I just completed a Cotopaxi overnight summer attempt with Ecomontes I normally don’t write reviews but this one deserves one. Background: I used to be an outdoor sports tour guide myself (but mainly water sports), is a fit 34 y/o male, and did outdoor sports and tours all around the world. I’m a novice in mountaineering (did a few mountains but nothing as high as Cotopaxi) Bad stuff: - Communication: - I booked my tour with them on 30th of October for a Cotopaxi summit attempt on 5th of November after a lengthy WhatsApp information exchange. - Itinerary, what to bring, what to expect was communicated to me only a day before the tour at 9pm (after I chased multiple times on whatsapp) - I was told that the tour guide would reach out to me to assess my acclitamisation and if any other climbs are needed before Cotopaxi, total radio silence. Despite me requesting couple times and asking a multiple times if few weeks in Peru + Rainbow Mountain + Quito is enough for acclitamisation (it was not.) - Guidance: - On what to bring or what to expect, I received almost no information. I had to figure out what to rent in the morning of the hike in their office. For experienced mountaineers this setup might work but for novice mountaineers like me, we actually need guidance and that’s why we book tours (hello?) Good stuff: - Tour guide Juan Silva: - Super experienced. If i’m giving a 2 instead of a 1 it’s because of Juan Outcome: - I couldn’t do full climb to the summit and came back half way (mix of not having best acclitamisation prep, conditions and my own tiredness / lack of sleep etc (try to sleep in refugio folks, I couldn’t) - This review is independent of the outcome. As a tour guide and an experienced outdoors person, I know a good outdoors activity is the one where you learn new stuff, explore your limits and avoid any injuries, achieving a summit or not is dependent on so many other things. But with hindsight I could have prepped better with both acclitamisation and previous hikes readying my condition (Cotopaxi is not a beginner level hike) and I feel Ecomontes have failed me big time in this.

Overall, the people were great, and the hotel they put me up in overnight and the food were both excellent. My main annoyance, however, was how rushed everything felt. From the check-in process to the hikes and everything in between, I often felt like I was being hurried along rather than given the time to enjoy the experience. I’m spending a significant amount of money for what is supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I don’t want to feel rushed through every step of it. My secondary complaint was the lack of clarity around what was and wasn’t included in the package, particularly regarding gear. I specifically chose and paid for a certain package and ended up spending a significant amount of additional money purchasing gear, only to later find out that some of it could have been rented. That should have been made clear upfront. Clearer communication about the package and a more relaxed pace would have made the experience much better.

Todo estuvo muy bien , un excelente servicio, puntual y eficiente y lo mejor la calidad humana !

Mejorar la estructura de las cabañas

Excellent, ambitious team members and food. Fantastic destinations day by day. Highly recommend!