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Day 9: Arrival in Quito
14:00 – 16:00: Arrive at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in Quito. Take a taxi/private transfer to your hotel.
16:00 onwards: Check-in at your hotel (2,850m). Rest, drink plenty of water or coca tea, and keep physical exertion to zero to adjust to the new mountain environment.
Day 10: Quito City Tour
09:00 – 13:00: Guided walking tour of Quito’s historic Old Town (UNESCO World Heritage site). Explore San Francisco Plaza and the Basilica.
13:00 – 14:30: Traditional Ecuadorian lunch.
14:30 – 17:00: Afternoon trip to Mitad del Mundo to visit the official Equator line.18:00: Meet with your ASEGUIM Mountain Guide for a mandatory trip briefing and initial gear overview.
Day 11: Pasochoa Hike (4,200m)
07:30 – 09:00: Drive from Quito southeast towards the Pasochoa Protected Forest.
09:00 – 14:00: Hike up the collapsed crater rim of Pasochoa Volcano (4,200m). The trail winds through a humid cloud forest before opening into high-altitude grasslands (páramo).
14:00 – 15:30: Box lunch on the trail and drive back to Quito.
Day 12: Rucu Pichincha Hike (4,696m)
08:00 – 08:30: Drive to the base of the Telefériqo cable car in Quito.
08:30 – 09:00: Ride the cable car straight up to 4,000m.
09:00 – 14:00: Climb the rocky trail to the summit of Rucu Pichincha (4,696m). The final stretch involves a scramble up a steep sand and rock gully.14:00 – 15:00: Take the cable car back down and return to the hotel.
Day 13: Technical Rest, Gear Rental & Packing
09:00 – 13:00: Visit a specialized mountaineering shop in Quito with your guide. Rent your plastic/double mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axes, harnesses, and helmets.
13:00 – 15:00: Carb-heavy lunch and final packing. Separate your “glacier gear” from your “town clothes” (which can be left securely at your Quito hotel).15:00 onwards: Rest completely. Do not do any physical training today.
Day 14: Cayambe Drive & Hike to Refuge
09:00 – 12:00: Scenic drive north from Quito to the town of Cayambe, stopping to see views of the Northern Highlands.
12:00 – 13:30: Lunch in Cayambe town and transfer into a rugged 4×4 vehicle.
13:30 – 15:30: Steep 4×4 drive up the cobblestone and dirt tracks to the Ruales-Oleas-Berge Refuge (4,600m).
15:30 – 17:30: Unpack your sleeping bag in the bunkhouse. Take a very short, slow walk around the refuge area to check your breathing.18:00: Early dinner at the refuge, followed by an immediate lights-out.
Day 15: Cayambe Glacier School
08:30 – 09:30: Short hike from the refuge up to the foot of the Cayambe Glacier (approx. 4,800m).
09:30 – 14:30: Glacier School: Spend the day on the ice wearing your double boots and crampons. Practice rope team travel, ice axe self-arrest methods, and walking on varying ice gradients.
14:30 – 15:30: Return to the refuge.17:30: Dinner, pack your summit pack with insulated Nalgene bottles, and go to sleep by 18:30.
**Day 16: PEAK 3 – Cayambe Glacier Summit Attempt (5,790m)**23:00
Wake-up call. Eat a light breakfast and put on all technical layers.
00:00 – 06:30: Summit Push: 6.5 hours of steady glacier climbing. Navigate around open crevasses and ascend steep snow slopes in the dark.
06:30 – 07:30: Summit: Reach the top of Cayambe (5,790m)—the only point where the Equator crosses permanent snow.
07:30 – 11:00: Careful descent back down the glacier to the refuge.
11:00 – 12:30: Pack your gear, load the 4×4, and drive down the mountain.
12:30 – 16:30: Long drive south bypasses Quito and goes straight into the Cotopaxi Region. Check into a comfortable countryside hacienda.
**Day 17: Mandatory Rest Day (Hacienda)**All Day:
Complete physical rest. Sleep in, eat hearty meals, dry out any damp gear from Cayambe, and rehydrate. This rest day is non-negotiable for muscle recovery before Cotopaxi.
Day 18: Cotopaxi José Ribas Refuge (4,860m)
10:00 – 12:00: Enter Cotopaxi National Park via 4×4 and drive across the high volcanic plateau to the parking lot (4,500m).
12:00 – 13:30: Hike up the steep, windy scree slope carrying your heavy pack from the parking lot to the José Ribas Refuge (4,860m).
14:00 – 16:00: Gear check and a short walk to the lower glacier edge if conditions permit.17:30: Early dinner and sleep.
Day 19: PEAK 4 – Cotopaxi Summit Attempt (5,897m)
23:30 : Wake up, gear up, and drink hot tea.
00:30 – 06:30: Summit Push: Climb the steep snow and ice fields of a perfectly symmetrical active volcano cone. Navigate the technical heart-shaped crevasse zone.
06:30 – 07:15: Summit: Stand on the rim of the colossal Cotopaxi crater (5,897m) with steam vents puffing around you.
07:15 – 10:30: Descend the snow slopes back to the refuge, pack up, and hike down to the parking lot.
11:00 – 14:00: Drive out of the park and travel south to the lush, subtropical valley town of Baños (1,800m).15:00 onwards: Check into a hotel. The low altitude and thick oxygen will make recovery exceptionally fast.
Day 20: Baños Rest & Transition to Chimborazo
09:00 – 13:00: Relax your sore muscles in the Baños thermal hot springs, visit the massive Pailón del Diablo waterfall, or rest at a café.
13:00 – 14:30: Lunch and buying high-energy snacks for the final peak.
14:30 – 17:30: Drive from Baños up into the dry, windswept highlands surrounding Chimborazo Volcano. Check into a nearby mountain lodge or high refuge.
Day 21: Chimborazo High Camp / Whymper Refuge (5,300m)
10:00 – 12:00:Drive up to the first Chimborazo parking area.
12:00 – 15:00: Hike slowly up to the High Camp or Whymper Refuge (approx. 5,000m – 5,300m depending on guide route choice). The air here is incredibly thin; take tiny steps.
15:00 – 17:00: Set up your gear, melt snow for water, and do a final check of your crampons.17:00: Eat a simple mountain dinner and try to sleep. The alpine start here is even earlier due to rockfall risks.
Day 22: PEAK 5 – Chimborazo Summit (6,263m) & Return to Quito
22:00 : Wake up. This is your earliest and toughest alpine start.
23:00 – 06:30: The Ultimate Summit Push: Climb the incredibly steep, cold, and relentless ice ridges of Chimborazo. You will ascend past the El Castillo rock feature.
06:30 – 07:30: Summit: Stand on the Whymper Summit (6,263m)—the highest mountain in Ecuador and the closest point on Earth to the sun.
07:30 – 11:00: Long, exhausting descent down the mountain before the sun melts the snow and triggers rockfalls.
11:30 – 15:30: Pack your vehicles and take the 4-hour drive back north to Quito.16:00 onwards: Return all rented gear, check back into your city hotel, shower, and enjoy a massive celebration dinner before your international departure tomorrow.Important Timeline RealitiesWeather
