Off to a Great Start in Quito, Ecuador

Photos: Jaime Avila
Our Ecuador Climbing School expedition team arrived safely in Quito yesterday and enjoyed a city tour. Not only is Quito at high altitude (9,350′ / 2850m) it is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Today the team acclimatized on Rucu Pichincha. Instead of heading straight to the mountain like our Cotopaxi Rapid Ascent expedition team, they will spend a few days in and above Quito acclimatizing before heading to Cotopaxi National Park. Rucu Pichincha stands at 15,413′ / 4698m’ and is an incredible day of hiking with a little bit of rock scrambling to get the heart pumping.

Next up: Cotopaxi (19,347′ / 5897m), the world’s highest active volcano and the second highest point in Ecuador. From the summit you can enjoy an incredible view of the Cordillera Blanca and Quito in the distance. Cotopaxi is still active and the latest eruption lasted from August 2015 to January 2016. Due to the recent eruptions, Cotopaxi had been officially closed for climbing by authorities, and just reopened for climbing in September 2017.

For any questions on our expeditions or courses please contact us at info@alpenglowexpeditions.com and 877-873-5376.