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Adventure Tours |
 PP5 VOLCANO UP On this 14-day travel adventure we get to know parts of the Amazon rainforest and the Andean mountains, with volcanoes being the centerpiece of this very active and demanding tour. A volcano located in the deep jungle, an inhabited volcanic crater in the highlands and a caldera smoking with fumaroles are visited on this trip. The highlight is the ascent to Cotopaxi, Ecuador's highest active volcano with a height just below 6000m. As we engage in jungle trekking, whitewater rafting, mountain biking, horseback riding, high altitude trekking and an ice climb on a mighty glacier, you have to be in very good shape and be mentally tough as your endurance and stamina will surely be tested on that adventurous non-stop tour. Day 1 We leave the capital and drive east of Quito taking the road up to 4000m, which then leads into the Amazon regions. After 5 hours we arrive at Jumandy, where our first adventure consists in exploration of the huge caves. Right in the beginning we have to swim inside the cave to reach the deeper inside bowls. Bats hang from the ceilings as they rest in the daytime in the dark shade. After that first exploring event we drive on to Pacto Sumaco, a small settlement located at around 1400m and starting point for our trek to the Sumaco volcano. We put up tents to spend the night. (B) Day 2 In the morning we begin our 3-day jungle trek leaving behind Pacto Sumaco and every participant has to carry 20 - 25 kgs on his back for those days as no pack animals can negotiate the narrow and muddy jungle trails. On the first day it is a 9-hour hike to our campsite, which is located at 2500m close to a small lagoon, our water source. In the beginning the trail is on wooden stumps through pasture land till we reach the limit of the Sumaco national park and the trail leads then ascending gradually through primary rainforest. The last 2-3 hours is then on steeper trails leading up to our campsite with great views to the volcanic cone and low lying Amazon regions. (B,L,D) Day 3 On this day we climb to the peak of Sumaco. We leave our equipment in the camp and only take food and water for the day. After a 2-hour hike along a ridge with denser growth of bamboo and other shrubs and smaller trees we cross a depression to reach the base of the volcanic cone. From there it is another hour climb through forests, crossing the last creeks to arrive at the end of the tree line. From now on we continue the climb through lower shrub vegetation to the summit where we arrive after another 2 - 3 hours. On top of Sumaco we can observe the whole of the Amazon basin, weather permitting. The hike back to base camp takes another 4 - 5 hours returning the same way so it is a long day after all. (B,L,D) Day 4 On this day we pack up and hike straight back from our camp site to Pacto Sumaco where we arrive after a 6- hour hike stopping for lunch in between. Arriving there we load equipment in the van and drive then to Baeza for the night. (B,L) Day 5 Today we start on our 2-day rafting expedition on the river Quijos, a Grade IV+ whitewater river (only possible from September - February, in case you visit outside this time we will substitute it with another 2-day outing on the Toachi / Blanco river). We drive from Baeza to Borja , our put in site for today's 15 km run. After a safety briefing and learning to follow the commands of the rafting guide, we start our wet river adventure. Soon tecnical rapids await us and occassional obstacles and bumps make for an exciting adventure. A safety kayak is all the time with us to help with eventual swimmers falling out of the raft. Halfway we stop for some snacks and scout fast rapids on the river, known locally as El Toro (or The Bull) as it will be a bucking run through it. After 3-4 hour on the river we get to our take out site, 15 km downriver past the town of El Chaco. There we have a well deserved lunch and drive then back to Baeza. (L) Day 6 After breakfast we continue our rafting adventure on Quijos river, putting in where we took out the previous day. Today will be a longer day navigating some 25 km downriver. More interesting rapids await us and another spot known as Gringo's Revueltos has to be scouted beforehand. Depending on the waterlevel different routes have to be taken and negiotiated. But not only rapids await us, there are also parts of river leading through canyons with slow moving waters and surrounded by a beautiful tropical forest. Birds like various kinds of herons can also be admired along the river. After the end of our run where the Salado river joins the Quijos, we