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VOLCANO AND
HACIENDAS RIDE Experience
the beauty of the Ecuadorean Andes on horseback—without
pavement or fences
Each morning brings new experiences
and a chance to contemplate the beauty of the mountains
and valleys. Friendly chagras, ecuadorean cowboys
(horsemen of the Andes), usually pause from their work
to greet you, to exchange news, or even to offer a drink
as they wish you luck on your travels.
Our ride incorporates visits to the
Corazon, Ruminahui, Quilindaña, and Chalupas volcanoes.
And of course, you will see the majestic Cotopaxi
volcano from many different angles throughout our
journey.
How do we do this?
Hacienda La Alegria is situated in
the verdant valley of Machachi, to the south of Quito.
Surrounded by eleven volcanoes, this region is often
referred to as "The Volcano Avenue".
The only form of transportation
during your nine-day trek will be your horse. It will be
your partner throughout this adventure.
Our ride includes visits to dozens of
haciendas. Nine nights will be spent in haciendas, and
one night will be spent in the refuge on Cotopaxi.
We will thoroughly explore and experience the grandeur
of the Andes, marvelling at the diversity of flora,
fauna, and landscape.
The start of your adventure.
Our first three days are devoted to
acclimatization. Our itinerary incorporates trips
through working haciendas dedicated to the production of
dairy products, potatoes, broccoli, and flowers.
Our evenings are spent in the comfort of Hacienda La
Alegria.
You will come to appreciate the
traditions and customs of the chagras’ skills at La
Alegria. In their goat-skin chaps and woollen ponchos,
they welcome tourists to demonstrate their centuries-old
tradition of herding cattle. The chagras’ skills on
horseback and knowledge of the Andean paramo are
legendary. They are the inspiration for our trek.
We will visit the colourful animal
and produce market of Machachi and later we will ride
through the narrow cloud forest paths, surrounded by
literally thousands of plant and animal species. One
can’t help but be amazed by the sheer biodiversity of
this area.
As we delve further into the
mountains
Once we have acclimatized, we shall
start toward the mighty Cotopaxi. The tallest active
volcano in the world (5,987 m),
Cotopaxi’s impressively symmetric cone will guide us
through its surrounding hills. We will ride past the
massive rocks of Rumiñahui into the plains near Cotopaxi
and then onto the Inca ruins of Salitre and their Pucara
fortresses.
The group will then ride towards
Quilindaña (4,300 m) and the extensive haciendas that
surround it. In some haciendas, cattle roam free and are
only rounded up and counted once a year during a massive
rodeo. These same grasslands are home to Andean deer,
spectacled bears, Andean fox and pumas, as well as a
variety of birds and the majestic condor. In warmer
ravines, you’ll also see colourful hummingbirds sipping
nectar from a multitude of flowers. As we ride through
the paramos, you will see the great alpaca and llama
herds that roam at this altitude. Seeing these herds
gallop together with Cotopaxi in the background is truly
an amazing experience.
Through these six days, you will
experience a diversity of geography and weather. Be
prepared for a period of intense equatorial sun followed
by the chill of the Andes’ wind—all within the space of
a few hours. The locals say that the highlands
experience all four seasons within the same day.
Long after our return to Hacienda La
Alegria and the end of our journey, our memories of this
rugged but beautiful world will linger as the ride of a
lifetime.
Itinerary:
Day one
Transfer from hotel or airport for dinner and
overnight to Hacienda La Alegria.
Optional accommodation: La Carriona
Day two
Ride in the arena to try horses and get acquainted with
the horse and tack that we will be using the next days.
Lunch in the Hacienda house and later we ride around the
neighboring Haciendas and the Viudita Mountain. Our
acclimatization and first contact with the heights
starts this first day.
Accommodations: La Alegria
Hours of Riding: 4 hours
Day three
In the morning we enjoy a demonstration of the Chagras’
skills (the Ecuador Andes’ cowboys). After having lunch
at Hacienda La Alegria we ride on what used to be the
road to the coast. We ascend by the sides of Corazon to
3,500 meters and descend to the cloud forest. At the
cloud forest we can observe a great biodiversity of
plants and flowers, including giant gunneras, orchids,
and birds such as the pava de monte (guan). In the late
afternoon we arrive to Hacienda Bomboli 3,000 m (13,000
ft), and relax by the fireplace enjoying the sunset and
watching the lights of the villages near the coast.
Option camping in Monte Oscuro, (Depends on the weather,
min 4 pax)
Accommodations: Bomboli
Hours of riding: 4 hours
Day four
We leave behind the cloud forest and ascend to the
Corazon Volcano up to 4,000 meters. From there we can
appreciate the green and fertile Machachi Valley and we
can also see the routes we will take the next day.
Crossing extensive pastures and eucalyptus forests we
initiate the descent toward the valley. Snack and
continue to the valley. Late afternoon we arrive for a
delicious lunch at the Hacienda house.
Accommodations: La Alegria
Hours of riding: 6 hours
Day five
We ride toward the west mountain range and through the
valley toward Machachi. We stop at the Machachi market
(on Sundays only), continue toward the Ruminahui skirts
and stop at a beautiful Hacienda for lunch. We continue
riding until we arrive to the Pedregal valley and stay
overnight in a Hacienda at 3,500 meters.
