3-day Altar trek guided tour

Join a local certified guide on this 3-day trek around the Altar Volcano and the Collanes valley near Riobamba, in Ecuador

Andes

3 Days

All year

Description

The Altar is an Ecuadorian volcano with several rock and ice peaks. They form a mountain circle around an old caldera cone. Its right and left edges are part of the Collanes valley which is one of the most beautiful places of the Andes.

During this 3-day Altar trek, you will enter into that valley, crossing rivers and admiring a really beautiful landscape on the way. Then, we’ll continue hiking up and find the famous Yellow Lagoon, which lies inside the crater of the volcano. And if we keep walking along the shore of the lake you will see the most stunning snow-capped peaks of the Ecuadorian Andes, with glaciers hanging from the bowels of the mountains.

By the end of this trek we will return to the base camp where we will spend the night surrounded by this amazing and unforgettable scenery.

Please keep in mind it is a 3-day adventure. However, I can extend the program and offer you a tour of 5,6 o 7 days. Just ask me to organize your adventure according to your wishes.

I will be here waiting for your message so we can discuss and plan your next adventure through the Altar Trek. It will be a really nice experience!!!

Price includes

Accommodation included
Guiding fee
Transport during the trip
Permit and entrance fees
Porters

Itinerary

Day 1: Quito - Hacienda Releche

Departure from Quito through the Pan Americana highway crossing the cities of Macachi and Latacunga cities. Following the route we will pass through the city of Ambato, where there is the famous colossus and active Tungurahua Volcano. The journey continues towards the high valley of Urbina where you can see the mountains of Carihuairazo or the Chimborazo. Finally we will be near the city of Riobamba from where we’ll move towards the Hacienda Releche, located in one of the entrances of the Sangay National Park in the province of Chimborazo. From this place we’ll start the walk for 6 hours. The mules or horses will carry the heavy luggage so we can reach the huts located on one side of Collanes Valley.

Day 2: El Altar Volcano

After breakfast we will start the hike to the caldera Altar. You will have the opportunity to explore, discover and enjoy the breathtaking view of its steep peaks, edges and valleys. Nature is in all its splendor, specially once we are in the Yellow Lagoon, whose feet are born in the massif of the Altar. If the weather helps we may see the Chimborazo and walk an hour to reach the slopes of Fraile. The round trip will take 5-6 hours. In the afternoon, we will return to the same cabins of the first night.

Day 3: Collanes Valley - Quito

Before returning, we will have a last tour in the Collanes Valley to enjoy this beautiful place. Then, we will start walking down along the same route in direction to the Hacienda Releche. After 4-5 hours we will have lunch and drive back to Quito.

About the guide

E-S Latam Adventure Guides

5.0

(10)

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 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