Global Expeditions Ecuador South America

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition · Quito, Ecuador · Four Summits to 20,564 ft / 6,268 m · 14 Days · Maximum Four Climbers

14 Days Group: Maximum 4 climbers $6,300 per person

The Climb

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition · Quito, Ecuador · Four Summits to 20,564 ft / 6,268 m · 14 Days · Maximum Four Climbers

Four volcanoes. One deliberate order. Each summit prepares you for the next.

20,564ftChimborazo summit · 6,268 m

14Days, Quito to Quito

4Volcanoes, in a deliberate order

4Climbers, maximum

2Flex days for weather

Ecuador puts a line of high, glaciated volcanoes within a few hours’ drive of each other. In fourteen days, this expedition climbs four of them in a deliberate order: Rucu Pichincha, Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. The last one is the highest mountain in Ecuador.

This is an expedition, not a course. You arrive with glacier mountaineering experience; we refresh your skills, then we climb. The days that would otherwise go to teaching go where they help your chances most: a high camp on Chimborazo, one guide for every climber on summit night, and two flex days for weather.

Climbers on an Ecuador volcano summit above the clouds

The Four Volcanoes

Rucu Pichincha: 15,413 ft / 4,698 m. The peak above Quito. A cable car, a high trail and a rocky scramble to the summit. No glacier, no ropes: this is the first real day at altitude, and it tells your guides how each climber is moving.

Cayambe: 18,996 ft / 5,790 m. Ecuador’s third-highest mountain, sitting almost exactly on the equator; its southern slope is the highest point on the equator anywhere in the world. A heavily glaciated route with crevasses and a few steeper sections below the summit. It’s the first big summit of the trip and the foundation for everything after.

Cotopaxi: 19,347 ft / 5,897 m. The perfect cone most people picture when they think of Ecuador. Glacier slopes lead to a steaming crater rim with Chimborazo on the southern horizon. Cotopaxi is an active volcano and access can change with its activity. We confirm the status before every departure. If it’s closed, we climb Antisana (18,875 ft / 5,753 m) instead, a quieter, more remote glaciated peak east of Quito.

Chimborazo: 20,564 ft / 6,268 m. Ecuador’s highest mountain. Because the Earth bulges at the equator, its summit is the point on the planet farthest from the Earth’s center. It’s the longest, coldest and most serious day of the expedition, and the reason the rest of the itinerary is built the way it is.

Why This Order Works

The sequence matters as much as the mountains. Quito already sits at 9,350 ft / 2,850 m, so adaptation starts the day you land. Rucu Pichincha takes you above 14,800 ft / 4,500 m and back down to sleep. Cayambe takes you close to 19,000 ft / 5,800 m. Cotopaxi goes a little higher.

By the time you reach Chimborazo, you have nearly two weeks at altitude and two glaciated summits behind you, and Chimborazo is the next step rather than a leap. This gradual build gives your body real time to adjust.

A single-peak climb (drive to the hut, sleep a few hours, try for the top) can work for a strong, acclimatized climber. For most people it means climbing tired and under-adapted. This expedition is built the other way around.

The full plan is on Day by Day.

Two Flex Days for Weather

The equatorial Andes can change quickly, and a single bad night can cost a summit. Days 8 and 11 are rest days by design, and they are also our weather days. If a summit is weathered out, your guides can use the next flex day for a second attempt.

It’s an honest trade-off: using a flex day means giving up a rest day. Your guides will talk it through with the team before they decide, and they’ll base the call on the forecast and on how everyone is recovering.

Chimborazo: High Camp and One Guide per Climber

Chimborazo is climbed differently from the other two peaks. We don’t use the huts. The night before the summit, we camp at Castle Camp, about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m, high on the mountain’s flank. It’s the only night in tents on the whole trip, and it shortens summit night considerably.

On summit night, every climber has their own guide. One guide per climber gives the most flexibility and support on the hardest day of the expedition: your pace is your own, your guide’s attention is entirely on you, and a turnaround for one climber never ends the day for anyone else.

School or Expedition?

We run two programs on these volcanoes. The difference is how much of the trip is teaching and how much is climbing.

Ecuador Mountaineering School: for your first time on a glacier. The Core Program teaches you from your first crampon step to the summit of Cayambe. The Full Program continues on to Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, with instruction built in all the way.

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition: for climbers who already have the basics. A skills refresher instead of a course, a high camp and one guide per climber on Chimborazo, and two flex days protected for weather.

If you’re new to glaciers, the School is the right start. If you’ve already been roped up on a glacier and want to spend your time on the summits, the Expedition is built for you. Expedition departures are scheduled right before or after the School’s dates. Not sure which fits? Ask a guide. We’ll tell you honestly.

Your Team

Every departure is led by an IFMGA- or ASEGUIM-certified guide, working with experienced BBE guides to the same standard. All our guides are WFR-certified. Teams are capped at four climbers.

Cayambe and Cotopaxi: one guide for every two climbers
Chimborazo: one guide for every climber

A small team means real supervision on the glacier and guides who know how you move long before summit night. You will never disappear into the group.

Local drivers, lodge and hut staff support the team on the ground. Your guides run the climbing, the acclimatization plan and every turnaround decision.

The team carries radio and satellite communications, and its own Starlink satellite internet, which it sets up when needed. It gives you a way to reach home even on the mountain: a limited connection, not a guarantee.

Willie and Damian Benegas built BBE’s standards over decades on the world’s big mountains. Scheduled departures are led by the BBE guide team. Private Ecuador expeditions can be personally led by Willie or Damian on request, confirmed in writing in the trip terms. See Private & Custom Expeditions.

Who This Expedition Is For

This expedition is a good fit if you:

Have prior glacier mountaineering experience: crampons, ice axe and roped glacier travel (on our School, a recognized course, or guided glacier climbs)
Want more than one summit from a single trip
Are preparing for Aconcagua, Peru, Bolivia or a bigger objective and want serious altitude experience first
Will commit to structured training in the months before departure
Accept that no one can promise a summit, and that turning around is sometimes the right call

If you’ve never been on a glacier, start with the Ecuador Mountaineering School. For the honest standard, read Is This for Me?

Every climber speaks with a guide before booking.

Where This Expedition Can Lead

What you build here (pacing, glacier movement, and the discipline of long summit nights above 18,000 ft / 5,500 m) carries straight into the next objective:

AconcaguaThe highest mountain outside Asia Peru AlpinistSteeper, more technical climbing in the Cordillera Blanca Bolivia AlpinistHigh glaciated peaks in the Cordillera Real

There is no fixed ladder. For some climbers, Chimborazo is the objective in its own right.

Ready for Ecuador’s Volcanoes?

Tell us what you’ve climbed, where you’ve used crampons and a rope, how you train and what you want this expedition to be for you. If it’s the right fit, we’ll say so. If the School or another step should come first, we’ll say that too. We answer every inquiry personally.

We don’t simply guide expeditions. We help people build a lifetime in the mountains.

See dates and prices. · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Ask a guide

Day by Day

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition · Four Summits to 20,564 ft / 6,268 m · 14 Days · Quito to Quito

This expedition climbs four of Ecuador’s volcanoes in a deliberate order: Rucu Pichincha, Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. Each peak prepares you for the next. By the time you stand below Chimborazo, you have nearly two weeks at altitude and two glaciated summits behind you.

Duration14 days, Quito to Quito

SummitsRucu Pichincha 15,413 ft / 4,698 m, Cayambe 18,996 ft / 5,790 m, Cotopaxi 19,347 ft / 5,897 m, Chimborazo 20,564 ft / 6,268 m

Highest campCastle Camp, Chimborazo, about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m

Nights3 at Hotel Quito, 7 in mountain lodges, 2 in a hut or refuge, 1 in tents

MealsAll included

This is an expedition for climbers with prior glacier mountaineering experience. We don’t spend days teaching crampon technique; we refresh it, then climb. The time that saves goes where it matters most: a high camp on Chimborazo and two flex days for weather.

Quito & Rucu PichinchaDays 1–3 CayambeDays 4–7 CotopaxiDays 8–10 ChimborazoDays 11–13 The ReturnDay 14

Highest point reached each day. Days 8 and 11 are rest days that double as weather days.

The 14 Days at a Glance

Each bar shows where you sleep that night. ▲ marks the day’s high point. Tap a day to open it.

Phase 1Quito & Rucu PichinchaDays 1–3

1Arrive Quito2,850 m · 9,350 ft 2Briefing, gear check, acclimatization walk2,850 m · 9,350 ft 3Rucu Pichincha~~▲ Summit 4,698 m / 15,413 ft~~2,850 m · 9,350 ft

Phase 2CayambeDays 4–7

4Drive to Cayambe3,652 m · 11,982 ft 5Glacier skills refresher3,652 m · 11,982 ft 6Cayambe Hut4,600 m · 15,100 ft 7Summit Cayambe, drive to Cotopaxi~~▲ Summit 5,790 m / 18,996 ft~~~3,750 m · 12,300 ft

Phase 3CotopaxiDays 8–10

8Rest day (flex day)~3,750 m · 12,300 ft9José Rivas Refuge4,864 m · 15,958 ft 10Summit Cotopaxi, drive to Riobamba~~▲ Summit 5,897 m / 19,347 ft~~Riobamba

Phase 4ChimborazoDays 11–13

11Rest day (flex day)Riobamba12Castle Camp~5,350 m · 17,500 ft 13Summit Chimborazo~~▲ Summit 6,268 m / 20,564 ft~~Riobamba

Phase 5HomeDay 14

14Drive to Quito, departureFly home

In each day below, altitude reads start → high point → where you sleep. Distances and hiking times are estimates.

Climb high, sleep low

Some days climb well above where you sleep. The gap between the day’s high point and the night’s camp is how your body adapts.

Times are estimates

Hiking times change with the team and the conditions. A slow, steady pace is the plan, not a problem.

The plan can flex

Weather, how the team is acclimatizing and your guides’ judgment can change the daily plan. That flexibility is part of the plan.

Good to know

The schedule is a plan. The mountains decide the details. Weather, route conditions and how each climber is adapting will move days around, and your guides make those calls every evening with the whole team in view.

Times are estimates and change with the team and the conditions. The shape of the progression matters more than the numbers.

Days 8 and 11 are rest days by design, and they are also our weather days. If a summit is weathered out, we can use the next flex day for a second attempt. That protects your chances on each peak, but it means giving up a rest day, and your guides will talk that through with you openly before deciding. The expedition isn’t extended beyond Day 14, even if both flex days are used.

Meals

All meals are included, from your arrival in Quito through departure, at the hotel, the lodges, the refuges and Castle Camp. You pay only for alcoholic drinks and personal snacks.

Altitude: 9,350 ft / 2,850 m

Our team meets you at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) and transfers you to Hotel Quito. Quito sits at 9,350 ft / 2,850 m, so acclimatization starts the moment you land. If you arrive in time, we meet for a short welcome. Otherwise, rest, drink water and eat well.

Sleep: Hotel Quito

Altitude: 9,350 ft / 2,850 m

A full team briefing and a detailed gear check with your guides. Anything missing gets sorted here, in the city, where rentals and shops are close.

Then an easy walk through Quito’s historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to keep you moving at altitude without building fatigue.

Sleep: Hotel Quito

Altitude: 9,350 ft → 15,413 ft / 4,698 m → 9,350 ft · Hiking: about 6–7 hrs round trip

The TelefériQo cable car lifts us to about 12,960 ft / 3,950 m on the slopes above Quito. From there we hike and scramble to the summit of Rucu Pichincha.

It’s the first real test of pace and breathing at altitude, and it gives your guides an honest read on how each climber is moving. Climb high, sleep low: back to Quito for the night.

Sleep: Hotel Quito

Altitude: 9,350 ft → 11,982 ft / 3,652 m · Drive: about 2–3 hrs

We drive north out of Quito, crossing the equator, and climb through páramo grasslands to Yanacocha Lodge below Cayambe. Cayambe is Ecuador’s third-highest mountain, and its southern slope is the highest point on the equator anywhere in the world. The afternoon is for rest and an easy walk above the lodge.

Sleep: Yanacocha Lodge, 11,982 ft / 3,652 m

Altitude: 11,982 ft → about 16,400 ft / 5,000 m → 11,982 ft · High point: the edge of Cayambe’s glacier

We go up to the edge of Cayambe’s glacier for a focused half-day refresher: crampon footwork, ice-axe technique and self-arrest, rope-team travel and crevasse awareness.

It’s a refresher, not a course. The goal is to make sure every climber and every rope team moves smoothly before summit night. It’s also a strong acclimatization day: we climb high and come back down to sleep at the lodge.

Sleep: Yanacocha Lodge, 11,982 ft / 3,652 m

Altitude: 11,982 ft → 15,100 ft / 4,600 m

A short move up to the hut. Gear check, an early dinner and a summit briefing. The alarm goes off around midnight. Sleep if you can; rest either way.

Sleep: Cayambe Hut, 15,100 ft / 4,600 m

Altitude: 15,100 ft → 18,996 ft / 5,790 m → about 12,300 ft · Climbing: about 6–8 hrs up, 3–4 hrs down · Drive: about 3–3.5 hrs

We leave the hut around midnight by headlamp. The route climbs steadily on glacier through crevassed terrain, with a few steeper sections below the summit. If conditions hold, we reach the top around sunrise. Then down to the hut, down to the vehicles, and south to Cotopaxi National Park.

This is a long day; only Chimborazo is longer. You’ll sleep well tonight.

Sleep: Tambopaxi Lodge, Cotopaxi National Park, about 12,300 ft / 3,750 m

Altitude: about 12,300 ft / 3,750 m · Hiking: none

A real rest day below Cotopaxi: sleep, eat, dry gear, and let your body keep adapting. If Cayambe was weathered out, this is the day we have in reserve.

Sleep: Tambopaxi Lodge

Altitude: about 12,300 ft → 15,958 ft / 4,864 m

We drive to the parking area and hike a short, steep trail up to the José Rivas Refuge. In the afternoon, a short walk toward the glacier to check the route and conditions. Early dinner, final briefing, early to bed.

Sleep: José Rivas Refuge, 15,958 ft / 4,864 m

Altitude: 15,958 ft → 19,347 ft / 5,897 m → descent · Climbing: about 6–8 hrs up, 2–3 hrs down · Drive: about 2.5–3 hrs

A midnight start on one of the most recognizable volcanoes in the Americas. The route climbs glacier slopes and crevassed terrain to the crater rim. On a clear morning the crater steams below you and Chimborazo stands on the southern horizon.

We descend to the refuge, then drive south through the Avenue of the Volcanoes to Abraspungo Lodge in Riobamba.

If Cotopaxi is closed because of volcanic activity, we climb Antisana (18,875 ft / 5,753 m) on these days instead. Your guides confirm the plan before the expedition starts.

Sleep: Abraspungo Lodge, Riobamba

Altitude: Riobamba · Hiking: none

The last full rest before the biggest day of the trip. Recover, eat, prepare your gear. If Cotopaxi was weathered out on Day 10, this is the day we can use for a second attempt instead, and your guides will talk that decision through with you.

Sleep: Abraspungo Lodge, Riobamba

Altitude: Riobamba → about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m

We drive to the end of the road on Chimborazo and hike up past the refuges to Castle Camp, below the glacier. This is the only night in tents on the trip.

We don’t use the huts on Chimborazo: camping higher shortens summit night and gives your body one more night at altitude before 19,700 ft / 6,000 m. Tents up, gear check, summit briefing and an early dinner.

Sleep: Castle Camp (tents), about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m

Altitude: about 17,500 ft → 20,564 ft / 6,268 m → Riobamba · Climbing: about 6–8 hrs up, 3–4 hrs down

We start late at night, and on Chimborazo every climber has their own guide. From camp it’s about 2,950 ft / 900 m of gain, much of it on snow and ice slopes averaging 35–45 degrees, with short steeper sections.

Chimborazo is the hardest climb of the expedition: longer, higher, colder and more exposed to wind than Cayambe or Cotopaxi. Above 19,700 ft / 6,000 m, pacing and discipline matter more than strength. With one guide per climber, your pace is your own and a turnaround for one climber never ends the day for anyone else.

The summit is Ecuador’s highest point and, because of the equatorial bulge, the point on Earth farthest from its center.

The summit is only the halfway point. The descent is long, and your guides manage it with the same care as the ascent. Down to camp, down to the vehicles, then back to Riobamba for a hot shower and a real bed.

Sometimes the right call is to turn around. On a mountain this size, that decision is made early and clearly, and it’s a professional decision, not a failure.

Sleep: Abraspungo Lodge, Riobamba

Drive: about 4 hrs

We drive north to Quito and Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO). Most international flights leave in the evening or overnight; please book a departure after about 6:00 pm.

If you’d like more time in Ecuador, ask us about an extra night in Quito or an extension.

Weather and Flexibility

This itinerary is the plan, not a promise. The buffer sits where it matters most: a flex day after Cayambe and another after Cotopaxi, each a rest day first and a weather day if it’s needed.

The equatorial Andes change quickly. Guides may move a summit night, use a flex day, change start times, or turn the team around, based on the forecast, route conditions, volcanic status and how every climber is recovering.

Those decisions are made in the field, by the people standing on the mountain, with your safety first and your best summit opportunity second. No one can promise a summit.

Ecuador’s big volcanoes are strong preparation for higher, more committing expeditions. From here, many climbers look at Aconcagua, Peru Alpinist in the Cordillera Blanca, or Bolivia Alpinist in the Cordillera Real.

Keep Planning

For how hard each part feels, read Is This for Me? For the hotel, lodges, refuges and camp, see Where You’ll Stay. For the daily rhythm, see Life on the Mountain.

Questions About the Itinerary? We answer every inquiry personally. Ask a guide · See dates and prices · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Is This for Me?

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition · How Hard Is Chimborazo, Really? · An Honest Answer, Not a Sales Pitch

This expedition asks a lot. Three glaciated summits in seven days, the last one at 20,564 ft / 6,268 m, with midnight starts, cold, and long descents on tired legs. It is built for climbers who already know how to move on a glacier and want to put that to work on bigger mountains.

That doesn’t mean you need to be an elite athlete or a seasoned alpinist. It means you need the basic skills before you arrive, real fitness, and a clear idea of what the hard days feel like. This page tells you exactly what that means.

The Expedition at a Glance

ExperiencePrior glacier mountaineering experience required

Altitude experienceHelpful, not required

Highest summitChimborazo, 20,564 ft / 6,268 m

Summit nightsThree (Cayambe, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo)

Longest dayChimborazo summit day, about 9–12 hours on the move

Summit conditionsRoughly 23 °F to 5 °F (−5 °C to −15 °C) before dawn, colder in the wind

Training time12–16 weeks, structured

FamiliesWelcome

Team sizeMaximum four climbers; one guide for every two climbers on Cayambe and Cotopaxi, one guide for every climber on Chimborazo

Experience: What’s Required

This is the line between our Expedition and our School. You need prior glacier mountaineering experience before you join. In practice, that means you have:

Walked in crampons on snow and ice, on flat and angled terrain
Used an ice axe for balance and practiced self-arrest
Travelled roped on a glacier as part of a team

You can get there on our Ecuador Mountaineering School, a recognized mountaineering course, or guided glacier climbs elsewhere. Day 5 is a half-day refresher on Cayambe’s glacier, and your guides coach you on every climb, but there isn’t time to teach these skills from the beginning.

If you’ve never been on a glacier, the Ecuador Mountaineering School is the right place to start. If you’re close but not sure, ask a guide. We’ll look at what you’ve done and tell you honestly.

Helpful, but not required:

Time above 13,000 ft / 4,000 m, so you have some idea how your body responds
A previous summit above 16,400 ft / 5,000 m (Kilimanjaro, Mexico’s volcanoes, or similar)
Multi-day trips where you had to recover and go again
Winter hiking or climbing in real cold

Fitness: Can You Do These?

Summit days on this trip are long, and they come back to back with only one rest day between them. Use this as an honest self-check.

Climb steadily uphill for 8–10 hours with a pack.Check 1

Test it with your longest training day: a big hill or mountain, slow and steady, 3,300 ft / 1,000 m or more of gain.

Do it again two days later.Check 2

Test it with back-to-back weekends of long days, or two long days with one easy day between.

Keep your footing when you’re tired.Check 3

Most slips happen on the way down. Test it with long descents at the end of hard days.

Start at midnight and keep going.Check 4

Test it with at least two pre-dawn starts in the cold.

The second one matters most. One hard summit day is something many fit people can do. Three in a week is what makes this trip different.

You do not need to be fast. You need to recover and go again.

What Will Feel Hard

Most climbers who join this expedition are well prepared. Most still find the summit nights harder than they expected, and Chimborazo harder than the other two.

The midnight starts. Three times on this trip, you’ll try to sleep high (in the Cayambe Hut, the José Rivas Refuge on Cotopaxi, and a tent at Castle Camp on Chimborazo), wake around midnight, put on every layer you have and step out onto the glacier by headlamp. Sleep up high is short and light. That’s normal.

The cold. Before dawn on the summits it is well below freezing, and wind makes it feel much colder. Fingers and toes feel it first. Good gear and good habits keep you safe; they don’t make you comfortable.

Stacking the summits. Cayambe on Day 7, Cotopaxi on Day 10, Chimborazo on Day 13. The rest days help, but by the third summit night your legs know what they’ve done. This is where training for back-to-back days pays off.

Chimborazo. You leave Castle Camp late at night and climb about 2,950 ft / 900 m to the summit: 6–8 hours up, much of it on snow and ice slopes averaging 35–45 degrees, with short steeper sections. It’s the coldest, thinnest air of the trip. Above 19,700 ft / 6,000 m your body has less than half the oxygen it has at sea level, and every step takes focus.

Then comes the descent, which is long and needs as much care as the climb. On this mountain you climb with your own guide, so the pace is set for you, not for a group.

The weather. The equatorial Andes change quickly. Your guides may move a summit night, use a flex day, or turn the team around. Waiting for a better window is part of climbing here.

Small Teams and Guide Decisions

Every departure is capped at four climbers. On Cayambe and Cotopaxi there is one guide for every two climbers; on Chimborazo, one guide for every climber.

That matters most when things get hard. Your guides see your pace, appetite, sleep and recovery every day, so problems are caught early and the plan is adjusted around real people. You will never disappear into the group.

Your guides make the calls that shape the climb: when to move, when to wait out the weather, whether to use a flex day, and when to turn around.

The climbers who stand on Chimborazo aren’t the ones who found it easy. They’re the ones who knew it would be hard and kept moving well. And sometimes the right call is to turn around. When it is, your guide makes it clearly and early, and that is a professional decision, not a failure. This expedition only works if you are willing to accept it.

Is This the Right Expedition for You?

This expedition is a good fit if:

You already have glacier mountaineering experience and want to use it on bigger mountains.
You’ll commit to 12–16 weeks of structured training.
You want more than one summit, and you understand that means more than one hard night.
You’ll slow down when your guide says slow down, and accept a turnaround call.
You’re preparing for Aconcagua, Peru, Bolivia or another big objective and want serious altitude first.
You understand no one can promise a summit, on any of the four peaks.

It’s probably not the right fit if:

You’ve never used crampons or travelled roped on a glacier.
You want to reach one summit and head home.
You’re hoping to get by on general fitness.
You won’t accept a guide’s pace or turnaround call.
You need a summit to feel it was worth it.

Two more things to be clear about before you book:

Health

No medical certificate is required. If you have a heart, lung or other condition that altitude, cold or sustained exertion could affect, talk to your physician before you book and tell us on your Registration Form.

Age

The minimum age is set by Ecuador’s regulations and by insurance: climbers under 18 climb with a parent or guardian, and each climber’s insurance must cover their age. Families are welcome: younger climbers can join a scheduled team with a parent or guardian, or come on a private family expedition built around your family, and if a special permit is needed, we’ll help you apply. There is no upper age limit; fitness, health and experience matter far more than age.

Not Ready Yet, or Not the Right Fit?

If this expedition is a stretch right now, that is honest information, not a rejection.

Ecuador Mountaineering SchoolFor your first time on a glacier, with instruction built in from the first crampon step A shorter private climbFor climbers who want one summit and less time away. Ask us what fits.Private & Custom ExpeditionsYour own dates, or extra instruction days for climbers without glacier experience

Come back to these volcanoes ready, and the experience will be completely different.

How to Prepare

Plan on a structured 12–16 week program before departure, longer if you’re starting from a lower base. Consistency matters far more than intensity.

Early weeks: build a base

Hiking, stairs or incline walking, three to four sessions a week, plus basic leg and core strength.

Middle weeks: add load, length and gain

Longer days with a pack, then back-to-back days. Build toward 3,300 ft / 1,000 m or more of gain in a single day.

Final weeks: peak, then ease off

Your biggest back-to-back weekend, a pre-dawn start or two, and a cold-weather outing, then taper in the last 7–10 days.

Five things make the biggest difference:

Repeated long days. Train to recover and go again, not just to survive one big day.
Descents. Train downhill as well as up. Strong legs on the way down keep you safe on the glacier.
Night starts. All three summit nights begin around midnight. Practice starting in the dark.
Refresh your skills. If it’s been a while since you were on a glacier, get out on snow with crampons and an axe before the trip, or ask us about a refresher day.
Mental preparation. Know what summit night feels like and why you’re there. Climbers who turn back are often the ones surprised by how hard it got, not the ones who were unfit.

Every confirmed climber receives a full week-by-week training guide. Ask a guide about your preparation at any stage.

Still Deciding?

With a maximum of four climbers per departure, we have time for a real conversation before you book. Tell us what you’ve climbed, where you’ve used crampons and a rope, how you’ve trained and what worries you, and we’ll give you an honest assessment.

We’ll talk through whether your glacier experience is enough, whether you can commit to the training, and whether the School would be a better first step. If the School or a later season is the better choice, we’ll tell you that too. Every climber speaks with a guide before booking.

For the full route, read Day by Day. For costs beyond the expedition fee, see What to Budget For in Before You Go. For everything else, see Your Questions.

Tell us what you’ve climbed

We’ll give you an honest assessment. See dates and prices. · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Ask a guide

Before You Go

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition · Before You Go

Preparing for Ecuador’s Volcanoes: Start Here

On this expedition, the climbers who arrive ready have three things sorted well before they fly: rescue coverage that actually reaches above 20,000 ft, boots and gloves they’ve tested on real training days, and glacier skills they’ve refreshed rather than assumed. None of it is complicated, but it all takes time. This page puts your preparation in order: what to do, when, and where to find the details. Handle it early, and your energy in the final weeks goes into training, not logistics.

Three Things to Know Now

Rescue and evacuation coverage is required on this expedition.Required

It must cover helicopter evacuation and high-altitude mountaineering and glacier travel to at least 20,700 ft / 6,300 m, above Chimborazo’s 20,564 ft summit. You can buy it any time, but it must be in place before departure. Many standard policies stop well below that altitude, so check the limit before you pay. We recommend Global Rescue (add its High-Altitude Evacuation Package) or Ripcord. Travel insurance is strongly recommended, not required.

Your gear has to handle wet cold.Wet cold

Freezing fog, rime and wet snow are common on the upper mountains. Bring a real waterproof shell, a glove system with a spare pair, and a sleeping bag rated to at least 0 °F / −18 °C for the refuges and Castle Camp. Your boots should already be broken in on real training days.

Bring small US bills.US dollars

Ecuador uses the US dollar, so there’s nothing to exchange, but large bills are hard to change, even in Quito, and there are no ATMs at the lodges, refuges or camp. Tips for the whole team (7–10% of the trip price) are far easier in fives, tens and twenties.

Your Seven Preparation Guides

1. Your Expedition ChecklistEvery form, document and health step, in order: the online registration form at booking (including your climbing résumé), passport and entry rules, the travel clinic, rentals and what you carry on arrival day.2. Trip Insurance & Evacuation CoverageThe rescue coverage this expedition requires, why trip insurance matters, what to ask your insurer, and what an evacuation from Ecuador’s volcanoes really involves.3. Flights & Getting to QuitoFlying into Quito (UIO) on Day 1 at any time, booking your flight home for after about 6:00 pm on Day 14, entering Ecuador, the online customs form, and why your boots travel in your carry-on.4. Where You’ll StayNight by night: Hotel Quito, Yanacocha and Tambopaxi lodges, the Cayambe Hut and José Rivas Refuge, Abraspungo Lodge in Riobamba, and one tent night at Castle Camp on Chimborazo, about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m.5. Life on the MountainThe rhythm of build days, summit nights and rest days; food and water; the altitude symptoms to report straight away; equatorial weather; and staying in touch with Starlink when needed.6. Ecuador Volcanoes Gear ListWhat makes Ecuador’s cold different, where to invest, what BBE provides, renting technical gear in Quito, the Day 2 gear check, and the full downloadable list.7. What to Budget ForEvery cost beyond the expedition price, from required rescue coverage to tips and small bills, with a realistic total and the reserve to hold back.

Your Preparation Timeline

When you book

Through the registration link we email you, complete the reservation form and pay your deposit by the invoice we send; then complete the Registration Form (profile, emergency contacts, medical history, and your climbing résumé: the peaks you’ve climbed, when and with whom), passport copy, Terms & Conditions and Release
Check your passport: valid for at least six months beyond your entry date
Start your 12–16 week training program. Is This for Me? has the benchmarks
Read the gear list now, and give new boots time to be broken in

Any time before departure

Buy your rescue and evacuation coverage (required on this expedition) and travel insurance (strongly recommended, not required). You can buy it any time, but it must be in place before departure
Email your rescue and evacuation certificate to climbing@benegasbrothers.com

120 days before departure

Your balance is due. (Reservations made within 120 days of departure require full payment at booking.)

Once you’ve paid in full

Book your flights to Quito (UIO), arriving on Day 1 at any time and leaving after about 6:00 pm on Day 14. Favor changeable fares. Email your itinerary to climbing@benegasbrothers.com so we can arrange your airport pickup

3–5 months before

Check your boots, gloves and shell against the gear list. Replace anything that isn’t up to three summit nights
Talk to your physician about altitude, altitude medication and any medical conditions
If it’s been a while since you were on a glacier, get out on snow with crampons and an ice axe

4–6 weeks before

See a travel clinic about vaccinations
Put in your biggest back-to-back training days, including a pre-dawn start or two

At least 3 weeks before

Send us any rental requests for crampons, ice axe, harness or helmet

The final 2 weeks

Do a full pack-out: every item on the list, packed the way it will travel
Get your cash: plenty of five-, ten- and twenty-dollar bills
Check with us whether Ecuador’s online customs form (FRA) applies to you, and file it in the three days before you fly
Save copies of your passport, insurance certificate and itinerary to your phone and the cloud
Ease off your training. Arrive rested, not worn out

Arrival Day

Carry your passport, insurance details, medications and boots in your carry-on. A member of our team meets you at Quito’s airport and takes you to Hotel Quito. Any arrival time works. Day 2 is the full briefing and gear check with your guides, with time to fix or rent anything missing before the mountains. From then on, logistics are our job. Yours is climbing.

Still Deciding?

This section assumes you’re going. If you’re still working out whether this expedition is right for you this season (whether your glacier experience is enough, whether you can commit to 12–16 weeks of training, whether the School would be a better first step), start with Is This for Me? and Your Questions. Day by Day shows how the fourteen days build, including the two flex days.

If you’ve never travelled roped on a glacier, the Ecuador Mountaineering School is the right place to start. If you want one summit and less time, ask us about a shorter private climb. For your own dates or your own team, see Private & Custom Expeditions.

Questions While You Prepare?

Ask early

Whether your boots are warm enough for Chimborazo, whether your policy really covers 20,700 ft, what to rent in Quito: ask early. A question answered at home is easy. The same question at Castle Camp is not. See dates and prices. · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Ask a guide

Your Expedition Checklist

The climbers who arrive in Quito relaxed are the ones who handled the paperwork months ago, not weeks. None of it is complicated: getting into Ecuador is easy for most travelers, and BBE arranges every park fee and climbing permit. This page lists everything we need from you, what you arrange yourself, and when.

Your Paperwork at a Glance

Everything BBE needs from you, in the order you’ll do it. Tick items off as you go; your ticks are saved on this device. The details for each item are below.

Step 1At booking, in the registration formDone together with your deposit

Reservation formName, email, date of birth and addressAt bookingDeposit — 20%Includes the $350 non-refundable booking fee. Your place is confirmed when we receive it.At bookingRegistration formProfile, emergency contacts, medical history and climbing experienceAt bookingPassport copyPhoto page, valid well beyond your return, with blank pagesAt bookingTerms & Conditions and ReleaseRead both carefully before you signAt booking

Step 2Buy, then send to BBEEmail climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Rescue & evacuation insuranceRequired. Send your certificate and your insurer’s 24-hour emergency number.Soon after bookingFlight itinerarySend it before you buy. We use it to arrange your arrival.Before you buy flightsBalanceDue 120 days before departure; inside 120 days, pay in full at booking120 days before departureEntry requirementsVisa or entry rules for your passport, covered in the flights section belowWell before you fly

Step 3Arrange and carryNeeded on the trip

Travel clinic visitVaccinations and health advice for your exact routing4–8 weeks beforeGear checkWork through the gear list and break in your bootsMonths beforeCash for the tripFor tips and spending; amounts are in What to Budget ForFinal two weeksPrinted documentsPassport, insurance certificate, flight itinerary and emergency contactsCarry with you

At Booking

How booking works. When you ask about the expedition, we reply by email with the trip details and a link to our online registration form. Everything in this section is done there.

Reservation form. Your full name, email, date of birth and address, plus any notes for our program staff about your reservation.

Deposit. The reservation form includes a link to pay your deposit. Your place is confirmed once BBE receives it. Amounts and deadlines are on Dates & Prices.

Complete at Booking

Registration Form. Your personal profile, emergency contacts, medical history, and climbing and altitude experience. Because this expedition requires prior glacier mountaineering experience, the form includes a short climbing résumé: the peaks you’ve climbed, when, and with whom. Be thorough and honest; it’s how your guides plan for you. Medical information stays within the guiding team and is used to plan for your safety. A condition we know about can usually be planned for; one we discover during an emergency at 19,000 ft is much harder to manage.

Passport. A copy of your passport photo page. We also use your passport details to register you for park entry and climbing permits.

Terms & Conditions. BBE’s booking, payment and cancellation terms. Read them before you sign.

Release. A liability release acknowledging the inherent risks of high-altitude glacier climbing. Read it carefully. It means what it says.

When: complete these in the registration form at booking, with your deposit.

Send us later. As soon as you have them, email climbing@benegasbrothers.com your flight itinerary with every flight number (we use it to arrange your airport pickup in Quito) and your rescue and evacuation insurance certificate. Rescue and evacuation coverage is required on this expedition. You can buy it any time, but it must be in place before departure. We recommend Global Rescue or Ripcord; Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage explains what your plan has to cover.

Balance payment. Due 120 days before departure. Reservations made within 120 days of departure require full payment at booking.

Park Fees and Climbing Permits

National park fees and climbing registrations for Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, and for Antisana if we need it, are arranged by BBE and included in your expedition price. You don’t pay anything at a park gate. We just need your passport details and your registration forms in time to register you.

Entry to Ecuador

Passport. Valid for at least six months beyond your entry date. A passport card isn’t accepted for international flights.

Visa. US, Canadian, UK and most European citizens don’t need a visa for stays of up to 90 days. If you hold another passport, check with an Ecuadorian consulate before you book.

Online customs form (FRA). Ecuador has an online customs declaration, filed up to three days before you travel. The official rule on who must complete it has changed more than once, so we’ll confirm the current rule with you before departure. If in doubt, fill it in.

Climbing equipment. Boots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet and technical clothing count as personal sporting equipment and need no special permit.

Flights & Getting to Quito has the full detail.

Health Preparation

See your physician. Chimborazo reaches 20,564 ft / 6,268 m, and this expedition puts three summit nights into one week. If you have a heart, lung or other condition that altitude, cold or sustained exertion could affect, talk to your physician before you book and tell us on your Registration Form. No medical certificate is required.

Altitude medication. Talk to your doctor early about whether it’s right for you, and whether to try it at home first. It is a decision for you and your doctor. Don’t take a new medication for the first time on the expedition unless a qualified medical professional directs it.

Prescription medications. Bring everything you take, for the full trip plus a few extra days, in your carry-on.

Vaccinations. See a travel medicine clinic four to six weeks before departure. Make sure your routine vaccinations are current. Hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended for Ecuador; your clinic will advise on anything else based on your health history.

First aid. Bring a small personal kit for blisters and minor problems, with the ordinary pain relief and stomach medication you already use. Your guides carry a comprehensive group medical kit on every climbing day.

Training and Skills

Training. Plan on a structured 12–16 week program, longer if you’re starting from a lower base. Every confirmed climber receives a week-by-week training guide. Is This for Me? has the benchmarks.

Glacier skills. Day 5 is a refresher on Cayambe’s glacier, not a course. If it’s been a while since you were on a glacier, get out on snow with crampons and an ice axe before the trip, or ask us about a refresher day.

Gear and Rentals

Read the gear list early. Nothing on this trip should be worn for the first time on a glacier, and boots take time to break in on real training days.

Rentals. Crampons, ice axe, harness and helmet can be rented through our partners in Quito. Send us your requests at least three weeks before the trip; popular sizes go early. Rentals are paid directly to the shop.

Buying something new? Send us a link or a photo first. Two minutes of email beats an expensive mistake.

Travel

Flights. Book your flights to Quito once your place is confirmed and you’ve paid in full. Land at Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) on Day 1, at any time, and book your flight home for after about 6:00 pm on Day 14. Favor changeable fares, and if you’re unsure about timing, send us your itinerary before you buy.

The Final Two Weeks

Do a full pack-out using the gear list: every item, packed the way it will travel
Get your cash: plenty of five-, ten- and twenty-dollar bills for tips and extras (see What to Budget For)
Check with us whether the FRA customs form applies to you, and file it online in the three days before you fly
Save copies of your passport, insurance certificate and itinerary to your phone and a cloud account, and carry paper copies separate from the originals
Ease off your training. Arrive rested, not worn out

Bring With You to Ecuador

Your passport
Your return ticket and printed flight itinerary, and the name of your first night’s hotel: Hotel Quito
Rescue and evacuation insurance certificate and your insurer’s 24-hour emergency number
Written list of emergency contacts and relevant medical information
Prescription medications, in your carry-on
A Visa or Mastercard that works abroad (American Express is less reliable), and a backup stored separately
Your mountaineering boots, in your carry-on or on your feet

Arrival Day

A member of our team meets you at Quito’s airport and takes you to Hotel Quito. Any arrival time works. Day 2 is the full briefing and gear check with your guides, with time to fix or rent anything missing before the mountains. From then on, logistics are our job. Yours is climbing.

Questions? Paperwork is the least interesting and most fixable part of expedition preparation. Ask early, especially if you’re not sure your glacier experience is enough.

Ask a guide · Back to Before You Go · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage

This expedition climbs to 20,564 ft / 6,268 m on Chimborazo and sleeps at about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m at Castle Camp. Many travel-insurance policies exclude mountaineering or glacier travel, or cap coverage well below those heights, and the exclusion is usually in the fine print. This page explains the two kinds of cover, which one is required, and how to confirm yours before you pay.

Required by BBERescue and evacuation coverage

Required on every BBE international expedition. It pays to get you off the mountain and to proper medical care. The coverage it must include for this trip is listed below.

Strongly recommendedTrip insurance

Protects the money you’ve spent if illness, a family emergency or a travel disruption stops or cuts short your trip.

Rescue and Evacuation Coverage: Required

Rescue and evacuation coverage is required on this expedition. Every climber must have proof of cover on file with BBE before departure. Emergencies are rare with good guiding, but when they happen high on a mountain they are serious, and evacuation is expensive without coverage. Without it, you are responsible for every cost of your own evacuation and treatment, and your standard health insurance almost certainly won’t cover international mountain rescue.

Your policy must cover all of the following:

Altitude: high-altitude mountaineering to at least 20,700 ft / 6,300 m (above Chimborazo’s 20,564 ft summit).
Helicopter evacuation: stated explicitly in the policy.
Activity: mountaineering and roped glacier travel with crampons, ice axe, harness and helmet, with no activity exclusion.
Field rescue: from the Cayambe Hut, the José Rivas Refuge on Cotopaxi, Castle Camp on Chimborazo and the summit routes.
Destination: Ecuador, for your full travel dates.
Medical care and transport: treatment in Ecuador and medical transport to an appropriate facility, including international medical transport and repatriation if needed.
24-hour emergency assistance.

Check the altitude limit on your policy. Many travel policies and rescue memberships set a maximum altitude, and some stop well below this trip’s summits unless you add a high-altitude option. Every summit on this expedition is above 15,000 ft / 4,600 m. Find the limit in the policy wording itself, not the brochure, and make sure it reaches at least 20,700 ft / 6,300 m.

We recommend Global Rescue or Ripcord. With Global Rescue, add the High-Altitude Evacuation Package; standard membership covers rescue only up to 15,000 ft / 4,600 m. With Ripcord, check the altitude limit on the plan you choose. Whichever you choose, confirm the plan covers helicopter evacuation to at least 20,700 ft / 6,300 m.

Trip Insurance: Strongly Recommended

Travel insurance is strongly recommended, not required. It covers trip cancellation, interruption, flight delays and missed connections, lost or delayed baggage and travel medical costs.

BBE’s cancellation terms are based on how much notice you give, and refunds are not given for illness, injury, altitude illness, missed flights, weather delays or a summit not reached (see Dates & Prices). In many of those situations, trip insurance is the only way to recover your costs.

Rescue cover and trip insurance are different products, often sold separately, and buying one doesn’t give you the other.

When to Buy

You can buy it any time, but it must be in place before departure.

One thing to check: if you have a pre-existing condition, look at the provider’s waiver window. Many only waive exclusions if you buy within a set time after your first trip payment.

What to Confirm With Your Insurer

Before you buy, give the provider this description:

“I will take part in a professionally guided mountaineering expedition in Ecuador. The itinerary includes Rucu Pichincha (15,413 ft / 4,698 m), Cayambe (18,996 ft / 5,790 m), Cotopaxi (19,347 ft / 5,897 m) or Antisana (18,875 ft / 5,753 m), and Chimborazo (20,564 ft / 6,268 m), with roped glacier travel using crampons, ice axe, harness and helmet, nights in mountain refuges up to 15,958 ft / 4,864 m and a tented high camp at about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m.”

Then ask them to confirm in writing:

The maximum altitude covered, and that it is at least 20,700 ft / 6,300 m
That mountaineering and glacier travel are not excluded
That helicopter evacuation is covered
The coverage limits for evacuation and for medical treatment
How to reach their emergency assistance line from Ecuador, and whether you must call before an evacuation
Whether pre-existing conditions are covered

If they won’t clearly confirm those points, choose another policy.

What to Send BBE

Email your rescue and evacuation certificate to climbing@benegasbrothers.com as soon as you buy it. It should show the provider, policy or membership number, coverage dates and the 24-hour emergency number. Your guides carry these details on the mountain. Keep a copy on your phone, a paper copy in your pack, and the details accessible offline.

BBE doesn’t sell insurance and can’t interpret or guarantee an individual policy.

What Evacuation Actually Involves

If a climber becomes sick or injured, the guide team assesses the situation and decides on the safest practical response. That can include first aid and stabilization, stopping the climb, an assisted descent with a guide, contacting your insurer’s assistance line, and arranging transport to medical care. Descent is the treatment for altitude illness, and a climber who needs to go down always goes with a guide.

Ecuador’s volcanoes are closer to roads than many big mountains. The lodges are reached by vehicle, and the José Rivas Refuge sits a short, steep walk above a parking area. The hard part is getting a climber down from the glacier, often at night, in cold and cloud. Your guides carry radio and satellite communication and a comprehensive group medical kit on every climbing day.

Don’t plan around a helicopter.

Helicopter evacuation is why your policy has to state it, but altitude, cloud, wind and aircraft availability all limit it, and the first part of most evacuations happens on foot. Your coverage has to support the whole chain, not just advertise helicopter cover.

BBE doesn’t control rescue services, aircraft, hospitals or insurance decisions, and a policy doesn’t guarantee that a rescue can happen or that every cost will be paid. What good coverage does is take cost out of the decision and get you to proper care once you’re off the mountain.

Your financial responsibility. Transport providers and hospitals may ask for payment before they act, even when you’re insured. Travel with a credit card with real available credit, and keep your policy number, emergency number and claim instructions saved offline. Any cost your insurance doesn’t pay remains yours.

Questions About Your Policy? Send us what your insurer told you, and we’ll tell you if anything looks missing. We can’t approve a policy for you, but we can point out the gaps we see most often.

Ask a guide · Back to Before You Go · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Flights & Getting to Quito

Quito is one of the easiest capitals in South America to reach, with nonstop flights from several US cities. You fly into Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) on Day 1, and we meet you there. The only real decisions are when to fly home and how to pack your boots.

Before You Book

Book your flights once your place is confirmed and you’ve paid in full. If you’re unsure about timing, send us your proposed itinerary before you buy. Favor changeable fares, and book with your full legal name exactly as it appears in your passport.

Once your flights are booked, email the full itinerary, with every flight number, to climbing@benegasbrothers.com. We use it to schedule your pickup and to track your arrival if a flight is delayed.

Getting to Quito

Nonstop flights to Quito currently run from Miami, Atlanta and Houston, most in the 4.5 to 6 hour range. From other US cities, the common connections run through those hubs or through Panama City and Bogotá. From Europe, there are nonstop flights from Madrid and Amsterdam. Routes change from season to season, so check current schedules when you book.

When to Arrive

Arrive on Day 1, at any time. Many flights from North America land in the evening, and that works: Day 2 is a full briefing and gear-check day in Quito. If you land very late, tell us and we’ll adjust your pickup.

Want to arrive a day early to rest? We can book an extra night at Hotel Quito, at your cost. Ask when you book.

When to Fly Home

Day 14 starts in Riobamba with a drive of about four hours to Quito’s airport. Book a departure after about 6:00 pm. Many climbers take the late-evening or overnight flights that land in the US the next morning.

The two flex days sit inside the fourteen days, so your end date doesn’t move, whether or not we use them.

Airport Transfers: Included

A member of our team meets you at UIO on arrival, and we take you back to the airport on Day 14. Both transfers are included. The airport sits about an hour from central Quito. All ground transport on the itinerary is included too, so you don’t need to arrange anything once you land.

Transfers outside the itinerary, such as an early arrival, are additional arrangements. Ask us and we’ll set them up.

Your Passport

Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your entry date. A passport card isn’t accepted for international flights.

Entering Ecuador

No visa for most travelers. US, Canadian, UK and most European citizens don’t need a visa for stays of up to 90 days. You enter on a tourist stamp at the airport, with no application and no fee. If you hold another passport, check with an Ecuadorian consulate before you book flights.

At the airport. Have ready your passport, your return ticket and the name of your first night’s hotel: Hotel Quito.

Ecuador’s online customs form (FRA). The Formulario de Registro Aduanero is an online customs declaration, filed up to three days before you travel. Official guidance on whether every traveler must complete it, or only those carrying declarable goods, has changed more than once. We’ll confirm the current rule with you before departure. If in doubt, fill it in: it’s free and takes about five minutes.

Climbing equipment. Boots, crampons, ice axe, harness, helmet and technical clothing count as personal sporting equipment and need no special permit.

Baggage

One expedition duffel, a small travel bag and a carry-on cover most climbers.

Your expedition duffel holds everything for the mountains. A single rugged, waterproof duffel works best: wet weather is common.
Your travel bag holds city clothes and anything you won’t take up the mountains. It stays with us in Quito or travels in the expedition vehicle.

Wear or carry on your mountaineering boots, and anything else that has to fit you. Checked bags do occasionally arrive late, and broken-in boots can’t be replaced on short notice.

Checked bags only: crampons, ice axe, trekking poles and any multi-tool. Cover crampon points and secure the pick and adze of your axe.

What goes in your carry-on:

Passport, return ticket and printed flight itinerary
Your rescue and evacuation insurance certificate
Prescription medications
One set of climbing layers
Your mountaineering boots, if you’re not wearing them

BBE tip

Put a tracking tag in your checked duffel. If a bag is delayed, Day 2 in Quito is your buffer: delayed bags usually catch up within a day, and rental gear can cover a gap.

Money and Phones

Ecuador uses the US dollar, so there’s nothing to exchange. Bring plenty of five-, ten- and twenty-dollar bills; larger bills are hard to change, even in Quito. Quito has reliable ATMs, including at the airport, and there are none at the lodges, refuges or camp. What to Budget For has the detail.

There’s mobile coverage in Quito, Riobamba and at some lodges; on the mountains, expect little or none. Ecuador uses US-style plugs at 120 V. Life on the Mountain explains Starlink and staying in touch.

If Something Goes Wrong

Flight cancelled, connection missed, bag delayed. Email climbing@benegasbrothers.com straight away, before you rebook if you can. We’ll work out the fastest way to get you to the team. Extra hotel nights, transfers and flight changes caused by travel disruption are your cost, and this is where trip insurance earns its price.

Travel problems are solvable. Late information is what makes them expensive.

Questions Before You Book? Ask before you buy. Five minutes of email saves a rebooking fee.

Ask a guide · Back to Before You Go · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Where You'll Stay

Over fourteen days you sleep in four kinds of places: a city hotel, mountain lodges, climbers’ refuges and, once, a tent. Each is chosen for what it does. The lodges are for recovery, the refuges put you on the mountain for a midnight start, and the camp on Chimborazo puts you as high as possible before the biggest day of the trip.

The José F. Ribas Refuge, the climbers' hut on Cotopaxi

Night by Night

Night 1 (Day 1)Hotel Quito, 9,350 ft / 2,850 m

Night 2 (Day 2)Hotel Quito, after the briefing and gear check

Night 3 (Day 3)Hotel Quito, after Rucu Pichincha

Night 4 (Day 4)Yanacocha Lodge, Cayambe, 11,982 ft / 3,652 m

Night 5 (Day 5)Yanacocha Lodge, after the glacier skills refresher

Night 6 (Day 6)Cayambe Hut, 15,100 ft / 4,600 m

Night 7 (Day 7)Tambopaxi Lodge, Cotopaxi National Park, about 12,300 ft / 3,750 m, after the Cayambe summit

Night 8 (Day 8)Tambopaxi Lodge, rest and flex day

Night 9 (Day 9)José Rivas Refuge, Cotopaxi, 15,958 ft / 4,864 m

Night 10 (Day 10)Abraspungo Lodge, Riobamba, after the Cotopaxi summit

Night 11 (Day 11)Abraspungo Lodge, rest and flex day

Night 12 (Day 12)Castle Camp, Chimborazo, about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m, in tents

Night 13 (Day 13)Abraspungo Lodge, after the Chimborazo summit

Day 14Drive to Quito’s airport and your flight home

Cotopaxi is an active volcano, and access can change with its activity. We confirm its status before every departure. If it’s closed, the team climbs Antisana on the same days instead, and your guides confirm the plan, including where you sleep, before the expedition starts.

Quito: Hotel Quito

Three nights, Days 1–3. Your base for arrival, the briefing and gear check, and Rucu Pichincha. Comfortable rooms and good food, and at Quito’s altitude even your hotel nights are part of acclimatization.

The Lodges

Yanacocha Lodge, Cayambe · 11,982 ft / 3,652 m · Days 4–5. A working mountain lodge in the páramo below Cayambe: warm beds, hot meals and direct access to the glacier for the skills refresher.

Tambopaxi Lodge, Cotopaxi National Park · about 12,300 ft / 3,750 m · Days 7–8. A lodge on the open plain below Cotopaxi, with the mountain right outside. Two nights: the first after the Cayambe summit, the second on the rest day.

Abraspungo Lodge, Riobamba · Days 10, 11 and 13. A comfortable lodge outside Riobamba, at the foot of the Chimborazo region. Your base for the rest day before Chimborazo, and for a hot shower, a proper dinner and a real bed after the summit.

Occasionally a lodge may be replaced with a comparable property for availability or operational reasons.

The Refuges

Cayambe Hut · 15,100 ft / 4,600 m · Day 6. A climbers’ refuge high on Cayambe. Shared bunk rooms and a communal dining area. You’re here to eat early, rest a few hours and start climbing around midnight.

José Rivas Refuge, Cotopaxi · 15,958 ft / 4,864 m · Day 9. Cotopaxi’s climbers’ refuge, a short, steep walk above the parking area. Same routine as Cayambe: early dinner, briefing, midnight start.

Refuges are basic by nature: bunks, shared rooms and cold. The bunks are provided and your guides handle the cooking.

Castle Camp, Chimborazo

About 17,500 ft / 5,350 m · Day 12 · tents. The only tent night of the trip. We don’t use the refuges on Chimborazo: Castle Camp sits well above them, which shortens summit night and gives your body one more night at altitude before 19,700 ft / 6,000 m. Your guides set up camp, cook and melt water. Your job is to eat, drink and rest.

It’s also the coldest night of the expedition. Life on the Mountain has more on sleeping at altitude.

How Rooms Work

Hotels and lodges. Shared rooms, two climbers per room. If you’re travelling on your own, you share with another climber.

Single rooms. Single rooms are available on request; we’ll quote the cost when you ask. That applies in hotels and lodges only.

Refuges and camp. Always shared. Refuges are bunk rooms, and at Castle Camp two climbers share a tent.

If you want an extra night in Quito before or after the expedition, tell us and we’ll arrange it at your cost.

What We Provide at Camp and in the Refuges

At Castle Camp, BBE provides the tents, sleeping pads, stoves and cooking equipment, and all meals. Your own inflatable pad is optional, for extra comfort. In the refuges, the bunks are provided and your guides do the cooking.

You bring your own sleeping bag, rated to at least 0 °F / −18 °C, for the refuges and the camp. The details are on the Ecuador Volcanoes Gear List.

Storing Extra Luggage

Anything you don’t need on the mountains, such as travel clothes, stays with us in Quito or travels in the expedition vehicle. Your guides will tell you what goes up to each refuge and to camp, and what stays below.

Charging and Connectivity

In Quito, Riobamba and at some lodges. Mobile coverage and power for charging. Charge everything before you go up to a refuge or camp.

On the mountains. Expect little or no coverage. The team carries its own Starlink satellite internet and sets it up when needed: a limited connection, not a guarantee. Bring a power bank and keep it warm.

Questions About Where You’ll Stay? If you have a question about rooms, refuges or what to sleep in, ask before you pack.

Ask a guide · Back to Before You Go · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Life on the Mountain

“Take care of the mountain, and the mountain will take care of you.” It is the Benegas Brothers’ motto, and the rule we climb by.

The summits are three nights. The expedition is fourteen days.

Two climbers above the clouds in Ecuador

What separates climbers who thrive from those who merely get through is not fitness alone. It is how they handle the daily realities: eating when appetite fades, sleeping poorly at altitude, keeping their gear organized at Castle Camp, and waiting patiently for the cloud to lift.

Here is what life on Ecuador’s volcanoes actually looks like, and how to prepare for it.

The Rhythm of the Expedition

The fourteen days fall into three kinds:

Build days. Travel, acclimatization hikes such as Rucu Pichincha on Day 3, the glacier skills refresher on Day 5, and moves up to a refuge or camp. Moderate effort, early dinners, early nights.

Summit days. Three of them: Cayambe on Day 7, Cotopaxi on Day 10 and Chimborazo on Day 13. A midnight start, many hours on the glacier, and a long descent. Cayambe and Cotopaxi are followed the same day by a drive to the next lodge.

Recovery days. Days 8 and 11 are rest days, and they double as weather days. On a rest day, the job is to eat, drink, sleep and let your body adapt. Don’t spend it proving your fitness.

With a maximum of four climbers, the team is small enough that your guides know exactly how you’re doing every day.

Summit Nights

The alarm goes around midnight. Hot drink and food, boots and layers on, harness and crampons, and out onto the glacier by headlamp. The first hours are cold and dark, and the altitude makes everything feel harder than it should. That’s normal. Keep your pace steady and follow your guide.

On Cayambe and Cotopaxi you climb with one guide for every two climbers. On Chimborazo every climber has their own guide, so your pace is set for you, not for a group.

The aim is to be on top in the early morning and heading down before the sun softens the snow. Chimborazo is the longest: about 6–8 hours up and 3–4 down from Castle Camp, on slopes averaging 35–45 degrees with short steeper sections. After each descent: food, rest, and often a drive to the next lodge. Summit days are long; plan for them.

Flex Days and Weather

The two rest days are also the itinerary’s weather days. If conditions shut down a summit night, your guides may use one for a second attempt. That costs you the rest day, so they talk it through with the team first. The flex days sit inside the fourteen days: if both are used, the trip isn’t extended.

Cotopaxi is an active volcano, and access can change with its activity. We confirm its status before every departure. If it’s closed, the team climbs Antisana, 18,875 ft / 5,753 m, a quieter, more remote glaciated peak east of Quito, on the same days.

What Your Guide Is Watching

Your guides check every climber every day: pace, appetite, hydration, sleep and how you’re handling the altitude. Those observations drive every decision on the mountain, including whether you go for a summit.

Headache, poor appetite, broken sleep and mild tiredness above 10,000 ft / 3,000 m are common and usually settle. Tell your guide right away if you have:

A headache that doesn’t ease with rest, fluids and ordinary pain relief
Nausea or vomiting
Loss of coordination or confusion
Shortness of breath at rest

When symptoms escalate, going down is always the right call, and your guides make that call without hesitation. A climber who needs to go down always goes with a guide. Turning around is a professional decision, not a failure.

Altitude medication. Talk to your doctor early about whether it’s right for you, and whether to try it at home first.

Food and Water

All meals are included, from Hotel Quito to the lodges, refuges and Castle Camp. Alcoholic drinks and personal snacks are on your own account. Tell us about any dietary needs before departure.

On summit nights you eat a hot meal before leaving, then carry your own snacks and water. Bring 3–4 lb of the bars, gels and chews you already rely on when working hard. Don’t try new food on a summit day.

Drinking enough is your most important job at altitude. Start the day you land in Quito.

On summit nights, carry at least two liters in wide-mouth bottles with insulated covers, plus a thermos for a hot drink
Don’t rely on a hydration bladder: the hose freezes
Electrolyte packets help you drink more
Drink only treated water; BBE provides it on the mountain

Sleeping at Altitude

Sleep up high is lighter and more broken than at home. It’s normal, and it improves as you acclimatize. Rest lying down even when sleep doesn’t come, and treat the evening before a summit as rest, not a full night’s sleep.

Refuge nights are basic: bunks, shared rooms, cold. The tent night at Castle Camp is the coldest of the trip.

Bring earplugs: refuge bunk rooms are shared, and snorers climb too
Sleep in a warm layer, with your water bottles inside your sleeping bag
Keep your headlamp, gloves and medications within reach
Use a pee bottle rather than going out into the cold at night

Weather on the Equator

Ecuador doesn’t have summer and winter the way the northern hemisphere does. The more stable climbing periods are generally June to September and December to February, but conditions can change fast in any month. Afternoons often bring cloud and rain at mid-elevations; above the cloud it can be clear and very cold. The cold up high is often wet: freezing fog, rime and wet snow are common.

Approximate conditions, stage by stage:

Quito59–72 °F / 15–22 °C by day, with sun and afternoon showers; 46–54 °F / 8–12 °C at night

Páramo lodges (Yanacocha and Tambopaxi)46–59 °F / 8–15 °C by day, with wind and possible rain; 32–41 °F / 0–5 °C at night

Refuges (Cayambe and José Rivas)32–46 °F / 0–8 °C by day, with fog and wet snow; 23–32 °F / −5 to 0 °C at night

Castle Camp23–37 °F / −5 to 3 °C by day, with strong sun and wind; 10–23 °F / −12 to −5 °C at night

Cayambe and Cotopaxi summit nights14–28 °F / −10 to −2 °C, down to about 5 °F / −15 °C with wind chill

Chimborazo summit nightRoughly 23 °F to 5 °F / −5 °C to −15 °C before dawn, down to about −4 °F / −20 °C with wind chill

Your guides watch the summit-altitude forecasts and choose the summit nights accordingly. No one can promise a summit or the weather, and safety always comes before the schedule.

Sun at the Equator

At the equator and above 16,400 ft / 5,000 m, UV is as strong as anywhere on Earth, and snow reflects it back at you. Category 4 glacier glasses, high-SPF sunscreen reapplied through the day and SPF lip balm are required, not optional.

Hygiene

There are no showers in the refuges or at camp. Bring biodegradable wet wipes, hand sanitizer and a small wash kit. Clean hands before every meal are the best defense against the stomach bugs that end more mountain trips than altitude does. Tell your guide early if you feel unwell.

What You’re Responsible For

This is a guided expedition, but it is still an expedition. Your job is your own system:

Your personal gear, organized so you can find it by headlamp
Drinking, eating and managing your layers
Packing for each refuge or camp the way your guides ask, with the rest left in the vehicle
Knowing where your headlamp, gloves, glasses and summit layers are before you sleep
Keeping batteries, electronics and water bottles warm at night

Guides lead, support, monitor and make decisions. Good organization saves energy, and energy is what you’re spending up here.

Staying in Touch

There’s mobile coverage in Quito, Riobamba and at some lodges. On the mountains, expect little or none. The team carries its own Starlink satellite internet and sets it up when needed. It’s a limited connection, not a guarantee. We also create a WhatsApp group for your expedition: guides, office and the whole team.

Your guides carry radio and satellite communication and a comprehensive group medical kit on every climbing day. Bring a power bank and keep it warm; cold drains batteries fast. Tell your family beforehand that silence on summit days is normal.

Questions About What the Days Actually Feel Like? If you want to know how a particular day will go, or whether this style of trip suits you, ask a guide.

Ask a guide · Back to Before You Go · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Ecuador Volcanoes Gear List

You come to this expedition with glacier experience, so you likely own some of this gear already. The question is whether it’s right for three summit nights in a week, above 19,700 ft / 6,000 m, on equatorial glaciers where the cold is often wet as well as deep. This page covers what matters most and how to build and test your system. The full item-by-item list is a download you can print and take shopping.

Request the Ecuador Volcanoes Gear List (PDF)

What Makes Ecuador Different

Wet cold. Freezing fog, rime and wet snow are common on the upper mountains. Layers that work in dry cold can soak through here. A real waterproof shell and a spare pair of gloves matter.

Equatorial sun. At the equator and above 16,400 ft / 5,000 m, UV is as strong as anywhere on Earth. Category 4 glacier glasses and high-SPF sunscreen are required, not optional.

Three midnight starts. On each summit night everything you own is working at once: headlamp, layers, gloves, boots. Gaps show up fast, and there’s no shop to fix them.

One tent night high. Castle Camp on Chimborazo, at about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m, is the coldest night of the trip.

What the Weather Does

Approximate conditions. Your clothing has to work across all of them, sometimes in the same day:

Quito, 9,350 ft / 2,850 m59–72 °F / 15–22 °C by day, with sun and afternoon showers; 46–54 °F / 8–12 °C at night

Páramo lodges46–59 °F / 8–15 °C by day, with wind and possible rain; 32–41 °F / 0–5 °C at night

Refuges, 15,100–15,958 ft / 4,600–4,864 m32–46 °F / 0–8 °C by day, with fog and wet snow; 23–32 °F / −5 to 0 °C at night

Castle Camp, about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m23–37 °F / −5 to 3 °C by day, with strong sun and wind; 10–23 °F / −12 to −5 °C at night

Cayambe and Cotopaxi summit nights14–28 °F / −10 to −2 °C, down to about 5 °F / −15 °C with wind chill

Chimborazo summit night, 20,564 ft / 6,268 mRoughly 23 °F to 5 °F / −5 °C to −15 °C before dawn, down to about −4 °F / −20 °C with wind chill

Where It’s Worth Investing

Mountaineering boots rated for 19,700 ft / 6,000 m peaks: insulated double boots or high-end single boots that take a step-in crampon, sized for thick socks and broken in on real training days. Nothing on this trip should be worn for the first time on a glacier.

A glove system with a backup: light gloves, insulated waterproof gloves and warm mitts, plus a spare pair you can actually climb in. In Ecuador’s wet cold, waterproof matters as much as warm.

A layering system you can adjust without stopping, with a real waterproof shell and a warm insulated parka for summit nights.

A sleeping bag rated to at least 0 °F / −18 °C for the refuges and Castle Camp. Down is preferred; if you sleep cold, go warmer.

Your Systems

Every item on the downloadable list is required unless it’s marked optional or recommended. For most items many brands work, so use our recommendations as a starting point. No cotton, anywhere.

Technical. A helmet that fits over a warm hat or balaclava; a harness with adjustable leg loops you can pull on over all your layers; 12-point steel crampons with anti-balling plates, fitted to your boots before you fly; a general mountaineering ice axe sized to your height; two locking carabiners you can operate with gloves on; two pre-tied prusik loops (your guides check the length at the gear check); adjustable trekking poles with snow baskets; and a headlamp of 300+ lumens with spare lithium batteries.

Eyes. Category 4 glacier glasses, dark and wrap-style with full side coverage and a retainer strap, plus goggles for wind, spindrift and freezing fog on summit nights.

Feet. Your mountaineering boots, mid-weight waterproof hiking boots for Rucu Pichincha and the approaches, calf-high waterproof gaiters (unless your boots have them built in), optional liner socks, four pairs of hiking socks, three pairs of warm socks (a fresh, dry pair for each summit night) and camp shoes for the hotel, lodges and refuges.

Sleep. Your sleeping bag and a compression sack. BBE provides the tents and sleeping pads at Castle Camp. Your own inflatable pad is optional, for extra comfort.

Hands. Lightweight gloves for moving, midweight waterproof insulated gloves, insulated shell mittens with liners for the coldest hours, and a spare pair of gloves. The spare pair is non-negotiable on summit nights.

Head. A sun hat or cap (avoid white under the brim), a warm beanie that fits under your helmet, a buff or neck gaiter, and a tight-fitting balaclava for summit nights.

Layers: upper body. A light-colored sun hoody, a base-layer top, a warm fleece mid-layer, a synthetic insulated jacket that stays warm when damp, a softshell jacket, a waterproof hard shell with a helmet-compatible hood, and a hooded expedition down parka warm enough for Chimborazo, kept dry in your pack liner.

Layers: lower body. Four pairs of non-cotton underwear, base-layer bottoms, trekking pants for travel days and the approaches, softshell pants for the glaciers, waterproof hard-shell pants with full-length side zips, and insulated pants with side zips (recommended; especially valuable at Castle Camp and on Chimborazo).

Packs and bags. A single rugged, waterproof 90–120 L duffel for your mountain gear; a 40–50 L travel bag that stays in Quito or in the expedition vehicle; a 45–55 L climbing pack with ice-axe loops and a fitted hip belt; and a pack liner or rain cover.

Water and camp. Two 1-liter wide-mouth bottles with insulated covers, a thermos, a clearly marked pee bottle (women: add a pee funnel), electrolyte packets, 3–4 lb of the bars, gels and chews you already like, six sets of hand and toe warmers, and dry bags for layers and electronics. No hydration bladders: the hoses freeze.

Power and travel. A power bank of 10,000 mAh or more, charging cables (Ecuador uses US-style plugs at 120 V), a small repair kit, two luggage locks, a tracking tag for your duffel, and travel clothes for Quito and the lodges.

Health and hygiene. Two small tubes of fresh SPF 50+ sunscreen, SPF lip balm, toothbrush and toiletries, biodegradable wet wipes, hand sanitizer, a small toilet-paper stash and waste bags, cough drops, a blister kit, earplugs and a small personal first aid kit with the ordinary pain relief and stomach medication you already use. Bring your personal medications for the full trip plus a few extra days, in your carry-on. Talk to your doctor early about altitude medication.

What BBE Provides

You don’t bring any group equipment. BBE provides:

Ropes, snow protection and rescue equipment for each rope team
Tents, sleeping pads, stoves and cooking equipment at Castle Camp
All meals, and treated water on the mountain
A group medical kit, radio and satellite communication, and Starlink when needed
All park fees and climbing permits, and all ground transport from Quito to Quito

You bring your personal clothing, boots, sleeping bag, packs, water bottles and personal climbing equipment.

Your Technical Gear: Bring or Rent

Crampons, ice axe, harness and helmet are your responsibility to bring or rent. If you own them, bring them; you know how they fit and work. If you rent, we arrange it through our partners in Quito. Send us your rental requests at least three weeks before the trip, because popular sizes go early. Rentals are paid directly to the shop.

Buying something new? Send us a link or a photo first. Two minutes of email beats an expensive mistake.

How Your Gear Travels

Pack your mountain gear in one rugged, waterproof duffel, not your backpack; baggage handling damages straps. Lock it with TSA-approved locks or zip ties. Your travel bag holds city clothes and stays with us in Quito or travels in the expedition vehicle. Your guides tell you what goes up to each refuge and camp, and what stays below.

Carry-on: medications, documents, one set of climbing layers, and your boots if you’re not wearing them
Checked bags only: crampons, ice axe, trekking poles and any multi-tool

Flights & Getting to Quito has the full baggage guidance.

Test Everything Before You Go

Nothing should be used for the first time on a glacier. Test your full system at home:

Boots with your crampons, on real terrain
Your glove system, including clipping carabiners and adjusting crampon straps
Your harness over your full layering
Your helmet over a beanie or balaclava, with goggles
Your climbing pack, loaded with the parka, layers, water and food
Your shell in real rain

Problems found at home are easy to fix. Problems found at 17,500 ft are not.

We Check Everything

Your guides run a full gear check in Quito on Day 2, with time to fix problems or rent what’s missing before the mountains. Nothing goes onto a glacier unchecked.

The Complete Gear List

Every required item, with specifications and notes from our guides. Print it, check items off as you pack, and bring your questions.

Unsure About a Specific Item? Ask us. Send the model of your boots or sleeping bag and we’ll tell you if it’s enough. It’s much easier to fix a gear question at home than at 16,000 ft.

Ask a guide · Back to Before You Go · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

What to Budget For

The expedition price is one number, and it’s on Dates & Prices with departures and booking terms. This page covers everything beyond it, so you can plan accurately and arrive in Quito with nothing left to figure out.

Beyond the price, most climbers spend$350–950

Plus tips. Flights and gear not included.

Emergency reserve$300–500

In cash, on top.

The short version: Ecuador is one of the simpler expeditions to budget for. Every meal, every night’s lodging, ground transport, park fees and climbing permits are already in the price. What’s left is insurance, tips and a little personal spending.

Your Budget at a Glance

RequiredCosts every climber pays

Rescue & evacuation coverageRequired by BBE · to at least 6,300 m · see trip insuranceVaries
Flights to QuitoYou book these after full paymentVaries
Personal gearDepends on what you already ownVaries
VisaNone for US, Canada, UK, most of Europe · up to 90 daysUsually none
TipsGuides, drivers and support staff7–10% of trip price

Strongly recommended

Trip insuranceCancellation, interruption, delays · both policies together $300–800Varies

Personal spending

Drinks, snacks and incidentalsOver 14 days · meals are included$50–150

OptionalOnly if you add them

Extra nights in QuitoWe can book them for you$80–180 a night
Single roomHotels and lodges only · we quote when you askOn request
Gear rentalsThrough partners in Quito · tell us 3 weeks aheadVaries
Private & custom tripsYour own dates, team or peaksQuoted

How it works. Give your tip to your lead guide at the end of the expedition, and it’s shared across the team. Small bills make that much easier.

These are guidelines, not fees. The amount should reflect the quality of the guiding and the personal attention you received, not whether the mountain let you up: weather, altitude and conditions decide summits, and sometimes turning around is the right professional decision.

Cash and Cards

Currency. Ecuador uses the US dollar. There’s no currency to exchange; your dollars work as they are from the moment you land.
Small bills. Breaking large bills is the common problem. Even in Quito, a fifty- or hundred-dollar bill can be hard to change. Bring plenty of five-, ten- and twenty-dollar bills, especially for tips.
ATMs. Quito has reliable ATMs, including at the airport. Use machines inside or attached to banks. There are none at the lodges, refuges or camp, so take out what you need before leaving Quito.
Cards. Visa and Mastercard are accepted at most hotels and larger restaurants in Quito. American Express is less reliable. Outside the cities, and for tips, you’ll need cash.
Before you leave. Tell your bank your travel dates.

Contingency

Emergency reserve$300–500 in cash

Bring it beyond your planned spending, for an extra night after a flight delay, a medical cost your insurance doesn’t cover, or anything unexpected. It rarely gets used.

Disruption costsReserve

If a flight is delayed or cancelled, extra hotel nights, transfers and flight changes are your cost. Trip insurance is what usually covers these.

More cost details for this trip

What the Expedition Price Covers

In short: the 14-day guided expedition from Quito to Quito, with a maximum of four climbers; leadership by an IFMGA- or ASEGUIM-certified guide, working with experienced BBE guides to the same standard (all our guides are WFR-certified); one guide for every two climbers on Cayambe and Cotopaxi, and one guide for every climber on Chimborazo; all accommodation on the itinerary, on a shared basis; all meals throughout the expedition; both airport transfers and all ground transport on the itinerary, including the TelefériQo; national park fees and climbing permits; the glacier skills refresher; group climbing equipment, and tents, sleeping pads and cooking equipment at Castle Camp; a group medical kit, radio and satellite communication, and Starlink when needed; and summit forecast monitoring with two flex days built in. The controlling list of inclusions and exclusions is on Dates & Prices.

Park Fees and Permits: No Cost to You

Budget nothing for these. National park fees and climbing registrations for Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo, and Antisana if we need it, are arranged by BBE and included. You don’t pay anything at a park gate.

Budget Summary

Beyond the expedition price, your flights and your gear, typical ranges in US dollars:

Park fees and climbing permitsIncluded

VisaNone

For US, Canadian, UK and most European passports

Rescue, evacuation and trip insuranceAbout $300–800

Rescue cover required, trip insurance strongly recommended

Drinks, snacks and incidentalsAbout $50–150

Tips7–10%

Of your trip price, for the whole team

Most climbers spend about $350–950 beyond the expedition price, their flights and their gear, plus tips.

