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ITINERARY
D1: Quito > Otavalo: Indian market
Meeting with your guide at your hotel at 07 :00 A.M. and depart via the Pan-American Highway to the small Otavalo Indian town. Visit to the market, the most famous and colorful Indian market in Ecuador. In the afternoon, visit to the Peguche waterfall and walk in the surrounding area. Hotel. LD.
D2: Cuicocha Lake (3400 m / 11,155 ft) > Otavalo
Transfer by your vehicle to the beautiful Cuicocha lagoon (3000 m / 9,845 ft), an old volcanic crater transformed by nature into a lake. Acclimatization walk of 3 to 4 hours around the crater and at the foot of the Cotacachi volcano (+/- 3400m). Box lunch. Back to Otavalo at the end of the afternoon. Hotel. BLD.
D3: Fuya-Fuya summit (4294 m / 14,087 ft) > La Esperanza
Departure this time to go up to the Mojanda lagoons (3800 m / 12,470 ft). Hiking and easy climb of the Cerro “Fuya-Fuya” (4,294 m / 14,087 ft). This ascent demands only 2 to 3 hours to reach the summit. Box lunch, back to the vehicle and down again to the valley for a short transfer to the small village of La Esperanza. Diner and night in a rural hostel in the village. BLD.
D4: Imbabura volcano (4621 m / 15,160 ft)
Early morning departure with the vehicle to reach the start of the trail (15 min.) climbing ups the Imbabura volcano. Hike between 3400 m (11,150 ft) and 4200 m (13,780 ft). Beautiful views on the Otavalo area and Yahuarcocha lake. Depending on the physical condition of the group it is possible to get to the « Taita Imbabura » summit (4621 m / 15,160 ft). This ascent does not involve any difficulty but it demands a steadfast physical effort of at least 6 hours. Box lunch. Back to the hostel in La Esperanza. Diner and night at the hostel. BLD
D5: Otavalo > Cayambe Refuge (4600m / 15.092 ft)
Departure to the village of Cayambe (+/- 1h30) and them up by a very bad trail towards the Cayambe refuge (4600 m). Vehicle will go up on that trail as far as it will be possible (+/- 1h30 by bus). At that point, walking up to the refuge (+/- 1 to 1h30) but only with a small backpack. There is 4WD vehicle assistance planned to carry up your equipment and all the food until the refuge. Setting up at the refuge. Meeting with your mountain instructors and mountain guides. Walk to the glacier at about 4800 m (15,750 ft) to start a practical and theoretical mountain course: rope handling and knots, belays, technical study of specific mountain equipment and its applications, ice axe and crampon work: first techniques. Night at the refuge. BLD.
D6: Mountain School (4800 m / 15,750 ft)
Rappel in special conditions. Crevasse rescue techniques (2 and 3 climbers rope team), auto-rescue, group rescue, evacuation techniques, first aid. Night at the refuge. BLD.
D7: Mountain School
Rappel, techniques de sauvetage en crevasse, auto-secours, secours organisés, techniques d’évacuation, premiers secours. Nuit en refuge. BLD.
D8: Cayambe > Quito
AM: Mountain school: final seminar: theoretical and practical revision and discussion of the various techniques studied during the course. After lunch, back to Quito. Night at the hotel. BLD.
Note : sDepending on the physical condition and technical level of the group it is possible to attempt the Cayambe summit this day (5790m/18.996ft). Departure from the refuge at 1:00 A.M. in the morning. Back to the refuge at 10-11A.M.
Attention, this summit is fairly technical and the guide in charge of the group is the only judge about taking the decision to attempt or not the summit.
D9: Quito > Cotopaxi Refuge (4800 m / 15,748 ft)
We leave for the Cotopaxi National Park. (about 1 hour and a half drive). We go up by vehicle on a dusty road that ends 200 m below the Cotopaxi refuge (4600 m / 15,092 ft). Picking up of your equipment, loading of the food in your backpacks and up to the refuge: there are about 45 minutes walk on a cinder path to reach the refuge (200 m / 656 ft of slope). Lunch, diner and night at the refuge (4800m/15748ft). BLD.
D10: Cotopaxi summit (5897 m / 19,347 ft) > Baños
Waking up at midnight and departure from the refuge at 1:00 A.M. to climb the world’s highest active volcano (5897 m/19,347 ft). This is an almost glacier ascent but without major difficulties. Crevasses are not numerous and well marked. Only the presence of fresh snow or strong winds can make this ascent a difficult one. It will take you around 6 to 7 hours to appreciate the magnificent huge summit cone. Back to the refuge around 10:00 AM. Light lunch, down to the parking lot and down back to the valley to continue in south direction to Baños, a charming little thermal town (1800 m / 5900 ft) located at the food of the active Tungurahua volcano and well known for his warm sulfurous water pools. Hotel. BLD.
D11: Baños
Rest and tourist day in this charming little thermal town well known for his warm sulfurous water pools. Many activities are possible: warm sulfurous water pools, horse back riding, mountain biking, hikes in the mountains surrounding Baños, visit to beautiful waterfalls in a tropical vegetation that evokes the nearby Amazon jungle. Lunch and dinner in town. Night at the hotel. BLD.
D12: Baños > Chimborazo refuge
We leave Baños by vehicle and reach the first Chimborazo refuge (4800 m / 15,748 ft) after about two and a half hours ride. From there on, walk for about 45 minutes to 1 hour with your equipment to the Edward Whimper refuge (5000 m / 16,404 feet). If weather conditions are good, we will have a look at the ascent route (+/- 1 hour). Night at the refuge. BLD.
D13: Chimborazo summit (6310m / 20,702 ft) > Quito
Wake up at 11:00 P.M and departure from the refuge at midnight. The itinerary, following the seasons, the conditions of snow coverage or the state of the ice, may present important technical or security problems; in every case, this is an endurance route, so a very good physical condition and acclimatization are essential. The difficulties are mainly the altitude and the height difference (1300 m / 4,265 ft.). From 8 to 9 hours are necessary to reach Ecuador’s highest summit. Back to the refuge and we leave to go back to Quito (about four hours ride). Lunch on our way back. Farewell diner in town and night at the hotel. BLD.
Price : 1980 usd* (starting at 2 people)
* Prices for groups of more than 4 people decrease according to the number of participants.
Group of 4 people: 1695 USD
** All our prices are package deals " All inclusive" : English-speaking guide, private
transportation, full board, hotel and refuges accommodation, national park fees, visits,
technical equipment, ...
The Price Includes
- All the necessary transportation by private transportation to realize the tour.
- Lodging at standard hotels (double room) as described in the program, refuges in the mountains.
- All the meals from Quito to Quito, as described in the program = full American plan. See code: B = breakfast, L= lunch, D = diner
- All the entrance fees: museums, churches, reserves, National Parks
- All the programmed excursions and visits
- A set of personal cutlery per person.
- Radios 2M, ropes
- All the specific mountain equipment necessary to realize the course
- The following individual mountain equipment: crampons, ice axes, harness, carabiners, descender, pulleys, slings.
- A Spanish-English licensed high mountain guide from Quito to Quito
- A high mountain guide team during the ascents of Cotopaxi and Chimborazo (1 guide / 2 pers. max.)
- Group of more than 6 people: 1 extra mountain guide during the 4 days mountain school.
Does not include
- Everything not described in “The price includes”.
- Personal material: backpack, sleeping bag, mountain shoes, ...
- Activities described as “possibility of ” or “optional”
- Tips and personal expenses
- Drinks (alcoholic or not) in town, at the restaurants or at the refuge’s bars
- Transfers airport / hotel / airport
- International flight
- International airport taxes
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