CAJAS NATIONAL PARK TREK
Difficulty:
Altitude: 4445m/14583ft
Distance: 8km/5mi
Duration: 1 day
Date: All year
The Cajas National Park is located in the province of Azuay in southern Ecuador where the Andes mountain range in Ecuador begins to end. This park allows us to enter its páramos and lagoons that characterize it, being one of the most famous parks in all of Ecuador. On this tour we enter typical lagoons such as Toreadora, Lluvioco and a walk on the ancient Andean roads: Qhapag Ñan. These roads were started by the indigenous communities of the Andes and later unified by the Incas within the Tawantinsuyu. Part of this road network crossed the current Cajas National Park, joining the Ecuadorian highlands with the coast. The Cajas National Park is a paradise that few know about and a land protected nationally and internationally. This trek is normally done in one day and every four passengers will have an ASEGUIM/UIAGM certified guide. If you travel alone, the trek will be carried out only by the certified guide with the passenger. Come to live this incredible experience touring the Andes of Ecuador and join us on this beautiful adventure.
DAY 1: Cajas National Park Trek
Altitude: 4445m/14583ft
We will pick you up from your hotel or place of preference at 06h00 where we will have a 1 hour trip from Cuenca to the Cajas National Park. We will make several stops in different places in the area to appreciate this magnificent place and its surroundings. The first stop will be at Laguna de la Toreadora, where we will have a space to have a light breakfast and appreciate this magnificent lagoon. In the Toreadora we will remain for approximately 1 hour. Next, we will go to the Llaviucu lagoon, which is a perfect space for photographs and touring the place enjoying the Andean landscapes. Later, we will start our Qhapag Ñan trek in the incredible highlands and since it is a long way, we will only walk its most significant path which will take us approximately 2 hours, being a perfect route to start in the world of mountaineering and hiking. At the end of our trek we will return to our transport that will be waiting for us to return to the city of Cuenca. The return journey takes 1 hour, so we will make a stop for lunch before leaving you again at the starting point at your hotel or place of preference.
CLOTHING REQUIRED (NOT INCLUDED):
Three layers of clothing for the legs and torso:
• Base layer: Thermal clothing for body and pants (usually made of synthetic material).
• Second layer: Warm jacket and pants, preferably water repellent (goose down, fleece or polar type).
• Third layer: Waterproof jacket and pants (in case of rain).
• An extra thermal or jacket (in case of extreme cold).
• Backpack between 25L and 35L.
• Gloves.
• Factor 4 sunglasses (with UV protection).
• Buff.
• Thick socks.
• Sunscreen.
In case you do not have something from the list of personal clothing, Mauna Expeditions can provide you with the rental or sale of said accessories.
The services included in the cost of the trek are:
✓ Registration and preparation for the best experience of your life.
✓ Guidance for the trek with certified guides (ASEGUIM/UIAGM), one guide for every 4 people.
✓ Private door to door transportation for the entire day of the tour.
✓ Entry Permits.
✓ Adventure video about the experience in the trek.
✓ First aid service.
✓ Lunch on the way down on the day of the trek.
✓ Thermo of Mauna Expeditions.
✓ Buff of Mauna Expeditions.
✓ Lunch Box and hydration for the trek.
The following services are NOT included in the cost of the trek:
X Clothing and personal equipment.
X Airplane tickets.
X Hotel or hostel in Quito or place of preference.
X Life insurance or against some type of accident.
X Other expenses NOT specified in our program.
X Tips.
1 person: CONTACT US.
2 people: CONTACT US.
3-5 people: CONTACT US.
6-10 people: CONTACT US.
11-24 people: CONTACT US.
PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION OF THE PROGRAM
To book the tour, Mauna Expeditions requires a payment of 25% of the cost of the program. Full payment must be made up to a maximum of two weeks before the start date of the tour. We do not send vouchers or confirmation messages until full payment for the program is made. Our team reserves the right to cancel the tour if the full payment is not made until the start date of the program.
The Mauna Expeditions team has put a lot of effort into organizing your program. Therefore, any cancellation must be made at least 21 days in advance. After 21 days, Mauna Expeditions may make a 50% refund depending on the cause of cancellation. Any cancellation notified less than 21 days from the start date of the program will be charged a penalty of 100% of the value of the program.
COSTS
Costs vary depending on the size of the group. A minimum of 1 person and a maximum of 24 people are required to make the trek. For costs information please CONTACT US.
RECOMENDATIONS
Mountaineering is a high-risk sport, where we are exposed to conditions on extreme occasions. We do not recommend doing this activity for people with asthma or some kind of heart condition. The level of difficulty of this program is demanding and there is nothing that interests us more than your safety and that you enjoy our program without any external problem.
