Cotopaxi Trek & Climb

Get intimate with one of the World’s highest active volcanoes

DURATION 7 days

STARTING FROM $ 1820

DIFFICULTY Easy to Intermediate

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TRIP OVERVIEW

Cotopaxi is considered without a doubt one of the most beautiful peaks in the world.

It is the most popular mountain of Ecuador and due to the fact it has the highest number of clear days in our country, it is perhaps the most frequently climbed in all the Andes.

Often people drive into the park, climb the mountain and leave again. But Cotopaxi and its surrounding areas offer much more. The National Park has several other smaller volcanoes and peaks that are wonderful to climb, and at the same time offer great acclimatization opportunities.

So we would like to offer you Cotopaxi in a different way…
Instead of the normal Cotopaxi climbing tours that drive in and out, you will be hiking. In this way, Andeanface offers you a fantastic chance to enjoy and experience intensively the beautiful landscape around the mountain.

If you would like to get an impression of this unique expedition, then watch the movie made by Andeanface clients Anna & Robert Higgins: “Cotopaxi Trek and Climb Expedition 2011”.

After a four day hike in which we climb Pasochoa 4.200 m /13,776 ft, we get into Cotopaxi National Park. Once within the park we hike up to the central summit of Rumiñahui at 4.600 m / 15,088 ft, then have a rest day and later continue towards the Jose Rivas Refuge at 4.800 m / 15,744 ft. This itinerary has proved to be very effective for acclimatization. It provides the best chance to summit Cotopaxi in a short period whilst minimizing the amount of driving.

This short video summarizes our Cotopaxi trek and climb program:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdb4qO7NrGE

Arrive/Depart: Quito

Group Size: 2-12 Guests

Pre-requisites: Good physical condition

Difficulty Levels:
Easy: Pasochoa
Moderate: Rumiñahui
Intermediate: Cotopaxi
EXPLAIN DIFFICULTY LEVELS

Accomodation: 6 nights - 2 Camping / 3 Haciendas /
1 Mountain Refugue VIEW LODGING

Activity: Trekking / Wildlife & Natural History / Glacier Practice / Climbing

Seasons: All year round

Equipment: Climbing Expeditions Gear List
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ITINERARY

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DAY
01

Hike to Hacienda Santa Rita [3.280 m / 10,758 ft]

After a short drive of only one hour, we start hiking from the village of Rumipamba at 2.850 m / 9,320 ft. The trek follows cobble stone roads on the side of the Pita River, which comes from Cotopaxi National Park. Close to the Hacienda Santa Rita we pass in front of a shrine where locals come to worship the "Virgen de la Piedra", the Virgin of the Rock. Today’s hike will take around 5 hours. When you get to the Hacienda the camp will already be set up. You will spend your first night at an altitude of 3.280 m / 10,758 ft.

Activity: 4-5 hours hiking

Accommodation: Camping

Transportation: Private van or jeep transfer

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

DAY
02

Pasochoa Hike [4.200 m / 13,776 ft]

Today we leave in the morning around 8 a.m. for a 6 hours hike to the Pasochoa volcano. We will be crossing the fields of Hacienda Santa Rita. Pasochoa is an ancient and heavily eroded volcano that has been inactive since the last ice age. If the weather permits, from the summit, we will be able to take a good look at the crater. Inside you will see the Pasochoa Protected Forest Reserve, a humid Andean forest with more than 110 species of birds and 45 species of trees, located between 2.700 m / 8,856 ft and 4.200 m / 13,776 ft. On a sunny day you can eventually see condors. We return to Santa Rita campsite for the night.

Activity: 6-7 hours hiking up and down Pasochoa

Accommodation: Camping

Meals: Breakfast, Box Lunch, Dinner

DAY
03

Hike to Hacienda El Porvenir or Los Mortiños [3.600 m / 11,808 ft]

Today we hike towards the hacienda El Porvenir. Part of the hike goes through humid Andean forest where there is a chance to see hummingbirds. El Porvenir is one of the largest farms in Ecuador. It can be used as a base for excellent hikes within the Cotopaxi National Park. Located at 3.600 m / 11,808 ft, El Porvenir is surrounded by four volcanoes: Cotopaxi, Sincholahua, Pasochoa and Rumiñahui. Here you will be able to enjoy your stay in a comfortable, functional and beautiful traditional Andean hacienda. The "casa de hacienda", or farmhouse, is built with materials such as brick, straw, wood and adobe that have been used for centuries. If El Porvenir is not available we will use Hacienda Los Mortiños.

