ONE DAY TRIP
Trekking to Volcano Guagua Pichincha

Located about 30 km west of Quito, the VOLCAN PICHINCHA provides an enjoyable acclimatization hike with great panoramic views of the valley beneath and of Quito.

At a height of 4781 m, GUAGUA PICHINCHA is the tallest of the volcano's two peaks. GUAGUA PICHINCHA has been in a state of renewed volcanic activity since 1998 - This means we may be able to see smoke rising from the crater !

Our tour leaves Quito at 6.00 am, when the weather is usually at its best (to avoid those afternoon clouds!). We drive southwest in the countryside passing farms (haciendas) towards the small village of LLOA, situated at the foot of the volcano.

From LLOA, we begin our ascent up the volcano by car (1 hour). At this point, we begin to notice a change in climate and vegetation. We will also pass some incredible views overlooking the Andes Mountain Ranges!

At about 4000 m, we leave our car behind and begin our ascent on foot, hiking for 1 ½ hours up to the refuge at 4600 m. Here we will view a variety of paramo plants, such as the Chuquirahua, which is ingested as a tea and provides medicinal benefits (for stomach pains).

From the refuge, it is a short hike to the crater's rim, where you can look inside the smoking volcano and appreciate the immense crater in all its beauty.The walk continues around the crater's edge, and up to the peak of GUAGUA PICHINCHA, which, at a height of 4781 m, provides stunning views of the Guagua crater and the volcano's second peak. From the top of the crater, it is often possible to see up to 9 nearby volcanoes, such as Cayambe, Antisana and Cotopaxi etc.

To also enjoy the volcano's desert landscape (a mixture of lava and sand), we take a different route walking back. This allows us to observe more of the highland vegetation that is typical of this region.

After about 4 ½ hours of trekking we are going to finish the day with a nice relaxing picnic lunch.