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

Your host will meet you at Quito Airport and transfer you to your hotel in the outskirts of Quito. The rest of the day and evening are at leisure, depending on your arrival time.

Today is a relaxed day, designed for you to acclimatise to the altitude before climbing further into the Andes. You'll meet up with your guide and group for a gear check in the morning to ensure everyone is prepared for the expedition. If you are hiring plastic boots, you can sort this with your guide today. If you are short of any important items your guide can also help you pick these up in town. You are then free to explore Quito at your own pace with some short hikes to warm your legs up for the tougher days ahead.

After breakfast, there's a short drive to the village of Santa Clara, deep in the Valley of Los Chillos and 2750 metres above sea level. Hike along an ancient cobbled road beside the banks of the Pita River, passing a shrine where locals come to worship. Arrive at the hacienda, situated on 500 hectares of private ecological reserve, where your camp will be all set up and waiting. Enjoy a cooked meal and a good night’s sleep under an Ecuadorian night sky.

Wake up bright and early and head off to climb the slopes of Pasochoa, an ancient volcano that has been inactive since the last Ice Age. If the weather allows, you can look into the crater itself which is home to the Pasochoa Forest Reserve; a cloud forest situated within the extinct volcano. This is a protected area, home to more than 110 species of birds and 45 species of trees. Keep an eye out for condors soaring on the thermals high above, before you make your way back down to the hacienda camp where dinner will be waiting.

Take down camp and trek through the humid Andean forest, looking out for brightly coloured hummingbirds amongst the green trees. Reaching Hacienda El Porvenir, one of the largest traditional farms in Ecuador, you'll check into your comfortable, traditional room surrounded by four volcanoes – Cotopaxi, Sincholahua, Pasochoa and Rumiñahui.

A short drive deeper into Cotopaxi National Park takes you to the trail to Rumiñahui, a volcano named after the last Incan general to lead the fight against the Spanish conquerors. Hike along the central ridge to the summit, and take in the 360-degree views of the mountains and volcanoes all around you, before hiking down to Tambopaxi, a remote mountain lodge nestled at the foot of Cotopaxi on the edge of the volcano’s ancient boulder field at 3700m.

Enjoy an easier day today, with a short hike to get used to the higher altitude. After a gentle preparation trek to reach 5000m, you'll stop for lunch at a remote mountain hut before returning to Tambopaxi Lodge for a hot shower and another traditional Ecuadorian meal.

Set off deep into the snow-capped mountain landscape and drive through the incredible Andean scenery to a trailhead at 4600m, for a short hike to the Jose Rivas refuge at 4800m. Here, you’ll stop for lunch to continue your acclimatisation before the big summit day tomorrow. In the afternoon, your guides will run you through the glacier-hiking skills that you'll need for tomorrow’s final ascent. Grab an early meal and a very early bedtime, ready for the action to start again shortly after midnight.

You'll be up shortly after midnight to get prepped to leave camp at 01:00 to ascend the glacier, crossing crevasses and snow bridges, before reaching the final slope up to the pinnacle of your adventure: the summit of Cotopaxi. The final section is a challenging climb up a snow-covered slope set at a 40-degree angle. Your guides will help you navigate this section, using the knowledge, skills and acclimatisation you've gained over the past week. When you've successfully reached the summit you can peer down into the huge crater of Cotopaxi, 800 metres in diameter and still emitting steam and gases. Take in the unrivalled panoramic views of the Andes from here, before descending back down the glacier. You'll enjoy a triumphant drive back to Quito where you can celebrate your achievement in town over a few well-deserved local beers.

Your adventure ends today after you enjoy a final breakfast at your base in Quito. You're free to head to the airport in time for your onward flight, or to the bus station if you are travelling on to other parts of Ecuador.