Andes Fox Express Cayambe

Make your way or get a private transfer to Hostería Loma Larga.

Night in Hosteria Loma Larga

Imbabura volcano is 8 km (5 miles) south of Otavalo overlooking the San Pablo Lagoon, which flows into the Peguche waterfalls. The volcano has not erupted for the past 14,000 years but is not believed to be inactive. Local farmers use the lower slopes for agricultural production as they are extremely fertile. The climb to the peak is a rocky one but is well worth the effort as the views from the peak is the surrounding Otavalo area are spectacular.

Meals included:  

After breakfast, you will enjoy a day of rest at Hostería Loma Larga. Optional, not included activities: Hiking, visit of Roses farms (Monday to Friday), biking, or horse riding. Please check in reception for the organization of any of those activities.

Meals included:

Volcano Cayambe is the 3rd highest volcano in Ecuador at 5,790 m (18,996 ft). It is located in the Cayambe – Coca Ecological Reserve in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes, 70 km (43,5 miles) northeast of Quito. At an altitude of 4,690 m (15,387 ft) on its southern slope, it is the highest point in the world crossed by the Equator and the only point on the Equator with snow cover.

Reaching the top may be very technical, and requires knowledge and mountaineering experience, however, the effort of climbing through the immense glacier and its massive ice, will arrive by sunrise, as the landscape of the northern hills of Quito and surrounding cities and lagoons such as Lago San Pablo and Laguna Cuicocha are discovered from the summit.

The climb takes between 5 – 7 hours while the descent will be around 2 hours. Professional ice equipment is necessary, as well as the presence of a professional guide.

Climbing at this altitude can be very difficult, so please be sure that you are well-prepared. We recommend acclimatizing by spending at least six nights above 3,000 m (9,842 ft) and climbing twice around 5,000 m (16,404 ft) in the same week. This can be achieved through a Gulliver acclimatization program such as the 5 or 7-day program. Following an acclimatization program offers a much higher chance of making a successful climb.

Meals included:

** NOTE: In case you do not want to use the previous night for the first climb, you can change it for a Quito-Hosteria Or Hosteria-Quito transfer** 

Special climbing equipment included

Necessary Equipment not included

The rental of equipment should be confirmed in advance with your agent.

*Reasonably backpack (35 liters) (needed from the refuge to Cayambe summit to accommodate plenty of water, crampons, warm gear including puffer jacket, etc)

**Large rucksack (50-70 liter) (only needed to transfer gear from the bus drop off at the Cayambe base up to the refuge)

• All Gulliver cars come with advanced satellite tracking devices to control position and speed, or for extra safety in an unlikely case of an accident. Every car has full insurance. We always make sure to fulfill the highest security and safety standards for all our clients.

• You must have current travel insurance including personal medical insurance. Please inform us of any known medical conditions you have.

• We put all our effort into organizing the tour, therefore cancellations require a minimum of 24 hours notice. A 50% refund will be given back. Cancellations will not be refunded with a shorter time notice.

• Mountain climbing can be a high-risk activity that can expose your physical ability to extreme conditions. For this reason, we highly recommend realizing a previous appointment with your doctor for a general physical check-up. We also recommend not taking any medication during your climbs, but in case you have to, you must previously ask your guide for authorization to take those medications during the tour.

• Please note tips for our guides are not included in the price.