Climb Cotopaxi, 4 volcanoes in 5 days (Ecuador)

Let Fernando, an ASEGUIM certified mountain leader, and his team guide you across mesmerizing landscapes in Ecuador. Join him on this 5 days ascent to the summit of Cotopaxi, Pasochoa, Corazón, and Illiniza.

Private

Andes

5 Days

Jan, Feb, Jun - Aug, Dec

High

Intermediate

Highlights

* Stand at the top of Cotopaxi with a local and expert guide.

* Reach the summit of Pasochoa, Corazón and Illiniza too.

* Enjoy some of the most breathtaking sceneries in the country.

Description

Ecuador guards majestic places, enchanting towns, vibrant cities, warm people, exquisite food and colourful traditions. But one of the most marvellous places in this country is the Cotopaxi National Park, home of Cotopaxi (5,897 m).

Join me on this 5 days expedition and reach the summit of this stunning volcano along with other equally magnificent ones such as Pasochoa, Corazón and Illiniza.

Cotopaxi is regarded as one of the most beautiful volcanoes on Earth. This active volcano is also the second highest in Ecuador. Reaching its summit is not a highly technical ascent, but it requires some basic experience in glacier traverse.

Everyday will be a unique and marvellous adventure. Nonetheless, it will be the day on which we reach Cotopaxi‘s summit, one of the most unforgettable ones. We’ll leave the refuge around midnight. Then, around 6 am we will be arriving to the top with a hypnotizing sunrise accompanying us.

Due to the altitude of this expedition we highly recommend our Acclimatization Packages. So you can truly enjoy this mountaineering experience.

Also, please note this is a private trip. Therefore, I will take into careful consideration your requests and expectations.

Are you up for this mountaineering trip to the summit of Cotopaxi? Just send me a request and prepare to live an exciting adventure in Ecuador.

I also guide this Quilotoa Lake guided hiking day, if you want to further explore the region.

Price includes

- Accommodation included

- Guiding fee

- Breakfast

- Lunch

- Dinner

- Transport during the trip

Price details

The price includes: the fee of an ecuadorian qualified and experienced local Mountain Guide (ASEGUIM/UIAGM) ratio 2 climbers -1 guide; registration in the System SIB (System Information of Biodiversity); Technical mountain gear (mountaineering Boots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet); private transportation throughout the trip; 4 nights accommodation at the Hostal Andes Alpes; 1 night accommodation at the Cotopaxi Refuge Jose Rivas; all meals during the hikes and climbs. The price does not include: personal mountain gear (warm cloths, sleeping bags, sunglasses, head lamp, etc.); international flight tickets; accommodation in Quito, tips, insurance of any kind Travel accident and health insurance, luggage insurance and trip cancellation; other non-specified expenses.

Itinerary

Day 1: Quito 2800m - Pasochoa 4200m - El Chaupi 3300m

Around 8 am we leave Quito. After that we’ll drive through the Avenue of Volcanoes until the Pasochoa Parking Lot. Thereupon we’ll hike and ascend steep slopes to reach the summit of Pasochoa. And at the end of the day we’ll return to El Chaupi. A box lunch and dinner are included.

Day 2: El Chaupi - Corazón Volcano 4788m

After breakfast we’ll drive to the trailhead where we’ll begin our hike, which will take us through small Andean grasslands. Later, we’ll reach a sandy scramble section that leads to the summit of Corazon. Finally, we’ll return to the hostel for dinner and to rest. The meals included on this day are breakfast, a box lunch and dinner.

Day 3: El Chaupi - Iliniza North 5126m

Early morning, after breakfast, we’ll drive to the La Virgen parking lot, from where our hike to the Nuevos Horizontes Refuge begins. Here, we’ll rest, gear up and head towards the summit of Illiniza Norte. Then, we’ll drive back to El Chaupi, and stay at the hostal Andes Alpes. The meals included are a box lunch and dinner.

Day 4: El Chaupi - Refugio Jose Ribas 4862m

We’ll depart from El Chaupi, driving through the Avenue of Volcanoes until we reach the Cotopaxi National Park entrance. 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. On this day the meals included are breakfast, a box lunch and dinner.

Day 5: Refugio - Summit Cotopaxi 5897 m – Quito/Latacunga

At midnight we’ll leave to the summit of Cotopaxi, having breakfast on the way. At the entrance of the glacier, your guide will explain all necesary tips needed for using crampons and ice axe if needed. After 6-8 hours we’ll reach the top. Then we’ll begin our descent, back to the refuge and the parking lot, where our private transportation will be waiting to drive us back to Quito.

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

Hotel San Francisco de Quito Quito Ecuador

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Hilton Colon Quito Hotel Quito Ecuador

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Sheraton Quito Hotel Quito 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

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.

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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.

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