Moderate Treks

This trek takes us along the royal road that linked Cuzco with the northern empire of Quito. Some sections of the path are still in a well preserved condition. We walk through the Andes, we pass tilled lands and lakes. The highest spot of the trek is 4300m. We pass the Paredones ruins and on the last day we reach the famous Ingapirca fortress, the best Inca heritage in Ecuador.

The Golondrina cloudforest trek begins in the northern highlands, west of El Angel at 4200m. and ends in the small village Guallupe at 1000m. You will be led through contrasting ecosystems ranging from high altitud speletia clad páramo to temperate cloudforest at 2000m. and finaly to end in a subtropical rainforest at 900m. You will have the opportunity to view local farms and visit the current ecological projects of the reserve. Golondrina is a 1,400 hectare pristine cloudforest which became a few years ago a protected area to avoid destructive farming practices and the overexplotation of timber. The Golondrina foundation is aiming to protect this unique area for which several projects have been launched, among others education of the local people, whereby adults and children learn sustainable farming methods at a model farm. With your participation you help the Golondrina Reserve to persue with this succesful project. In the year 2000 Golondrina Foundation achived the Rolex Award for nature conservation.

Galapagos is one of the most incredible animal strongholds in the world today but there is also much more to see. Campus Trekking offers an exclusive trekking on the Isabela island where you will experience not only the spectacular volcanic scenery but also the flora and fauna such as the different endemic species of tortoises, sealions, flamingos, herons and sharks.

This adventure starts with a walk through the dry forest costal area and a hike to the tear wall, a 3-day trek to the Sierra Negra volcano, whose crater is a huge collapsed area totally uninhabited by anything except lizards, finches and feral goats and donkeys which have made this area their home. Within this, the second largest crater in the world (11 Km. diameter) after Ngorongoro in Tanzanía. Much of the landscape of Sierra Negra is dominated by the spectacular Cerro Chico an active cone and Sulpher Mines which also show amazing fumaroles and bizarre colours. From the highest point of the crater rim you can observe a superb scenery, in the South Volcan Azul, in the North the perry isthmus and the Volcanoes Alcedo, Darwin, Wolf and Fernandina . This trek can be combined with a normal 4, 5 or 8-day Galápagos cruise and also for those who want to make instead of a cruise, a hotel - yacht combination. Campus Trekking has its own base in Isabela Island with all the necessary equipment such as tents and camping gear to make a succesful operation.