Cotopaxi National Park
Cotopaxi's shape is the most beautiful and regular of all the colossal peaks in the high Andes. It is a perfect cone covered by a thick layer of snow which shines so brilliantly at sunset it seems detached from the azure of the sky.
— Alexander Von Humboldt 1802
We offer one to five day trekking plans in Cotopaxi National Park. We have made the individual tours quite different from each other so trekkers can see all the variety the park has to offer.
"Base Camp" is either our own renown Hostel Valhalla or more rustic lodging within the park.
Decide how many days you want to spend and choose the treks that interest you. We recommend around three days to appreciate the area in a relaxing atmosphere. A good choice for day one is the Saltire loop. Hiking up to the refugio and then glacier makes an excellent last day. On entering the park there is a charge of US$10.
Saltire Incan Ruin Loop
Once at the park we head to either Lago Limpiopungo or Tambopaxi lodge. From there we trek for 4 - 5 hours on a round trip through valleys of beautiful scenery around the Saltire Incan ruins. At Limpiopungo, a shallow lagoon, you can watch for waterfowl (Andean duck and Andean gull) and other bird life. Other attractions besides the ruins include Incan aqueducts, up close views of Cotopaxi, Rumiñahui, and Sincholagua, crossing a lava flow from one of Cotopaxi's more recent eruptions, and visiting the Pita River.
Rumiñahui
Early in the morning we start towards Rumiñahui's central peak at 4400m. This is a tough trek. It consists of a hike up the páramo from our base to Laguna Limpiopungo then into a valley below the South and Central peaks. From the head of the valley we climb a grassy ridge below the central peak. If conditions permit we continue to the summit of Rumiñahui Central. The ascent is an easy scramble, and when you reach the top you have magnificent views of Machachi and Cotopaxi National Park. This is an excellent acclimatization mountain. Round trip of 8 hours.
Ravine Trek
This is our newest trek within the park and we are the only company offering it. It begins with an uphill hike before descending into one of the many ravines or quebradas in the park. Although usually dry for our hikes, the ravine receives more water and is somewhat more lush and protected than the páramo. At times Cotopaxi is majestically framed by the ravine walls. The upper section of the ravine is small and narrow but as we hike down it quickly becomes a large canyon. This is a loop hike and the return involves a steep grass climb in order to arrive back at the starting point.
Cotopaxi Refugio and Glacier
Early in the morning we drive to the car park on Cotopaxi at 4600m. From here we take a small trek of 45 minutes to the refuge at 4800m. After a brief rest we head up to the start of the glacier at 5000m. If the snow conditions permit we will climb further on to better see the glacier and ice formations before heading back to the refuge for lunch. On the way back we stop at the Cotopaxi National Park Museum which has the geological history and maps of the volcano together with examples of animals and birds from the area. After the museum we head back to Quito and arrive around 4pm.