Ecuador - Cotopaxi Skills Expedition Overview We do it all on this trip: Learn or refresh mountaineering skills with local expert instructors, Climb Cotopaxi and Cayambe - two of Ecuador's most famous volcanoes, and immerse ourselves in a rich culture, and take rest days in traditional haciendas with great local food.
In addition, for climbers who are still hungry for summits after Cotopaxi, it is possible to extend this trip with a four-day Chimborazo climb
In sum, the variety and beauty on this trip are awe-inspiring, and the personal rewards are of such variety and depth that this is commonly one of those experiences that people describe as "a trip of a lifetime." You can also absolutely guarantee that categorization if you add on a five to seven-day boat-based journey through the Galapagos Islands after your climbs. Many who have made ascents with us here have enjoyed ending their Andean journey with a few days in that wonderful archipelago off the coast of Ecuador.
Zero Carbon Footprint Expedition
This expedition has a zero carbon footprint . Through AAI's Climate Initiative, the Institute pays to offset all carbon emissions incurred by the guides and participants on each trip, including emissions from flight, local transportation, electricity in hotels, and fuel burned for mountain cooking. To learn more about how this works and AAI’s dedication to environmental protection, click here
Acclimatization We take a conservative approach to acclimatization, and the wisdom of our itineraries is seen every year in the safety record of our trips and the tremendous success rate of our climbers. We have been guiding the high altitude peaks of Ecuador since 1977, and the days we allocate to acclimatization are based on our decades of experience.
High on Cayambe. Dylan Taylor
Lodges: If you wish to reserve your own room and/or tent, please let us know. The cost for single accommodations is: $490 for the Cotopaxi Skills Expedition and an additional $160 for the Chimborazo climb. There is no charge for a single tent.
VIDEO
Ecuador - Cotopaxi Skills Expedition Structure and Goals Part 1: Skills Training and Acclimatization
Exploring and Acclimatizing in Ecuador
The Andes of Ecuador run as two parallel and impressive chains of peaks, rising dramatically from Pacific coastal lowlands on the west and even more abruptly from the Amazon Basin on the east. Our flight into Ecuador gives us a grand view of the entire range as we cross the country's northwest coast and pass just over the Pichinchas - 15,700-foot volcanoes standing right above Quito - then drop down to the capital's new Mariscal Sucre International Airport (8528 ft / 2610 m). It is an exciting entrance into a spectacular country and beautiful city.
Quito is South America's second highest capital (after La Paz, Bolivia), and its high altitude allows us to begin our acclimatization as soon as we arrive. The city fills a gently sloping valley beneath thirteen to fifteen thousand-foot peaks, and from several points just above Quito it is possible to look up and down the "Avenue of the Volcanoes," as the Ecuadorian tourist industry is fond of calling it, and see most of the country's major summits.
A climbing team member
The program begins with climbing team members traveling to Ecuador on a Saturday and meeting our lead guide that first evening for dinner. The following morning, we meet for breakfast and then the guides will do an initial program orientation, followed by a thorough equipment check. After the orientation and equipment check, the team will embark on a walking city tour of Quito at 9,000 ft.
Acclimatization Hikes and Skills Training
Our first acclimatization hike is on 13,776-foot (4199 m) Pasochoa, an extinct volcano about twenty miles south of Quito. Its large, eroded crater opens to the west, and its northwest flanks support a forest like those that once covered the entire Quito basin. We establish a very easy pace on this day hike as we begin to get our bodies used to altitudes above 10,000 feet.
Our second acclimatization hike is on either Rucu Pichincha (15696 ft / 4784 m) or Guagua Pichincha (15,695 ft / 4783 m), depending on conditions. Our primary goal on both of these days is to give our bodies a chance to begin their further adjustment to the altitude while we enjoy some beautiful hiking and outstanding photographic opportunities. These rocky ridges, high grasslands, and summits provide great views of the entire cordillera and an excellent orientation to Ecuador's geography.
