Climb Cotopaxi Summit in 6 Days

From 1,870.00USD

Climb the highest active volcano in Ecuador!

Trip Type

Public, The CS Ecuador Experience™
Activities

Mountaineering
Group Size

1 Min - 4 Max
Reviews

0 Reviews
Trip Duration

6 Day(s) 5 Night(s)

Trip code WT-CODE 799

Cotopaxi Summit in 6 day

Climb Cotopaxi Summit in 6-day tour. This program offers the full Ecuadorian mountain climbing experience, with the opportunity to summit many of the gorgeous volcanoes that lie in Ecuador’s Avenue of the Volcanoes, such as Pasochoa, El Corazón and Iliniza Norte. These hikes are also important in preparing your body to summit Cotopaxi, as each hike aids in acclimatization. In preparation for the 2-day Cotopaxi climb, climbers enjoy a relaxing day at Quilotoa Lagoon, hiking around an amazing volcanic crater filled with water tucked into the Ecuadorian highlands. Finally, the trip concludes with Cotopaxi, which is regarded as one of the most beautiful volcanoes in the world, and one of the most active volcanoes in the world. The climb up to the summit of Cotopaxi is not highly technical, but it does require the use of crampons, ice axes and ropes. Leaving from the refuge around midnight, climbers begin ascending the volcano and will arrive at the top of Cotopaxi after sunrise at 6am.!

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Itineraries

Day 1

Rucu Pichincha 15,695ft. /4784m

The hike to Rucu Pichincha is very popular for acclimatization purposes. The volcano and its peaks are visible from the city of Quito. Guagua Pichincha, the other peak, is the active caldera. This walk will take us 5 hours in total. First, we will head to the western side of the city. Once we are there we will ride a cable car for about 15 minutes up to the trail starting point (4100 m). This is one of the highest cable cars in the world!. From this point, a long ridge will take us to the base of the summit of Rucu Pichincha (4698 m). We will also stop at some point to have lunch. Then, we will continue our hike walking on sandy terrain, and after a while we'll get to the top! and finally we will drive to El Chaupi village.

Included meals: Box Lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Lodge

Day 2

Corazón Volcano Summit 15708.66 ft./ 4788 m.

From El chaupi village. We will start early in the morning after breakfast 7:00 We will be driving up to the trailhead (13,120ft/4.000m), where we start our hike. The first part of the hike takes us up through the small Andean grass. Then we will get on the sandy and scramble section, which leads to Corazon summit (15,702ft/4788m). We will have lunch during the hike that is about 6-hour long. Return to the hostel.

Included meals: Breakfast/ Box Lunch/ Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge

Day 3

Summit Iliniza Norte 16,818 ft. / 5126 m.

We start early in the morning after breakfast 7:30 We will be driving up to the “La Virgen parking lot” (12,795ft/3.900m). Once there, we will start a 3-hour hike up to the “Nuevos Horizontes Refuge” (15,580ft/4.750m). We will relax for couple of minutes and we took the opportunity to put our helmet and harness for continue hiking up towards the saddle formed between both peaks and then head up to Illiniza north summit; it will take us between 2 to 3 hours to get to the summit (5126m), the way back to the parking lot it will take us between 2 hours. drive back to El Chaupi. Overnight at the Hostel .

Included meals: Breakfast/ Box Lunch/ Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge

Day 4

Quilotoa Lagoon Rest day 12841.207 ft. / 3914 m.

We’ll leave from El Chaupi in the morning and will drive the Quilotoa Lagoon; during the tour we will stop at an Indian hut. After we will visit the Tigua community to observe the leather crafts that people make in these places. The tour will take us about 4 hours later, we’ll arrive the viewpoint where you can observe the magnitude of the crater and its lagoon background. We will descend along an irregular road; the walk will take us one hour until arrived bottom of the lagoon, there we will have taken photos and rest. After lunch we will back to El Chaupi in about 3 hours driving.

Included meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accommodation: Lodge

Day 5

Cotopaxi Refuge Jose Ribas 15.958 ft./4864 m.

From El Chaupi will drive south through the Avenue of the Volcanoes until getting to the Cotopaxi National Park entrance. From here will drive east to the Cotopaxi parking lot (4.500m) then we’ll hike up for around an hour to the Jose Ribas Refuge (4,864m). Then we will have dinner and rest until midnight. At this point we will pack our belongings and get ready to make our final ascent.

Included meals: Breakfast/ Lunch/ Dinner
Accommodation: Cotopaxi Refuge

Day 6

Cotopaxi Summit 19347.11 ft. / 5897 m.

Midnight will be our wake-up time and the departure to the top (19,347ft/5.897m) will be around 01h00, not before having a light breakfast and get our stuff ready for the ascent, the climb will take us about 6 to 8 hours. Once at the summit we’ll take our time to take pictures of the crater and surroundings, and then we’ll head down back the refuge, which it will take us 2 to 3 hours. Once at the refuge will pack our belongings, have something to eat and go down to the parking lot, where our transportation will be ready to take us to Quito.

Included meals: Breakfast
Accommodation:

Acclimatization Climbing Program
Ecuadorian qualified and experienced local Mountain Guide (ASEGUIM/UIAGM) ratio 2 climbers -1 guide)
A registered and fully licensed Tour Operator
Technical mountain equipment (crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet)
Land transportation and transfers

Accommodations:

4 nights in Hostel and Café Andes Alpes
1 night at Jose Rivas Refuge
All meals during the hikes and climbs (shown above)

Personal mountain gear (warm cloths, sleeping bags, sunglasses, head lamp, etc.)
International flight tickets
Hotel in Quito
Tips
Insurance of any kind
Travel accident and health insurance
Luggage insurance and trip cancellation
Other non-specified expenses