Cotopaxi, Ecuador (19,347’)

Cotopaxi, Ecuador

This Adventure begins and ends in Quito Ecuador (9,405’) the historical center. Old Town is a maze of colonial splendor. Quito, a World Heritage Site, is our starting point. We will explore the city of Quito and climb the surrounding mountains so by the weeks end we will have climbed three mountains acclimating as we go: Rucu Pichincha (15,444’), Sincholagua (16,053’) and Cotopaxi (19,347’). We will combine the Latin America culture and the excitement of mountaineering in one amazing adventure.

COTOPAXI (19,347’) is the most popular mountain in Ecuador, where we climb towards the earth’s closet point to the sun in the Andes Mountains . It is without a doubt one of the most beautiful mountains in the world. This picture perfect peak is a great adventure with a perfect volcano cone. In Quichua, the name Cotopaxi means “necklace of the moon.” The mountain offers an incrdible climbing experience -glacier travel on the mountain, which is covered with crevasses and hazards that climbers need to negotiate on the accent and decent -making this an amazing climb for learning glacier travel skills and high altitude climbing. It is a rewarding experience and a beautiful mountaineering adventure…

This Adventure begins and ends in Quito Ecuador (9,405’) the historical center – Old Town is a maze of colonial splendor: Quito a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1978 is our starting point. We will explore the Quito and climb the mountains and by the weeks end we will have climbed three mountains acclimating as we go. Rucu Pichincha (15,444’), Sincholagua (16,053’) and Cotopaxi (19,347’). We will combine the Latin America culture and the excitement of mountaineering in one amazing adventure.

About the trip…

This climb does require some glacier gear. It is non technical climbing but an ice axe, crampons, harness as well as some other standard mountaineering equipment is required. Many unprepared climbers slip fall and slide each year and are seriously injured on the mountain. We will spend time on the prior to the climb practicing techniques for safe climbing on the glaciers, self arrest, and short roping through exposed sections. A complete gear list for the entire trip will be provided so you will be prepared and completely comfortable for the trek.

During the trip we do take an active schedule moving each day with multiple climbs and hikes. We can modify the schedule at any time to make each person accomplish their own goals. The focus is to have fun and enjoy the adventure. We will always focus on safety.

Alternatives to the each days plan will be available so that all members will have choices and can go at their comfort level. At days end the group will come together share stories of their day and always enjoy the evenings together. We will hire local experienced guides so that we keep a proper client guide ratio on all days during our trip.

Vigorous: Recommended for fit travelers with some technical skills

When: May - October

What you get: A mountain adventure and cultural city exploration, 8 nights lodging, 3 mountain climbs, all meals and transfers

Not Included: International airfare, bottled beverages, items of a personal nature, phone calls, laundry, internet, staff tips.

Price: Depends on group size. Contact us at info@wwtrek.com for details.

Sign Up Now: Download our Member Agreement Form and mail it in with your deposit. We will send you a gear list, detailed itinerary and other information about your trip once we receive your signed agreement and deposit.

Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Travel day Arrive Quito:

Depart from the United States upon arrival you will be greeted at the airport outside of customs. Transfer to the hotel where you can relax and settle in for the night.

Day 1:

Plaza GrandeQuito

Gear check, orientation, city tour Quito…Sundays are the best day to stroll the streets of Old Town. The streets are closed to cars and the Plaza is full of locals enjoying the day in the cultural splendor of this World Heritage City. We spend the day acclimating and exploring on a walking tour; Plaza Grande, Plaza del Gobierno, Cathedral La Compania de Jesus the Monastery of San Francisco and a wonderful day in Old Town Quito.

Day 2:

Rucu PichinchaSky Tram TeleferQo

Today after a hearty breakfast at the hotel we set out on an acclimation hike to the top of Rucu Pichincha 15,444’. We take the sky tram TeleferQo and ascend up the flanks of Volcan Pichhinca 13,530’. Once at the top we set out hiking across the rolling hills and scramble through the rocky ridge to the top of Rucu Pichincha. The we return to the hotel for the night. This is a great acclimatization day that prepares us for the days to come at higher altitudes.

