Cotopaxi

Cotopaxi Province, Ecuador

We spent the night up on Cotopaxi (19,300 ft.) and the next morning went for a short walk up the trail. We were greeted by these llamas who blocked our path back down to the lodge! There were friendly enough, but very curious. I would highly recommend the tour that we did through Arie’s Bike Company in Ecuador. We spent 10 days biking around Ecuador, seeing the beautiful sights and landscapes on two wheels rather than four!

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Llama Guards

We spent the night up on Cotopaxi (19,300 ft.) and the next morning went for a short walk up the trail. We were greeted by these llamas who blocked our path back down to the lodge! There were friendly enough, but very curious. I would highly recommend the tour that we did through Arie’s Bike Company in Ecuador. We spent 10 days biking around Ecuador, seeing the beautiful sights and landscapes on two wheels rather than four!

Avenue of the Volcanoes

Cotopaxi brings mountaineers from all over the world to Ecuador, but only the locals (and very few of them at that) hike the surrounding areas. One of the best hikes to get a great view of Coto on a clear day is to wander to the Northwest of the volcano, around Rumiñahui peak.

Cotopaxi: An Icy Ecuadorean Volcano

Part of the Pacific Ring of Fire volcano chain, Cotopaxi is an active Andean volcano 17 miles from Quito, Ecuador. Rest assured, major eruptive activity has not been reported since the early 1900s, and climbing to Cotopaxi’s summit has become increasing popular in recent decades. Icefall and glacier views make the trek particularly magical, but crampons and ice axes are a must. If you choose to stage your climb from the rustic on-mountain refuge, plan to set out between 12-2 AM in order to reach the summit and return in one day. Great eco-lodges located below the mountain are an alternative option but will require intermediate camps.

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