This is one of our most intense adventures, and is perfect if you are looking to push yourself and up the ante after doing another big summit like Kilimanjaro. It’s a great match for adventurers who do well at high altitudes (think 5,897 m), and want to get off the beaten path and work on a new bad a$$ skill - mountaineering! Be sure to read the Daily Breakdown to make sure you are mentally and physically prepared to take on this epic challenge. NOTE: We do require everyone who joins this adventure to have high altitude summit experience like Kilimanjaro.

We rated our Cotopaxi 3 Summit Challenge a 5 out of 5 on the WHOA Adventure difficulty scale because all three summits on this trip are high altitude treks. The final summit requires mountaineering skills, and wearing mountaineering gear (including crampons, a helmet, and an ice-axe) for the entire trek.

This is a high altitude adventure, and the conditions and elements, especially the higher we climb, are extreme, unpredictable and out of your and our control - that’s part of its beauty! Don’t underestimate the effect that altitude plays on your body either. At elevations over 914 m, your VO2 max decreases about 2.6 percent for every 305 m. What does a VO2 max decrease mean, you ask? It means sluggishness, loss of appetite, fatigue, and the inability to exert the same amount of energy that you could at lower elevations. Altitude sickness is also a real possibility - and is a big part of what makes mountaineering on Cotopaxi so challenging. Bottom line, be ready to embrace what mother nature throws our way, and put on another layer and dance when it gets cold. Always remember the one thing that we can all control is our attitude!

We’re not going to sugar coat it, Cotopaxi is no joke! This is a team expedition and requires that everyone brings their A-game and pulls their own weight, so stay active and start breaking in your hiking and mountaineering boots ASAP. Work on your endurance as well as your lower body strength and hike at high altitudes whenever you get the chance. There are no absolutes in adventuring, except this one: the better trained you are, the more enjoyable your experience will be!

If hiking at altitude, in all sorts of weather, and perhaps losing a toenail on the descent sounds like your idea of a good time - you’re in the right place! This is a perfect adventure if you’re looking to disconnect from your creature comforts, and connect with a team of awesome adventurous women over an epic challenge!

We plan our adventures with most of the logistics taken care of, so you can focus on lacing up your hiking shoes and being your best adventure self! Here’s a complete list of everything that’s included and what’s not.

INCLUDED:

• Transport from and to Quito

• All local transportation mentioned in the Daily Breakdown

• 6 nights in the lovely Hacienda El Porvenir (double rooms)

• 1 night hotel in Quito (double rooms) and 1 night in Cotopaxi Refugio (bunks)

• All meals listed as included in the Daily Breakdown

• Mountaineering gear (crampons, ice axe, mittens, glasses, helmet, harness)

• All activities, permits and entrance fees mentioned in Daily Breakdown

• Experienced and passionate bilingual guides and certified mountain guides

• Safety vehicle support

• Support from the WHOA team to make sure you feel mentally and physically prepared leading up to and during your adventure!

• Tips to thank your amazing Mountain Guides

• 1% for the planet, as in 1% of what you pay goes towards grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities

• Offsetting of this trip’s negative impact on the environment and carbon footprint, from the transportation to lodging to meals*

NOT INCLUDED:

• Flights

• Gear (other than the above mentioned)

• Travel Insurance (mandatory)

• Pick-up at airport in Quito

• Spa services

• Additional food and beer not mentioned as included

• GAL Tips (Always appreciated, but never expected)

• Everything else not described in the Daily Breakdown

*For our carbon offsetting, we do our best to crunch the numbers and accurately calculate the carbon footprint the best we can with the information that we have. It’s not a perfect system and carbon offsetting isn’t an exact science, but we believe it’s more important to take action now, in every way that we can. All our offsetting programs are certified by our partners at Sustainable Travel International. At the moment, our traveler’s international airfare to the destination is beyond our scope, and not included. Flights are the largest carbon emitter on most of our adventures, so we encourage all our travelers to consider doing it independently through the airline or with our partners at STI.

We require everyone on our Cotopaxi 3SC teams to have completed a multi-day trek that goes above 5,000 m before signing up. If you have, and high altitudes are your friend, carry on! If you haven’t, try a trek like this one first! Feel free to reach out to our team if you have any questions about why we do this and if your experience is ample.

Putting down a $750 deposit will reserve your spot on this WHOA Adventure! You’ll be invoiced and must pay in full at least 3 months before your adventure starts. All deposits are non-refundable. All prices are in USD.

Or leave us a message below. We’re here to answer all your questions and help you plan your adventure of a lifetime!