Cotopaxi, Cayambe, and Chimborazo
Alpenglow’s guides have been climbing and guiding in Ecuador since 1994 and believe it is unparalleled for learning the essential skills of high altitude climbing, while also exploring a friendly and interesting culture. On this expedition, our team will attempt to summit Cotopaxi, the world’s highest active volcano. At 19,347 feet, it is heavily glaciated and remote yet also easily accessible. Instead of taking weeks to reach a peak in Alaska or the Himalaya, we can successfully arrive, practice skills, acclimatize, and summit all in only one week!
Our expedition begins in Ecuador’s capital of Quito. The city, surrounded by 4 glaciated peaks, sits at 9,500 feet, so your acclimatization begins immediately upon arrival. We spend the first day exploring the old colonial center of Quito and enjoying fantastic food and hospitality. We continue our acclimatization by taking the local telepherique to 14,000 feet on Rucu Pinchincha, and then hiking to the 15,700 foot summit. If conditions allow, we will take a technical knife-edge rock ridge to this summit, practicing our rock technique and the use of fixed lines.
From there we move to a luxurious refuge high in Cotopaxi National Park. A former chef from the Galapagos along with a Swiss guide opened the refuge, called Tambopaxi, and there is no better place to acclimatize while enjoying incredible food and stunning views of Cotopaxi. Based out of this refuge, we spend an entire day practicing climbing skills on Cotopaxi’s glacier. This day is essential in becoming a competent team-member on Cotopaxi and other peaks in the future. We practice crampon and ice axe techniques, traveling on a rope team, snow and ice anchor placement, and crevasse rescue.
At this point, we are ready for our climb. We move from Tambopaxi to the refuge just below the glacier. While not as luxurious as Tambopaxi, it significantly shortens our summit push. We wake at around midnight for the climb, which might take 7-12 hours round trip. The views from the summit are always stunning, and encompass many of the surrounding volcanoes, as well as the active crater of Cotopaxi itself.
After descending from the peak, we head to the market town of Otovalo for some much needed pampering. On Saturdays, the day we will be there, Otovalo holds one of the largest indigenous markets in South America. The shopping for friends back at home is incredible, as are the opportunities to explore the local Otovalan culture. And, since we are based out of the garden paradise of our friends Frank and Margaret, it is also an ideal place to rest and recover from our climb.
Heading home after Otovalo is one option, however, we encourage those who have the time, to stay for summit attempts on Cayambe and Chimborazo. Cayambe, 18,997 feet, sits near the town of Otovalo and is heavily glaciated. The route is longer than Cotopaxi, and is an excellent place to continue building comfort with crampon and ice axe techniques. Chimborazo, with a summit at 20,703 feet, is the tallest peak in Ecuador, and considerably taller than any peak in North America. Its altitude, the length of the summit day, and the technical challenges make it a perfect final peak of the trip, and excellent preparation for big mountains anywhere in the world.
Our Ecuador expeditions are guided by one or more of Alpenglow’s AMGA certified lead guides. AMGA (American Mountain Guides Association) certification is the highest possible training available to guides, and only the most experienced and dedicated attain it. Our lead guides have also traveled and climbed extensively in South America and know the Ecuadorian volcanoes intimately. Their knowledge of Andean culture as well as the mountains, combined with their passion for teaching others to become competent mountaineers, guarantees that your experience will be one to remember!
We combine our guides’ experience with the local expertise of our close friend and expert Ecuadorian logistics operator, Jaime Avila. Jaime is one of Ecuador’s most respected guides, and has also guided in Nepal, Peru, Bolivia, and Alaska. His local knowledge (of the mountains, the markets, and the salsa clubs) will be essential to our experience. Our small team size and low ratio of climbers to guides (4:1) ensures that you stay healthy and strong, and are able to enjoy each component of your experience.
Day 1:
Leave your home for Ecuador, arriving into Quito (9,500 feet) in the evening. Our guides will pick you up and bring you to our hotel, a local family-run place close to excellent restaurants and the tourist center of the city. (Saturday)
Day 2:
Explore the colonial section of Quito. The old city is famous for its beautiful churches, president’s palace, and ever-present views of the glaciated peaks that surround it. After touring for half the day, we spend the afternoon preparing for our climb of Pinchincha, practicing fixed line techniques, and organizing gear.
