If you find someone cheaper for the same service. We will match the price.
We go 2-3 times a week to Cotopaxi and are the leading climbing agency in ecuador. We work with the English, Scandinavian, and other embassies / consulates for High Altitude Mountain rescues. Safety is our main concern and that is why they work with us. International tour operaters also choose Moggely for that reason. About 750 private students in World Challenge Expeditions and GAP groups from Great Britain must have Moggely guides over 4500m anywhere in Ecuador. They are not allowed to use any other mountain operater because of safety concerns.
We EXCLUSIVELY use Certified ASEGUIM Guides for all glaciated mountains. They are trained by ENSA Chamonix-France on an advanced and demanding course in the Alps. ENSA is considered the best guide school in the world. Our guides must live up to "MOGGELY 11" standards. This means they are above the ASEGUIM level. There are around 15 Certified ASEGUIM Guides that do not meet these qualifications and who we will NOT work with. All MOGGELY Guides must have a mobil phone and we also have three ICOM F11 rescue radios, as used by the US Army. Of approximately 20 climbing agencies that operate in Ecuador only ourselves and one other always work professionally by exclusively using certified guides. Always ask for the latest list of certified ASEGUIM Guides which you can only get from the largest operators in Quito or the South American Explorers Club (SAE). It is also posted in Cotopaxi's hut.
Here you have to be very careful. Almost all operators will use 1 Aseguim and 1 or more Helper if you are more than 2 climbers. They also tell you that they are certified. In Ecuador you can find a lot of different certifications.
We give safety training to all groups before every glacier climb we do including using the ice-axe and how to walk on glaciers with crampons.
All of our rental equipment is from leading manufacturers and meets all applicable CE and UIAA standards. We carry gear from Grivel, Black Diamond, Charlet Moser, Camp, MSR, Petzl, Mammut, Lowa, Asolo, Scarpa, and Koflach.
July and August are considered the best months to climb here because the weather is normally clear but there is the potential for more wind.
December and January have less wind but more clouds around the mountains. Cotopaxi is climbed year around and the weather is of course impossible to predict beforehand.
Prices include everything except your own warm clothes and personal items. All lodging costs in the hut are included. Many semi-professional operators do not include this and will camp inside the park instead in order to save money. This means that you have to climb Cotopaxi from the car park at 4600m. We take up 30-40% more climbers to the top then these operators. If you have all your own gear there is a $15 discount on any glacier mountain tour. If you use our gear we require the original passport as a deposit.
We also offer a 10% discount for SAE members or if you sign up for 3 or more glacier climbs.