Trek Ecuador’s Avenue of Volcanoes to Cotopaxi's Summit (5897m)

It was a good experience in the nature and on top of the volcanoes. Very good guides and group throughout the journey. We missed the summit because of the bad weather, although the other peaks were enough challenging.

The country is absolutely gorgeous, especially Cotopaxi national park. The hiking was fantastic. Unfortunately, we were not able to summit Cotopaxi due to weather, but these things are always a risk. Great trip overall with a great guide and group

Let me start by saying we did not summit Cotopaxi. We encountered a storm that stopped us on summit day.

That being said… we had a lovely rest of the trip! Amazing people within our group and the guides themselves. I have no complaints. We encountered less than ideal weather, but the whole trip remained beautiful.

When you first get there, you’ll have plenty of time to play around Quito and explore. The first day is basically a free day. Our group hiked and then enjoyed the city together.

The places that you’ll stay are stunning and you don’t have to go more than a day (summit day)!without a shower. Even the tents are spacious and comfortable with a shower and functioning toilets nearby. If you happen to stay at Los Mortinos, you won’t be disappointed! The horses are beautiful and friendly. I don’t think I went more than 5 minutes without seeing bunnies hopping around. I would stay there again and again if I could.

With your extra day in Quito, you can hike across Ilalo if you want to squeeze one more volcano in there. They feed you more food than you could imagine and make sure that everyone has snacks (so you don’t have to bring your own). I was happy that I parked a parka down jacket (800 fill) since nights get cold especially while camping and at Jose Rivas. I would recommend adding that to your kit list. Definitely do not leave out your sunscreen and trekking poles. You’ll need the poles. This is not optional. BRING THEM! 😂 One other recommendation would be a trash or compactor bag to line your pack with because it absolutely rains in Ecuador.

Lovely adventure!

What an epic adventure, in both the original and more modern sense of the word! The trip is really well structured and the incremental exposure to altitude, both through the daily walks and the accommodation, gives you the best possible chance of summiting Cotopaxi at the end.

While the altitude is literally breathtaking, the incredible scenery and flora and fauna are figuratively so, and prove an excellent distraction from the physical hard work.

Cotopaxi itself is not to be underestimated. As a regular runner and hill walker I consider myself to have a solid level of fitness, but this was by far and away the hardest physical challenge I have ever undertaken, mostly owing to the altitude. If you're looking for the ultimate challenge, this is definitely the trip for you!

MBA did a fantastic job organizing this entire tour. Everyone on their team was extremely responsive to any questions, concerns, or needs. I would definitely book with them again because you are in good hands with this company. They do a great job facilitating group interactions so it is easy to make friends, which was the best part of this trip!

For those of you who might be like I am, an over-planner and beginning mountaineer, I would add some information to the itinerary and kit list to help you prepare to be successful on this trip—you can do it!!

1. You most likely don’t need diamox for altitude sickness, their acclimatization program prepares your body to do high altitudes by changing and rising in elevation over the course of 10 days
2. Bring American dollars-a lot of places won’t give change for 20’s, so bring smaller bills like 1’s, 5’s, and 10’s.
3. Uber is the way to get around when you are at your hotel in Quito (which is about 40 minutes outside of the city center). Make sure to have the hotel phone number to call ahead when you return to they can open the gate for you
4. For the third and fourth night at Santa Rita, there is a small cafe/structure near the camping site where you can order food and has flushing toilets, two power outlets, and WiFi that you can use during the evening when you return from your hikes. There are showers there that seem to be finicky/unreliable.
5. On the fifth night, there is a group of buildings in Hacienda El Porvenir, and not all of them have hot tubs like the pictures show, so don’t count on it:)
6. The lodge in Tambopaxi is a hostel with a nice lobby and dining area, has many power outlets and WiFi for each person to use Kit list changes-
7. No need for a small thermos unless you want to take it on your summit trip to Cotopaxi.
8. Don’t stress about polypropylene socks, just get good socks that are not cotton; the kit list says bring 2 pairs of socks, but you will need enough for each day unless you do laundry at the hotels you stop at; the hiking guide actually doesn’t not recommend you wearing two layers of socks
9. Bring a portable power source to charge your phone/devices.

This is an adventure of a lifetime!

This trip was fantastically planned to prepare you for the challenge of Cotopaxi by building you up over the days prior and allowing sufficient time for rest. The summit day itself is challenging, not to be underestimated but totally worth it!

A very well organised trip. . the guides were knowledgeable…meals and accommodation all good

Climbing Cotopaxi is the hardest thing I’ve ever done by a country mile, and I’ve done a lot of trekking. It’s stunning and life-affirming - just 2 days later, despite the struggle, I’m already planning my next climb. Diego and Pepe were wonderful. Highly recommend the trip - but do not expect a relaxing lil walk!

