Anyone know how much it costs to do a multi peak trip in Ecuador cheapo style, all expenses included, but no guide?

I was going to pose a similar question yesterday.

Once you have all your gear, how do you budget for extended international trips? How do you estimate your expenses?

If you are planning Cotopaxi I believe a guide is now mandatory. See this thread for further discussion.

danhelmstadter wrote:Anyone know how much it costs to do a multi peak trip in Ecuador cheapo style, all expenses included, but no guide?

I just got back from 15 days in Ecuador--2 trekking peaks and three big mountians. The bulk of my cost was the plane ticket. Mid range hotel, decent restaurants ($2-15 per person per meal wine or beer included), hut fees, driver, tips etc was done around $1600. Breakfast is included in most hotel costs. With cheaper hotels and places to eat and local bus transport you could spend $20-25 a day and live well! Hit the local markets for cheap fruit and veggies.

Our team of 3 shared rooms and the driver/van so some costs would be higher if you are solo or only 2.

Guide is not needed on Cotopaxi. Guide or driver/guide is needed to drop you off and get into the park though. We climbed unguided two weeks ago and met several groups that were doing the climb unguided.

everydayexplorer wrote:Once you have all your gear, how do you budget for extended international trips? How do you estimate your expenses?

Fixed costs such as air, permits, visa etc are easy. Then I use guidebooks to estimate living costs-food, hotel and transport. Add in some extra for surprises and to buy gifts. SP is a great place to ask as well as the thorntree board on lonelyplanet.com.

Enjoy Ecuador. Its an amazing country.

Cheers!

Stay at a hostel in Quito and save money. We stayed at Casa de Eliza, which was walking distance from downtown - great hostess and great breakfasts, and the she uses the money to help maintain a nature conservation area.

"Ecuador, a climbing guide" goes through most costs. The currency is dollars so it's easy to figure things out. It all depends on where you want to go and where to sleep.

Spent the last week of June and first week of July in Ecuador, no climbing on this trip, just a trip to visit family in Quito and tour of the country.

My wife and I averaged around $75/day for both of us and we went pretty high class compared to what one could do.

Lodging: Most places we stayed included breakfast with a night. Places ran anywhere from $5/person/night to $25/night/room. Most averaged around $10/person/night.

Food: A basic Ecuadorian meal, chicken and rice or something similar, cost about $2-3. Try the Pilsner. Nothing like $1.20 for a very large bottle of beer.

Transportation: The bus system is pretty good. A trip from Quito to Riobamba cost around $4 and takes a long time. Whatever distance you're traveling, plan on it taking a lot longer than it would in the States. Nothing moves real quick. Once in a town, find a pickup truck to get you to the trailhead. Trucks run anywhere from $2-$10 depending on where you are going. Be careful. Every taxi driver we had knew where we wanted to go before we got in a cab and then quickly needed directions once we got moving.

Other: It is a great place. If you are looking for an introduction peak when you get there and a bit of culture, try the market in Otavalo and then climb Imbarra just outside of town. It looked like a great peak and the Otavalo is rich with color and cheap items to bring home. And if you want a bit of cloud forest, head to Mindo.