Activity: 5 hours trekking

Accommodation: Hacienda El Porvenir

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY
04

Central Summit of Rumiñahui [4.600 m / 15,092 ft]

From Hacienda El Porvenir we do a short drive to Limpiopungo lake where we start hiking towards the central ridge of Rumiñahui, leading to the middle summit. The rock on this mountain can be a bit loose underfoot, so we have to take care, but the views from the summit are really worth it. The volcano is located only 13 km North West of Cotopaxi and it is named after Atahualpa’s general, who was the last Inca Emperor. After the emperor was murdered, Rumiñahui led the fight against the Spanish conquerors. In Quichua his name means "stone face". We spend the night at Tambopaxi.

Activity: 5-6 hours trekking up and down Rumiñahui

Accommodation: Tambopaxi Lodge

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY
05

Hike to the hut and to the Glacier [5.000 m / 16,400 ft]

Today we do a gentle 2-3 hour hike to 5.000 m / 16,400 ft on Cotopaxi to increase our acclimatisation, have lunch at the hut and drive down to Tambopaxi for the sencond night there. It is a beautiful hostel, located inside the Cotopaxi National Park and a great place to rest and acclimatise at the same time! It has excellent facilities such as good and clean showers, including the luxury of warm water, and the food is good.

Activity: 2-3 hours hiking

Accommodation: Tambopaxi Lodge

Transportation: Private van or jeep transfer

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY
06

Cotopaxi Refuge [4.800 m / 15,700 ft]

From Tambopaxi we drive the short distance to the car parking at 4.600 m / 15,088 ft in only 45 minutes. From here we hike for another 45 minutes to an hour to the Jose Rivas Refuge at 4.800 m / 15,750 ft. After lunch, we provide a good glacier skills review and we will brief you about all the technical aspects of the ascent. After a couple of hours we return to the refuge for a hearty hot meal.

Activity: 1 hour hiking up to the refuge

Accommodation: Jose Rivas Refuge

Transportation: Private van or jeep transfer

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY
07

Cotopaxi Summit / Return to Quito [5.897 m / 19,300 ft]

This is the day in which you will actually be climbing Cotopaxi. We leave the refuge around 1 AM for a six hours climb. From the hut we ascend moderate glacier slopes to the summit. Along the way however, complex crevasse patterns and snow bridge crossings over crevasses will make the climb very interesting. After passing through a heavily crevassed area, we reach the final summit slope. Here a challenging section of 35-40 degree snow leads to the abrupt finish of the climb on the crater rim of the World's highest active volcano. At the top of Cotopaxi you can look inside the crater and see its sulphur fumaroles. The crater rim measures approximately 800 m / 2,600 ft in diameter. The view from the summit is indeed one of the most spectacular in Ecuador. Technically the normal route is not difficult, but special care has to be given to potential hidden crevasses. The descent usually takes around two hours. After resting and packing we return to Quito.

Activity: 8 hours climbing up and down Cotopaxi

Accommodation: In Quito (not included in the program)

Transportation: Private van or jeep transfer

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

DOWNLOAD ITINERARY

Important: Please note that this itinerary is a guideline only. We will do every effort to follow it, but in case of unforeseen circumstances we may have to make changes.

HIGHLIGHTS

We offer you Cotopaxi in a different way:

Hike from the base of Cotopaxi to the summit
Gradual acclimatization process
Exclusive route to approach Cotopaxi National Park
Get to see the rural life of Ecuador during the hike
Stay at Hacienda El Porvenir or Los Mortinios and Tambopaxi Lodge

MAP

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ZOOM
CONVERSATIONS

The best and easiest way for us to answer any questions you might have about the expedition, as an individual or a group, is through a Zoom call with the head guide from our team. We are happy to arrange a meeting ideally pm Eastern time for us, Let us know by sending an email to

info@andeanface.com

COMPLIMENTARY
EXTENSIONS

Our Complimentary Extension Packages offer great opportunities to explore some of Ecuador’s most dramatic scenaries, which have earned the country a reputation as one of the most bio diverse and unique regions on the planet.