Accommodations: Hacienda in the Pedregal Valley (near
Cotopaxi)
Hours of riding: 4 hours
Day six
We get closer to the Cotopaxi Volcano; we enter the
Cotopaxi National Park and visit the Inca ruins from
Pucara of Salitre (Inca fortress built in the
mountains). We continue ascending to the east side of
the Cotopaxi, after lunch we continue until we arrive at
the skirts of Quilindana. We ride in close proximity to
berber breed wild horse herds that live in the park and
are descendants of the horses brought by the Spanish in
the 16th century. At the hacienda we learn how the
chagras live and we may hear some traditional songs
specific to the people of the mountains.
Accommodations: Hacienda Tambo
Hours of ridings: 5+ hours
Day seven
Today we prepare our gear to transport it in our pack
horses since we will be with no support vehicle for two
days. We ride toward the south, and ascend to Morro
Mountain 4,200 meters. At this point we have covered ¾
around the Cotopaxi Volcano. From there we can enjoy the
view of the Latacunga valley with its roses and pines.
It is possible to see a condor guarding its paramo. We
speed up and arrive to Hacienda Chalupas, have lunch and
later fish trout for dinner.
Accommodations: Hacienda Chalupas
Hours of riding: 5 hours
*Note: Some
times of the year these facilities may not have hot
water
Day eight
This day is the most remote and far away from
civilization. We ride through the Guagui Valley and
Secas until we arrive to the Vicious Valley. We will
possibly meet some chagras that are taking care of the
cattle, and we might see some deer, wild pigs (they run
faster than a horse), and spectacle bears. Today we have
completed a circle around the Quillindana Volcano.
Accommodations: Hacienda at Vicious valley or camp
site
Hours of riding: 7 hours
*Note: The campsite
facilities may not have hot water
Day nine
We start riding toward the west, pass the Muchana rock
(kissing rock), and mudadero where we can see hundreds
of alpacas grazing. We pass the innumerable Cajas, Sto.
Domingo lakes and get closer to the Cotopaxi Volcano. We
pass the lava rocks that had descended to the valley and
is now static; then we arrive to the only structure that
is our very comfortable and warm mountain refuge.
Accommodations: Tambopaxi Refuge
Hours of riding 5+ hours
Day ten
Ride in the Lipiopungo plains (Cotopaxi base), feels
like if you were riding on the moon’s surface. Here we
do the highest gallop in the world. Pass to the highest
point of our ride (4,200 meters) on the edges of the
rocks of the Ruminahui Volcano. We continue our ride
toward the green Machachi valley as always guarded by
the volcanoes avenue. We cross the Machachi plaza where
the horsemen are always welcomed; we pass the town of
Aloag and arrive to Hacienda La Alegria for a pleasant
dinner and rest time.
Accommodations: Hacienda La Alegria
Hours of riding 7+ hours
Day eleven
Transfer to airport
RIDING DATES 2009
| JANUARY |
7-17 |
(Cattle round up) |
| FEBRUARY
|
11-21 |
(Cattle round up) |
| MARCH |
4-14 |
(Horse roundup) |
| MAY |
6-16 | |
| JUNE |
3-13 | |
| JULY |
1-11 | |
| JULY |
15-25 |
(Chagras parade on
July 18th) |
| AUGUST |
19-29 |
(Cattle round
up) |
| SEPTEMBER |
2-12 | |
| OCTOBER |
7-17 | |
| NOVEMBER |
4-14 |
(Cattle round up) |
| DECEMBER |
2-12 | |
Included
Transfer from/to Quito
9 days quality horse back riding at the Ecuadorian
Andes with all the necessary equipment, as wool
ponchos, rain ponchos and chaps, saddlebag, helmets
10 nights/11days (10 overnight stays at six
highland haciendas and refuge)*
National park fee.
Bilingual guide (Spanish/English)
Support vehicle, except day 7 & 8
All meals feature delicious, gourmet international
and Ecuadorian foods and wines
Lunch boxes for days 5,6,7,8 & 9
Your choice of Argentinean, Chilean, Western,
Calvary, and McClellan saddles as well as half chaps,
full chaps, helmets, rubber boots, wool ponchos, rain
ponchos, scarves. You may also bring your own
equipment
* One night may be at mountain
campsite
Highlights
100% horseback trip (Once you start the ride you
are not transfer by car on any day of the trip)
Pace: Moderate, trots and canters
High quality, easy to ride, trained horses full of
stamina owned exclusively by Hacienda La Alegria
Possibility to receive training at Hacienda La
Alegria as option.
High-quality, well-maintained equipment (tack,
camping equipment, 4-wheel drive SUV)
Visits to 25 friendly haciendas throughout the
countryside
Visits 10 of the highest Ecuadorian mountains
Hacienda La Alegria maintains close relationships
with and supports two local, rural schools
We promote the preservation of the local culture
and educate visitors about the "chagras" (local
cowboys).
Hacienda la Alegria is environment-friendly (we
produce organically, conserve energy and water, and
compost)
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