Hiking in the Andes Mountains: the Quilotoa Laguna, Ecuador

Hiking through the Andes is such a romantic notion, isn't it?  Well it's cold too, but the experience is amazing.

We spent a few days on the Quilotoa Loop, a rough road that takes about 8 hours to get around. It passes through one small mountain village after another separated only by green patchwork-quilt covered mountains dotted with sheep.

We stayed in a 600 person village called Chugchilan at a great hostel call Mama Hilda's.  For US$34 we had a great private room and breakfast and dinner included.  It's a charming, people friendly sort of place where meals are shared at a communal dining table, and even the dogs want to know you.

Buses are limited in the Andes mountains, so we took the only bus we could, at 4 am.  Sitting amongst shy indigenous people and sacks of potatoes, I tried, with little success, to see the curves and cliffs through the fogged window.  We took the turns of the Andes surprisingly well in the dark, and an hour and a half later we were stepping out into darkness.

Lucky for us we were greated by a hotel owner happy to let us in to warm up by the heater with a cup of tea.  On his instruction we waited until the sun was just poking above the mountains, offering some warmth in the cold Andean air.  It was a sight I'll never forget.

We walked though the small town of Quilotoa in search of the crater lake.  Person after person poked their heads out in the crisp mountain air offering breakfast, local handicrafts, and of course, guides.  We were ecstatic watching the sun rising over the Laguna and as the sunlight hit the mountain peaks in the distance. 

It felt magical.  It's a feeling of being so small in the world.  A feeling of being amongst such dramatic beauty you want to emblazen the image in your brain so you can return to it any time you like.


The rest of the day was a full adventure unto itself.  Kyle, our new friend Tamara, and I set off on a hiking adventure of all hiking adventures to return by foot to Chugchilan.  We cut through potato fields amazed that people farm on the steep slopes. 

We walked down into and out of a canyon, only to find that hours later we'd again walk into and out of the same canyon.  The Andes are a charmer like that.  



We paid a local farmer US$5 to lead us 45 minutes toward the next path, and we were happy to have him when he scared off a guard dog aggressively "tailing" us.

Tamara, who grew up on a farm, laughed at us each time I cooed at baby sheep or we stopped to take pictures with animals.  I'm a city girl, and we visit petting zoos.


It took us 5+ hours to hike back, and a Nestle chocolate bar never tasted so good.  It wasn't the toughest hike I've ever done, but battling the elevation and the unpredictable twists of the Andes made it a hike I'll never forget, and one I hope to do again someday.