Antisana

Overview

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A two-week climbing adventure in a wild area of Ecuador

Introduction

Antisana is a rarely climbed peak in a remote and interesting part of Ecuador. It rises impressively above the grasslands of the Altiplano, surrounded by herds of wild horses, wolves, llamas and condors. The expedition is more 'backcountry' than our popular Ecuador Volcanoes expedition, as more of our nights in the mountains are spent in tents rather than huts. The greater difficulty and remoteness of our objectives, combined with their scenic beauty, make this an inspiring alpine climbing expedition.

Join us on Antisana

• A rarely climbed peak. First Jagged Globe expedition in 2003.
• The greatest equatorial snow and ice mass in the world
• Extend your stay by two days for an ascent of Chimborazo (6,310m) - the highest point from the centre of the earth

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Experience Required

Antisana is suitable for mountaineers with previous experience on climbs of Scottish Grade II or Alpine PD.
Our Scottish Winter Courses and our Alpine Courses provide good skills preparation for an expedition.

Additional Information

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the expedition or your suitability for it, please phone +44 (0)114 276 3322 or contact us.

Dates & Prices

Date	With Flight	or Meeting in	Availability
Sat 10 Oct – Thu 22 Oct 2026	UK	Quito	Available Book now »
	£3,695	£2,595

This expedition is available to book in GBP, USD and EUR.
Click to Change currency for prices on this site.

Group size: 2 – 12 people.

Single room supplement: £450

For comparison, this expedition starts from £200 (GBP) per day (price Without Flights).

With Flight pricing

Our 'With Flight' price includes an Economy class return airfare from the UK. The cost is based on a group fare that we have already reserved, or individual seats that we have budgeted for. Note that in some circumstances, the earlier you book, the less expensive the airfare and the 'With Flight' price.

Know Before You Go

Jagged Globe supports the British Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) 'Know Before You Go' campaign. We recommend that you read the FCDO Travel Advice for Ecuador on the FCDO Website.

What the price includes

• Economy class return airfares from the UK (unless land only.)
• UK Air Passenger Duty (excluded if joining land-only and you make your own international flight arrangements).
• 2 group road transfers between Airport and hotel, connecting with flights (excluded if joining land-only).
• 4 nights' hotel accommodation (3 star) in Quito, on a bed and breakfast basis.
• 3 nights' hacienda accommodation, on a full-board basis.
• 3 nights' accommodation in tents on a full-board basis.
• All road transport by private vehicles as described in the itinerary.
• All costs for IFMGA Ecuadorian Mountain Guides and local helpers.
• Jagged Globe kitbag or lightweight fleece.

What the price does not include

• Visa fees.
• Overseas airports taxes not paid in advance through the international airline ticket.
• Extraneous hotel bills (e.g. bar and laundry).
• Lunch and evening meals in Quito.
• Additional hotel nights in Quito, if the programme is changed.
• Travel insurance.
• Optional trips.
• Tips.

We can organise this expedition on a ‘tailor-made’ private basis for groups of friends, families, clubs, charities or any other group. Depending on your mountaineering experience, you may want a Jagged Globe leader or go ‘self-led’ with the assistance of local guides. The cost of going private can be surprisingly reasonable, particularly if you take the self-led option. Please contact us to discuss the itinerary and your preferred dates. We will then send you a quote, with no obligation.

Insurance

You will need a travel insurance policy that caters for the activities you will undertake on your trip with Jagged Globe. It is a requirement of our booking conditions that you have such a policy. For a list of insurers who specialise in mountaineering, trekking and skiing, please see our Travel Insurance page »

Itinerary

Here is an outline itinerary for this trip. A more detailed day-to-day itinerary is available as a downloadable PDF »

Outline Itinerary

Day 1:	Fly to Quito Flights from London arrive late the same day. Quito is at an altitude of 2,850m.
Day 2:	Acclimatisation & City Tour
Day 3:	Ascent of Pasochoa (4,200m) You'll set off at 7.30am and begin the 1hr30 drive to the foot of the peak. The grassy trails winding to its summit are reminiscent of the Peak District, apart from the common swirling mists, which can bring the sulphurous smell of simmering lava from below! From the summit you may see condors - Pasochoa is one of the few volcanoes where these huge birds glide. Return to Quito for the night.
Day 4:	Ascent of Rucu Pichincha (4,650m) You make a very short drive to the western side of the city towards the slopes of Rucu Pichincha to catch the teleferique. The telefrique takes you to the top of Cruz Loma at 4,050m in just 10 minutes. There are panoramic views from the cabins that ascend for 2.5 Km, hanging over the slopes of the Pichincha Volcano. Cruz Loma is a great place to get some good views of Cayambe and Cotopaxi, as well as of Quito.
Day 5:	Ascent of Corazon (4,788m) Corazon is an extinct volcano around 40 Km southwest of Quito. You will use it to acclimatise further before moving onto Iliniza. It's a straightforward ascent but does require some easy scrambling and climbing just before you get to the summit. Once on the top there are great views of Cotopaxi and the peaks of Iliniza. The route starts through tall grass vegetation before picking out a blunt ridge that runs all the way to the top. The name of the mountain in Spanish is 'the heart' because of its twin dome top and ridges that run down one side. You descend via the same route and travel onto a nearby Hacienda for the night.
Day 6:	Hike to Virgen Camp (3,900m) From the village of El Chaupi, located in the foothills of Iliniza, you hike up to the entrance of the Iliniza Ecological Reserve and then onwards to Virgen Camp.
Day 7:	Climb Iliniza Norte (5,126m) Originally, Illiniza would have been just one volcano, which exploded and split in half. The north and south peaks are separated by a saddle and are about 2Km away from one another. Illiniza Norte is rocky, more solid and much easier than the south peak. The climb involves scrambling, which is a lot more serious and difficult if covered in snow.
Day 8:	Descend and drive to Hacienda You visit the town of Machachi in the afternoon, then overnight in a pleasant valley lodge.
Day 9 - 11:	Ascent of Antisana (5,704m) Antisana is a spectacular looking mountain of very large and active glaciers. The broad summit has four distinct peaks, which make up the crater rim. It is a short but difficult drive in 4 x 4 vehicles to base camp on the western side of the mountain. From here the specific route will depend on various factors such as snow quality, crevasse patterns and weather conditions currently affecting the complex glaciated terrain. After the climb, it is a 4-5 hour drive back to Quito.
Day 12:	Depart from Quito Flights to London depart in the morning.
Day 13:	Arrive home

