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The Carihuayrazo Mountain (located just north of its more famous brother, Chimborazo Mountain) rises out of the Abraspungo Valley. Carihuayrazo’s tongue-twisting name means “man of ice and wind” or “mountain with great wind” in the indigenous language of Kichwa. Trekking to this mountain means passing through the quintessential Andean landscape, spotted with llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas, as well as making contacts with local people tending their flocks. All of this will give you an authentic taste of the mountain cultures of Ecuador. The climb to Carihuayrazo’s summit is relatively easy and can be undertaken by those with no previous mountaineering experience. While this is your chance to climb a mountain that's more than 5,000-meters high (over 16,000 feet), you should be in at least average physical condition.
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You will leave Quito in private transportation, traveling southwards along the famous Pan-American Highway. This will give you a chance to pass through typical Andean towns such as Latacunga and Ambato until reaching the Posada La Estación acclimatization center, located at 12,073 feet (3,680 m) above sea level. This journey takes around four hours and will include a few rest stops and lunch. During this drive time, you will have some superb views of the famed "Avenue of the Volcanoes." Once you arrive at the acclimatization center in the afternoon, it will be possible to take a walk around the grounds before having dinner, relaxing and then going to bed.
After breakfast, we will start trekking in the direction of the Abraspungo Valley, hiking for 5 to 6 hours uphill until reaching our camp on the Plaza Pamba Plateau. During the walk, your naturalist guide will teach you about the diverse high-altitude fauna and flora of the area. If the weather is good, you should have excellent views of the Altar and Tungurahua volcanoes. The Tungurahua Volcano is usually active, and with a bit of luck, you'll see one of its eruptions.
Today we will hike for approximately 6 hours through Abraspungo Valley, with a picnic lunch served en route. In the afternoon we will set up camp at an altitude of 15,748 feet (4,800 m) at the base of Carihuayrazo Mountain and close to Laguna Negra ("Black Lake"). Here you should have good views of the Chimborazo and Carihuayrazo mountains, which both provide excellent photo opportunities!
You will have an early breakfast before ascending Carihuayrazo Mountain to the summit, where we'll have lunch. Afterwards, we will make the descent and hike from the mountain to the village of Río Blanco. On the nearby Guaranda-Ambato Road, our transportation will be waiting to take us to Ambato and then northwards back to Quito along the Pan-American Highway, a journey of around 4 hours.
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