Climb Ecuador's Volcanoes with Berg Adventures International – Itinerary
Day 1 – International flight to Quito, Ecuador. Arrive in Quito late in the evening where you will be met by our staff and transferred to your hotel.
Day 2 – After breakfast we head north towards Otavalo, a town known for its famous Saturday market which is the largest in Latin America and is unsurpassed for its food and culture.Our new home base will be at a beautiful hacienda which is a restored 17th-century Andean estate at 8,500 feet (2590m). The hacienda is 20 minutes south of the famous market town Otavalo and will be our base for the next 3 days. Team welcome dinner in the evening.
Day 3 – Most of the day will be spent hiking and acclimatizing.We will drive to Cuicocha Lake and possiblyhike up to Cotacachi. You can see Cotacachi from Quito with its sharp peak that may be snow covered. We will not climb to the very top of Cotacachi but reach a high point of approximately 14,500 feet (4420m). Overnight at hacienda.
Day 4 – An early morning departure at 5:00am from the hacienda to climb Imbabura (15,750ft / 4800m), 8 to 12 hours round trip. Overnight at hacienda.
Day 5 – Our last morning at this hacienda will be relaxing. After an early lunch we depart and drive to Cayambe hut at 15,100 feet (4600m) on the shoulder of the Cayambe volcano It is the only volcano in the world where the equator line crosses its summit.
Day 6 – Today will be spent reviewing and learning skills. Overnight at Cayambe hut.
Day 7 – Summit day of Cayambe. An early morning start will have us up around midnight so we can get ready. On a clear day we will be able to see many other high peaks of Ecuador from its summit. We then travel to one of the oldest hacienda’s in Ecuador and is the perfect place to relax after our Cayambe Climb.
Day 8 – We will depart at 9:00am to Termas Papallacta, where we will rest, perhaps enjoy a massage or a soak in their hot springs. Advanced bookings will need to be made if interested in their spa services. Overnight at Termas Papallacta.
Day 9 – Our drive today takes us to the higher reaches of Cotopaxi where we leave the vehicles behind and hike uphill for about an hour to the Jose Ribas hut (14,750ft / 4500m). In the afternoon we can hike higher on Cotopaxi, perhaps up to the glacier.
Day 10 – Summit Day. An early morning start will reward us with the beautiful morning sunrise as we climb towards the summit, a beautiful snow-capped peak, the second highest in Ecuador at 19,350 feet (5900m).
Day 11 – Travel day towards Chimborazo. Your afternoon will be free to explore.
Day 12 – Travel to our final climbing destination, Chimborazo (20,701 feet / 6310m) where its peak is the farthest point from the center of the earth due to the earth’s equatorial bulge and wasonce believed to be the highest mountain in the world. We stay at the Whymper Refuge (16,405ft / 5000m) named after Edward Whymper, a British climber who in 1880 made the first ascent of Chimborazo.
Day 13 – Move up to high camp at 18,150ft (5530m).
Day 14 – Summit day of Chimborazo.
Day 15 – Extra summit day or return to Quito, experience local food on the drive back and farewell dinner in the evening.
Day 16 – Flight to home country.
Day 17 – Arrive in home country
*Our Galapagos adventures begin after a restful morning at our hotel in Quito.