Type B, Boarding Group Z

Me on the summit of Cotopaxi

Thinking about visiting mainland Ecuador? Worried about safety? Want to climb a volcano? Look no further, I have (some) of the answers to your questions. I visited Ecuador at the end of my backpacking trip through Latin America and spent about 2 weeks there before running out of money; a classic end to the gap year. Although I will absolutely be returning, I did manage to squeeze a lot out of those 2 weeks. What could be better than taking travel advice from a Type B, unemployed 23-year old? Vamos! 

Getting into Ecuador without rejection 

If you have done any research at all you will probably know this, but I am still ever so slightly traumatized by my extreme lack of research so I feel the need to hammer in the message. Get your yellow fever vaccine card. If you insist you have the vaccine and even show the flight attendants a post-it note from Nepal that says you have it, they still will reject you from the plane and you will lose a very large portion of your very small budget. I fear this is getting too niche, but hopefully you catch my drift. Get an official yellow fever vaccine card, or you will not be let into the country. You have been warned. 

Entering the country – Colombia / Ecuador land border 

Like many backpackers on a budget, I opted to cross into Ecuador via the Colombia land border. Nothing like a 25-hour bus ride to save a few bucks. I was vaguely concerned about the safety of this border crossing as a solo woman, but again, the cash was running LOW so I decided not to ask too many questions and just go for it. If you are slightly less Type B than I am, I’ll answer some of the questions I probably should have asked before this endeavor. Firstly, I started the journey from Cali, Colombia. I decided on taking the first bus from Cali to the border town of Ipiales at night so that I would be guaranteed to be crossing the border during the daylight hours (yay, safety!!). The main reason for this, besides just generally being scared of the dark, is that you have to actually walk across the border on foot which made me slightly nervous in the middle of the night. The first bus is about 10 hours, so I arrived at the Ipiales bus station mid-morning, then took a taxi to the border crossing. Multiple people were crossing the border at the same time as me, so I was able to share the 15-minute ride to the border. That being said, none of them were backpackers and no one, including the taxi drivers, spoke any English, so if you do not speak Spanish you should have a few sentences prepared and know where you’re going. Or just learn Spanish, you’ll have more fun in Latin American. Once you arrive at the border, you will need to get stamped out of Colombia before walking across the bridge into Ecuador. Do not forget to do this. If you do, the walk back across the bridge to get the stamp will be really embarrassing (speaking for a friend, of course). Once you are stamped out, you can walk across the bridge and go into the Ecuadorian customs building where you will be stamped in and free to explore Ecuador. Yay!

Crossing the Rumichaca International Bridge from Colombia into Ecuador.

You then take another taxi (there will be plenty waiting at the crossing, all wanting your business) and ask them to take you to the Tulcan bus station. Although you are in Ecuador now, these taxis will still accept Colombian pesos. However, the official currency of Ecuador is the United States dollar, so it would be smart to have some on you before the border in case of emergency. Once at the bus station, you can book a bus to Quito and be on your way! I must admit, this was a pretty miserable bus ride. It took about 7 hours despite saying it would take 5, classic Latin time, and it was HOT. However this was not my first rodeo, so I settled in with a cheese sandwich and a dream of making it to the city before dark. Once you arrive at the Quito terminal, you can take your 3rd and final taxi to wherever you are staying (I recommend the Secret Garden Quito for backpackers). It was definitely a bit of a trek but it cost me a grand total of 30 usd, so with my frighteningly low bank account it was the right move and made for a cool story. 

The view from Secret Garden Quito made the treacherous journey worth it

Safety in Quito 

To be so very honest, Quito was the only place I went to during these few months in South America where I genuinely felt like I was looking over my shoulder and hiding my bag under layers of clothes, and actually listening to the front desk hostel people when they told me not to walk alone at night. However, Quito ended up being one of my favorite cities that I have ever been to. Because if you’re not fearing for your life ever so slightly are you even having fun? I’m mostly kidding. Anyways, it is true that Quito is not the safest of cities. That being said, it is significantly safer than it was even a year ago, and remains much safer than other cities in Ecuador, like Guayaquil. Walking around as a young, blonde woman was slightly uncomfortable at times, with more disrespectful sexual comments than I experienced in other places in Latin America. These moments were few and far between, but just something to be aware of and prepared for going in. It is really important that you only carry small amounts of cash on you at a time. While I was never personally robbed in Quito, I met upwards of 10 people at my hostel who were. The majority of these unlucky folks were young, drunk British lads, so take from that what you will, but still good to be extra aware and careful so you don’t lose any of the precious backpacker budget funds. Wear a cross-body bag for your phone and small amounts of cash, and leave cards, your passport and other valuables in a locker at your hostel or hotel. On that note, pack a padlock with you for this very reason. Walking tours, usually free through hostels, are a great way to get a feel for the city. I went on the tour through the Secret Garden Quito, and was introduced to a brownie that changed my life forever, and for the better. Seriously, eating that brownie was a more euphoric experience than the shroom brownies in Thailand (fear not, I have a blog on this too), and this was just from taste. You can get them in the town of Mindo too, and it hits even harder eating the brownie with a view of hummingbirds and lush cloud forest. Such a vibe you’ll start to wonder if you really did just take shrooms. I’m getting off topic. Anyways, before the tour forever changes your perspective on what chocolate is meant to taste like, you will get a great walking tour to some key landmarks around Quito such as the Basilica del Voto Nacional and various beautiful plazas. If you get a fun guide you’ll even hear about what it’s like to do ayahuasca in the Amazon and get some recommendations of where to go to do exactly that. I’ll just leave it by saying I recommend the tour before I continue making references to psychedelics. 

Cotopaxi experience – preparation 

Onto my favorite activity of Ecuador, climbing Cotopaxi! At a towering 5897 meters (19347 feet), Cotopaxi is the second tallest mountain in Ecuador, following only Chimborazo (6,263 m / 20,548 ft). I would consider myself a strong hiker, and have completed treks such as the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal and the 10-day Huayhuash hike in Peru so I had a good idea of how my body reacts to altitude before attempting this climb. That being said, altitude sickness can affect anyone, no matter how fit you are or even if you have been fine at altitude in the past. How to prevent this? Acclimatize. Quito is already pretty high, 2850m / 9350ft, so just walking around might make you feel a little out of breath if you’re coming from sea level. A couple days exploring Quito is a good first step in acclimatizing to attempt Cotopaxi. As Quito is nestled in the Andes mountains, there are acclimatization hikes accessible directly from the city. My personal favorite in terms of preparation and accessibility was Rucu Pichincha. I love making a day out of a trip that does not necessarily have to be a full day, so let’s start with breakfast. Right around the corner from The Secret Garden Quito hostel, there is an adorable little spot called Los Geranios for a local Ecuadorian breakfast to fuel you up the mountain. As a hangry individual, I knew I would need a solid lunch as well, so I grabbed a sandwich from my favorite place, also right next to the hostel, called Atavico Cafe. I became a regular within 3 days of being in Quito because of how many times I got this sandwich.

Traditional Ecuadorian breakfast from Los Geranios

Now that you are well-fed and have your hiking provisions in hand, it’s time to get this show on the road. Grab a taxi to the TelefériQo, which is the cable car in Quito. A round trip ticket costs about 9 usd, and the views of Quito on the way up are incredible. On a clear day you will have views of Cotopaxi which is a nice little reality check and reminder of why you are doing this acclimatization hike when you see how big it is. When you arrive at the top of the TelefériQo, you can literally just start hiking. It’s that easy.

Views of Quito from the TelefériQo

The panoramic views of the city and surrounding mountainous landscapes are gorgeous, even at the very beginning of this hike. Now the actual hike should take about 5 hours roundtrip if you are a moderately fast hiker. Take it easy, with the combination of the TelefériQo and how steep the trail is, you gain elevation very quickly and you should not push too hard if this is your first acclimatization hike. The top of the peak sits at about 4.698m / 15,413ft, so it is great practice and preparation for the Big Kahuna (Cotopaxi). The trail is very clear almost the whole way up, but gets less obvious right at the top. It turns from a dirt trail into rocks and scree, and the direction of the peak is slightly more difficult to navigate. The scree is great practice for Cotopaxi as a large section of the climb is on steep, loose ground, but if you are like me and do not want to spend any more time on loose gravel than you have to, fear not. When you arrive at the scree field you will come to a sign that shows your spot and elevation on the mountain. If you do not feel like climbing all the way up, you are already high enough to have gotten a solid acclimatization hike in before your big climb. So take in the views, eat your sandwich (thank me later), and make your way back down to the cable car. 

Descending Rucu Pichincha. The sign in the lower left-hand corner is the one I mentioned that shows your elevation before the scree begins.

Cotopaxi experience – the climb 

The mountain is calling, and you must go… with a guide. Yes, a guide is required beyond the glacier, and there are lots to choose from with slightly varying prices. Cotopaxi is definitely not as backpacker-budget friendly as Huayna Potosi in Bolovia, for example, but it is significantly less expensive than Chimborazo. You can book either to do it solo, meaning just you and a guide, or with a group. Booking with a group is much cheaper than booking solo, so of course I opted to join a group. What this basically means is that instead of just being roped up to a guide on the glacier, you are roped to both a guide and one other person. This means that you do run the risk of having to turn around early if whoever you are partnered with bails early, and if you bail early you may make someone else turn around. I was lucky in that the girl I was partnered with bailed before the glacier, so I was able to continue hiking while my guide took her back to basecamp, then he met me at the glacier and the two of us roped up and went to the summit. My guide and company were excellent, highly recommend. I went with Ecuador Eco Adventure, and my guide was Diego.

I stayed at Quito Basecamp Hotel the night before getting picked for the climb, and it was great. I don’t know if it’s still this much of a hidden gem, but when I went in August 2025 it was completely empty and I stayed in a giant (by my backpacker standards) room by myself for only 10 USD. The accommodation was partnered with the guiding company, so one of the staff members went through a list of all the equipment I already had and what I would need from the company, so that when they picked me up the next morning they already had all of it ready to go. Now, this is a 2-day experience, but I would barely call it a 2-day climb. The first day is just walking to the refuge, which only takes about 40 minutes because you can drive so far up the mountain.

Cotopaxi basecamp

The sleeping situation inside the refuge, in case you were wondering

Once you reach basecamp, you have an obnoxiously early dinner and go to bed as early as possible because you will be waking up around 11pm to start getting ready for the real deal. Starting a hike in the middle of the night is always slightly rough, and it is damn cold. My guide, bless his heart, brought a thermos full of hot chocolate which I swear is the reason I made it to the summit. The first 2 hours of the hike is just a slog. Not technical, just a long, cold walk on small, annoying rocks. That being said, I got lucky with a clear night, so the stars and outlines of the surrounding mountains were gorgeous, and I was listening to Bad Bunny, pounding chocolate bars, and overall feeling pretty great. My guide, Diego, went back down to basecamp with the other girl about 45 minutes into the hike, so I was solo and vibing. When we reunited at the base of the glacier an hour and a half later (yes, we got to the glacier at the same time despite him going down and up again; these mountaineering guides are beasts), it was time for shit to get real. And really all I mean by that was it was time to put on crampons and rope up, but Pitbull has just come on to the playlist so I felt like a mountain god. The first 2 hours of the glacier actually felt pretty easy. Not too steep, not too scary if you didn’t look to the side, and my main focus was not tripping over my crampons and taking Diego down with me. The wind picked up pretty significantly so it was really cold. Diego was literally pouring hot chocolate into my mouth because my hands were too cold to take out of my gloves (princess treatment, I know). The egotistical motivation I had gotten from my husbands, Pitbull and Bad Bunny, started to wear off somewhere in hour 3 on the glacier (hour 5 since leaving the refuge). The trail up the glacier had gotten steep and the snow was deeper, meaning it felt less secure when walking up and the ice axe was starting to feel more like a necessity and less like a cute accessory walking stick. The only time it genuinely felt difficult and a little scary was about 30 minutes away from the summit, but at that point I was dead set on getting up that volcano. I had already bought my dad Cotopaxi merch, so really I had no choice.

Traversing the glacier (pardon my phone camera’s lack of quality)

Anyways, really the only part I found intimidating was when the switchbacks over the glacier came to an end and you just had to go UP. It felt incredibly steep, and much less stable. That being said, it did not last long and the summit is RIGHT THERE. Diego and I ended up summiting first out of all the groups that day, and I owe it all to my ego refusing to be beat and to Pitbull and Bad Bunny, my Latin kings. The summit was absolutely stunning and majestic, with smoke coming from the crater on one side, views of the other tallest volcanoes in Ecuador all around, and the most gorgeous sunrise. Let me tell you I got some of the best pictures of my life for Hinge.

A very happy Mariah feeling like a real mountaineer

We spent about 40 minutes on the summit, then started the trek back down to basecamp. Going down was fantastic. The snow was softening so you could just stomp and slide your way down to the end of the glacier with the pink sky and the shadow of the mountains around you. And even better, it gets light so you will realize that the cliff is actually not as scary as you thought in the dark, and you may have yapped Diego’s ear off about falling off the side for very little reason at all. Or maybe that’s just me. I’d say it took about 6 hours to get to the summit, and around 3 to get back down to the refuge. Out of the entire trek, I actually struggled the most coming down the scree once getting off the glacier. I have basically no concept of shame, so I stomped my way using a combination of my feet and my ass. Diego was judging, but I was on a mission to get to the pancake I was promised at the refuge so I carried on. Overall, I had a fantastic time doing this climb. I thought it was a perfect combination of challenging yet achievable, and it’s hard to beat how picturesque and perfectly shaped that volcano is. I add that in because it makes it better for bragging rights. Go boost those egos and climb those mountains folks! 

Cotopaxi experience – where to go next 

What’s better than the climb? Recovering after the climb and telling everyone who will listen that you did it. Where’s the best place to do that? The Secret Garden Cotopaxi. You will need to book this ahead of time, and can do this either online or through the Secret Garden in Quito if you stay there before venturing to the mountains. Most people book for three days and two nights, an upfront price that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner and two guided hiking activities. It is slightly on the pricier side if you are a hardcore budget backpacker, but considering it is one of the most beautiful locations ever, with a perfect view of Cotopaxi even from the shower, I would say it is definitely worth it. The food is also incredible, and they offer every dietary option under the sun. As a hungry vegetarian who had just climbed a very large mountain, I was extremely happy. The yuca was to die for. Banana bread is also up for grabs throughout the day, as well as a literal tree of bananas that you can share with the resident llamas whenever you please. If you choose to come to this lovely little slice of granola paradise, you can set up pick-up and drop-off ahead of time. I was picked up after my climb at a town nearby Cotopaxi and dropped off in Quito after my three-day stay at the Secret Garden lodge. 

So without further adieu, get your ass to Ecuador.

The view of Cotopaxi from the shower at Secret Garden