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Adventure Tours |
 PP4 GO WEST BOY On this 12-day travel adventure we move from the Andes west all the way to the Pacific ocean and then back again. On this trip we engage first in whitewater rafting, mountain biking and scuba diving. Moving back to the Andes again, we engage at the end in high altitude trekking and a climb to a 5000m plus peak. You should be in decent physical shape and enjoy the activities, both the ocean and the mountains offer. Day 1 Driving to the southern part of Quito we arrive after one hour at San Juan, a small village, located at around 3300m, our starting point of our mountain biking event. You descend by bike then down the old road Quito – Santo Domingo to Alluriquin, another small village located at around 1200m, a 60 km stretch. We pass from Paramo to sub- tropical region descending the Western Cordillera towards the coast on a gravel road along beautiful vegetation. That region is also a famous bird watching area; so do not be surprised to see some exotic birds. The run is in the beginning a rapid descent along a mountainous gorge till you reach Chiriboga, a small village. From there it is up and downhill through cloud forest area along a small river till you reach the new Highway Aloag - Santo Domingo, our end of the ride. From there we drive to Valle Hermosa, where we spend the night. (B,L) Day 2 Today we begin our one-day whitewater rafting adventure on the river Toachi. Before we put the rafts in, the rafting guide gives us a safety talk and instructions. Commands are practiced so we know what to do once on the river. On this day we navigate 3 1/2 hours downriver on this Level III rafting river. Later in the afternoon we visit the private rainforest reserve of La Perla. A short hike leads us through this remaining primary forest reserve where we can appreciate how once the whole coastal plain was covered with tall trees and other jungle plants. The night is spent again in the Valle Hermosa. (L) Day 3 Today we drive to Puerto Lopez, a long 6 - 7 hour passage through banana plantations till we reach the coastal mountain range, which we have to cross to arrive at the Pacific ocean. The remaining of the day is spent at the beach of Los Frailes at Machalilla National Park to relax after the long drive. Day 4 The next two days we spend at Aguas Blancas, which is part of the Machalilla park and apart from arqueological interests it boasts of a varied fauna and flora in a dry tropical forest with rare birds like the king vulture. We hike from the lower scrub land to higher elevations in the coastal mountain range of Colonche, where we spend a night in tents. (L,D) Day 5 We explore this higher humid forest at around 800m which has quite a different fauna and flora to the lower one boasting of taller trees and more luxuriant vegetation. In the afternoon we hike back to Aguas Blancas and drive to Puerto Lopez where we spend the next night. (B,L) Day 6 On today's program is scuba diving scheduled around the Isla de la Plata (in case you are not familiar with scuba diving we can out on a snorkeling outing). We undertake two immersions and awarded by many tropical fish in the reefs around this isle. In between we also visit the island which is famous as a nesting site for many seabirds like frigates and boobies. In the summer months huge humpback whales are another attraction of this excursion. Day 7 Today we hire again a boat and explore some smaller islands along the coast. On some selected spots we stop and snorkel to observe the underwater world there. Afternoon is spent relaxing at a beach again. Day 8 Early in the morning we leave the Pacific coast and drive back east to the Andes. We take the road going to La Mana from where we move up the Andes again to reach the beautiful crater lake of Quilotoa, where we start our acclimatization program. Day 9 Today we put in an easy day to relax after yesterday's long drive and to get properly used to the altitude of the crater region of 3800m. We undertake a hike down the water level and there we might go for a swim or take a boat ride. Day 10 In the morning we start on our hike around the volcano, which takes around 5 hours. The trek follows the crater rim and gives us great views into the water filled caldera and the adjacent Toachi valley with its many deep gullies and farms. Day 11 After breakfast we go on mountain bikes and start our descent down to Chugchilan and on to Sigchos, where we end the outing and have lunch. Afterwards we drive on and arrive after a 3-hour drive the parking area at Iliniza Norte. There we put up our tent site for the last night of our trip. (D) Day 12 At 5.30am we start our climb at first daylight and reach the summit of Iliniza Norte in 3-4 hours. .After spending some time on top and enjoying the great views, weather permitting, we descend back to the tents. After packing up we drive back to Quito, arriving in the middle of afternoon, where we end our expedition to the west. (B,L)
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