Day 3:

Eco LodgeHorseback riding

Today after breakfast we load our bus and head north out of Quito. We arrive out our eco lodge and settle in for the afternoon. After lunch, take a stroll or go horseback riding with stunning views of Mt. Cotopaxi.

Day 4:

Today we will take a shuttle to Cotopaxi National Park. We will spend the day trekking and acclimating on Sincholagua 16,053’. This day offers stunning views of Cotopaxi a great day out in the mountains and helps us acclimatize to the higher altitudes and helps us prepare for our accent of Cotopaxi. We will return to the lodge for dinner and relax for the evening.

Day 5:

Cotopaxi in the cloudsOn Cotopaxi, above the clouds

After breakfast this morning we will pack our gear for our climb on Cotopaxi. We load our packs and into the Parque Nacional Cotopaxi, Ecuador’s most popular national park. We arrive at the trail head then trek 1 hour to the Rufugio Jose Rivas 15,840’. We settle in have lunch and spend the afternoon on the glacier reviewing glacier travel, self arrest and roped travel techniques. That evening we rest in our bunks in anticipation of early morning departure for our climb to the summit of Cotopaxi 19,347’

Day 6:

Sunrise on CotopaxiOn Cotopaxi

COTOPAXI SUMMIT DAY! We wake just after midnight and in the early hours we prepare for our accent from the hut. We ascend in the dark of night through the winding glacier passing over crevasses, traversing the glacier. By the early morning hours as we approach the summit we are warmed by the sun as it rises up over Ecuador. What an amazing climb and experience we have on the mountain. We descend to the hut and pack our gear and after a long night and day we arrive back at our eco lodge where we reflect on our climb and enjoy a celebration dinner with views of the mountain and memories of the incredible adventure.

Day 7:

QuitoQuito

Today we say our goodbyes to friendly staff at the Chilambamba Eco Lodge. We take one last look at the amazing views of the mountain and then transfer back to Quito. We have dinner in Quito and can relax in the evening then enjoy our last night out on the town.

Day 8:

Today we pack up our gear and we can gather any last minute items to take back for memories of our trek. We transfer to the airport and return home from our amazing journey felling great from the active days exploring and trekking from the capital city of Ecuador the volcanoes that surround it in the heart of the Andes Mountains and memories that will never be forgotten…

Contact us at World Wide Trekking for more information on this trip.

* This climb does require some glacier gear. It is non technical climbing but an ice axe, crampons, harness as well as some other standard mountaineering equipment is required. Many unprepared climbers slip, fall and slide each year and are seriously injured on the mountain. We will spend time prior to the climb practicing techniques for safe climbing on the glaciers, self arrest, and short roping through exposed sections. A complete gear list for the entire trip will be provided so you will be prepared and completely comfortable for the trek.

* During the trip we do take an active schedule moving each day with multiple climbs and hikes. We can modify the schedule at any time to make each person accomplishes their own goals. The focus is to have fun and enjoy the adventure. We will always focus on safety.

* Alternatives to the each days plan will be available so that all members will have choices and can go at their comfort level. At days end the group will come together share stories of their day and always enjoy the evenings together. We will hire local experienced guides if necessary for technical days so that we keep a proper client guide ratio during our trip.

* This trip begins and ends in Quito Ecuador (9,405’) Drinking lots of water during your travels and upon arrival will help you adjust more comfortably to the altitude in Quito.

* Flights: From the USA go directly to Quito Ecuador. There we will greet you upon arrival and transfer to the hotel. Many flights into Quito arrive in the evening. The time zone is Eastern Standard Time (EST), which allows for easy adjustment and little jet lag for travelers from the US.