As Ecuador's highest active volcano at 19,000 feet (5,911 meters) high, this training ascent is a particularly exciting expedition. Its peak boasts an almost perfectly symmetrical cone, with a glacier topping it at about 5,000 meters. The summit crater is 600m x 800m in diameter and several hundred meters deep.

Cotopaxi National Park is the country's most popular mainland park, with the mountain name translated from Castilian as “Cone of Moon.” As an active volcano, this site has a torrid history of destruction and silence, making it appealing to climbing enthusiasts and historians alike.