This trip takes you up two of Ecuador’s most popular snow-capped volcanoes, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. The trip starts with a series of acclimatization adventures. First you will go on a city tour of colonial Quito and visit the Equatorial Line. The following four days are filled with acclimatization hikes, up both Pasochoa and Rumiñahui. The trip concludes with the summit of one of the World's highest active volcanoes, Cotopaxi (5,897 m / 19,300 ft), and an ascent of Ecuador’s tallest peak, Chimborazo (6,310 m / 20,702 ft). After your summit climb on Chimborazo, you will be treated to a day of rest and relaxation in a nearby resort village famous for its hot springs.

We follow the Canal Rio Pita route up Pasochoa, a straightforward moderately sloped climb through the rolling páramo grasslands up to the summit. At the top, you will have sweeping views of the valley below, including a look down into one of the few remaining humid Andean forests. This Forest Preserve fills the horseshoe shaped Pasochoa crater, and is home to more than 110 species of birds, including the King of the Andes, the condor.

After you have acclimatized to the elevation, we will begin the high altitude portion of the trip. First we climb Cotopaxi; where at the top, you will be able to look inside the crater and see its sulfur fumaroles and enjoy the panoramic views of the adjacent snow-covered volcanoes.

Then on to Chimborazo. At 6,310 m it is the tallest peak in Ecuador, and is among the most impressive in all of the Andes. Since the Earth bulges near the equator this snowcapped giant is not only the highest mountain in Ecuador, but also the highest in the world if measured from the core of the Earth outward to its peak. There were a number of summit attempts by Europeans of this local giant beginning in 1736 with the French explorers, but it wasn’t until 1880 when Edward Whymper successfully made it all the way to the peak.

Chimborazo and Cotopaxi require ice-climbing equipment (rental equipment included in the trip package), excellent physical condition and lots of stamina. Most of the time, they are not technically difficult climbs but there are periods when hard ice conditions can make them very challenging.

You will be staying in a number of beautiful haciendas along the trip. Such as Hacienda El Porvenir, located at the base of Rumiñahui and surrounded by volcanoes on all four sides: Cotopaxi, Sincholagua, Pasochoa and Rumiñahui. It is a traditional style Andean hacienda, with warm crackling fireplaces and a comfortable old world charm. We will also be staying at Hacienda la Cienega, a regal colonial hacienda surrounded with beautiful landscaping and vibrant flowers.

The trip ends at Baños, a popular resort town at the base of Chimborazo. The streets of this quaint town are lined with shops and outdoor cafes, and the mild subtropical weather is perfect for leisure outdoor strolls and dining. The main attraction in Baños, though are the luxurious thermal springs- and rejuvenating in the healing springs is the perfect reward after a strenuous ascent up Ecuador’s tallest peak!

Note:
Like all snowcapped peaks in Ecuador, avalanches are common during the day due to the more direct angle of the sunlight characteristic of regions this close to the Equatorial Line. As a safety measure, we will climb at night and reach the summit by 7:00 a.m., this will enable our safe return to base camp before the snow pack becomes too warm and soft.

Images © Reno at Chilcabamba, Tambopaxi