5-day trekking trip on the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve

Come to the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve and discover the Piñan trek. A great 5-day hiking adventure led by a local certified guide.

Andes

5 Days

All year

Description

The small Andean village of Piñan is at 3112 meters of altitude. It's located in the middle of the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve. It is one of the most diverse natural areas in Ecuador.

Besides that, this region offers the warmest hospitality of its people and a lodging service in the best mountain hut of Ecuador.

During this 5-day Piñan trek we will visit the Otavalo market and the village of Ibarra. Our starting point will be in San Francisco. You will find more information about the day-by-day itinerary at the end of this description.

And if you are in search of a shorter hike, please check out this 3-day program in the Altar Volcano! An unforgettable experience.

Feel free to contact me if you have some doubts or if you want to make a reservation. Once you fill out the form, I will be in touch with you so we can organize the Piñan trek together!

Price includes

Accommodation included
Guiding fee
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Itinerary

Day 1: Your hotel - San Francisco

Meeting with the staff at the Inn Hotel and drive to Urcuquí. Then continue to the village of Pablo Arenas where we’ll start the walk to the town of San Francisco (3,000 m). Once in San Francisco we will set up our first camp. Approximate walking time: 6 to 7 hours.

Included: box lunch, dinner and accommodation in tents.

Day 2: San Francisco – Yanacocha

Breakfast and hike to the Laguna Yanacocha (3,900). Approximate walking time: 6 to 7 hours.

Included: box lunch, dinner and overnight in tents.

Day 3: Yanacocha – Parkacocha - Burrococha

Breakfast and walk towards the 2 lakes of Parkacocha. In the afternoon, we will continue the hike to the Burrococha Lagoon (4100 m), where we will set up the camp for the night. Approximate walking time: 6 to 7 hours.

Included: box lunch, dinner and overnight in tents.

Day 4: Burrocoha – Yanahurco – Albují Lagoon

After breakfast, there is an optional climb to the top of Yahanurco (4.535 m). Those who do not want it can descend from the Burrococha to the Albují Lagoon (3,900 m), where will set up the next camp. Approximate walking time for the day: 5 to 6 hours

Included: box lunch, dinner and overnight in tents.

Day 5: Albují Lagoon – San Blas – Ibarra or Otavalo hotel

Breakfast and descent into the town of San Blas (2,500 m), where our bus will be waiting to drive back to the Otavalo or Ibarra Hotel. Approximate walking time: 6 hours.

Included: breakfast and box lunch.

About the guide

E-S Latam Adventure Guides

5.0

(9)

Mountain Guide

Tomás and his team of IFMGA/UIMLA-certified mountain guides, leaders and rock climbing instructors (Alvaro, Juliana, Merlin, Rodrigo, Armin, Alfredo, and Camila) are some of the top outdoor adventure professionals in Latin America.

Whether you wish to climb some of the most stunning mountains in the Andes or discover the vibrant peaks of Central America, among other amazing options, you will find yourself in good hands with this lively team of professional local guides that will not only show you the top spots in Latin America for outdoor adventures but also, bring you closer to the colorful local cultures of the places that you visit with them.

Tomás will be your main point of contact during the booking process and will help you with all the questions you have in order to make sure you receive the best possible guiding service.

Pick one of the E-S Latam Adventure Guides' programs and start planning an unforgettable experience in the beautiful mountains of Latin America!

Languages

French | English

Certificates

AAGM | IFMGA

Request more information

What people are saying about E-S Latam Adventure Guides

Christopher

We wish we could have Simon as our guide on every trek we do. His mountaineering experience and extensive knowledge of the area was impressive and definitely enhanced the trek for us. On top of this, we got along great with Simon and appreciate his easy going personality and sense of humor. We will definitely request Simon as our guide for the next hike we do from El Chalten!

Jim

Thoroughly recommended. Daniel is an excellent guide and we had a great day out.

Pranav

Chase

This was a fantastic mountaineering trip to Ecuador. The altitude was a bit of a challenge, but Ramiro did a great job with the acclimatization schedule leading up to the taller mountains. Overall, this was a challenging experience given the altitude of the climbs as well as the back-to-back climbing of four mountains. I would highly recommend this excursion for anyone who wants to experience a fantastic country/culture as well as someone who wants to gain some nice experience mountaineering!

Kally

Fredy Tipan is like a superhero of the outdoor world. He knows absolutely everyone, has climbed and guided in the most epic of locations all around the world, knows the mountains like old friends, and really loves what he does and who he does it for. Our trip was completely messed up after an issue with our airline tickets. We weren't going to be able to leave until a week after our planned departure which jeopardized our entire trek with Fredy. We didn't expect him to take any sort of responsibility in replanning as it was our mistake that caused the airline issue but he absolutely did. Within days he rearranged the entire trek so that we would be able to summit all our desired peaks without cutting the days down and without changing the cost. He is a class act and an incredible guide and I'd say my husband and I both consider him a friend as well. We will definitely be booking another trip with Fredy Tipan and recommend him to anyone looking for the real deal in outdoor Guides. Thank you, Fredy!