Part 2: Ascent of Cayambe (18,997 ft / 5790 m)
Cayambe is Ecuador's third highest peak. Forty miles northeast of Quito, it stands at 18,997 feet, looking out over Reventador ("The Exploder", one of South America's most consistently active volcanoes) and over the Amazon Basin. Cayambe's glaciers are large and among the most active of all equatorial ice flows, and the varied glacial terrain here provides an excellent training ground and a rewarding summit climb.
Having spent at least seventy-two hours above 9000 feet, group members should be well enough acclimatized to begin sleeping and climbing at greater altitudes. Driving north to the mountain we pass through high, rolling grasslands with wildflowers and occasional herds of sheep and llamas. Leaving paved roads, the track we follow passes several working haciendas, steadily narrows, and becomes more rugged as it climbs higher and higher, finally to reach a point within a half-hour hike of a large stone hut - Ruales Oleas Berge Refuge - that serves as our base on the slopes of Cayambe at 15,290 feet.
As we continue our adjustment to the altitude, we spend our first afternoon and the following day in moderate activity on a low section of the glacier where we work on roped travel skills, protective systems, and the general procedures we will use in our ascents. The route we will take is not technical, but the number and size of the crevasses make the ascent serious, the route finding interesting, and the climbing engaging.
During the skills training, we cover the following subjects:
Crampon technique
Principal ice axe positions
Roped glacier travel
Self-arrest techniques (when snow conditions permit)
Basic snow and ice climbing techniques for moderate angle mountaineering
Discussion of high altitude physiology
After skills practice, we will return to the Refuge for a hearty meal and an early night of sleep.
Climbing with headlamps, we leave long before dawn in order to have firm snow conditions throughout the ascent. For the first four hours we make an easy glacier climb to a saddle, and then continue onto steeper and more exciting ground. We traverse around large crevasses, many with enormous tropical icicles hanging from their edges, pass some spectacular seracs, and climb 35-degree slopes with occasional and short, steeper sections as we work our way to the crater rim. The final climb to the summit follows a photogenic line along the glaciated edge of the volcano's crater, a fittingly dramatic ending to an ascent that is varied and scenic throughout.
Part 3: Ascent of Cotopaxi (19,348 ft / 5897 m)
Cotopaxi is the world highest active volcano. It stands in Ecuador's eastern cordillera, towering high above a small altiplano along with three other major peaks within the borders of the beautiful Cotopaxi National Park: Ruminahui (15,602 ft / 4755 m), Sincholagua (16,360 ft / 4986 m), and Quilindana (16,134 ft / 4917 m). Before entering the park, we drive south from Cayambe and stop for a night of rest at a seventeenth-century hacienda, from which we enjoy great mountain views of Illiniza Sur (17,268 ft / 5263 m), Illiniza Norte (16,861 ft / 5139 m), and Cotopaxi.
Sunrise on Cotopaxi from Cayambe. Our route follows the S-shaped sunlit snow ridge below and right of the summit. Melissa Park
The next morning, we leave the fertile and richly green central valley and drive east into Cotopaxi National Park. We travel through pine forests, then through drier and more open country as we ascend a rugged escarpment and finally reach a small altiplano beneath the park's towering summits. As we make our way up to and across the plain, we are fairly likely to get good sightings of wild horses, llamas, and condors. Following a rather remarkable track in our vehicle, we are able to drive to 15,100 feet, and from there, a forty-five minute climb with full packs takes us to the Josa Ribas Hut on Cotopaxi's flank at 15,729 feet.
On summit day, we again leave long before dawn in order to have firm snow conditions. We first climb non-glaciated slopes and then ascend a series of uniform snow and ice ramps of 30 and 35 degrees to reach a glacial platform at 17,000 feet. As dawn approaches, we enjoy one of the most spectacular color displays in the Andes. Almost every morning, the sun rises over a low trail of clouds which drifts in from the tropical forests of the Amazon Basin. As the sun moves further above the horizon, we are treated to a magnificent array of colors in the clouds, on the multi-hued soils and rock faces of the parkland, and on the massive glacial slopes of 18,714-foot Antisana, which rises to our north.
