
EXPEDITION VOLCANOS OF ECUADOR

Ecuador is one of the smallest countries in South America and yet offers climbers and travelers in general an incredible diversity of mountains, ecosystems and cultures to explore. Just one day’s journey from Quito, the capital, you can find peaks and glaciers above 5000 meters, Amazon rainforests, sunny beaches, cloud forests and ancient Inca settlements, avoiding the mountaineer and adventurer the long approaches and necessary planning elsewhere on the planet.
In addition, Ecuador has a good network of shelters located at the foot of many of its main mountains, which facilitates the logistics of accommodation for many climbers who try to ascend the main summits of the country throughout the year. Within these summits, we can find from hills of a moderate altitude without the presence of affordable glaciers for the majority of people used to walking in the mountains (Pasochoa, Imbabura, Pichincha ..), to snow-capped mountains that present technical and difficult routes with considerable altitude (Antisana, Altar ..), passing through peaks with affordable normal routes for a mountaineer with some experience in high mountains, such as the Illiniza N, the Cayambe, the Cotopaxi (temporarily closed to climbing) or the Chimborazo. El Chimborazo is a huge and prominent rock and ice massif that rises between the city of Riobamba, located to the south and the city of Ambato, located to the north of the mountain. It has several summits, the highest being at 6,310 m altitude. It is the only mountain in the Ecuadorian Andes that exceeds six thousand meters in height and geographically it is considered the highest mountain on earth if we measure the distance from its top to the center of the planet. This occurs due to the fact that Chimborazo is very close to the Equator and that the terrestrial sphere is flattened by the Poles. Its name derives from ancient pre-Columbian languages and means “ice woman” and it was a place of worship for the Incas who built small ceremonial buildings on its slopes and offered animal sacrifices for veneration of the mountain gods. Although Humbolt attempted his ascent in 1804, reaching the meritorious height of 5900 m, it was Edward Whymper who in 1880 accompanied by the Carrell brothers who achieved the first absolute ascent to the mountain.
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TRAVEL ITINERARY
DAY 1. FLIGHT TO QUITO AND ARRIVAL AT THE ECUADORIAN CAPITAL
Departure from the city of origin and arrival in Quito at night. Reception at the airport and transfer to our accommodation.
Hotel accommodation, Quito.
DAY 2. QUITO – HALF OF THE WORLD – PULULAHUA – QUITO
Breakfast.
In the morning we will move to the north of the city to visit the Middle of the World monument. Then we will move about 5km to the viewpoint of the Pululahua caldera, the largest in South America. Short walk through the sector. Return in the early afternoon to Quito, where we will take a guided tour of its historic center, one of the largest and most beautiful in South America and declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978. We will start the tour going up the Colina de the Virgen del Panecillo to have a panoramic view of the city. Then we will visit the Plaza de San Francisco, the largest in the city, the Plaza de la Independencia where the cathedral and the Presidential Palace are located or strolling through the neighborhood of San Marcos are essential destinations when visiting Quito.
Hotel accommodation, Quito. Breakfast.
DAY 3. QUITO – PASOCHOA (4,200 M) – MACHACHI
Breakfast.
We will leave Quito in the morning, heading south along the Avenida de los Volcanes in a journey of approximately 1 hour and a half. During the trip you will have the possibility to enjoy the typical paramo landscape and views of the mountains of the sector. From where the transport will leave us, we will walk more or less 4 hours to the summit of Pasochoa, a large extinct volcanic caldera. Due to the morphological characteristics of the place, the Andean forest has been preserved intact, which is habitat for a great variety of fauna and flora, with more than 60 species of native trees and a great variety of birds. At the top we will rest contemplating a beautiful view of Cotopaxi. Descent and transfer back to Machachi.
Accommodation in hostel, Machachi.
DAY 4. MACHACHI – CORAZÓN (4.788 M) – MACHACHI
Breakfast.
In the morning we will leave Machachi to the base of the volcano. The ascent to the summit will take about 5 hours and we will cross fields of grasslands until we reach the rocky part of the summit approach that ascends without difficulty. Beautiful views from the summit towards Cotopaxi, Illinizas and in the distance the Ecuadorian coast. In the afternoon, when the mist is over the mountain, we will return to Machachi.
Accommodation in hostel, Machachi.
DAY 5. MACHACHI – REFUGE NEW HORIZONS ILLINIZA (4,650 M)
Breakfast dinner.
In the morning, short transfer from Machachi to the small town of El Chaupi. From here we will leave the main valley to go up the mountain with the car to the Camp of La Virgen Blanca (3,900 m). Start of the 3-4 hour walk, which will take us to the Nuevos Horizontes refuge (4,650 m), where we will have dinner and spend the night.
Accommodation in Nuevos Horizontes refuge.
