Outdoor activities Outdoor sports Nature & adventure Tours Viewing points Hiking Climbing experiences Extreme sports & adrenaline Volcano tours National parks

Smell the sulfur of Guagua Pichincha, an active volcano just outside of Quito! Stay on its crater and climb the summits of a high 4000m peak! Enjoy the unique view to a lot of other volcanoes!

Highlights

• Stay on the edge of an active volcano with fumaroles and smell its sulfur!
• Trek and climb to several summits of Guagua Pichincha, all higher than 4000m!
• Acclimatize at Guagua Pichincha for peaks over 5000m in the Andes of Ecuador!
• Watch birds and enjoy unique vegetation of the high Andes just outside of Quito!
• Enjoy awesome views to several high mountains, some glaciated and some active!

Description

We meet and greet in English, German or Spanish at your hotel, bus station, airport or wherever you want. By private 4×4 car we go to the viewpoint of Cinto and enjoy an excellent view of the capital. Only 20 minutes outside of Quito we enter the pure nature! We cross the small village of Lloa with its everytime lush green surroundings of natural vegetation, crops and pastures. Flowering bushes attract Hummingbirds, Flower Piercers, Tanagers and other small birds. Often we spot Caracaras, sometimes Buzzards and even the mighty Condor roars there. The bumpy, dirty road leads up higher and higher and provides everytime wider views to the Andes. Some mountains are glaciated like Antisana, some are still active volcanoes like Cotopaxi. And there are so much more! Soon we are higher than 4000m and if you want to acclimatize (for the climb of even higher mountains in Ecuador) you may want to leave the car behind and trek to the refuge at 4560m. Here ends the rough road. We already crossed and left the wet grass land of Páramo vegetation and are surrounded by sandy volcanic sediments now. A broad trail leads up to the crater of Guagua Pichincha. On weekends local catholic people come here to pray at a virgin and a big cross. Congratulations! You are at our first summit of the volcano at 4675m! Take pictures to memorize this moment! The crater of Guagua Pichincha formes a half circle similar to a horse shoe and is open to the west. In this direction we can see the everytime green cloud and mountain forest dropping down, down, down to the coast area. Very impressive! Guagua Pichincha is an active volcano. The last big eruption was only in 1999! Now it's safe to approach the crater, but the mountain is not dead! Depending on the wind we may smell the sulfur and if you are strong enough to continue to the second summit, we can see the fumaroles inside of the crater. But sometimes the clouds are quicker, cover the landscape and we can't see a lot. The trail turns steeper and more demanding. We pass instruments which control the volcanic activity and we have to negotiate some rocks on the edge of the crater, that we follow in direction to the second summit at 4776m. A monolith marks this point. The main summit is not far any more, but now we have to climb some rocky sections. If it is dry it's not difficult, but sometimes the rocks are wet, snow covered or icy. I bring a harness, carabiner and a rope for the short difficult part. The everytime stronger smell of sulfur, the overwhelming view to the entire U-shaped crater and wonderful view to the impressive mountain range of the Andes compensate our efforts. We are 4794m above sea level! From the summit we return to the refuge. On weekends we may have there a warm dish and a hot beverage to warm up. By car we return to Quito and enjoy the unique scenery from a different angle. We may stop to enjoy different plants and flowers. After a thrilling, adventurous day I drop you off wherever you want and say goodbye.

Includes

My profesional guidance in English /German/Spanish from the pick up to the drop off in Quito or surroundings My private 4×4 car and all costs related to transportation My food and drinks Harness, carabiner and rope for you All points of described program

Important Information

• Please consider that we go to high altitude. You will need a certain level of acclimation. We will walk. Even if we have time to go slowly, you will enjoy more, if you have a certain level of fitness. At high altitude sun is very strong. Please bring sun protection and sun glasses in case of snow in the mountain. There's no food and drinks in the mountain (except on weekends). Please bring your food and drinks with you or ask me to buy it, before we leave 'civilization'! It may be very windy and cold (around 0°C) at noon in the summit area. Be prepared! A hat and gloves may be good close to the summits. Sometimes we are inside of the clouds or it may rain or snow. Water-resistant clothes are necessary. Binoculars may be helpful to observe birds and the fumaroles at the bottom of the crater. Please don't forget your camera! On weekends there are thermal springs working not far away. If you consider to use them please bring a towel, entrance fee and swimming clothes (bad weather option)!

Easy cancellation

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund