Dates: Jan 9-18, 2027
This is one of our most ambitious adventures to date. During our week in Ecuador, our team will attempt to summit 3 incredible peaks: Pasachoa–13,780ft, Rucu Pichincha–15,696ft, & Cotopaxi–19,347ft (with an option to add a 4th: Chimborazo–20,549ft). The elevation profile on this adventure is extreme and should not be underestimated.
Team members should plan to arrive in Quito on January 9th (or middle of the night/early morning on the 10th) and schedule their return flights for late night January 17th or sometime on January 18th.
If you choose to do the Chimborazo add-on, this will affect your return flights.
***Chimborazo Add-On (+$900)***
As it stands, this itinerary is very difficult and will be incredibly rewarding, but we do offer an add-on option for those who want to take on the highest peak in Ecuador, Chimborazo. Because the earth isn’t perfectly spherical, Chimborazo’s 20,549ft summit is the furthest point from the earth’s center and the closest point on earth to the sun…even closer than Everest. Those choosing to add-on Chimborazo will extend their trip by 3 more days (you will travel home on the 20th/21st). We rate this trip without Chimborazo as slightly more difficult than Kilimanjaro. Chimborazo is considerably more difficult than both Kilimanjaro and Cotopaxi. Only those in peak physical condition should consider this add-on.
At this time we do not have plans to have any Discipletrek staff doing the Chimborazo climb this season. We will partner with our friends at Ecuador Eco Adventure for the Chimborazo add-on. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about adding Chimborazo.
Cost: $3,150 (not including flights to Quito) // $4,050 with Chimborazo
- A non-refundable $787.50 (25%) deposit is required at the time of registration to secure your spot on the team. Please read our Trip Cancellation and Refund policy before registering for your adventure.
- 50% is due Aug 1st, 2026
- 75% is due Oct 1st, 2026
- 100% is due Dec 1st, 2026
- We will work with each individual client to arrange a payment schedule that works for them.
What is included:
- All ground transportation within Ecuador
- 4 nights hotel stay in Quito, 1 night stay in mountain hut on the Cotopaxi climb, 2 nights stay in a resort hotel in Papallacta. // Those adding Chimborazo will replace the 2 nights in Papallacta with 2 nights in a lodge near Chimborazo and a 1 night stay in a tent at the Chimborazo High Camp.
- All food throughout our time in Ecuador
- Climbing permits
- Gondola ticket for Rucu Pichincha climb
- 1:1 guide for the Cotopaxi (and Chimborazo) climb
- All technical mountaineering gear (ice axe, double-layer boots, crampons, harness, ropes, helments, etc).
What is NOT included:
- You are required to purchase your own flights into and out of Quito, Ecuador (UIO).
- You are responsible for your own climbing insurance (~$225). We will provide details about where and how to purchase insurance.
- Trip cost does not include tips. You should be prepared to tip somewhere around $50 per climb for Cotopaxi and Chimborazo
Trek Difficulty: Extremely Difficult
This adventure will be extremely difficult (almost every single person from this year’s team described it as the hardest physical thing they have ever accomplished), and you will absolutely want to be in peak physical condition to attempt these summits. We expect all team members to devote themselves to several months of conditioning for this adventure. We are happy to help you put together an appropriate training plan to prepare for the adventure.
Itinerary:
Day 1
Travel from the States to Quito and settle in to our team hotel. It is common for flights to arrive in the middle of the night. Quito is located at 9,350ft elevation. It is not uncommon for people to struggle with headaches and have difficulty sleeping the first day or two at this elevation.
Day 2
This is a built in rest day. We will enjoy a relaxing day of sight seeing in Quito and recovery from our international travel.
Day 3
We will day at day trip to the Pasachoa where will attempt to summit our first mountain. Pasachoa is a non-technical hike that will take us between 3-5 hours. The summit of Pasachoa is 13,780ft and will help us begin our acclimatization process.
Day 4
We will depart our hotel in the morning and travel to the Teleferico (a gondola on the west side of the city). The Teleferico will drop us at 12,943ft where we will begin our 6 mile round trip climb to the summit of Rucu Pichincha. The beginning sections of the trail are not particularly difficult, but it will become much more rugged and challenging near the summit. We will top out at 15,696ft and we will definitely be feeling the elevation. After a bit of time on the summit, we will retrace our steps, ride the gondola down and head back to our hotel.
Day 5
We travel around an hour south of Quito to Cotopaxi national park where we will spend the next 3 days of our adventure. We will begin by driving up to the parking area for the Cotopaxi climb and doing a short (~1hr) hike up to the Jose Rivas refuge, the staging area for the Cotopaxi climb. We will be back here for the night on day 7, but this day’s trip up to the refuge is just about more acclimatizing. We will spend an hour or two up the refuge and then retrace our steps back to the parking area before making a 15 minute drive to Tambopaxi lodge, our home for the next two nights. This is a pretty light day and we will be spending the next 48 resting up for the Cotopaxi climb.
Day 6
We have a built in rest/buffer day hereat Tambopaxi lodge.
Day 7
We will spend a relaxing morning at Tambopaxi lodge before climbing back up to the Jose Rivas refuge in the early afternoon to stage for the climb of Cotopaxi. We will be in bed early and hopefully get some good rest in preparation for our Cotopaxi summit attempt, which will begin around midnight.
Day 8
We will wake up around 11:00PM and hit the trail soon after. Climbing Cotopaxi is a very challenging endeavor. It is not merely a trek; but a genuine mountaineering adventure. Nearly all of the ascent will take place on snow and ice, so our team will be roped together and wearing crampons for the entirety of the climb. If all goes well, we should earn the 19,347ft summit around sunrise. Cotopaxi is an iconic peak and with good weather, the views from the top are magnificent. After enjoying the summit, we will retrace our steps back to the hut and down to the parking lot. From there we will travel back to Quito and then on to Papallacta for a couple days of well-earned relaxation.
Day 9
This is our built in recovery day at the resort hotel in Papallaca. We will relax in hot springs and eat plenty of great food. Those not adding-on Chimborazo will begin their travel home either this night or early the next morning. We will arrange travel from Papallacta to the airport for each team member’s flights.
Day 10
Travel back to the States