DAY 6. ASCENT TO ILLINIZA NORTE (5,126 M) – MACHACHI
Breakfast food.
We will get up at dawn and start the ascent. The climb to the North summit will last around 4 hours and the route does not present many technical difficulties. The route follows the crest of the mountain, which narrows more and more until it reaches the so-called “Paso de Muerte”, a horizontal flank below a rock wall, and then continues through rocky terrain to the summit. shortly in the refuge and after descending to the Virgin, the vehicles will take us back to Machachi, where we will spend the night.
Accommodation in hostel, Machachi.
DAY 7. MACHACHI – QUILOTOA – MACHACHI
Breakfast.
After the exertion of the previous day, it is recommended to rest well as we will visit the Quilotoa lagoon. We will start in the morning heading south we will pass through the city of Latacunga and then we will turn west we will pass through towns such as: Pujili, Sumbahua, Tigua, the latter is very famous for its paintings of Tigua, reaching the Quilotoa lagoon will take us about 4 hours, we will admire unique landscapes, our adventure leads us to discover one of the most incredible lagoons in Ecuador, made up of a volcano that erupted many millions of years ago, we will be able to observe and take many photos from the rim of its crater. Descending into the crater will take us just under 1 hour, in this place you will be able to take a boat ride and admire its waters emanating bubbles,
Accommodation in hostel, Machachi.
DAY 8. MACHACHI – COTOPAXI REFUGE (4,800 M)
Breakfast dinner.
We will enter the National Park in the morning to drive to the refuge parking, located at 4600 m. From there we will climb an hour’s walk to the José Rivas refuge (4800 m). If necessary, we will practice basic glacier travel techniques. We will have dinner and prepare the ascension team for the following day.
Accommodation in José Rivas refuge.
DAY 9. ASCENT TO COTOPAXI (5,897 M)
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
At midnight we will get up, have breakfast and equip ourselves for the ascent to Cotopaxi, which will last about 7 hours. After an hour of ascent we will reach the glacier (elevation 5,200 m). For maintained slopes of snow and after avoiding some crevasses we will pass next to the wall of Yanasacha, characteristic rocky outcrop that adorns this face of the mountain. Further up and after overcoming several steps on the glacier we will reach the summit, presided over by the impressive crater of more than 300 meters in diameter. After enjoying the view we will descend again to the refuge, where we will arrive at noon. After a break and in the afternoon we will go back to Machachi.
Accommodation in hostel, Machachi.
DAY 10. REST
Breakfast.
Day to regain strength and prepare the material and equipment for the ascent to Chimborazo.
Accommodation in hostel, Machachi.
DAY 11. MACHACHI – HERMANOS CARRELL REFUGE (4.850 M)
Breakfast dinner.
We will leave Machachi in the direction of the city of Riobamba. Here we will take the road that turns the Chimborazo volcano in the south and then ascends the western slope of the mountain through a beautiful Andean moor with polylepis forests. Our vehicle will leave us next to the Hermanos Carrel refuge at a height of 4850 m. We will prepare the equipment for the climb, strategic talk, dinner and rest.
Accommodation at the Hermanos Carrel refuge.
DAY 12. ASCENT TO CHIMBORAZO (6,310 M) – QUITO
Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
At midnight we will begin the ascent to Chimborazo. From the Carrell refuge we will climb in about 45 minutes to the Whymper refuge located at 5,000 m. Then we will start an upward diagonal traverse until we reach the glacier (elevation 5,350 m) and the western slope of the mountain. Climbing up the glacier, avoiding crevasses and seracas. After 8 hours we will reach the first summit (Veintimilla 6270 m). Then we will continue the ascent until we reach the maximum summit (Whymper 6310 m), the highest in Ecuador. For the descent we will use the same route. In the afternoon transfer transfer to the city of Riobamba.
Hotel accommodation, Riobamba.
DAY 13. QUITO – FLIGHT BACK HOME
Breakfast.
Free time in Quito until the arranged time for the transfer to the international airport. Departure of our flight. Overnight on board.
INCLUDED
- 9 nights accommodation in hotels and hostels.
- 3 nights in mountain refuge (shared)
- Diet according to program.
- Local English-speaking X-plore guide.
- Unlimited km car rental and all risk insurance with franchise
- Reception and transfers to and from the airport
- Guided tour of the old town of Quito and Middle of the World
- Guided tour in Quilotoa
- Loan of ice axe, crampons, harness, rope, stakes, etc., for ascents (you can also bring your own material if you want)
- Entrance to the Parks
NOT INCLUDED
- International flight
- Lunch and dinner in Machachi and Quito
- Personal material (sleeping bags, clothing, trekking poles, headlamp, etc).
- Tickets in Quito, Middle of the World, etc.
- Single room supplement
- Travel and mountain insurance
- Anything not specified in the “INCLUDED” section.

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