What a great trip. But so tough I never want to go above sea level again unless it's in a plane.

The final ascent to the summit of Cota Paxi is truly life affirming. When you think you can't go any further, words of encouragement from your guide and fellow climbers get you up that last 100 meters.

Depending on what website you look at, Cota Paxi might be the second highest active volcano in the world and the fourth highest point when measured from the centre of the planet.

All the other day treks before Cota Paxi were awe inspiring too. From walking beside rivers and waterfalls to scrambling up scree and rocks. All the hikes offer wonderful views and heart warming companionship with your fellow trekkers.

Such exercise requires proper fuelling and the food throughout the trip is gourmet. Even when it's made in a tent in the forest. Our cook, Ciro is a magician in the mess tent.

Weather was very changeable and it's important to read thoroughly the clothing you should bring. Advice I should have taken myself.

I can't write a review of this trip without expressing my appreciation for our guides. Diego and Pepe. Always smiling and in good spirits, I really felt they had our safety and enjoyment as their priority.

This trip is amazing, loads of fun and a good challenge too! I couldn’t fault the trip - the food, places you stay (much nicer than expected, and hot showers everywhere!), guides and volcanoes you visit are all incredible. The acclimatisation walks are a great way to explore the areas around Quito, and Cotopaxi does not disappoint! I didn’t have any experience with crampons/ice axes which was ok but I underestimated how much harder the summit push would be. Would recommend this trip big time!

I've had my eye on Cotopaxi for a while now and so glad I chose to do it with MBA. The trip was amazing. . . . the acclimatization process was well thought out and prepared us perfectly for summit day. A big thanks to our guides Pablo and Freddie who looked after us so well. The food was amazing and plentiful. Best of all, we had a wonderful group who gelled really well together. Climbing Cotopaxi itself was an amazing experience. . . one of the toughest things I've ever done but the sense of achievement at the top made it totally worth it.

Where do I start, I booked on a whim and can honestly say it’s the best impulsive decision I’ve ever made!

First time solo traveller and I was nervous about a group trip, but I couldn’t have wished for a better group. From day one everybody got on and the dynamics made for a cracking week with laughs all the way!

The hiking and trekking to acclimatise for the big day were perfect and the accommodation and food just what was needed.

Couldn’t have wished for a better end to the year, will definitely be booking a MBA trip in the near future.

Thanks MBA and everybody who made this week so special.

Tom

This trip was unreal! We were really looked after by the team and the food and accommodation was great. The summit was a tough slog (6-7 hours) but really worth it and our guides Pablo and Freddy helped us acclimatise with Abraham taking us up the final push! I would recommend checking your kit list before you leave to check if a smaller bag might suit you as you only need to carry your sleeping bag to the refuge. I took three bags where maybe 2 would have been enough. Overall a trip of a lifetime! Don’t forget your suncream & SNACKS!

Great trip and all - food and lodging was very well organised. I gave a 4 and not a 5 as I believe the missing link was proper clear communication. Most other trips I’ve been on have had clear briefings after dinner. Here it was so random. Folks at the table would be chatting away when the guide suddenly randomly speaks up about tomorrow’s plan - and he didn’t even discuss the “plan”. Would just say what time we have to be ready for breakfast!

Do Cotopaxi right with MBA...case in point, when I got to the base camp, I was very pleasantly surprised by how respected Diego was in the hiking community. Other guides respected his judgement when Olga, Richard and I summitted; I could be making this up, but refuge staff all gave him firm handshakes and treated the five of us very nicely when we were up there. Great feeling that I was following the right leader. Personally and very very importantly, I was struggling on D-Day and Diego and Robinson pushed me, sometimes literally...I am not saying that you should expect that experienced staff drag you all the way to the very top...what I am saying is that the official/company description you read on here is the accurate description of your expected experience -- 7/8 days of "training" (exploring other volcanos in Ecuador) + the Big Day. I did this trip solo and rolled the dice re: my fellow teammates, but you know what, I watched tons of YouTube videos before/after summitting and simply could not see myself doing the trip without Richard or Olga...this is an important point because MBA does get you a solid group of "mates"...Javier will get you set up on Day One...random thoughts above just to supplement other reviews.

Incredible trip and Cotopaxi is now open! It was perfectly organized, safe, versatile, fun and challenging at the same time. Hats off to the local host Javier and the whole team! All accommodation spots are located in super safe areas, so you don’t need to worry about news, curfew or anything else. Our guide helped us acclimatize perfectly and was very supportive during the final summit. This is a serious mountain and a real challenge, so please do read the kit list carefully and bring everything they mention - you will definitely need it 😁 amazing trip, memories for the lifetime

Excellent trip from the start shared with really fun people. Pablo and Pepe looked after us really well and the organisation was great. I loved Ecuador, the hiking there was challenging and varied as well as being picturesque. Sadly we didn’t make the summit of Cayambe due to bad weather but this gives me a great excuse to go back! You need a good level of fitness for this trip.

From stepping out of the airport I was instantly looked after and felt safe. This trip gave a fantastic variety of places to stay from a beautiful lodge with fantastic views, a cosy campsite with excellent facilities/staff, to a comfortable refuge on summit night. Was also given plenty (plenty) of food.

We got to see Quito the capital of Ecuador (as well as surrounding areas such as Cumbayá) great sites in particular a lovely roof top restaurant for lunch. I felt very safe, relaxed and welcomed.

Our guides throughout were amazing, Pablo and Joaquin looked after us and answered our many questions. They were incredibly patient when we didn’t remember what the plan was the next day. They helped us go at a great pace so we could all enjoy the views and the hikes.

Cotopaxi was closed at the time but still managed to go 5000m up with amazing views.

I was upset not to be able to submit Cotopaxi but I needn’t been. Cayambe was a fantastic climb and a huge challenge that I throughly enjoyed. The spectacular views were everything I’d hoped for. Can’t recommend this trip enough.

It was a great trip We were unable to do Cotopaxi due to the level of activity. But Cayambe is a great second choice. Challenging adventures and breathtaking views are guaranteed. Our guides Joaquin, José and Marco were simply great! It was a great time and we had a great time despite the rain, very varied trip. The last day is the most strenuous, the days before were mainly for acclimatisation.

The accommodation and transfers went smoothly, everything was very well organised and very punctual!

Ecuador and dear guides, Charlotte and I will come definitely back :)

The trip was absolutely incredible. From the moment I arrived in Quito I felt very well looked after by the whole team. The service was absolutely outstanding. My bag was lost in transit and Javier was incredible in his help to get my bag back to me. Joaquin, our guide, was amazing - he was everything a good guide should be. I trusted him completely to put our safety first and he was incredibly professional but he was also one of the warmest, kindest people I've met in a long time and lots of fun to be around. He told some incredible stories and loved answering our questions about Ecuador. Marco, who looked after our food for the first couple of days when camping was amazing - he was so funny and we all enjoyed his company and food. The accommodation throughout was amazing. The itinerary was built around acclimatization for the summit and we all acclimatized really well for the big climb. Overall the trip was a huge success, and I will not hesitate to book a trip with MBA again, and I will most definitely be back to Ecuador for some more climbing!!

Despite a change in final destination (Cayambe instead of Cotopaxi due to ongoing volcanic activity at the later), the trip was well organised with an emphasis on proper acclimatisation and preparation for the summit night. Andean Face guides Pablo, Pepe and Ivan (summit night only) were excellent, knowledgeable and highly experienced. Whilst disappointing, the decision to abort summiting Cayambe due to inclement weather was correctly taken on safety reasons (we reached 5043m).

This was a very challenging hike but a great week overall. We didn’t summit due to safety concerns but I appreciated that the guides took us as high as they safely could. The food was delicious and abundant for most people but lunches for those of us who require gluten free were not great. Definitely recommend bringing lots of your own snacks if you are celiac. Javier is great and thoughtful and Pablo is friendly and helpful.

Was an amazing adventurous experience! Guides were very Professional and Knowledgeable! I highly recommend this trip!

An amazing week trekking in some beautiful parts of Ecuador. It was well organised, the accomodation was good and varied. The food was equally delicious. And everyone was friendly and knowledgable. Would definitely recommend.

Ecuador is an incredible country to visit. Great hiking and great people.

What an an amazing trip. Cannot recommend this highly enough.The scenery is epic. Such a beautiful country. Guides are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Accommodation was great and even the camp site had hot showers & a warm chill out room.

It was a challenge to hike Cayambe but I was satisfied as the muchbetteradvanture delivered what they promised!

We had an amazing experience in Ecuador. The guides were friendly and knowledgeable, and they seemed to assess group dynamic and fitness well. The range of ecosystems that we saw was incredible! Summit day for Cayambe was very challenging, but the attention to acclimation definitely helped us to reach the summit - high above the clouds with a view of two erupting volcanoes!

As happens with active volcanoes Cotopaxi was indeed active, to the point we couldn’t summit. However the acclimatisation hikes were perfect and the Cayambe alternative was a more than suitable challenge and an incredible experience. Hats off to the local team and a special shout out to our guide Joaquín for making the whole experience one to remember.