PLEASE NOTE: Every effort will be made to keep to the above itinerary, but as this is Adventure Travel in a remote mountain region, we cannot guarantee it. Weather conditions, road conditions, vehicle breakdowns and the health of climbers can all contribute to changes. The expedition Leader and our local agent will try to ensure that the trip runs according to plan, but an easy going nature will be an asset!

Optional Chimborazo Extension

Extend your Antisana trip and climb Ecuador's highest peak. This extension is organised on a 1:2 guiding basis.

 

Day 12 Drive to Carrel Hut (4,800m) on Chimborazo and hike to Stubel Camp (5,050m). Overnight camp.

Day 13 Summit Chimborazo (6,310m), return to Quito. Overnight hotel.

Day 14 Depart from Quito.

Day 15 Arrive home.

Price £850 per person

Photos & Videos

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• Antisana - 20 Dec to 3 Jan '10

Reports & Reviews

First Expedition: Nov 2003
Total: 8 trips

Have you been on this trip? If you'd like to contribute a trip report then we'll post it up on the site.

Team Member Reviews

• “The trip was all I had hoped and more. Well organised and the knowledge of being in safe professional hands. KS.” Antisana private guiding - Nov'16
• “A great time was had by all, a good team, lead by an excellent guide in a fascinating part of the world.” MV, Antisana, Oct '15
• “Well organised, safe, good humoured and exhausting trip - would do again!” AH, Antisana, Oct '14
• “Great trip which gives a short but very satisfying experience of the Ecuadorian mountains and a taste of the local culture.” TC, Antisana 2013
• “A very well organised trip to a fantastic mountain in a beautiful country.” EA, (London)
• 1 more review »

• “The extra dimension of raising money for and visiting the orphanage and experiencing the involvement of Javier and Helma made this a unique and inspirational trip.” DG, (Somerset)

Leader Reports

• Antisana, Oct '13
  “It's been a week since the end of the expedition to Antisana but the good memories still remain etched in memory. From an unusual city tour, because the group was only four and therefore we had the opportunity to tour the...”
  report added 09/Dec/13
• Antisana - 24 Oct to 7 Nov '10
  “We had very challenging weather conditions preceding this expedition. Our team of four members, including myself, meant that we really go tto know each other very well through the course of the expedition. We started our trip...”
  report added 29/Nov/10
• Antisana - 20 Dec to 3 Jan '10
  “I don't know where to start my report, even though throughout our entire trip we could live many experiences that I think all of which were positive. Our team members were: Mark, Thierry, Ruth & Angus, Tony and myself...”
  report added 14/Jan/10
• Antisana - 25 Oct to 8 Nov '09
  “This year the October/November Jagged Globe Antisana Expedition comprised six climbers; Geoffrey and Paul from the US, Thistan, Kevin and Stephen from the UK and Syam from India, two local guides; Jaime Avila and Henry Moya and...”
  report added 20/Nov/09
• Antisana 2007
  “After three successful expeditions to this, the least visited of the high mountains of Ecuador, this year the team returned home without the summit. We had unexpected storms and lots of snow, which stopped the 2007 Jagged Globe...”
  report added 27/Nov/07
• 4 more reports »

• Antisana 2006
  “Just a little note to inform you that we had another successful expedition to Antisana with four out of seven members reaching the top. All members completed acclimatisation hikes on Pichincha (4,700m) on the 1st, Rumiñahui(4,600m...”
  report added 14/Dec/06
• Antisana 2005
  “This was the third expedition that Jagged Globe has organised to Antisana in Ecuador and the most successful one, with all members climbing all the peaks of the programme. Good weather, a strong team of climbers and the excellent...”
  report added 12/Dec/05
• Antisana 2004
  “This was Jagged Globe’s second expedition to Antisana, one of the least frequently climbed mountains in Ecuador. The first expedition to the mountain in 2003 found it impossible to cross a large crevasse barring the summit...”
  report added 24/Feb/05
• Antisana 2003
  “What a fantastic trip! A unique combination of climbing a rarely attempted peak by a challenging route and the charitable work in aid of the Happy City Orphanage. We also enjoyed the well-chosen acclimatisation peaks, the Hot...”
  report added 07/Jan/04