Altitude: 4445m / 1458ft
Duration: 1 day
Date: All year
The Cajas National Park located in the province of Azuay, in the south of Ecuador, where the Andes mountain range is oldest, allows us to enter its páramos and lagoons that characterize it. On this tour we enter typical lagoons such as Toreadora, Lluvioco and a hike on the Andean trails: qhapag ñan. These roads were started by the indigenous communities of the Andes and later unified by the Incas within their Tawantinsuyu project (as the Inca empire was called). Part of this road network crossed the current Cajas National Park, joining the Ecuadorian highlands with the coast. The Cajas National Park is a paradise that few know about and a land protected nationally and internationally. Therefore, we must all take care of the Cajas National Park.
DAY 1: Cajas National Park
Altitude: 4445m / 1458ft
We will pick you up from the hotel of your stay, preferably at 6:00 a.m. to start our walk at approximately 7:00 a.m., we will make several stops in different places to appreciate this magnificent place. The first stop will be at Laguna de la Toreadora, where we will have a space to have a light breakfast and appreciate this magnificent lagoon. In the Toreadora we will remain for approximately 2h00. Next, we will go to the Llaviucu lagoon which is a perfect space for photographs and to explore this lagoon. In the Llaviucu Lagoon we will stay for an approximate period of 1h30. Later, we will start our qhapag ñan trek in the incredible Andean páramos, since it is a long way, we are only going to walk its most significant path. We suggest a walking time of 2h00 which allows us to enter the most precious paths of this trail; however, if you like, the walking time can be less. At lunchtime we will enjoy a delicious typical dish of Ecuadorian cuisine and especially from the warm city of Cuenca. Finally, we will visit a spectacular location that shows the nature of the mountains, which contains several activities that you can do if you wish, together with several shopping sections in case you like, you can do it.
PERSONAL CLOTHING (NOT INCLUDED):
Three layers of clothing for the legs and torso:
• First layer: Diver and dryfit pants (lycra type, fast drying).
• Second layer: Warm jacket and pants, preferably water repellent (fleece or polar type).
• Third layer: Waterproof jacket and pants.
• An extra diver or sweater (in case of extreme cold).
• Backpack between 25L and 35L.
• Preferably thick gloves.
• Factor 4 glasses (with UV protection).
• Buff or thermal hat.
• Thick socks.
• Sunscreen.
In case you do not have something from the list of personal clothing or equipment, Mauna Expeditions can provide you with the rental or sale of said accessories.
The services included in the cost of the program are:
✓ Registration and preparation for the best experience of your life.
✓ Guidance for the ascent with certified guides (ASEGUIM/UIAGM), one guide for every 4 people.
✓ Private door-to-door transportation for the entire day of the tour.
✓ Entry permits.
✓ Adventure video about the experience in the program.
✓ necessary mountain equipment (previously specified)
✓ Light breakfast.
✓ Lunch on the descent on the day of the ascent.
✓ Buff Mauna Expeditions.
✓ Lunch Box and hydration for the expedition.
The following services are NOT included in the cost of the program:
X Clothing and personal equipment.
X Air tickets.
X Hotel or hostel in Quito or place of preference.
X Life insurance or against some type of accident.
X Other expenses NOT specified in our program.
X Tips.
For more details about prices, please contact us to give you a complete and full price. This will depend on the number of people and your plans.
PAYMENT AND CANCELLATION OF THE PROGRAM
To book the tour, Mauna Expeditions requires a payment of 25% of the cost of the program. Full payment must be made up to a maximum of two weeks before the start date of the tour. We do not send vouchers or confirmation messages until full payment for the program is made. Our team reserves the right to cancel the tour if the full payment is not made until the start date of the program.
The Mauna Expeditions team has put a lot of effort into organizing your program. Therefore, any cancellation must be made at least 21 days in advance. After 21 days, Mauna Expeditions may make a 50% refund depending on the cause of cancellation. Any cancellation notified less than 21 days from the start date of the program will be charged a penalty of 100% of the value of the program.
COSTS
Costs vary depending on the size of the group. A minimum of 2 people and a maximum of 24 are required to make the ascent. For cost information please CONTACT US.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Mountaineering is a high-risk sport, where we are exposed to conditions on extreme occasions. We do not recommend doing this activity for people with asthma or some kind of heart problem. The level of difficulty of the program is demanding and there is nothing that interests us more than your safety and that you enjoy our program without any external problem.
BOOK YOUR TREK
Choose and reserve the date, then our team will contact you to confirm all the details.
