Condor Trek 3-day guided program

On this 3-day Condor Trek you will hike the Antisana Ecological Reserve alongside Fernando, an ASEGIUM certified mountain guide, and his team.

Andes

3 Days

Jan, Feb, Dec

Description

The complete Condor Trek is a 5-day, 4-night hike that National Geographic Adventure listed in its 2014 Adventure Bucket List. I invite you to join me on a shortened version of this trek. My 3-day Condor Trek starts at the Cayambe-Coca National Park and finishes at the beautiful Antisana Ecological Reserve. Along the way, you will have the chance to see several of Ecuador's natural destinations.

The Condor Trek is named for Ecuador's prized Andean Condor. The huge bird has a wingspan of up to 3 meters. During our Condor Trek, you will probably have the chance to see this incredible bird in the wild. The trek is in a biodiversity hotspot. So, the Andean Condor is just one example of the unique flora and fauna that we will see on the route.

The 3-day trek also takes us to several special natural areas. On the first night we will camp near a nice lake called "Laguna del Volcán." The next day, we will hike from the wet area, passing through rivers and small forests, to higher and drier plateaus.

Subsequently, we will arrive at a spot where we can view the magnificent Antisana Glacier. The Antisana Volcano is completely covered in snow and glaciers, which makes it one of Ecuador's most beautiful yet most dangerous mountains.

On the last day, the trek goes through the base of Antisana. We will hike to reach the Mica Lagoon, which has a great view and beautiful scenery. From here we will be able to observe deer, llamas, and condor and other birds.

The 3-day Condor Trek is an incredible hiking opportunity. We get to experience many of Ecuador's national treasures and in the most natural way- hiking surrounded by nature. You won't want to miss this trek. If this trip description inspires you, contact me today. I also lead a 2-day climb of Antisana.

Price includes

- Accommodation included

- Guiding fee

- Breakfast

- Lunch

- Dinner

- Transport during the trip

- Permit and entrance fees

Price details

Please note that lunch and dinner in hotels are not included. Personal equipment is not provided. Insurance is not included.

Itinerary

Day 1: Quito to Laguna del Volcan Camp (3800 m)

We will leave Quito in the morning and drive east to El Tambo Village (3400 m). There we will meet our packhorses. We will load our equipment onto the horses and start hiking on the trail. Most of the time we will be hiking it will be very muddy. We will also be crossing streams and rivers. Because of this, rubber boots are necessary equipment. After 4-5 hours, we will arrive at our first campsite. The campsite is located next to the “Laguna del Volcan” lake. We will spent the night in tents.

Day 2: Laguna del Volcan Camp to Santa Lucia Camp (4300 m)

After eating breakfast, we will continue hiking for about 3 hours through wet areas and small forests until we reach plateaus higher above. We will start to be able to see the huge Antisana glacier and Santa Lucia Lake. We will hike for another 3 hours until we arrive at our second camp in a sheltered valley. We will sleep in tents.

Day 3: Santa Lucia Camp to Quito (2800 m)

The third day starts early. We will hike through the base of Antisana and then take a moderate climb to the Mica Lagoon. This part of the trek will take us between 6 and 7 hours, and is the best chance on the trek to see deer, llamas, and condor. That evening, after enjoying all the views and beautiful scenery, the car will be ready to take us back to Quito.

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.

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