We belay across occasional snow bridges, skirt large crevasses, and ascend moderate terrain and occasional short steep slopes towards the huge summit cone. We reach the base of the 400-foot rock wall that is called Yanasacha (which means "black wild place" in Quechua), and to its side encounter a gaping bergschrund at the base of the final glacial slopes that we must climb to reach the summit. We traverse out to the far end of the bergschrund, make an easy descent to its floor, and then return to a point below our original position to reach a climbable section of its upper wall. A belayed ten-foot move on steep ice puts us on the 40-degree face, and from there we belay up some of the most enjoyable snow and ice climbing pitches in Ecuador. The gradient eases off as we reach the crater rim, and from there it is an easy ten-minute climb to Ecuador's second highest summit. From the top we enjoy views of nine major equatorial peaks, the seemingly limitless Amazon Basin to our east, and Cotopaxi's spectacular 1000-foot deep summit crater.
Optional Chimborazo Climb Extension
(20,703 ft / 6310 m)
Many people wish to climb Chimborazo, the highest peak in Ecuador at 20,703 feet (6310 m), and a summit with the further distinction of being furthest from the center of the earth. (Because of the ellipsoid shape of the planet, Chimborazo's location close to the Equator makes it "higher" by this measurement than Mt. Everest.)
Click on the link to learn more about the five-day extension to climb Chimborazo
Ecuador - Cotopaxi Skills Expedition Dates and Details The Cotopaxi Skills Expedition can be combined with a 4-day extension to summit Chimborazo (20,703 ft), the highest mountain in Ecuador.
IMPORTANT UPDATE : Cotopaxi is open to climbers!
2024 Dates
Team 5: May 18 - 27, 2024
Team 6: June 8 - 17, 2024
Team 7: July 6 - 15, 2024
Team 8: November 2 - 11, 2024
Team 9: November 16 - 25, 2024
Team 10: November 30 - December 9, 2024
Team 11: December 15 - 24, 2024
Chimborazo Extension : Please click on the link to view course dates.
2025 Dates
Team 1: January 11 - 20, 2025
Team 2: February 1 - 10, 2025
Team 3: February 15 - 24, 2025
Team 4: May 3 - 12, 2025
Team 5: May 17 - 26, 2025
Team 6: June 7 - 16, 2025
Team 7: July 5 - 14, 2025
Chimborazo Extension : Please click on the link to view course dates.
Details
Pricing: $3690; Prices are based on a minimum of 2 people per trip
Max Ratio: 2:1
Capacity: 10
Single Supplement: The cost for single accommodations is $490 for the Cotopaxi Skills Expedition and an additional $160 for the Chimborazo climb.
Private Trip Pricing:
Climbing in Ecuador can be an amazing adventure to share with friends or family! Please contact the AAI Office for private pricing and additional information on private trips, or to arrange a customized trip that fits your unique schedule and availability: 360-671-1505 (Toll Free: 1-800-424-2249) or email: [email protected] . We would be happy to set something up for you!
Prerequisites
Excellent physical condition - We are happy to advise you on a conditioning program; more information is provided in the registration packet
Previous backpacking or trekking experience Previous climbing experience is not required
Program Cost Inclusions and Exclusions
Inclusions: Lodging in hotels, haciendas, huts, and tents on a shared basis for the dates of your program (available on a private basis by special arrangement, subject to availability, and at added cost); Meals while at huts and while climbing; Group cooking equipment; Admissions to museums and national parks; Group climbing equipment; Transportation during trip.
Exclusions: Airfare; Personal equipment; Meals in cities, hotels, haciendas, and lodges; Gratuities to guides; Government and airport taxes; Inoculations; Personal insurance; Excess baggage.
