Andean Summits Backpacker

A fantastic day hike up the Rucu Pichincha Volcano. The day starts riding the Teleferico cable car up Cruz Loma (4100m) for fine views over the city and your first taste of altitude. From there we head a little higher trekking 3 hours up to Rucu Pichincha (4680m) before returning to Quito to relax.

Tour duration: 7-8 hours / Type: this is a privately organized tour service

Pasochoa is a beautiful, 4199 meters (13776 ft) high mountain. The highlight of the Pasochoa trek is its humid cloud forest, situated inside an extinct volcanic crater near Quito. We find over one hundred species of bird and 50 species of original Andean trees. It provides a wonderful day trip. The trek is relatively gentle, going through amazing Páramo grasslands and cloud forests, which boasts of stunning Andean wildlife, including bulls, wild horses, hummingbirds, the viridian metal tail, mountain tanagers, red crested cotinga and the occasional Andean condor. Besides this, you’ll enjoy incredible views over Andean landscapes. 

Tour duration: 7-8 Hours / Type: This is a privately organized tour service

A fun climbing adventure to Illinizas! The Illinizas North & South, also called the Twin Peaks, are separated by a saddle of about 1 km, and the Ilinizas North is the one peak that you can climb in one day! It is a strenuous hike combined with non-techinical climbing. It`s a fun climb with some exciting scrambles thrown in – perfect for the experienced hiker! The views at the top are simply breath-taking!

The total climb up takes approx. 6 hours reaching an altitude of 5126m (16817ft).

Quilotoa is a real highlight of your tour that will literally take your breath away! An emerald green Laguna inside the crater of an extinct volcano with steep jagged cliffs and views straight down the entire valley of volcanoes (on a clear day), as well as amazing landscapes along the drive through what is sometimes referred as the Grand Canyon of Ecuador. The trek into the crater to the lake shore is very popular. There is a possibility for an optional mule ride out (approx. 10$) for those with tired limbs.

At the shore you can also rent a kayak to explore the lake and fumaroles. The village of Quilotoa is also an interesting crafts center.

Tour duration: 7-8 hours / Type: this is a privately organized tour service

We depart to the Cotopaxi National Park and then to the parking lot which is at 4.500 mtrs.

We will have a walk to the refuge at 4.800 mtrs. In an hour approximately where we will rest and take a box lunch and after we will take a small talk and practice in the glaciers for with the guides approximately one hour and we return to the refuge we will take a special dinner at 6 pm and we will take a rest.

Our climb starts around midnight in order to get us up to the peak in time for sun-break; this is an energy-sapping trek (5-6 hours up, 3 hours down) so there are no guarantees of reaching the summit but for those who do there is the reward of incredible views up and down the Andes.

After returning to the refuge we head back to Quito where the tour ends mid-afternoon on arrival.