9-day Climbing to Chimborazo and Cotopaxi

Chimborazo and Cotopaxi are the highest peaks in Ecuador. Climb them on this 9-day expedition led by Rafael, an ASEGUIM certified mountain guide.

Andes

9 Days

All year

High

Intermediate

Highlights

* Climb the highest peaks in Ecuador.

* Enjoy a 9-day adventure in the famous "Volcano Avenue" of the Andes.

* Discover the unique and colorful Ecuadorian Andean culture.

Description

Chimborazo and Cotopaxi are the first and second highest summits in the Ecuadorian Andes. Chimborazo (6,263 m) is the highest mountain in the country as well as the furthest point from the center of the Earth. As for the Cotopaxi (5,897 m) it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world.

This 9-day trip starts in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. During the expedition, we will also summit North Iliniza (5,116 m), a mountain that works perfectly as an acclimatization peak before trying Cotopaxi. In addition, I’ll guide you to the Pasochoa and Pichincha volcanoes. You will get to see a great variety of wildlife and plants as well as beautiful landscapes and snow-covered peaks.

Although the climbs are not technically difficult, it will be a physically demanding adventure. For this reason, it is mandatory to have a very good fitness condition.

So are you ready for a fantastic climbing adventure across the highest peaks in Ecuador? Send your request to book this trip. It will be an amazing experience!

Price includes

- Accommodation included

- Guiding fee

- Breakfast

- Dinner

- Transport during the trip

- Permit and entrance fees

Price details

Not included: Meals in Quito, El Chaupi, Machachi and Baños, personal equipment, tips, additional beverages, travel insurance.

Itinerary

Day 1: Quito - Pasochoa

In the morning, we’ll go from Quito to the Pasochoa protected area. After a 4-hour hike, we’ll contemplate the Cotopaxi peak along with other mountains. We’ll also see the wildlife surrounding the area. We’ll return to Quito in the afternoon.

Day 2: Guagua Pichincha

We’ll drive for a while and then start a 4-hour climb to Guagua Pichincha (4,784 meters). We’ll contemplate Quito from the summit. Afterwards we will go to El Chaupi where we will spend the night.

Day 3: El Chaupi

After breakfast we will enjoy a small breakfast before heading out for an easy 3-4 hour hike. Afterwards we will return to the refuge, have dinner, and rest for the night.

Day 4: Iliniza Summit

After a very early breakfast, we will hike to the summit of Illiniza North, following the normal route. The hike should take approximately 6-7 hours. Afterwards, we will transfer to Machachi for the night.

Day 5: Cotopaxi refuge

After breakfast, we’ll go to the Cotopaxi National Park and do a 45 minutes hike to the refuge.

Day 6: Cotopaxi Summit

After a 6 to 7 hour climb, we’ll reach the summit of Cotopaxi. Then we’ll return to the hut and move to Baños.

Day 7: Baños

During this day, we’ll have a city tour around Baños. We’ll go to Pailon del Diablo waterfalls and spend the night in a hotel.

Day 8: Whymper Refuge

We’ll drive for a while and then hike to the Whimper Refuge, at 5,000 meters, where we’ll spend the night.

Day 9: Chimborazo Summit

It will take us from 8 to 10 hours to reach the summit of Chimborazo. Then we’ll return to the hut and drive back to Quito.

Details

More info

Guide ratio: 2 people per guide.

Meeting point

Quito

Equipment you will need to bring

Personal clothes, warm clothes, Rain jacket, sunglasses, sun cream, gloves, hiking boots, sleeping bag, headlamp.

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 Terra 4 Cuenca Ecuador

See rooms

Hostal La Escalinata Cuenca Ecuador

See rooms

Hostal Maison Blue Cuenca Ecuador

See rooms

About the guide

Rafael

4.8

(21)

Mountain Guide

Rafael was born in Quito and grew up in the Andean Region. Since childhood he Ioved hiking and climbing the mountains.

In the 80 ' He participated in expeditions in Peru, Bolivia South America. In the Alps and Pyrenees and also in the Pamir Pick Communism of 7500mts.
In the 90 ' He was the founder of the School of Guides ASEGUIM, President for 7 years of the Guides Association and promoted and formed the mountain rescue group GRA.

He graduated as Mountain Guide and Guides Instructor at the ENSA in Chamonix–France.

Since 2000 he have been advising, training and participating in 16 expeditions around the world: Alaska, Aconcagua, Alps, Pyrenees, Cordillera Blanca. He has also trained and counseled Ecuadorian climbers who managed to make the 14 eight thousands without auxiliary oxygen, the 7 highest peaks of the world and Big Walls. Since 2001 he started his Adventure Tour Company which operates successfully up to the present under the name of CLIM BIKE HIKE.

Since 2010 he has been training and participating in the project EVEREST without auxiliary oxygen in one day. He has climbed the EVEREST 2 times, and he has reached the summits of: Manaslu, Shisha Pangma, Aconcagua 7 times, Denali 5 times and the summits of the Alpes Materhorn, Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Agille. Vert, Zugs Pitze among others.

During his 27 years of experience as a professional mountain guide Rafael has guided more than five hundred times to Cotopaxi volcano and more than one hundred times to Chimborazo, sharing with clients the culture and wonderful mountains of Ecuador.

Languages

French | English

Certificates

ASEGUIM

Request more information

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.

Valeriya

You’re simply the best!!! :))) Explore-Share made everything easy and stress-free. Will definitely use again.

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.

Cami

Patrick was a great guide. He took us on an intermediate Via Ferrata at Passo Sella. Renato was quick to respond with any outreach on the Explore-Share platform. The booking process was straightforward, and once Patrick was confirmed, all went well. It was a wonderful experience, and I’d highly recommend the platform.

4.8