Day hike to Pasochoa Volcano

Hike through cloud forests to the beautiful extinct Pasochoa Volcano alongside Fernando, an ASEGUIM certified mountain guide, and his team.

Andes

1 Day

Jan, Jun, Jul, Dec

Description

Pasochoa Volcano is a beautiful extinct volcano less than an hour outside of Quito. On this trip, we will hike to the mountain's peak and observe scenic views and a great variety of flora and fauna. Want to explore Ecuador's nature outside of Quito but don't have time for a multi-day trip? This trip is for you.

Pasochoa Volcano has been extinct for a long time- since the last ice age. Over the years, a unique ecosystem has formed without human intervention. For example, this area is one of the last places where we can find the Polilepsis trees typical of the Ecuadorian highlands. If we're lucky, we might even see a few majestic condors flying above.

The highlight of the Pasochoa Volcano hike is the humid cloud forest inside the extinct volcanic crater. Here we can observe more than 50 species of native trees and more than 100 kinds of native birds. We will reach the top of the volcano after a relatively short and gentle hike. On the way up and down, we will pass through amazing paramo grasslands and forests. Some wildlife we might see on this trip includes bulls, horses, hummingbirds, the viridian metal tail, mountain tanagers, and the red crested cotinga.

We will depart at 8:30 am and drive 30 km south of Quito to the Pasochoa Volcano at 4200 m. After parking, we will follow the trail east up the mountain heading towards the rocky peak. This is an easy ascent and it will take us about 2-3 hours to reach the summit. We will rest at the summit and have lunch. Then we will hike for an hour or two down to where the car is parked. We will be back in Quito by the afternoon.

The day hike to Pasochoa Volcano is a lovely experience for a variety of skill levels. It is not a very common hike for tourists, so we won't have to worry about crowds. We can just spend a relaxing day together enjoying the views and nature.

If the Pasochoa Volcano day hike sounds like an experience you'd be interested in, I urge you to contact me today. Just send me a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can! I also lead a day trip to the summit of the 4790 m volcano Corazon.

Price includes

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

Details

More info

Recommended Equipment: Warm clothing, Gloves and wool hat, Scarf, Sunglasses, Waterproof jacket, Suncream, Camera, Small backpack, Energy drinks and snacks, Hiking boots, Extra water, and Rain pants. The weather is very unpredictable, so you must be prepared with warm clothing. It is possible to experience all four seasons in one day.

Meeting point

Quito

FAQs

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

Hostal Villa Nancy Baños Ecuador

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Sangay Spa Hotel Baños Ecuador

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Hotel Spa Miramelindo Baños Ecuador

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About the guide

Fernando

4.6

(24)

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

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What people are saying about Fernando

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”

Sebastien

Our guide Fernando was great to adapt the trip for our two little girls. A great experience it was fir us all. Thank you.

frederic

Fernando and Sergio are very good guides, not only very safe and motivating in the mountains, but very nice between the climbs. And i have learned a lot too about the culture in the country. Their hotel near Illniza is perfectly located, safe and you are received as if your were at home with Fernando's family. And they will take care of everything, so you just have to concentrate yourself on the climbs. Thank you!