10-day climbing trip to Cayambe and Chimborazo

Arrival at Quito airport.

We will meet in the morning at the hotel. While breakfast, we will have a talk about the itinerary for the following days. After that, we will drive to the Old Town for a city tour. You will visit some well-preserved colonial architecture churches, buildings and houses. Besides that, today we will have our first acclimatization hike after checking the equipment by the evening.

We will set off at 8 am and drive to the trail head. It is a mountain at 3.300 meters of height. We will hike for about 3-4 hours to the summit. Once in there, we will have lunch and then, we’ll descend for two hours to the base. Here a transfer will be waiting to take us back to the Hotel in Quito.

We will leave Quito early in the morning. Driving east, we will arrive to a parking place where a new hike begins. We will trek on the same dirt road for about two hours and get on the trailhead to the top. Hike on a screen and rocky ridge for an hour and get to summit of this ancient volcano. The descent will be by a steep scree slope and get on the main road. Keep on the road for half hour and get to the parking lot where the transport will pick up and drive back to Quito.

Early in the morning we’ll start our 3-hour drive up to Cayambe’s hut. In the afternoon we’ll head to the glacier to do some climbing skills practice. Come back to the hut and have an early dinner. After making the final preparations for the summit ascent, we’ll go to bed until 11 pm.

The way to the summit starts at 11 pm. We’ll hike through a rocky-sandy section and get to the glacier entrance. Here, we must to put the crampons on and continue a gentle icy field with the help of ropes. This route will head to a snowy slope. Finally, after some steep slopes, crevasses and traverses we’ll get the summit (about at 8 am).

Then, we’ll descent to the hut, pack our gear and drive down for about 3 hours and get in La Chuquiragua Hostelry, a nice place to rest and recover energies.

During this day we’ll drive to Riobamba and have lunch in Ambato. At the night we will stay at San Gorge hotel located right in downtown.

After a late breakfast, we’ll start driving to the hut. Depending on the route conditions we’ll decide to stay at Carrel Hut and climb the normal Veintimilla Route or to hike up to the Stubel Glacier and camp at 5.100 meters of height.

The final and most important ascent. The hardest and most physically demanding day of the trip is today. We will wake up at 00 hs so that we get ready for the sustained climb that will take about 8 hours. First, we’ll reach the Whimper summit (Chimborazo) where the most spectacular Andean Ecuadorian views can be appreciated. Surrounding snowed peaks like Altar, Tungurahua, Ilinizas, Cotopaxi & Antisana could be all seen in a clear day.

Finally, we’ll descend to the hut or the camp for about 3 more hours, pack up and drive back to Quito.

Fly back home from the Quito’s airport.