Pasachoa is an ancient and heavily eroded volcano that has been inactive since the last ice age. It is located 30 km South of Quito. Inside the crater there is the Pasochoa Protected Forest Reserve, a humid Andean Forest, with more than 110 species of birds and 45 species of trees at an altitude of 2.700 m / 8,856 ft to 4.200 m / 13,776 ft. Some of the plants have an important medicinal value. Inside the crater there are several self-guided loop trails to be taken which vary from one to seven hours. On a sunny day it is possible to see the magnificent condors flying inside the crater.

One of the routes up Pasochoa is by the North-eastern side. This is the shortest approach to the summit and is a good first acclimatisation hike. You can gain altitude much faster than following the crater route. We drive for one and a half hours to an altitude of 3.400 m / 11,152 ft where we start walking. The hike normally takes four hours up to the summit and the descent two hours.