That total does not include extra nights in Quito, rentals or your emergency reserve.

Emergency reserve: $300–500 in cash, on top.

Cash to carry: your tips in small bills, about $50–150 for extras, and your emergency reserve.

Questions About Costs? If you’d like a breakdown for your own situation, ask. We’d rather you plan it right than guess.

Ask a guide · See dates and prices · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Private & Custom Expeditions

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition · Your Dates, Your Team, Your Peaks

Our scheduled Ecuador Volcanoes departures run right before or after our Mountaineering School season, with a maximum of four climbers and a proven acclimatization plan. Fixed dates don’t work for everyone. If those dates don’t fit, or you want the mountains to yourself, we build a private expedition around you: your dates, your team, your pace and the peaks you want.

Same mountains, same acclimatization logic, same standard of guiding. The difference is that the trip belongs to you. You’re not joining someone else’s departure; the team is yours.

Private does not mean easier, and it does not mean more advanced. It means the expedition is designed around your team.

Who Private Climbs Suit

Couples, friends or small teams who want to climb together, and only with each other
Climbers with fixed dates around work or family
Climbers preparing for Aconcagua, Denali or the Himalaya who want an itinerary built around that goal
Climbers without prior glacier experience who want the four volcanoes with extra instruction days built in
Climbers who want one summit, or less time, with acclimatization done properly

What You Can Customize

Dates. Private expeditions run on dates you request; we confirm feasibility for the season and conditions. Ecuador’s more stable climbing periods are generally June to September and December to February, and we’ll tell you honestly how the mountains look for the dates you have in mind.

The peaks. A private expedition can follow the full fourteen-day itinerary or be reshaped:

All four volcanoes on your own dates: Rucu Pichincha, Cayambe, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo
A shorter trip focused on one or two peaks, with proper acclimatization built in
Different peaks, such as Antisana or the Illinizas, added or swapped in
Extra days for more rest, more weather margin or more skills work
A combination with the School for climbers who want instruction first and summits after

Extra instruction days. The scheduled expedition requires prior glacier experience: crampons, ice axe and self-arrest, and roped glacier travel. Day 5 is a refresher, not a course. If you haven’t been on a glacier before but want to climb the four volcanoes, a private expedition can build extra instruction days into the itinerary, so the skills come before the summits. If your whole group is new to glaciers, a private Ecuador Mountaineering School program may be the better fit, and we’ll help you choose.

Team size. From one climber with one guide to a private team of your own. On Cayambe and Cotopaxi, private teams climb with at least one guide for every two climbers. On Chimborazo, private guiding is always one guide for every climber.

Younger climbers. The minimum age is set by Ecuador’s regulations and by insurance: climbers under 18 climb with a parent or guardian, and each climber’s insurance must cover their age. Families are welcome: younger climbers can join a scheduled team with a parent or guardian, or come on a private family expedition built around your family, and if a special permit is needed, we’ll help you apply. Fitness, experience and health matter far more than age.

Climbing Chimborazo Privately

A private expedition can focus on Chimborazo, 20,564 ft / 6,268 m, with acclimatization peaks before it. Your body still needs the same gradual build to altitude, so a private Chimborazo plan includes the peaks and nights that prepare you for it. We won’t build a private itinerary with less acclimatization than the mountain requires, and no private plan changes the fact that no one can promise a summit.

Led by Willie or Damian

Willie or Damian Benegas can personally lead a private Ecuador Volcanoes expedition on request. The founders have guided major expeditions across the Andes, the Himalaya and Alaska for decades, and a founder-led climb puts that experience on the mountain with you, subject to their schedules.

A founder’s participation applies only when it is confirmed in writing in your trip terms, never assumed. Scheduled departures are led by BBE’s professional guide team, run to the same standards.

How a Proposal Comes Together

Every private expedition is priced individually, based on the peaks, the number of days, the size of your group and the level of support. Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll send a proposal.

Private expeditions need lead time for guide scheduling, lodges, huts and park registrations. The earlier you reach out, the more options we can offer.

How to Start

Tell us your goals

Your group, your dates, your climbing and altitude history, and whether you’d like Willie or Damian to lead. We’ll tell you honestly what’s possible, and if something else should come first, we’ll say that too. We answer every inquiry personally. See dates and prices. · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Ask a guide

Dates & Prices

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition · 14 Days · Quito, Ecuador · Maximum Four Climbers

Everything you need to book: the departures, the price, what it covers and the terms. If you’re still deciding, start with Is This for Me? or talk to a guide first. Every climber speaks with us before booking.

Expedition price$6,300

USD per person.

Deposit to book20%

Of the expedition price. Includes a $350 non-refundable booking fee.

Balance120 days

Due 120 days before departure. Inside 120 days, you pay in full at booking.

for every departure listed.

Each departure takes a maximum of four climbers. On Cayambe and Cotopaxi there is one guide for every two climbers, and on Chimborazo one guide for every climber.

Day 1 is arrival in Quito at any time, and Day 14 is departure; book a flight home after about 6:00 pm. The full itinerary is on Day by Day.

When to Climb

Ecuador doesn’t have summer and winter the way the northern hemisphere does. Its more stable climbing periods are generally June to September and December to February, but conditions can change fast in any month. That’s why the itinerary carries two flex days for weather.

Our Expedition departures run right before or after our Ecuador Mountaineering School dates. If the School is the better first step for you, ask us how the two fit together.

What’s Included — and What Isn’t

Included in the price

Before you go

Preparation guidance and a week-by-week training guide
An equipment consultation and the Ecuador Volcanoes Gear List

In Ecuador

Airport transfers on arrival and departure
All accommodation on the itinerary, on a shared room basis: Hotel Quito, Yanacocha Lodge, Tambopaxi Lodge and Abraspungo Lodge in Riobamba
The Cayambe Hut and the José Rivas Refuge on Cotopaxi, and tents at Castle Camp on Chimborazo
All meals throughout the expedition
All ground transportation on the itinerary, including the TelefériQo on Rucu Pichincha
National park fees and climbing registrations, arranged by BBE

On the mountains

Leadership by an IFMGA- or ASEGUIM-certified guide, working with experienced BBE guides to the same standard. All our guides are WFR-certified.
One guide for every two climbers on Cayambe and Cotopaxi, and one guide for every climber on Chimborazo
A glacier skills refresher on Cayambe
Group climbing equipment: ropes, snow protection and rescue gear for each rope team
Tents, sleeping pads, stoves and cooking equipment at Castle Camp (your own inflatable pad is optional, for extra comfort)
Treated water on the mountain, a group medical kit, and radio and satellite communication
Starlink satellite internet, set up when needed: a limited connection, not a guarantee
Summit forecast monitoring, and two flex days built into the itinerary

Not included

International flights to and from Quito
Rescue and evacuation insurance (required) and travel insurance (strongly recommended)
Personal climbing gear and clothing, and any rentals (available through our Quito partners, paid directly to the shop)
Tips for guides and staff
Alcoholic drinks and personal snacks
A single room in hotels and lodges (available on request; we’ll quote the cost when you ask)
Extra nights in Quito before or after the expedition
Personal expenses

What each of these typically costs is on What to Budget For, in Before You Go.

Your Total Trip Cost

The expedition price is the biggest number, not the only one. Typical ranges per climber, in U.S. dollars:

Expedition price$6,300

Typical costs beyond the price$350–950

Typical total, before flights and gearabout $6,650–7,250, plus tips

Not included in that total: international flights, personal gear and tips. The full breakdown is on What to Budget For.

Payment & Cancellation

Deposit: $1,260 (20% of the trip price), due at booking. $350 of it is a nonrefundable booking fee.

Balance: $5,040, due 120 days before the start date. Booking within 120 days? Full payment is due at booking.

How to pay: bank transfer/ACH (no fee), wire transfer (you pay the bank fees) or credit card (3% surcharge). All prices are in U.S. dollars.

If you cancel:

121 days or more before the start date: full refund, less the $350 booking fee
90 to 120 days: 50% refund, after the $350 booking fee
89 days or fewer: no refund

Can’t make it? Send a qualified climber in your place at no BBE fee.

Insurance: medical and rescue/evacuation coverage required. Trip cancellation insurance strongly recommended.

Once the trip begins, payments are nonrefundable.

Read the full Payment & Cancellation Policy →

Insurance

Rescue and evacuation coverage is required on this expedition. Your policy must cover helicopter rescue, high-altitude mountaineering and glacier travel to at least 20,700 ft / 6,300 m (above Chimborazo’s 20,564 ft / 6,268 m summit), and international medical transport. You can buy it any time, but it must be in place before departure. We recommend Global Rescue (with its High-Altitude Evacuation Package) or Ripcord. Send us a copy of your certificate before you travel.

Travel insurance is strongly recommended, not required. Trip cancellation, interruption, baggage and travel medical cover is, in many situations, the only way to recover costs from disruptions outside anyone’s control. See Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage.

Private Departures

2026–27 Season · Sunday, January 3 – Saturday, January 16, 2027Scheduled departure

2027–28 Season · Sunday, November 14 – Saturday, November 27, 2027Scheduled departure

2027–28 Season · Sunday, January 2 – Saturday, January 15, 2028Scheduled departure

A private expedition runs on dates you request, with your own team; we confirm feasibility for the season and conditions. It can follow this program or be shaped around the peaks you want: all four volcanoes, a shorter trip focused on one or two, extra instruction days, or a combination with the School.

Led by Willie or Damian Benegas: on request. A founder’s participation applies only when it is confirmed in writing in your trip terms.

Every private expedition is priced individually, based on the peaks, the number of days, team size and level of support. See Private & Custom Expeditions.

Ready to book?

Questions first? Ask a guide · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Your Questions

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition · Answered by the Guides

Straight answers to the questions climbers ask most before committing to the Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition. Each answer is short and points you to the page with the full detail. If your question isn’t here, ask us. We answer every inquiry personally.

Still have a question? Ask a guide · See dates and prices · climbing@benegasbrothers.com

Yes. This expedition requires prior glacier mountaineering experience: you’ve walked in crampons, used an ice axe and practiced self-arrest, and travelled roped on a glacier. Day 5 is a refresher on Cayambe’s glacier, but there isn’t time to teach these skills from the beginning. If you’ve never been on a glacier, start with the Ecuador Mountaineering School, or ask us about a private expedition with extra instruction days built in. See Is This for Me?

Fit enough to climb steadily for 8–10 hours with a pack, and do it again two days later. That second part is what makes this trip different: three summit nights in seven days. Plan on 12–16 weeks of structured training. The honest benchmarks are on Is This for Me?

It helps, but it isn’t required. Time above 13,000 ft / 4,000 m, or a previous summit such as Kilimanjaro or Mexico’s volcanoes, tells you how your body responds. The itinerary itself is built to acclimatize you gradually, from Quito at 9,350 ft / 2,850 m to Chimborazo at 20,564 ft / 6,268 m over nearly two weeks.

If you’ve never been roped up on a glacier, the School. If you have, and you want to spend your time on the summits rather than in instruction, the Expedition. Not sure? Tell us what you’ve climbed and we’ll tell you honestly.

The minimum age is set by Ecuador’s regulations and by insurance: climbers under 18 climb with a parent or guardian, and each climber’s insurance must cover their age. Families are welcome: younger climbers can join a scheduled team with a parent or guardian, or come on a private family expedition built around your family, and if a special permit is needed, we’ll help you apply. There’s no upper limit; fitness, health and experience matter far more than age.

No medical certificate is required. Every climber completes a medical history in the Registration Form, and we ask you to disclose any condition honestly so your guides can plan for it. If you have a heart, lung or other condition that altitude, cold or sustained exertion could affect, talk to your physician before you book. See a travel clinic four to six weeks before departure; routine vaccinations should be current, and Hepatitis A and typhoid are commonly recommended for Ecuador. Altitude medication: talk to your doctor early about whether it’s right for you, and whether to try it at home first. See Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage.

Ecuador’s more stable climbing periods are generally June to September and December to February, but weather can change in any month. That’s why the itinerary builds in two flex days. Current departures are on Dates & Prices. If you need different dates, a private expedition runs on dates you request; we confirm feasibility for the season and conditions.

