2-day Cotopaxi Volcano ascent

Join one of the guides on ASEGUIM certified guide Fernando's team on this 2-day Cotopaxi Volcano ascent. And reach to the amazing crater of this active volcano!

2 Days

All year

High

Intermediate

Description

This 2-day Cotopaxi Volcano ascent will take you to one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world.

The Cotopaxi Volcano (5897 m) is one of the most active on the planet. It's located 50 km south of Quito, in the Cotopaxi National Park in Ecuador. Its name means moon neck in the Aymara language.

This ascent is not a technically difficult one, but you'll need some glacier climbing experience.

One of the most amazing features of this trip is that we'll get up at midnight of our second day of traveling to get to the summit at 6 am, shortly after the sunrise. This will give us incredible views of the surroundings with a magical golden light.

I’ll be happy to guide you through this 2-day Cotopaxi Volcano ascent. So send me a request and if you specify all your needs we’ll embark on this amazing ski touring project!

And if you're looking for another mountaineering adventures in Ecuador, please check my Antisana Volcano climb in 2 days or my Chimborazo Volcano 2 Day Guided Tour.

Price includes

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

Price details

Not included: personal mountain gear (warm clothes, sleeping bags, sunglasses, head lamp, etc.), international flight tickets, hotel in Quito, tips, personal insurance, luggage insurance and trip cancellation, oher nonspecified expenses.

Itinerary

Day 1: Quito (2800 m) - José Ribas mountain hut (4862 m)

We will leave Quito early in the morning around 11:30 a.m. and drive south through the Avenue of the Volcanoes until we arrive at the village of El Chaupi. There we will prepare all the necessary equipment for the ascent. We will have lunch at Andes Alpes Restaurant, and then we will continue to the entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. From here will drive east to the Cotopaxi parking lot (14,764ft/4500m) then we’ll hike for around an hour to the José Rivas Refuge (15,951 ft. / 4862 m.). We will then have dinner and rest until midnight. At this point, we will pack our belongings and get ready to make our final ascent.

Meals: Lunch, dinner

Accommodation: Jose Ribas Refuge

Day 2: José Ribas mountain hut (4862 m) - Summit Cotopaxi (5897 m) – Quito (2800 m)

Midnight will be our wake up time and the departure to the top (19,347ft/5897m) will be around 1 am, after having a light breakfast and getting our stuff ready for the ascent. At the entrance of the glacier, your guide will explain all necessary tips needed for using crampons and ice axe if needed. The climb will take us about 6 to 8 hours and once at the summit we’ll take our time for pictures of the crater and surroundings, and then we’ll head back down the refuge, which will take us 2 to 3 hours. Once at the refuge we will pack our belongings, have something to eat and go down to the parking lot, where our transportation will be ready to take us back to Quito (9,186ft/2800m).

Meals: Light breakfast pre-ascent and full breakfast after the climb

Details

More info

You can rent equipment.

Meeting point

Quito.

FAQs

Will I need to bring any technical equipment of my own? Is it possible to rent equipment, and if so, what would be the approximate cost of that?

Included: Helmet, Harness, Carabiners, Ice ax, Dynamic Rope, Gaiters, Crampons, Mountaineering boots

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

Casa Joaquin Boutique Hotel Cotacachi Ecuador

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Hotel Sol de Otavalo Cotacachi Ecuador

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Hotel El Alamo Cotacachi Ecuador

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About the guide

Fernando

4.5

(24)

Mountain Leader

ASEGUIM Guide from Ecuador.

I was born and raised in Cotopaxi Province – Ecuador and know the country’s peaks intimately. I have great mountaineering experience of more than 12 years of climbing in all Ecuador, and I also climbed in South America, Switzerland, and France.

I worked for the Nuevos Horizontes refuge on Ilinizas Volcano from a young age and have professional Guide Training, and I am officially Licensed as a Nature guide organized by the Ministry of tourism.

Some of the guiding courses I attended are:

* 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. An event 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)
* First Aids course, Ecuadorian Red Cross

I live and manage a hostel and lodge in El Chaupi, a beautiful mountain village an hour south of Quito, just in between Illinizas Ecological Reserve and Cotopaxi National Park. It looks like a typical Swiss town in the Alps, and has everything to become a great mountaineering center, the ‘Chamonix or Zermatt of South America’!

I speak fluent Spanish, English, and little German, French, Hebrew, and Quichua.

The guiding team I lead is committed and experienced. Contact me to help you organize an unforgettable adventure.

Languages

German | French | English

Certificates

ASEGUIM

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What people are saying about Explore-Share

Man

Climbing with guide Guillaume was absolutely a highlight of my 2-week Europe vacation. Originally, we were planning on climbing in the Calanques, but the park was closed due to wind and fire danger. Guillaume chose another amazing location (Pic de Bretagne) based on my climbing abilities and preferences and kindly offered train station pick-up and hotel drop off, which I appreciated very much. The multi-pitch route we did was not only fun but also the right amount of challenge, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The communication from the team (Gauthier) was prompt and clear—highly recommend!

Maxine

Luis Silva was a great climbing guide and belayer! He taught me how to do moves that were difficult and encouraged me to try routes that were challenging for me! Because of his encouragement, I managed to complete these routes! I really enjoyed the climbs and completed 8 routes in the Sesimbra/Azoia area. The weather was perfect, no direct sun and cool enough to enjoy the climbs. Explore-Share made booking an outdoor climbing experience in Lisbon extremely easy. Luis, our guide, was fantastic, and the platform’s organization was flawless.

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Joshua

We had Léo as a guide for our day climb in Fonty. We were blessed with a knowledgeable, warm, and instructive guide. Communication with Léo and Ivan was smooth and swift. Explore-Share was excellent in arranging everything for our day climb. The communication was quick, and the platform was easy to use, making our adventure stress-free.

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