There is a four person minimum to guarantee each departure date. Please do not make travel arrangements until you have received confirmation from Mountain Gurus.

Yes, we have private departures available on this trip! Private departures offer more flexibility to travel when it suits your group. Additional costs may apply depending on your group size. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and check on availability.

The trip begins and ends in Quito, Ecuador. The closest international airport is Mariscal Sucre International Airport on the outskirts of the city. A Mountain Gurus representative will await your arrival at the airport to transfer you to the hotel. Please note that many international flights arrive in Quito in the late evening and depart just after midnight.

You'll be paired with another trip member while staying in hotels and lodges, but you may arrange to stay in single rooms for an extra fee. In mountain refuges you'll stay in comfortable, dormitory-style accommodations. See below for a list of all the accommodations used during this trip:

Hotels - Three nights in one of the finest hotels in Quito.
Mountain lodge - One night in a luxurious lodge at the foot of the volcanoes in the Ecuadorian Highlands.
Hacienda - One night in a top-rated, beautiful hacienda on the edge of Cotopaxi National Park with views of Cotopaxi.
Mountain refuges - Spend one night in the Nuevo Horizontes Refuge before summiting Illiniza North, and one night in the Jose F. Rivas Refuge before summiting Cotopaxi. These are cozy accommodations with bunks, sleeping pads, bedding and communal areas, and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains.

The trip package is based on double occupancy accommodations in hotels and lodges. Mountain Gurus offers a single supplement for solo travelers in hotels and lodges for $500 (please note solo accommodations are not available in the mountain refuges). Solo travelers who cannot be paired with someone must pay the single supplement fee.

Group sizes usually range from six to eight climbers. To ensure that each climber receives personalized attention, Mountain Gurus strives to maintain a 2:1 client-to-guide ratio on summit day. A local, IFMGA certified guide leads every trip, assisted by additional guides as necessary.

Climbers should arrive in Ecuador with basic snow climbing and mountaineering experience. Mountain Gurus recommends enrolling in one of their Intro to Mountaineering courses in the Pacific Northwest if you need to gain mountaineering experience prior to climbing in Ecuador. Once in Ecuador, your guides will help you refresh your climbing skills.

If you are interested in signing up for the Intro to Mountaineering course before this trip, please contact our Travel Services Team so they can help arrange this for you.

Ecuador’s primary climbing season runs from November through February, and from June through July.

Pack weights usually range from 20 to 25 pounds on summit day. You'll carry only your personal gear, including warm layers of clothing, food, water, and personal climbing equipment.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included on every day of the expedition, with the following exceptions: No meals are included on Day 1, because most members will arrive in Quito late in the evening. Dinner is not included on Days 2, 3, or 8. Travelers can expect to enjoy excellent, local cuisine while staying in Quito, and in lodges and haciendas at the base of Cotopaxi and Illiniza. During climbing days, the professional staff will carefully plan each meal to provide a balanced diet. Please notify Mountain Gurus beforehand if you have any dietary restrictions so that their cooks can accommodate you.

Mountain Gurus suggests that you bring approximately $500 to $700 to pay for additional expenses and gratuities for guides and staff during your trip. That sum includes $200 for dinners in Quito, which are not included in the trip fee, and additional expense money for snacks and bottled beverages such as soda, water, and alcohol.

Mountain Gurus will provide you with a detailed pre-climb departure book upon receiving your reservation, including a personal gear list specific to your climb. Mountain Gurus’ friendly office staff will be available to help you gather the equipment you need for a safe and successful climb.

If you are interested and would like to make the most of the acclimatization you've gained on Cotopaxi, Mountain Gurus offers a three-day extension to summit Chimborazo. At 20,702 feet, Chimborazo is the tallest mountain in Ecuador. Its position on the equatorial bulge means its summit is also the farthest point on earth’s surface from the center of the earth. The price per customer for this extension is currently $1330. Please contact our Travel Services Team for more information.

Travel insurance is required for this adventure. It allows you to seek reimbursement if you are forced to cancel your trip for unforeseeable reasons, or if you need to cover medical help, emergency transport, and/or theft or accidental damage while traveling. We recommend VisitorsCoverage as a provider.

We recommend you visit the local government websites where you plan to travel and review the required documentation for entry, current restrictions, and general recommendations for travel within the area. We encourage you to also visit your home country's embassy website if you are traveling to a foreign country. Requirements can change rapidly. Please be sure you stay abreast of the requirements and restrictions for anywhere you plan to visit. You can also enroll in the U.S. government’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and you will be sent updates if the situation in your destination changes. You can find the program link at https://step.state.gov/.

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