Andes Trail Running Retreat: 9 Days Through Ecuador's Volcanoes, Crater Lakes and Cloud Forests

You arrive into Quito a day before the tour starts if you can, since the city sits at 2,800 m (9,186 ft) and the first day is deliberately light: airport pickup, hotel check-in, a safety briefing and a welcome dinner. Day 2 you transfer about three hours to Sigchos and start the three-day Quilotoa trek, a 10 km day with roughly 430 m of climbing and 450 m of descent, finishing at a cosy eco-lodge above the valley with a warm stove, locally sourced food and a small spa. Day 3 is Isinliví to Chugchilán, 12 km following the Toachi canyon, up over the plateaus and through highland villages, 740 m up and 480 m down, sleeping at 3,200 m.

Day 4 gets you to the Quilotoa crater — a run around the rim of the sapphire-blue lagoon — before a three-hour transfer to the Cotopaxi National Park area, where you stay at a lodge beneath Cotopaxi itself, 5,897 m of active volcano. Day 5 is a hike to Cotopaxi base camp at 4,810 m (about 2 km, 300 m of gain) followed by a long downhill run, or three hours of horseback riding in the park on the Avenue of the Volcanoes if your legs want a break. Day 6 is Rumiñahui — "stone face" in Quichua — starting from Limpiopungo Lake at 3,900 m, a hike with a bit of easy scrambling at the top and a runnable descent with views of El Corazón, Los Ilinizas, Sincholagua and Cotopaxi.

Day 7 moves into the Santa Rita Ecological Reserve for 13 km through cloud forest, rivers and waterfalls, then on to Papallacta to sit in the hot springs. Day 8 is the "Bear Path" in the Cayambe Coca Ecological Reserve, 12 km past the Sucus and Mantala lagoons — expect to get wet even if it isn't raining — with another afternoon in the thermal pools. Day 9 you're at Mariscal Sucre International Airport by about 11:30 for onward flights.

What separates this from a standard guided trek is the coaching. Jeff Pelletier is an ultra-distance trail runner and filmmaker who documents his racing and travel on YouTube; he and Audrée, who are based in Canada but organise this trip as locals in Ecuador, cover uphill technique with and without poles, technical terrain, nutrition and hydration, route planning while travelling and backcountry safety over the course of the week. A support vehicle shadows the group daily, and if you don't feel like running on a given day there are alternative activities so you're not sitting in the van. Distances are moderate — nothing over 13 km — but the altitude is the honest difficulty here, and the itinerary is ordered to acclimatise you gradually before the 4,620 m day on Rumiñahui.

What's included

- All activities described in the itinerary - Trail running with guiding from a local certified guide - Coaching sessions from Jeff Pelletier and Audrée Lafrenière - Horseback riding option in Cotopaxi National Park - Yoga session - Hot springs visits - Airport transfers - All accommodation during the tour (8 nights) - Twin or double rooms at most lodges and haciendas - All transfers during the tour - All meals (8 breakfasts, 2 packed lunches, 5 lunches, 8 dinners) - Support vehicle every day

What's not included

- Transport to Quito (e.g. flights) - Travel insurance (health, accident, mountain rescue, repatriation, trip cancellation, personal liability) - Shared transfer from Tena to the airport (if needed) - Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages - Extra activities such as massages, spas, saunas - Accommodation for extra days in Ecuador - Tips for the guide