Climb Ecuador's Volcanoes with Berg Adventures International – Itinerary

Day 1 – International flight to Quito, Ecuador. Arrive in Quito and transfer to your hotel.

• Overnight at JW Marriott Hotel.

Day 2 – After breakfast we head north to Otavalo, a town known for its famous market. It is one of the largest markets in Latin America, and is unsurpassed for its food and culture. Our home base will be at a beautiful hacienda which is a restored 17th-century Andean estate at 8,500ft (2,590m). The hacienda is 20 minutes south of Otavalo and will be our base for the next three nights.

• Breakfast and Dinner included.
• Overnight at Hacienda Cusin.

Day 3 – Our first acclimatization hike will be in the Cotacachi-Cyapas ecological reserve. We will hike around the beautiful Cuicocha (Guinea Pig Lake), a spectacular crater lake at 10,000ft (3,050m). A high viewpoint on the far side of the lake will take us to 11,300ft.

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
• Overnight at Hacienda Cusin.

Day 4 – An early morning departure at 6:00am from the hacienda to climb Imbabura at 15,750ft (4,800m). 8-12 hours round trip.

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
• Overnight at Hacienda Cusin.

Day 5 – Our last morning at this hacienda will be relaxing. We depart to the city of Cayambe where we will stop for lunch and then drive to Cayambe Hut at 15,100ft (4,600m) on the shoulder of Ecuador’s third highest summit, Cayambe at 18,900ft (5,790m). Cayambe will be our first glacier climbing goal. It is a unique summit because the equator line passes exactly over the top!

• Breakfast and Dinner included.
• Overnight at Cayambe hut.

Day 6 – Today will be spent reviewing and learning skills. We usually take the opportunity to review rope techniques inside the spacious hut. In the afternoon we will climb a short distance above the hut to scout out the climb where we will begin to use crampons.

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
• Overnight at Cayambe hut.

Day 7 – Summit day of Cayambe. We will be up around midnight for a pre-dawn start. On a clear day, we will be able to see many of the other high peaks of Ecuador. Summit day will be long, but with an early start, we should be back for a big lunch in the hut. Afterwards we will travel to Termas Papallacta, a hot springs resort in the upper Amazon Basin at 11,000ft (3,300m). We come down here to rest at slightly lower altitude with thicker air in order to help our muscles and mind recover from the climbs, and also to prepare ourselves to the new ones to come. This is a technique acquired from many seasons on Everest. It is always good to come down to a lower elevation before going high again. Termas Papallacta will be the perfect place to relax after our Cayambe climb.

• Breakfast and lunch included.
• Overnight at Termas Papallacta.

Day 8 – Rest day at Termas Papallacta where everyone can soak and relax in the hot pools outside their rooms and enjoy the excellent food.

• No meals included.
• Overnight at Termas Papallacta.

Day 9 – We drive into Cotopaxi National Park. We will make a quick stop outside Quito for lunch. We will store our duffel bags in the lovely lodge at Tambopaxi and continue until the road ends. About one hours hike further up the mountain, we will reach Jose Ribas Hut at 14,750ft (4,500m). We will settle down early to rest for another early morning start.

• Dinner included.
• Overnight Jose Ribas hut.

Day 10 – Summit Day! The symmetry of this beautiful glaciated volcano is world famous. It is the second highest in Ecuador at 19,350ft (5,900m). With good luck and clear weather, we can look right down into the crater from the top. Summit day will be long, but we will return early enough to descend to the lovely hut at Tambopaxi.

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
• Overnight Tambopaxi Hut.

Comment: Depending on weather conditions we may have some minor changes to the schedule, either going up to Jose Ribas Hut first or toTambopaxi Hut.

Day 11 – Rest day at the historic Hacienda Cienega. There is plenty to do here from horseback riding to exploring the beautiful grounds to relaxing in one of the many comfortable sitting rooms.

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
• Overnight Hacienda Cienega

Day 12 – Today we will drive the highway along Ecuador’s “Avenue of the Volcanoes” to the south. The scenery and culture along the way never disappoints. By day’s end, we will have arrived at a beautiful mountain lodge with stunning views of Chimborazo.

• Breakfast and dinner included.
• Overnight Estrella del Chimborazo Lodge

Day 13 – Travel to our final climbing destination, Chimborazo at 20,701ft/6,310m. This peak is not only the highest in Ecuador; its summit is the farthest point from the center of the earth, due to the equatorial bulge. We will stage our climbing attempt from the Whymper hut at 16,405ft/5,000m. The hut is named after Edward Whymper, the famous British climber who first climbed the Matterhorn, and in 1880, made the first ascent of Chimborazo.

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
• Overnight Whymper Hut

Day 14 – Alternate Summit day of Chimborazo. On our way back from the summit we will return to Estrella del Chimborazo.

• Breakfast, lunch and dinner included.
• Overnight Estrella del Chimborazo Lodge

Day 15 – Extra summit day and return to Quito.

• Breakfast included.
• Overnight at JW Marriott Hotel

Day 16 – Flight to home country- Breakfast included.

*If you are interested in sightseeing around Quito, please contact us about adding an additional day to the itinerary.

*Shortened itineraries are available. Contact our office for details.