We will start early in the morning from Otavalo and drive for about 30 minutes on a cobbled road to get to Mojanda lake (12,139ft/3.700m), which is our starting point for today. We will follow a trail on the northeastern side of the mountain, which connects to the summit. We will be hiking through low Andean vegetation for most of the trail. We will then climb for some minutes through an easy section of rock just below the summit. Once on the top of Fuya Fuya (13,986ft/4.263m), we will enjoy the wonderful views, take some pictures, have lunch and hike back down to the car. Drive back to Otavalo by late afternoon (B/-/-)

We’ll leave from Otavalo (8,530ft/2.600m) early in the morning, and drive north to Ibarra city. From here we turn east and drive to La Esperanza village for about 2 hours through the Andean highlands until we get to the trailhead (10,499ft/3.200m). The hike leads through amazing Andean highland grass. As we gain elevation we’ll be able to see the surrounding snow-capped mountains, such as Antisana, Cayambe, and even Cotopaxi far away to the south on clear days. Once we get close to the summit, we will be hiking along the ridge of the volcanic caldera which will take us to the top of the mountain (15,125ft/4.610m) soon after. It’ll take us about 7-8 hours for the round trip. Return to Otavalo by late afternoon (B/-/-)

After breakfast we will drive to Ruales Oleas Cayambe Refuge for about 3 hours; we will get lunch here and go up to a closeby glacier, where you will learn a few basics techniques and we give you an introduction into the correct use of the climbing gear, roping up, cramponing, ice axe-handling, etc. We will go back to the Refuge for an early dinner and rest until midnight (B/-/D)

We will wake up at midnight and depart to the top (18,996ft/5.790m) around 1 am, after a light breakfast. The ascent takes about 6 to 7 hours. Once at the summit we will take our time for pictures of the surroundings and then head back to the refuge in 2 to 3 hours. At the Refuge we will rest, pack our belongings and drive to Quito. Overnight in the Hotel (B/-/-)