Conquer a 5000m Mountain!
Four-day Carihuayrazo trek for £850pp
Mount Carihuayrazo rises 5000m high out of the Abraspungo valley, about a four-hour drive from Quito. Its tongue-twister name is Quechua and means "Mountain of much wind", and even an inexperienced trekker can make it to the summit and find out if it deserves its name.
This four-day trek itinerary is designed to give you some gentle trekking as acclimatisation before we push on and head for the summit of Carihuayrazo. At 5,100m it's a great opportunity for even inexperienced trekkers to summit a 5,000m mountain, and offers some truly beautiful trekking.
Detailed Itinerary
Day One – Avenue of the Volcanoes
Leaving Quito this morning, we will drive south down the Pan-American Highway past Latacunga and Ambato. We'll have some great views of the "Avenue of the Volcanoes" on our way to the Posada La Estacion. We'll be staying the night here and having a traditional dinner in the Posada as we get used to the higher altitude.
Day Two - Abraspungo Valley
This morning we will head out towards the Abraspungo Valley. We'll be trekking for about 6 hours before we reach our camp in Plazapamba, passing through several variations in the local ecosystem as we climb. If the weather is good we'll have good views of the Altar and Tungurahua volcanoes and their snow-capped peaks.
Day Three - Plazapampa to Carihuayrazo
We will have another 6 hours trekking today as we hike through the Abraspungo valley on our way to our base camp on the slopes of Carihuayrazo near Black Lake (Laguna Negra). Our camp is at 4,800m so we're well-placed to attempt the summit tomorrow.We'll have another 6 hours trekking today as we hike through the Abraspungo valley on our way to our base camp on the slopes of Carihuayrazo near Black Lake (Laguna Negra). Our campsite is at 4,800m so we're well-placed to attempt the summit tomorrow morning.
Day Four - Climbing Carihuayrazo
We will need a very early start today as we eat breakfast before sunrise and begin trekking uphill to the summit of Carihuayrazo. It's a steady but non-technical route to the summit and we'll reward ourselves with lunch at the top - we challenge any restaurant to offer views like these! After this we will descend to our camp and head back through Ambato to Quito, where we'll arrive in the early evening.
What's Included?
Our standard price for this Carihuayrazo trek is £850 per person and we can fit this trek into any of our holidays in Ecuador.
That price includes all transport between Quito and Riobamba, overnight accommodation in a local hacienda and campsites, the services of a guide, equipment, and all meals.