Andean and Subtopic Adventures
Hiking Tour
(A Six Day Cloudforest)
This tour presents the opportunity to become acquainted with the two distinct conservation and ecotourism communities of Santa Lucia and Yunguilla with a night in a forest refuge; hiking through primary and secondary forest to waterfalls and mountain pools; extra hiking or days simply to relax in the heart of the forest; a visit to the Andean Cock-of the Rock lek (bird mating ritual.)
Day One : Pick up from hotel at 8:00 a.m and drive 1 ½ hours northwest. of Quito to the picturesque village of Yunguilla which sits at 2,500 metres in the Andean Mountains . Check into the Yunguilla's Tahuallullo Hostal, which can accommodate 8 people comfortably. The village of Yunguilla has about 300 residents and most of them raise livestock or grow organic produce. There are many miles of local trails around the hostal which you can explore the first day to get acclimatised to the elevation. Your local guide will assist you. You can also visit the workshops where the local people make their own jam, cheese and handicrafts.
Day Two : After an early breakfast, hike to the Forest Refuge, approximately 16 kilometres , with a box lunch on the way. The Refuge is an old restored farmhouse and is located about halfway to the Santa Lucia Lodge, our destination. It is quite isolated and sits in what was a lush meadow with a creek running through it. Now however, the natural vegetation is growing back. It has two bedrooms, a dining area, kitchen and outhouse. There are eight comfortable bunk beds and sleeping bags are provided. The journey will take you up a very scenic dirt road to Ali Mountain , passing many local farms with spectacular views of the surrounding volcanoes including Cotacachi and Pichincha. The road is lined with beautiful wild flowers including some of the 4,000 species of orchids that grow in Ecuador . At Ali Mountain the road turns into a trail leading to the Refuge approximately 2 kilometres further on. This trail is named the “Spectacled Bear Trail'' and with some luck you might spot one on the way. You destination should be reached by mid-afternoon to settle in before dinner.
Day Three : After breakfast begin the hike to Santa Lucia Lodge approximately 8 kilometres away. The trail gradually ascends to a higher elevation passing through an area of thick bamboo and into a beautiful primary forest. For those of you that are interested in birds it is very likely that you will be able to see the Chestnut-crowned and Giant Antpitta, Plate-billed Mountain Toucan, Beautiful Jay and the beautiful Mountain Tanagers. So don't forget to bring binoculars. After about another hour of hiking you will reach Santa Lucia's 12 metre high birding tower at an elevation of 2, 400 metres . From the top, if the clouds haven't rolled in, there are panoramic views of the volcanoes. This is a good place to relax for a while. The trail from here to Santa Lucia is mostly downhill, passing through thick primary forest for about 5 kilometres , the trees thick with bromeliads, epiphytes, and orchids. The little birds named Tapaculo, will scream at you with loud voices as you pass - they are always almost impossible to see. Further down the trail the forest opens up to another pasture but native trees have been planted to avoid erosion and provide shade. Soon you will reach another farm house, which belongs to Eduardo Tapia and Rosario Sosa who are members of the Santa Lucia Cooperative which owns and manages the Reserve.. The Santa Lucia lodge is about another 45 minute walk along a high ridge which drops off steeply to the right with both primary and secondary forest and a few pastures to your left. The lodge will be a welcome sight after this hike for hot showers and a good meal.
Day Four: Today you may choose just to relax or take one of the many trails leading out from the lodge. They range in distance from one mile to six miles. There is a self-guided trail, an educational trail with points of interest that are accompanied by a brochure. Or one of the favourite trails is the beautiful Cascade Trail, which descends steeply down into primary forest passing many spectacular waterfalls along the way.
Day Five: Today there is a challenging hike for those who would like to see the spectacular lek of the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock. Depending on weather, you can have an early lunch to go in the afternoon for the 2:00 p.m. performance, or leave at 4:00 a.m. for the dawn performance, this means hiking in the dark. It is a sight and sound you will never forget and well worth the effort even though it is one of the most challenging trails in the reserve. To attend this lek you must be accompanied by one of the Santa Lucia guides.
Day Six: After breakfast hike down through the forest passing through the banana plantation with shade grown coffee trees, to the Umachaca River where you can walk upstream, cross the bridge following the path to the Santa Rosa River and walk up the river for about 100 metres to a wonderful waterfall which cascades into a beautiful pool. This is a seasonal option depending on the flow of the water in the river. Then take the Pre-Inca trail which was used by the Yumbo people from the years 1500 B.C. to 500 A .C, to travel from Quito to the coast, in order to trade things like salt and coca. The trail ascends steeply before leveling off and crossing the boundary of the Santa Lucia Reserve. This is an area of pristine primary forest passing by two more waterfalls cascading to the river below. The forest has many different species of trees and an area of gorgeous tree ferns ( helechos gigantes ). Much of the trail is in the form of a deep trench called a “culunco,'' made by the Yumbo people, in places the sides rise to four metres. Along this trail it is possible to see wild pigs or maybe the elusive Puma. Finally after about 2 kilometers the trail opens out into a lush meadow with fantastic views of the river below. After crossing the meadow you will eventually reach the main road to the Maquipucuna Reserve where we will have lunch and then return to Quito in the afternoon.
Note: Hikers carry their own packs, so we advise you to only bring necessary items.
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