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Day 1 QUITO. Fly into Quito (9,000 feet above sea level). Campers will be met at the airport and escorted to hostal. Special arrangements can be made for students to be met in Miami (additional cost).
Day 2 QUITO. El Centro city tour and cable ride to Pichincha Mountain (13.450 ft), which overlooks the city of Quito.
Day 3 RUMINAHUI.Travel south of Quito to the Avenue of the Volcanoes. Set camp at the base of Mt. Rumiñahui, where campers will work as a group, establish rules and assign duties. Camp overnight at the base of Mt. Rumiñahui.
Day 4 RUMINAHUI. Non-technical hike and climb up Mt. Rumiñahui . Summit Rumiñahui (15.203 ft)
Day 5 GLACIER SCHOOL – COTOPAXI. At the base of Cotopaxi Glacier, students will spend the day practicing and learning glacier climbing techniques. In the afternoon, student will plan their route. Overnight at Cotopaxi refuge for acclimatization. (4800 m above sea level/ 15.750 feet)
Day 6 GLACIER SCHOOL – COTOPAXI. In the morning students will practice their glacier climbing techniques. In the afternoon, we will return to our base campsite.
Day 7 MAPPING AND ORIENTEERING. Before we attempt to summit Cotopaxi, students will practice mapping and orienteering their route. We will return to Cotopaxi refuge at 10 in the evening, and then begin our summit attempt at midnight. Our goal is to reach the summit by sunrise.
Day 8 COTOPAXI SUMMIT. By sunrise, we will have summitted Cotopaxi. Return to the refuge by 11 am. We will head to our Hosteria to rest in the beautiful valley of Machachi.
Day 9 RIO TOACHI RAFT CLASS III. We descending from the highlands to the western tropical forest and hit the rivers. Students will raft the tropical Rio Toachi (Class III). Students will camp overnight on the beach. Dinner by campfire.
Day 10 RAFT. We continue on one of the longest raft rides in Ecuador. In the afternoon, we return to Quito.
Day 11 GALAPAGOS Morning flight to Galapagos. Head to the highlands of the Galapagos, where tortoises roam freely. Lunch at a private farm. In the afternoon, explore the lava tunnels. Camp overnight.
Day 12 NORTH SEYMOUR ISLAND Enjoy a boat tour to the island of North Seymour known for its sea lion colony, frigate birds, blue footed boobies and land iguanas. Return to Santa Cruz island for dinner. Overnight in hostel.
Day 13 CHARLES DARWIN STATION. Visit Charles Darwin Station early in the morning to see the lonesome George, the last of his species. In the afternoon, we head to Isabela for a fun snorkeling session at a local spot.
Day 14 SIERRA NEGRA VOLCANO. We head off in the morning for a great hike to Sierra Negra Volcano and Volcan Chico. Sierra Negra has arguably the second largest caldera in the world. Stand at the edge and peer into this magnificent volcano.
Day 15 QUITO. Wake up early morning to catch the ferry back to Baltra airport and return to Quito.
Day 16 AMAZONIA - TENA. From Quito and over the continental divide, we descend down the Eastern slope of the Andes following the route of the Spanish Conquistadors heading towards the Amazon frontier, where we will stay with an indigenous community. Overnight in Hostel.
Day 17 TENA. By motorized canoe we will visit Amazoonico, an animal rehabilitation center. Students will have an opportunity to see several species indigenous to the rainforest. Overnight in hostel.
Day 18 COMMUNITY SERVICE (TBA) – The service work is dependent on what the local community and non-profit organizations will need at that time.
Day 19 PAPALLACTA HOT SPRINGS. From the Amazon frontier, we head back towards the continental divide. Before reaching the Andean highlands, we will stop in the cloudforest region of Papallacta to enjoy some caving opportunities and hot springs. Overnight in Papallacta.
Day 20 OTAVALO MARKET. In the morning, we will head towards the region of Imbabura, known for artisan crafts such as weaving, wood carving, hat making and of course the market of Otavalo. The market offers students a great opportunity to practice Spanish with the local natives as they negotiate reasonable prices for a wide selection of goods and souvenirs. Return to Quito in the afternoon.
Day 21 Escorted to the airport. Transfer out.
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