TREKKING PAPALLACTA TO COTOPAXI, ECUADOR

Papallacta to Cotopaxi 5 day trek; Condor Valley

This is a good trek for the fit that meanders south from Papallacta's paramo through high altitude and remote terrain. Papallcta is located around 1.5 hours drive east from Quito, where we will begin the hike at round 3800m. The altitude will vary from around 3500 - 4200m as we climb up over valley walls, onto ridges and then descend again.

The trails will take us through pristine Polylepis forests, lava fields, lakebeds, and rivers. Our trek will take us just west of the huge and forbidding Antisana volcano, whose snowy glacier shines brightly on a sunny day. We will traverse the Andean grasslands passing by Mount Sincholagua until we reach the base of the active Cotopaxi volcano. En route we will pass wild cattle and horses as well as llama herds, and each night we will make camp in quality tents in areas of astounding natural beauty.

Day 1:
After breakfast we depart from Quito to El Tambo by jeep. On the way we cross the high Andean pass of Papallacta (4050m) dropping down a bit until we reach our horse handlers. From El Tambo we set off on foot with our gear strapped on horseback. We hike through a huge Polylepis forest a unique little ecosystem within the Andes that hosts its own endemic flora and fauna. We make camp by a volcano lake at 3600m.

Day 2:
We will trek uphill in order to reach the high plateau of Antisana, a wild and rugged area, steeped in millennia of geological history. We will have chance to admire the varied flora of the Andes and marvel at its resilience to such dramatic climatic conditions. We camp at 4250m.

Day 3:
Walk (4-5 hours) along the huge plateau, and if we are lucky we may catch glimpses of the largest bird in the world, the Andean condor, as well as other scavengers. The Andean fox may also be lurking, hunting small game. Camp by the Cullurima river at 3900m.

Day 4:
Today we will head toward the Sincholagua volcano (4-5 hours walk). The trail will take us through Andean páramo grass, and have us ford cold, pristine glacial rivers. Campsite at Sincholagua's base at 4000m.

Day 5:
We make an early start and walk toward Sincholagua 4380m. We will head around the volcanic lava and stop to take in the impressive cone of the snow capped Cotopaxi volcano. We start our descent toward the Cotopaxi plateau at around 3900m. We'll have lunch before driving back to Quito for a well-earned rest.

Next departures:
Jul. 04 - 08 2008 and Aug. 1 - 5 2008
Nov. - 18 - 22 2008 and Dec. 27 - 31 2008
Jul. 04 - 08 2009 and Aug. 1 - 5 2009



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