We work with carefully selected tourism operators, which will offer the same quality and high standards of service that our clients expect from us.

You can choose from a selection of various (active) outdoor activities in the Galapagos, the Cloud Forest or Amazon Jungle. We highly recommend to extent your trip with a rafting experience.

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DATES & PRICING

Scheduled Dates

* A “CONFIRMED DEPARTURE” is when we have at least 2 participants booked!

Sunday OCT 18 - Saturday OCT 24, 2026

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Sunday NOV 01 - Saturday NOV 07, 2026

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Sunday NOV 15 - Saturday NOV 21, 2026

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Sunday DEC 20 - Saturday DEC 26, 2026

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Sunday JAN 17 - Saturday JAN 23, 2027

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CONFIRMED
DEPARTURE

Sunday FEB 07 - Saturday FEB 13, 2027

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Sunday FEB 14 - Saturday FEB 20, 2027

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Sunday MAR 07 - Saturday MAR 13, 2027

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CONFIRMED
DEPARTURE

Wednesday APR 07 - Sunday APR 11, 2027

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Sunday MAY 02 - Saturday MAY 08, 2027

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Sunday JUN 27 - Saturday JUL 03, 2027

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Sunday JUL 18 - Saturday JUL 24, 2027

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Sunday AUG 01 - Saturday AUG 07, 2027

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Sunday AUG 15 - Saturday AUG 21, 2027

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Sunday SEP 05 - Saturday SEP 11, 2027

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Sunday OCT 03 - Saturday OCT 09, 2027

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WHY TAKE THIS TRIP WITH US?

After having led several times the so-called “tea house” treks in Nepal, together with Andeanface, I decided to develop a similar program here in the Andes of Ecuador based on the same concept: “Ecuador: lodge to lodge trek”. The lodges we use are amongst others “Haciendas”, Spanish for farm houses, that nowadays are converted into lodges. Our clients will be able to walk only with a day pack.

Javier Herrera
Andeanface Head Guide and Manager

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

Hi Javier, The trip was wonderful! Thank you for putting all of this together, we have enjoyed every minute and all the people we met along the way!

Alisa and Mike

USA Cotopaxi trek and climb

Thank you so much again for your incredible service, care and organization of our trip. From the detail of making sure where we stayed at bread alternatives for me, to the gear rental and of course taking care of me when I got sick, you went above and beyond. It really was something we'll never forget and we couldn't have done it without you. I hope you have enjoyed some of the blog posts that include Andean Face and we will continue to spread the word on what an amazing company you are. Kind regards

Michelle Jackson

Canada

A quick thank you for organizing a great trip up Cotopaxi. Please pass along our sincere thanks to our guide for getting us prepared and safely up the mountain. He is a fantastic guide and was patient, knowledgeable and took really great care of us. All the best,

William Fitzgerald

USA

Alex and I were really glad to go with Andeanface. Javier took care of all the logistics and everything worked out really smoothly. Gaspar was a great guide and pushed me on to the summit while making sure we were safe. The whole trip was even better with good company; we all got along pretty well. The food, logistics, lodging, the hiking and climbing were really well thought out and laid out. The acclimatization worked great for us (and of course, training at home helps everything). Also what I really liked was their focus on safety and getting to the top and the bottom safely. Overall, we loved our trip and can highly recommend Andeanface. Thanks!

Stephanie and Alex Vu

USA

According to our climbing experiences all over the world, Andeanface is at the higest level of organization and performances. Very good guides as well as nice people, always willing to listen and help. They have taken care of every detail and could not have asked anything better. We can highly recommend Andeanface for your climbing experiences in Ecuador.

Giorgio Massetti & friends

Italy