celebratory dinner and a well-deserved evening in the spa.

After breakfast, we’ll head to the Tambopaxi Lodge (3,766 m), which lies inside the Cotopaxi National Park. From there, we’ll get unrivalled views of Cotopaxi.

Right after breakfast, our transport will be ready to take us to the parkland at the northern slopes of Cotopaxi (4,600 m). Thereupon, we’ll trek to the Jose Ribas Refuge (4,800 m), where we’ll get ready to reach the summit of Cotopaxi.

At about 1:00 a.m., we’ll begin our ascent. Departing early means better snow conditions. Thus, we’ll travel faster and more safely. And although the route is not technically challenging, it is physically demanding, as it involves climbing on moderate glaciated slopes (generally 30° – 45°). After seven to eight hours we’ll reach the summit, from where we’ll get fantastic views of the gigantic crater and peaks around like Antisana, Cayambe and Chimborazo. After taking in the views, we’ll descend Cotopaxi and head back to Quito to celebrate.

Our services end today with a group transfer to the airport.