Today we will go on a beautiful hike towards the top of the Ilaló volcano. But it won’t be a hike like any other, we will be accompanied by Fanny who is indigenous from this area and who will tell us about the flora fauna and stories of this beautiful mountain along the way.

We will spend the day fine-tuning our rope and rock-climbing skills at a cool, isolated climbing spot surrounded by nature in the valleys of Quito. After climbing we will return to the lodge for a guided yoga practice with emphasis in stretching, releasing tension and relaxing, followed by a guided Pranayama session focusing on breathwork in order to perform optimally in the mountains.

Early in the morning we will drive up the Pichincha mountain towering over Quito and practice our rock-climbing skills at the walls of Guagua Pichincha. After climbing we will stay at the refuge up there before climbing the integral of Los Pichinchas next day.

Today we will do the integral of Los Pichinchas. We will summit the four peaks of the Pichincha Massif towering over Quito which are Guagua Pichincha at 15,669 ft. (4.776 m.), Padre Encantado at 15,055 ft. (4.589 m.), Cerro Ladrillos at 14,977 ft. (4.565 m.) and Rucu Pichincha at 15,406 ft. (4.696 m.).

The integral climb itself is around 13 km and takes about 6-8 hours roundtrip. After climbing we will return to the lodge for a slow, guided yoga session focusing on stretching, releasing tension and unwinding mind as well as body followed by a Pranayama session focusing on optimal performance through breathwork.

After breakfast we will drive to Los Ilinizas Ecological Reserve and park at 12,792 ft. (3.900 m.) From here we will gather our stuff and hike to the mountain refuge Nuevos Horizontes at 15,420 ft. (4.700 m.) At the refuge we will rest, have dinner and go to sleep early before we set out for the summit of Iliniza Sur in the night. Los Ilinizas consist of two mountains: Iliniza Norte and Iliniza Sur. They used to be one whole volcano with their own crater, but with time they split into two beautiful peaks, which both make for awesome climbing. Iliniza Norte is an easier climb and has no glacier while Iliniza Sur has glacier and is known to be a steep and somewhat technical climb.

We will wake up early and get some light food around 2 am. When the clock strikes 3 am we will start our ascent of the technical Iliniza Sur mountain with its 17,267 ft. (5.263 m.) In order to make use of our rock-climbing practices along the trip we will be going by the challenging Celso Zuquillo route which involves both rock and mixed climbing. Reaching the top will take us around 5-6 hours of climbing. On a clear day we will enjoy magnificent views of the Avenue of volcanoes around us from the summit – especially of the active Cotopaxi volcano not too far away. After the summit we will descend back down to the refuge by the normal route, which will take us around 3 hours. Back at the refuge we will enjoy a nice breakfast before heading all the way back down to the parking lot. After a long and epic day we will drive up north to a beautiful, old hacienda close to the magnificent Cayambe volcano. Here we will have dinner and rest after a long day.

Today is all about resting and enjoying the amazing scenery and facilities at the hacienda.

After an early breakfast we will drive up Cayambe to the refuge and hike from here to the glacier where we will do an advanced Glacier School to practice technical skills on the mountain. After the glacier school we will rest at the refuge which sits at 15,092 ft. (4.600 m) and offers the most panoramic views of the Ecuadorian Avenue of Volcanoes.

Today we will go up the mountain once again for another session of advanced glacier school. We will stay at the refuge after this and prepare our equipment for the climb in the night.

Around midnight we will start our summit attempt of the stunning Cayambe volcano. The climb takes around 6-7 hours to the summit at 18,896 ft. (5.790 m.) and the descent back to the refuge around 2-3 hours. After climbing we will drive back down to rest at the lodge in the warm valleys of Quito.

Today is a rest day at the lodge. We will be chilling in the beautiful surroundings and also enjoy a guided session of yoga focusing on stretching and unwinding after yesterday’s strenuous climb. Followed by a moving meditation in order to release tension.

We will drive up north to the Antisana Ecological Reserve, set up basecamp at the foot of the mountain and relax in the pristine surroundings. We will enjoy a guided yoga session in front of the majestic volcano focusing on awakening the muscles, the nervous system and the organism. It will prepare us for tonight’s climb without tiring out our muscles. We will also engage in a small, ancient Andes ritual in order to enter the reign of Antisana this night with clear personal intentions while honoring the nature the path and the self. Tonight, we will be climbing under millions of stars.

Around midnight we will start our summit attempt of the very demanding Antisana volcano at 18,891 ft. (5.758 m.). Antisana is Ecuador’s 4th highest volcano, but one of the least climbed due to its difficulty. The climb usually takes between 6-8 hours and the descent around 3 hours. After the climb we will drive back to get some well-deserved rest at the lodge.

End of trip, we will say our goodbyes after an amazing adventure together. (Rest day if with extension)