Early in the morning we will to the Cable car of Quito Telefèrico from Cruz Loma 4050 mtrs. (13287 ft.) We will climb to the Guagua Pinchincha. Pichincha is complex and consists of two volcanoes: Rucu and Guagua Pichincha, translated from Quichua language in "old" and "child". Overlooking the city of Quito, it offers a unique view of the Avenue of the Volcanoes. The "Guagua" Pichincha (4780 m.- 15682,41 ft.), which is our goal that day, is an active volcano located just 10 km west of Quito. It is the highest of the two peaks of this mountain range, the Rucu Pichincha only rises to 4627 meters (15328,08 ft.). In the afternoon we will move to lasso.

After breakfast we will go to Ilinizas Ecological Reserve. Illinizas are two mountains that hold the 6th and 8th highest Ecuadorian peaks titles, Illiniza Sur (5,263 m / 17,267 ft.) and Illiniza Norte (5,126 m / 16,818 ft.) respectively. They used to be one whole volcano featuring a crater, but eventually split up in two. These peaks are located 55 Km south of Quito, the capital city of Ecuador, in the Occidental Andean range. Illiniza Sur holds more humidity than Illiniza Norte, and therefore Sur has a permanent snow and glacier. It is said that Illiniza Norte (North) is known for being less difficult to climb than its neighboring peak Illiniza Sur (South). Indeed, Illiniza Sur is advised for experienced climbers with knowledge on technical gear and its use on steep snow ramps, while for the former the deal is good hiking and scrambling skills. However, Illiniza Norte can feature snow conditions from time to time, turning this rocky peak into a technical one and a real challenge even for experienced climbers. Later, we will move to Chugchilan where we will stay and overnight.

In the morning, we will have a rest day just doing a little hike in Quilotoa. You will get close to rural indigenous life and enjoy a variety of landscapes with majestic canyons, lakes and volcanoes. Get inspired by the pictures and start planning your trek with this article. Just when you’re sweating, sunburned, and too short of breath from a few days of the Quilotoa Loop trek, you will wind up at a summit like you’ve never seen before. Who needs a peak when you can end up at Laguna de Quilotoa? Inside the 3km (2 mile) wide caldera is a lake, brilliant green with minerals. The crater rim climbs to 3,915 meters (12,844 feet) at its highest point, but when the clouds roll in and swallow the sides of the caldera, it is just you and the lake below. And after a few days of hiking, we’d say Laguna de Quilotoa is nothing short of a spectacular finish. Trekking the Quilotoa Loop is definitely one of the best opportunities for trekking in Ecuador. The route is customizable with trekking routes taking between two days and two weeks. You will get lost, but the opportunity to explore the rarely visited parts of Ecuador is well worth the adventure. Think you are up for it? Here’s our guide for trekking the Quilotoa Loop, complete with where to stay, how to get there, where to leave your luggage, and suggested Quilotoa Loop routes. In the afternoon, we will make our way into the Cotopaxi National Park and up to the refuge center with our gear. After lunch, we will put on the gear and go through a glacier training course with the guide before having dinner and resting until midnight.

Our climb to the summit will begin at approximately 1:00 am and will take five hours to reach the top of the Cotopaxi Volcano 5897 meter above sea level (19347,11). The return climb takes approximately two to three hours. Then we will take our transportation and we will take the way to go to Baños de Agua Santa, day to rest and prepared to the next experience. We will have free time, rest and accommodation.

After noon, we will take the way to going to the camp base on the Chimborazo Reintroduction Reserve. We will then head towards the first refuge which is located at 4,800 mtrs. (15748,03 ft.)  To the second refuge which is at 5,000mtrs. (16404,2 ft.). We will then have an appetizing boxed lunch, and will get a short talk about all the safety precautions and climbing technique the guides can give us. We will have dinner at 6:00 pm to later go rest until 12:00 am for the climb.

We’ll wake up at midnight and have breakfast, and then we will make our way up to the Whymper Peak; which is at 6310 mtrs. (20702,1 ft.). It will take us approximately 7 to 8 hours to get to this top; but when we arrive, it will be very well worth the effort, you’ll be able to take in a once in a lifetime view of all the Andes. It’ll take us about 3 to 4 hours to get back down to the refuge where we will pick up all of our equipment and go back down to our car, and make our way back to Quito.