have lunch again and we return to Quito arriving there early in the evening. (L) Day 7 We continue our adventure by driving to the Pululahua crater. First however we stop at Mitad del Mundo, the modern equator line monument. There however we learn that the monument is out of line and the real Middle of the World was established by Indians thousand of years ago on top of Catequilla. Therefore we take leave and climb up to the real location. Turning back again we stop at the Inca fortress Rumicucho and then descend into the Pululahua crater. In the afternoon we undertake a long hike up to the lava domes, which prepare us for the consequent climbs to the higher peaks. The night is spent at the Finca Colibri in the volcano, only one in the world where actually people live and farm. (B,L,D) Day 8 In the morning we get on horseback and start exploring the volcanic crater the easy way. We take the path by Pan de Azucar and ride behind Pondoņa, the hill in the middle of the crater, the lava domes we climbed the day before. We leave then the crater and move down an impressive canyon along an forested path, from where we have great views into a deep river gorge. A beautiful cloudforest surrounds us and orchids, bromeliads, butterflies and birds can be admired along the way. Later we return to the farm, however circling Pondoņa on the other side. After packing up we return back to Quito. (B,L) Day 9 Today we continue our acclimatization process moving into the higher paramo regions and undertaking our first high altitude hike. In the morning we drive to Pichincha, an active volcano, rising above Quito and showering occassional the 2-million city with ashes. We start walking at an elevation of around 3900m and head first to the refuge at 4600m, which you climb to in 2 hours. There after a short break and lunch, we head for Rucu Pichincha, the old and extinct volcano east of the refuge. First we hike along a ridge observing a rich high paramo vegetation and sometimes condors and eagles can be seen as well. The whole hike to the peak and back again takes around 5 hours. The spend the night in the refuge at 4600m to get used to the altitude. (B,L,D) Day 10 Early in the morning we climb up the short distance to the crater rim, where we get our glimpse into the huge caldera. We descend them into the crater in order to get close to the fumaroles and other volcanic activities. Then we walk out again and climb up to the peak of Guagua Pichincha at 4794m. After lunch we pack up and drive back to Quito with a stop at Panecillo, the prominent hill in the middle of the city, offering great views to the colonial center and modern parts of the capital. (B,L) Day 11 On today's program mountain biking in the Cotopaxi Nationa Park is scheduled. 3 hours after leaving Quito we arrive at the parking area at the Jose Ribas refuge hut at 4600m. There you begin your rapid descent on bikes on a steep and winding gravel and sand road towards the Laguna Limpiopungo at 3800m. From there we continue on a flat terrain towards the El Salitre, the pre-Columbian site located in the park, where we end our biking adventure. The afternoon is spent relaxing and helping to put up our tent site, home for the last few days of our tour. On demand we also can make this biking outing more challenging with some uphill biking as well. (B,L,D) Day 12 Another acclimatization hike awaits us. This time we hike up to Rumiņahui, an old eroded volcano of roughly 4600m height. Probably this was the first expression of volcanism in the area and later on the chimney moved further east to the present day Cotopaxi, which is situated close by. On this hike we observe many plants of the high paramo regions and many birds like gulls, coots, eagles, nighthawks, hummingbirds and so on are encountered on the way. (B,L,D) Day 13 The day is used mostly to rest and prepare for the tonight's mountain climb up Cotopaxi. After a 5 pm dinner we go to sleep early as we have to get up at 10 pm to drive up to the parking lot at 4600m. There we start our climb to the peak. The first two hours are on gravel and spree till we reach the glacier. (B,L,D) Day 14 Reaching the glacier we put on our ice climbing gear and reach the summit in another 5 hours. Reaching the summit at daybreak we are awarded by great views to the lower lying valleys and other peaks of the country. We get also a glimpse into the deep crater where fumaroles steam out at the sides. Afterwards we begin the 4-hour descent back to the car. We arrive in Quito late afternoon and end there our explosive 14-day marathon travel adventure expedition. (B)
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