BIKING

What to bring: 
·         warm clothes 
·         rain/wind jacket 
This is an excellent way to see a cross section of Ecuador’s ecosystems in just one day. As we travel, we are dwarfed by the striking Andes Mountains that surround us. If we are lucky and have a clear day, we can see all the snow capped volcanoes of the Eastern Cordillera (Cayambe, Cotopaxi, Antisana, Chimborazo). You will pedal across the paramo – the Ecuadorian equivalent of the arctic tundra – and down through stunning cloud forest, traversing steep Andean slopes as you descend down into the Amazon basin. The terrain for this leg of the journey is a combination of dirt and paved roads of scenic rolling hills. Drive to the high pass “Paso de la Virgen” at 4200 meters (13300 ft) . From here the descent begins by mountain bike all the way to Cuyuja, the Gateway to the Amazonian rainforest. On the way, stop for a nutritious lunch. We will then drive you back to 3300 meters.  Stop to have a swim in the best hot springs of Ecuador. Papallacta has crystal clear water at ten different temperatures. If the day is clear, views of Antisana Volcano will bedazzle you! After a relaxing dip, we drive to the Ave Maria Pass (4200m). From here we bike back towards Quito along the Chiche river basin. This is a great ride.  The last 18 kilometers will be on the famous railroad line going through five tunnels, one of which is 322 meters long. The spectacular ride takes us speeding through wide stretches of paramo, cloud forest and the canyon of the river with the Andean sun illuminating the way. Some days can be chilled by occasional fog, so don’t forget your mittens and fleece. In Tumbaco we pile the bikes on the jeep’s roof and head back to Quito. Return by jeep to Quito around 5 p.m. (L) Departure time: 07h00 in the morning. Each day we ride approximately 60 kilometers by bike (4 hours) Clients can choose to do more biking, if desired!

Four day bike and hike tour 
What to bring: 
·         warm clothes 
·         rain/wind jacket
  ·         Extra Clothes
DAY 1: QUITO – COTOPAXI NATIONAL PARK   
At 08:00 AM we leave Quito and after driving south for 1,5 hours on the Pan-American highway we reach the park entrance of Cotopaxi National Park. We drive through pine forest and soon we arrive to the Visitors Center of the park. After visiting the Center, we continue the ascent in our 4-wheel drive vehicle until we reach the highest point of the tour, 4.800 meters (15.000 feet). The view from this point is stunning and on a clear day we are able to see 8 volcanoes. We then put on helmets, gloves and protection pads and the bike adventure on the world’s highest active volcano can begin. The first 8 kilometers (5 miles) will take us down 700 meters (2300 feet) on dirt roads through volcanic ash and páramo landscape. At 3.800 meters (12.500 feet). you actually have to do some pedaling while we head down another 8 kilometers (5 miles) between volcanic rocks and wild horses to our lunch spot by a natural spring. Be prepared to refill your water bottle with the most delicious water as you see it coming out of the earth! In this area of the park, you will come across nobody as we are the only tour operator that brings its passengers here. You will be flabbergasted as to why, as this is the most beautiful area the park has to offer! With some luck we might see a condor or a caracara. We put the bikes back on the jeep and head for the lake of Limpiopungo at 3.800 meters (12.500 feet). We then ascend by jeep in a northwest direction into the western Cordillera arriving at Quilotoa to spend the night. The night’s retreat is a simple but clean inn located in Quilotoa run by an indigenous family.    
DAY 2: QUILOTOA 
The next day, we start with an early hike down to the deep jade colored Quilotoa Crater Lake. The hike downhill to the Laguna takes about 30 minutes and about twice as long to climb back up. But, you can hire a mule or donkey to carry you back to the top, where your breakfast will be awaiting you to charge your batteries for this day’s adventure! After breakfast we descend on mountain bikes to Zumbahua. Many years ago, an earthquake destroyed this area. The land has transformed into a rugged formation resembling what you might imagine as terrain from another planet. Lunch is a picnic at a location where we have the opportunity to intermingle with the Quechua Indians or test your artistic skills with the locals painting landscapes of the area. After lunch, we enjoy a 30-minute drive until we reach 4,200 m (13.400 ft.) We switch then to human power and the downhill bike ride begins down a long and winding road all the way back to Latacunga located at 2400 m. (7,600 ft.).   
DAY 3) CHIMBORAZO 
Drive for just over an hour to Mount Chimborazo (6310m), the highest and most impressive of Ecuador’s volcanoes.  We park at the lower refuge (4800 m) and continue on foot to the Edgar Whymper Refuge. Located at 5000 meters this is the highest refuge in the world!  From here, it’s all downhill- first on foot and then by bike we descend all the way to Ambato(2800m). This is an amazing bike ride through the highlands, with vicuñas being the sole inhabitants of these wild stretches.   On this tour, cyclists enjoy a breathtaking 70 km ride through varying landscapes in just one day. This trip is by far a favorite ride of previous customers. Seldom does one have the chance to ride from the snow line of a volcano, through rural Andean patchwork fields, picnic with vicuñas and at the end of the ride arrive in a modern city.  In Ambato, we load up the bikes on the jeep roof and drive to Baños, a small town famous for its hot springs, and spend the night there.   
DAY 4) ROAD BAÑOS-PUYO AND BACK TO QUITO 
We take a pre-breakfast dip in the thermal baths of Baños (optional) before ascending by car to the highest point in Baños. Here the adrenaline starts as we descend through a tarmac road which is steep and full of tight curves for approximately 18 kilometers (11 miles). On our way we stop in a magnificent view point overlooking the town of Baños where you will have the chive of going in a giant swing over the cliff (fee not included)! Once at the bottom of the mountain we start pedaling east toward Puyo. You’ll notice the dramatic temperature and vegetation changes as we descend into the steamy Amazon basin. A fun stop we always recommend for those thrill seekers is Ecuador’s longest zip line, consisting of three lines going over the cliff and along the river. This optional activity never seems to disappoint! Finally, we stop in the village of Rio Verde where you will go visit one of Ecuador’s most spectacular sites, The Pañon del Diablo, a huge waterfall you can actually stand behind, inches away from billions of gallons of water going by every second! After this (wet) adventure we have lunch and return by jeep to Quito.