Flight Information Flight arrangements should be made so that you arrive in Quito on the first scheduled start day of the trip, and you depart the day after the last scheduled day of the trip. You will need to be in Ecuador to meet with your group and guide at 7 pm on the first day of your trip. Please email or call our Travel Coordinator, Lisa Greif , if you would like assistance with travel arrangements (509-972-4028).
Other Programs & Custom Itineraries in Ecuador Both the Skills Expedition and the Antisana-Illiniza climb can be followed with an ascent of Chimborazo . Our El Altar Expedition may be of interest to you if you are looking for more a technical challenge on a remote and rarely climbed Ecuadorian peak. See the program pages for more details on each of these expeditions. We can also provide custom itineraries of any length for hiking, trekking, backpacking, scrambling, and climbing.
Ecuador - Cotopaxi Skills Expedition Trip Extensions Traveling as far as you are to get to Ecuador, you may want to take advantage of your presence there to make a visit to the Galapagos Islands - an area that is on most people's short list of "sites I have to see in my lifetime." You can meet blue-footed boobies close up, swim with penguins and seals, and photograph amazing reptiles, all with no fear of humans. We can also arrange tours to the Amazon Basin and to lodges in the Ecuadorian cloud forest. Tours can range from a few days to a week or more. Call or email the AAI travel coordinator if you'd like to discuss some of your ideas or our recommendations.
Galapagos Islands Cruise
Our cruise itineraries will take you to the isolated Galapagos Islands where you will visit remote locations teeming with unique wildlife and stunning landscapes. We offer 3, 4, 5, and 7 day long cruises to add on to your Ecuador Expedition. No matter how long you wish your Galapagos cruise package to be, daily excursions will be led by top Galapagos National Park guides with wonderful sites of soaring frigate birds, lumbering tortoises, frolicking sea lions, and sleek sharks.
Call or email the AAI travel coordinator if you'd like further details or to book this add-on.
The beauitful yacht you will get to explore the Galapagos Islands on! Golden Galapagos
A native blue-footed booby in the Galapagos Islands. Golden Galapagos
Amazon Rainforest Exploration
Stay in a sustainable premium eco-friendly lodge in the heart of the Amazon rainforest surrounded by a lush biodiversity and untouched natural beauty. Encounter an awe-inspiring array of wildlife, from rare to iconic species, and gain insights from both local experts and naturalist guides. During this experience you will learn all about the culture and traditions of local communites, forging meaningful connections with this beautiful place and people. There are also options for wellness retreats here. These experiences allow you to reconnect with yourself and nature in a serene sanctuary, dedicated to holistic wellness and spiritual rejuvenation. Itineraries for this program are flexible in terms of days and types of experiences.
Call or email the AAI travel coordinator if you'd like further details or to book this add-on.
The unique and serene lodge tucked away in the Amazon Rainforest. Le Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat
Some of the wildlife you may encounter while exploring the endless Amazon rainforest. Le Selva Eco-Lodge & Retreat
Ecuador - Cotopaxi Skills Expedition Testimonials "I had a great experience in Ecuador, and enjoyed every minute. The trip was very rewarding regarding beauty and the mountain experiences, but I expected this. What I did not expect were the friendships and relationships that developed between our lead guide, who was a fantastic human being, and the climbers. The guide was a very knowledgeable and experienced guide and I completely trusted him. He was completely committed to the climbers in situations in and out of the mountains, and we traveled effortlessly through his country. The combination of great company and great guiding made this trip a fantastic experience. Thanks AAI!"
Mike Brennan, Scranton, PA
"Not only was my guide technically solid on the mountains, he showed balanced decision making skills on each of the climbs. He did a great job tailoring the trip to our individual needs and abilities."George Henderson, Harrisburg, PA
"Our expedition was truly an excellent experience. I believe this was due in large part to the character, skill, and personality of our two guides. They were exceptional, made us all feel like we could push ourselves safely, and helped me experience great personal success."Josh Katzman, Arlington, MA
"AAI is by far the most experienced guide service in the Andes."Adventure Travel Magazine
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