Ecuador’s capital city bears two interesting distinctions: it is the highest above sea level (9,350’) and also the closest to the Equator. Upon arrival, you will be met by our representatives and escorted to your hotel in the historic center of Quito. The rest of the day is free to explore the city.

Our journey begins in Colonial Quito, a city of narrow cobblestone streets lined with whitewashed walls and, rising above, the steeples and cupolas of the city’s many historic churches. Quito has one of the best preserved colonial centers in all of South America; its integrity was assured in 1978 when Quito became one of the first two cities in the world (along with Krakow, Poland) to be declared a UNESCO World Culture Heritage Site.

This morning we visit colonial Quito. We will walk through the Main Plaza, where you will see the Government Palace, La Compañía, and some of the most important churches built around the XVI and XVII centuries, including the San Francisco Monastery, which was started 5 days after the founding of the city in 1534. We will also visit the city’s famous La Ronda street, where we learn about traditional work in Colonial Quito. For our last stop, we will also be visiting the ‘Panecillo’, the hill that dominates the South of the city, and where we will be able to admire the famous statue of Our Lady of the Panecillo and enjoy spectacular views of Quito.

Guagua Pichincha is located at northwest of the commu-nity of Lloa, located in the south of Quito; from the hotel to start point it takes about 2 hours of driving. Since this is our first chance to stretch our legs and hike at a high elevation, we will be starting at the Guagua Pichincha Refuge. Leaving the refuge we come to the edge of this active volcano's crater, where we will be able to appreciate its vastness as we gaze down on its several geysers. Our hike continues along the rim until we reach the summit at 15,696 ft. This will be a good acclimatization day to prepare us for our coming adventures in the Andes, and if the weather is clear we will have worldclass views of the famous “Avenue of Volcanoes”, a stretch of seven peaks above 17,000 feet in elevation. After descending, we return back to our hotel in Quito.

After a short vehicle transfer to the beginning of the trail, we will trek through the community of Zuleta, an area famed for its traditional embroidery, dairy products, alpaca farming and highland crops such as wheat, maize, potatoes, lentils and quinoa. “Zuletenos” and “Zuletenas” are known to keep their culture and traditions; keep an eye out for the way the locals dress here and how different it is from the traditional Otavalo clothing. After our morning hike, we learn to cook Zuleta-style in the home of a local chef who worked for many years at one of the best haciendas in Ecuador. After enjoying the fruits of our labors, we depart Zuleta and Otavalo for the Cotopaxi region and our next three 4K summits!

The hike to the summit of triple-peaked Ruminahui (named after a famous Inca general and known as the park’s sentr) starts at the crystal clear Limpiopungo Lagoon, which often reflects Cotopaxi towering above. This hike will take us right into the heart of the paramo grasslands, passing small waterfalls before arriving at the scree fields and rock face below the summit.

The climb highlights the grandeur of the Andes, offering views of the nearby peaks of Sincholagua as well as Cotopaxi and even Illinzas Norte. On our descent we will pass through ‘the silent valley’ that follows the course of a number of small streams before returning to the stunning Limpiopungo Lake.

You are free to rest today or explore some nearby trails

The Illinizas are twin mountains and the 6th and 8th highest Ecuadorian peaks. Illiniza Sur (17,267ft) has a permanent snowfield and glacier and is suitable for experienced climbers with knowledge of technical gear and steep snow/ice ramps. Illiniza Norte, which we will tackle, requires some scrambling but is non-technical and still offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys of the Ecuadorian Andes. After an early start from the lodge and a drive to the trailhead, we hike for around 3 hours before reaching the Illiniza refuge hut, where we’ll stop for refreshments before the final hour- long push to the summit, reaching the highest point on our trekking adventure, 16,817’!

From the lodge we will drive in our private vehicle to the parking area of the Cotopaxi mountain refuge- which sits at 16,000ft. It's approximately an hour's walk to the moun- taineers' lodge,followed by another two hours to the edge of the glacier. From here, the northern side of the moun- tain offers a spectacular panorama. You will be able to identify (with the help of our guide) all of the ground we have covered since the first day of our adventure. From here we descend back down and transfer back to the hotel in Quito for our final night in Ecuador.

Depart today for your flight back home