Day 3:
After breakfast at the famed Magic Bean (a gringo-owned restaurant with strong coffee, fresh fruit smoothies, and huge pancakes—the perfect pre-climbing meal) we ride the telepherique from the center of the city to 14,000 feet on Rucu Pinchincha. Two hours of hiking brings us to the rock ridge which we climb, conditions permitting, to Pinchincha’s 15,700 foot summit. This climb is a proud peak on its own; it is also important for our acclimatization.
Day 4:
After a lazy morning, we drive to Tambopaxi, at about 14,000 feet in Cotopaxi National Park. From the dining room we have a perfect view of our entire route on Cotopaxi. There are also countless hikes we can take for acclimatization.
Day 5;
Today we hike about an hour to the toe of the glacier on Cotopaxi. We spend the day practicing skills, including self arresting with an ice axe, climbing in crampons, traveling on rope teams, and crevasse rescues. We also take time scouting our summit route. After a full day, we descend back to Tambopaxi for another evening.
Day 6:
We spend the morning reviewing any skills that need it and then check our gear and hike to the upper refuge at 15,700 feet on Cotopaxi. We spend the afternoon resting, hydrating, eating, and trying to get some sleep.
Day 7:
Summit Day! We wake at around midnight, have a hot drink and perhaps a snack, and then begin our climb. The route takes us across scree to the glacier, and then winds up through progressively steeper slopes and heavily crevassed areas. By dawn, we should be below the final headwall, 800 vertical feet of the steepest climbing on the mountain. In daylight, we work our way up this slope until we are standing on the edge of Cotopaxi’s crater, with stunning views in every direction. After a few photos, we descend back to the refuge, and then continue our descent all the way to our hotel in the town of Otovalo.
Day 8:
Today we sleep in, eventually waking to the sound of hummingbirds and the smell of fresh coffee and waffles. The Alishungu hotel in Otovalo has some of the best food in Ecuador, and we will have earned it. When we are ready, the hectic Saturday market will be waiting for us, where we can buy everything from grilled guinea pig to hand-woven textiles to handmade silver jewelry. After a final celebration dinner, those flying home return to Quito. The rest of the team stays in Otovalo.
Day 9:
Depart Quito for home. Flights generally leave early in the morning, getting you back to the USA by mid-afternoon. (Sunday)
Day 9;
Those staying for more peaks spend another day of rest and relaxation in Otovalo. In the afternoon we will begin to organize for our next climb, Cayambe.
Day 10:
After grocery shopping, we drive 2 hours through high altitude farmlands to the refuge on Cayambe. At 15,000 feet it is a perfect place to continue our acclimatization.
Day 11:
We spend the morning out on Cayambe’s glacier. Sitting just below the hut, it is ideal for continuing to build advanced glacier travel and rescue skills. In the afternoon we pack for the climb and rest.
Day 12:
After another midnight wake-up call, we being our climb scrambling a rock ridge to the upper glacier. From there moderate slopes lead to another steep headwall. Often icy, this slope will require all of our climbing techniques to make it to the top. From the summit, we descend to our van and drive back to Quito.
Day 13:
After a morning in Quito, we drive south to a wilderness lodge below Chimborazo. The lodge is owned by one of Ecuador’s original mountain guides – his stories, home, and excellent food will prepare us for our final climb.
Day 14:
Drive to the high hut on Chimborazo and hike 1-2 hours up to the base of the glacier from where we can scout our climb. We then return to the refuge to rest and hydrate.
Day 15:
Our final, and most challenging, summit push. The route quickly steps onto the glacier, on which the ice is often broken by many crevasses as well as almost vertical ice steps. Eventually we reach the ridge and follow it over moderate ground to the summit. After taking photos and enjoying the views from the tallest point in Ecuador, we descend to our van and return to Quito for a final celebration dinner.
Day 16:
Depart Quito for home. Flights generally leave early in the morning, getting you back to the USA by mid-afternoon. (Sunday)
