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)

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 surrounding Quito. After a half day of touring, we spend the afternoon preparing for our climb of Pinchincha, practicing fixed line techniques, and organizing gear.

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 bring us to the rock ridge which, conditions allowing, we climb to Pinchincha’s 15,700 foot summit. This climb is a proud peak on its own; it is also important for our acclimatization.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Depart Quito for home. Flights generally leave early in the morning, getting you back to the USA by mid-afternoon. (Sunday)

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.

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.

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.

After another midnight wakeup 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 surpass. From the summit, we descend to our van and drive back to Quito.

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.

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.

Our final, and most challenging, summit push. The route quickly steps onto the glacier, which is often ice 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.

Depart Quito for home. Flights generally leave early in the morning, getting you back to the USA by mid-afternoon. (Sunday)