Days 8 and 11 are rest days that double as weather days. If a summit is weathered out, your guides can use the next flex day for a second attempt, at the cost of that rest day. If conditions on a summit night are unsafe, your guides move the start time or turn the team around. Safety comes before the schedule. The itinerary doesn’t extend beyond Day 14.

Cotopaxi is an active volcano and access can change with its activity. We check the status before every departure. If it’s closed, we climb Antisana, 18,875 ft / 5,753 m, a quieter, more remote glaciated peak east of Quito, on the same days. Your guides confirm the plan before the expedition starts.

At the José Rivas Refuge, 15,958 ft / 4,864 m, the night before the summit. The nights before and after are in lodges. See Where You’ll Stay.

No. We camp at Castle Camp, about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m, above the refuges. It shortens summit night and gives your body one more night at altitude. It’s the only tent night of the expedition.

Around midnight on all three glacier summits. You eat, gear up and leave by headlamp. The aim is to be on top in the early morning and heading down before the sun softens the snow. See Life on the Mountain.

No honest guide can give you a number for your own climb. What we can tell you is what makes the difference: a gradual acclimatization plan, a small team, one guide per climber on Chimborazo, and two flex days for weather. Weather, conditions and how your body adapts still decide the day.

Then your guide made the call that was right for that day, and it’s a professional decision, not a failure. You still have the other mountains, and every summit night teaches you something the next objective will need. The expedition fee isn’t refunded for a missed summit.

Tell your guide immediately. Headache, poor appetite, broken sleep and mild tiredness are common and usually settle. A headache that doesn’t ease with rest, fluids and ordinary pain relief, nausea or vomiting, loss of coordination or confusion, or shortness of breath at rest mean your guide needs to know now. When symptoms escalate, going down is always the right call, and your guides make that call.

Your guides check every climber daily and act early. If you need to descend or leave the expedition, they arrange it and make sure you are looked after. This is why rescue and evacuation coverage is required on this expedition.

Not usually. There’s mobile coverage in Quito, Riobamba and at some lodges, and little or none on the mountains. The team carries its own Starlink and sets it up when needed: a limited connection home, not a guarantee. Tell your family that silence on summit days is normal.

A maximum of four climbers. On Cayambe and Cotopaxi, there’s one guide for every two climbers. On Chimborazo, every climber has their own guide. Every departure is led by an IFMGA- or ASEGUIM-certified guide, working with experienced BBE guides to the same standard. All our guides are WFR-certified. Drivers and lodge and hut staff support the team; guides run the climbing and every turnaround decision.

It’s the longest, highest and coldest day of the trip. With your own guide, your pace is your own, your guide’s attention is entirely on you, and if one climber needs to turn around, it never ends the day for anyone else.

Yes, and many climbers do. You’ll share a room in hotels and lodges and a tent at Castle Camp with another climber. Single rooms are available on request; we’ll quote the cost when you ask. That applies in hotels and lodges only; refuges and Castle Camp are always shared.

Scheduled departures are led by BBE’s professional guide team, run to the same standards. Willie or Damian Benegas can personally lead a private Ecuador Volcanoes expedition on request, confirmed in writing in your trip terms. See Private & Custom Expeditions.

Yes. Private expeditions run on dates you request, with your team and the peaks you choose: all four volcanoes, a shorter trip focused on one or two, peaks such as Antisana or the Illinizas, or a combination with the School. We confirm feasibility for the season and conditions. See Private & Custom Expeditions.

Yes. A private expedition can focus on Chimborazo, with acclimatization peaks before it. Our guiding on Chimborazo is always one guide per climber.

Each one is priced individually, based on the peaks, the number of days, the group size and the level of support. Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll send a proposal.

The expedition price is on Dates & Prices, with the full list of what it covers: guiding, all accommodation and meals, airport transfers and ground transport, park fees and climbing registrations, group climbing equipment and camp equipment. On top of it, plan for flights, required rescue coverage, travel insurance, tips, gear and personal spending. What to Budget For lays it all out.

Talk to a guide first if you have any doubt about fit. Then complete the reservation form through our online registration link and pay by the invoice we send. Once you’re booked, you complete the Registration Form, including your climbing résumé and medical history, upload a copy of your passport, and accept the Terms & Conditions and Release. See Dates & Prices.

The Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition follows our Payment & Cancellation Policy: a deposit at booking, the balance due 120 days before departure (or full payment at booking within 120 days), and a refund schedule based on how much notice you give. The amounts and full terms are on Dates & Prices. Travel insurance is strongly recommended, not required.

Rescue and evacuation coverage is required on this expedition. It must cover helicopter rescue, high-altitude mountaineering and glacier travel to at least 20,700 ft / 6,300 m, with no glacier or altitude exclusion, and international medical transport. You can buy it any time, but it must be in place before departure. Travel insurance is strongly recommended, not required. See Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage.

Only with the High-Altitude Evacuation Package added. Standard membership covers rescue only up to 15,000 ft / 4,600 m, and every summit on this trip is above that. We recommend Global Rescue or Ripcord; with Ripcord, check the altitude limit on your plan. Whichever you choose, confirm it covers helicopter evacuation to at least 20,700 ft / 6,300 m. See Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage.

No. National park fees and climbing registrations for Cayambe, Cotopaxi, Chimborazo, and Antisana if we need it, are arranged by BBE and included. You don’t pay anything at a park gate.

The guideline is 7–10% of your trip price for the whole team, including drivers and support staff. Give it to your lead guide at the end of the expedition, and it’s shared across the team. See What to Budget For.

The US dollar. There’s nothing to exchange.

Large bills, such as fifties and hundreds, are often hard to change in Ecuador, even in Quito. Bring plenty of fives, tens and twenties, especially for tips.

Your tips, in small bills, plus about $50–150 for drinks, snacks and extras over the fourteen days.

Keep an emergency reserve of $300–500 in cash beyond that. It rarely gets used.

In Quito, yes: use machines inside or attached to banks. There are none at the lodges, refuges or camp, so withdraw what you need before leaving the city. Visa and Mastercard are accepted at most hotels and larger restaurants in Quito; American Express is less reliable.

Not if you hold a US, Canadian, UK or most European passport. You receive a tourist stamp on arrival for stays up to 90 days. Your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond your entry date. Other nationalities should check with an Ecuadorian consulate. We’ll confirm the current rule on Ecuador’s online customs form with you before departure. See Your Expedition Checklist.

Mariscal Sucre International Airport (UIO) in Quito, on Day 1. Any arrival time works. Nonstop flights currently run from Miami, Atlanta and Houston, and from Madrid and Amsterdam in Europe. See Flights & Getting to Quito.

Once your trip is paid in full. Favor changeable fares, and if you’re unsure about a routing, send us the itinerary before you buy.

After about 6:00 pm on Day 14. The team drives from Riobamba to the airport that day, about four hours.

Yes. We meet you at UIO on arrival and take you back to the airport on Day 14. The airport is about an hour from central Quito.

Yes. Boots that fit and are broken in can’t be replaced quickly if a checked bag is delayed.

Yes. Climbing equipment is personal sporting equipment and needs no special permit. If you own them, bring them; you know how they fit and work.

Yes. We arrange rentals through our partners in Quito. Send requests at least three weeks before the trip; rentals are paid directly to the shop. See the Ecuador Volcanoes Gear List.

One rated to at least 0 °F / −18 °C, for the refuge nights and Castle Camp. Castle Camp, at about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m, is the coldest night of the expedition.

No. BBE provides tents and sleeping pads at Castle Camp. Your own inflatable pad is optional, for extra comfort.

Category 4 glacier glasses. At the equator and above 16,400 ft / 5,000 m, UV is extreme.

It’s strong preparation. Three glaciated summits in a week, the last one above 19,700 ft / 6,000 m, teach you pacing, cold management and the discipline of long summit nights. For many climbers the next step is Aconcagua, or more technical climbing in Peru or Bolivia. Ask a guide what makes sense for you.

One guide per climber on Chimborazo.

Four volcanoes in fourteen days, a high camp at Castle Camp and two flex days for weather. Four climbers maximum.

Price$6,300 per person

Private & Custom Your dates. Your team.

This trip can run privately, on the dates that work for you.

Scheduled departures

Sunday, Jan 3 - Saturday, Jan 16, 2027Scheduled departure
Sunday, Nov 14 - Saturday, Nov 27, 2027Scheduled departure
Sunday, Jan 2 - Saturday, Jan 15, 2028Scheduled departure

Questions first? Ask a guide

Location:

Ecuador

Group:

Maximum 4 climbers

Duration:

14 Days

Skill:

Glacier experience required

Activities:

Expeditions

Book now

Private & Custom

Make Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition your own expedition

Every trip we run can also run privately: on your dates, with your people, built around your goal. Same guides, same safety standard as our scheduled departures.

Your dates

We set the departure around your calendar, not the other way round.

Your people

Family, friends, a company team, or just you and a guide.

Your goal

Training for a bigger peak, a winter or speed attempt, a film, or a route that runs from summit to ocean.

Your price

Private trips are quoted for your group size, dates and plan.

Plan a Private Trip
See what private can look like

Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition

Scheduled Departure

Maximum 4 climbers · 14 days · Four volcanoes

Price per Person $6,300

The complete 14-day expedition: all accommodation and meals, park fees and climbing permits, one guide for every two climbers on Cayambe and Cotopaxi and one per climber on Chimborazo, and two flex days for weather.

Book now

Private & Custom

Your dates · Your team · Your peaks

Priced individually On request

A private expedition on dates you request, with your own team, shaped around the peaks you want: all four volcanoes, a shorter trip focused on one or two, extra instruction days, or a combination with the School.

Book now

The BBE Advantage

Four Volcanoes, a Deliberate Order

Rucu Pichincha, Cayambe, Cotopaxi, then Chimborazo. Each summit prepares you for the next, so Chimborazo is the next step rather than a leap.

High Camp on Chimborazo

We don't use the huts. We camp at Castle Camp, about 17,500 ft / 5,350 m, which shortens summit night considerably, and on summit night every climber has their own guide.

Two Flex Days for Weather

Days 8 and 11 are rest days by design, and our weather days. If a summit is weathered out, your guides can use the next one for a second attempt.

Professional Mountain Standards

Our guide team includes internationally and nationally certified mountain professionals.

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Ecuador Volcanoes Expedition

The Climb

The Four Volcanoes

Why This Order Works

Two Flex Days for Weather

Chimborazo: High Camp and One Guide per Climber

School or Expedition?

Your Team

Who This Expedition Is For

Where This Expedition Can Lead

Ready for Ecuador’s Volcanoes?

We don’t simply guide expeditions. We help people build a lifetime in the mountains.

Day by Day

The 14 Days at a Glance

Day 1 — Arrive Quito

Day 2 — Briefing, Gear Check and Acclimatization Walk

Day 3 — Rucu Pichincha

Day 4 — Drive to Cayambe

Day 5 — Glacier Skills Refresher

Day 6 — Cayambe Hut

Day 7 — Summit Cayambe, Drive to Cotopaxi

Day 8 — Rest Day (Flex Day)

Day 9 — José Rivas Refuge

Day 10 — Summit Cotopaxi, Drive to Riobamba

Day 11 — Rest Day (Flex Day)

Day 12 — Castle Camp

Day 13 — Summit Chimborazo

Day 14 — Drive to Quito, Departure

Weather and Flexibility

Keep Planning

Is This for Me?

The Expedition at a Glance

Experience: What’s Required

Fitness: Can You Do These?

What Will Feel Hard

Small Teams and Guide Decisions

Is This the Right Expedition for You?

Not Ready Yet, or Not the Right Fit?

How to Prepare

Early weeks: build a base

Middle weeks: add load, length and gain

Final weeks: peak, then ease off

Still Deciding?

Tell us what you’ve climbed

Before You Go

Preparing for Ecuador’s Volcanoes: Start Here

Three Things to Know Now

Your Seven Preparation Guides

Your Preparation Timeline

When you book

Any time before departure

120 days before departure

Once you’ve paid in full

3–5 months before

4–6 weeks before

At least 3 weeks before

The final 2 weeks

Arrival Day

Still Deciding?

Questions While You Prepare?

Ask early

Your Expedition Checklist

Your Paperwork at a Glance

At Booking

Complete at Booking

Park Fees and Climbing Permits

Entry to Ecuador

Health Preparation

Training and Skills

Gear and Rentals

Travel

The Final Two Weeks

Bring With You to Ecuador

Arrival Day

Trip Insurance & Evacuation Coverage

Rescue and Evacuation Coverage: Required

Trip Insurance: Strongly Recommended

When to Buy

What to Confirm With Your Insurer

What to Send BBE