Sigchos - QUILOTOA trek
Difficulty:
Altitude: 3914m / 12841ft
Distance: 38km / 24mi
Duration: 2 days / 1 night
Date: All year
On this incredible tour touring the high paramos that surround the Quilotoa Lagoon, we head towards the west of the province of Cotopaxi. This expedition will begin in Sigchos, one of the several communities that are located on the way to the Lagoon. This parish is one of the most important paramal areas in the area, so starting to walk from this canton will allow us to enjoy a wide variety of landscapes as we go. Within this route you can enjoy a great walk, being an incredible experience and adventure for photography lovers. This trek crosses a sandy wasteland, passing the Toachi river canyon, which has a climate with hot and dry winds that will give us a refreshing feeling when we advance on our trek. After three amazing days of trekking, we will finally arrive at the beautiful Quilotoa lagoon, characterized by the beauty of its crater and the color of its water, which thanks to the minerals it contains makes a bluish-green color appear upon receiving the warm impact of sunlight. This trek is normally done in three days 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 with us.
DAY 1: Sigchos – Isinliví
Altitude: 3200m / 10498ft
We will pick you up from the hotel of your preference at 06h00 and we will head south on a journey of approximately two and a half hours in our private transport until we reach the community of Sigchos where we will have breakfast and give some safety instructions before beginning our trek. Once ready, we will begin our walk of approximately 5 hours, in which we will cross large and wide moors and we will have a lot of descent in the first part of the trek. We will make brief stops to hydrate, eat something and take pictures and then we will cross the Toachi River on a bridge where we will begin our ascent towards Insiliví. Here, we will finish our first day of trekking and we will stay in a community hostel where we will have dinner and rest for our next day of trekking.
DAY 2: Isinliví – Chugchilán
Altitude: 3200m / 10498ft
On our second day we will get up at 06h00 to have breakfast and continue with our walk. This day we will walk for approximately 5 hours along the Toachi River in the middle of the canyon and we will enjoy the incredible views that this place offers us. We will pass through the small community of Itualo and then we will begin our ascent to the community of Chinaló, where we will pause at the famous viewpoint and have spectacular views of the Toachi River and the Canyon in general. We will continue our way to Chugchilán, where we will spend our second night of the trek in a community hostel. Here, we will enjoy a delicious dinner and rest for our last day of trekking.
DAY 3: Chugchilán – Quilotoa
Altitude: 3914m / 12841ft
On our last and hardest day of trekking, we will get up at 06h00 to have breakfast and start our trek as soon as possible. Once started, we will begin our final ascent towards Quilotoa, passing through several viewpoints of the river and enjoying the arid landscape that surrounds us. We will walk for approximately 5 hours along a fairly steep path and we will arrive at the first viewpoint of the Quilotoa Lagoon. Here, we will decide whether to go down to the edge of the lagoon or end the loop of the crater, where we will reach the highest point of Quilotoa and visit several viewpoints around the lagoon. Once our tour is over, our private transport will be waiting for us to return to the city of Quito or to your place of preference, where we will finish this incredible tour.
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) and sunscreen.
• Buff.
• Thick socks.
• Rubber Boots.
FOR THE HOSTELS:
• Grooming Kit.
• Headlamp.
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 program 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 program.
✓ Stay in the hostels of the communities with food included..
✓ All meals included during the 2 days.
✓ Mauna Expeditions thermo.
✓ Buff 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: 3914m / 12841ft
Duration: 2 days 1 night
Date: All year
On this tour we head west of the Cotopaxi province. The excursion will begin in Zumbahua, a community that includes the communities of Guantopolo, Tigua, Michacalá, Yanatoro, Yanallpa, Chami, among others. This parish is one of the most important paramal areas, so starting to walk from this canton will allow us to gain a good rhythm during the walk. In addition, Zumbahua has a flat and cold formation thanks to agro-ecological zones that make its landscape even more diverse. Within this route you can enjoy great hiking, being an incredible adventure that crosses a sandy wasteland, passing the Cotacachi River canyon, which has a climate with hot and dry winds, which will give a refreshing sensation at the time of our walk. and finally finish in the famous Quilotoa lagoon, characterized by the beauty of its crater, thanks to the minerals it contains, it recovers a bluish-green color when receiving the warm impact of sunlight.
DAY 1 and 2 : Zumbahua and Trek Quilotoa 360
Altitude:3 914m / 12841ft
DAY 1
We will pick you up from the hotel of your choice at 7:00 a.m. and head south on a trip of approximately three hours until we reach the community of Zumbahua. Here we will begin our walk of approximately 6h00, in which we will cross different paths, the Cotacachi River, and finally we will arrive at Quilota, where we will stay the night there. Within our walk, at approximately 2:00 p.m. we will accommodate a brief rest and time to relax, and be able to hydrate and eat. On this route that crosses part of the Andes, we recommend preparing yourself with clothes for possible rains and another pair of shoes in case there are humid terrains that were formed by the rain.
DAY 2
On day 2, we will get up at approximately 6:00 a.m. to complete all our activities. First, we are going to leave two options at your disposal: go down to the lagoon to see the water that gushes from the crater up close or have a tour of the lagoon on a 360 route. That is, we are going to surround the entire lagoon on a steep path Approximately achieving the complete return to the Quilota crater takes approximately 4h30 and we will visit the 2 main viewpoints to have time to take excellent photographs and time to taste typical Ecuadorian food. Once our tour is complete, we will return to your place of stay in Quito so that you can rest and in this way this adventure would end.
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 cap.
• 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 native certified adventure guides, 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 (specified above)
✓ Lunch on the way down on the day of the ascent.
✓ Take all of Mauna Expeditions.
✓ Buff Mauna Expeditions.
✓ Lunch Box and hydration for the ascent.
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.
