By: Mikayla Bowen, Program Director

Though most of our current program directors only arrived in Ecuador a few weeks ago, we dove headfirst into experiencing the incredible Andean hiking that Ecuador has to offer. During the past few weekends, together we have hiked two popular hikes near Sangolqui—Rucu Pichincha and Ilaló—both of which can actually be seen from the roof of the Manna House.

The first hike, Rucu Pichincha, was a 5-hour hike to the first summit of one of the major volcanoes that surrounds Quito. We began by taking the TelefériQo, a cable car which brings you from the city of Quito up to the start of the hike at around 4100 meters. The elevation here was no joke—even the starting point of the hike was higher than those of us new to Ecuador had ever experienced. Slowly and steadily, we hiked and climbed through rocky terrain and steep sandy slopes up to el cumbre, the summit, at an elevation of 4696 meters! There were incredible views of Quito along with very happy dogs throughout the hike.

After our descent back to the base of the hike, we rewarded ourselves with photos with llamas along with the most incredible view I’ve ever had on a swing.

Our second hike this past weekend was Ilaló, a shorter but quite vertical 2-hour hike on the mountain which separates the two valleys outside of Quito. Throughout the hike, we had incredible views of the Chillos Valley, especially on the way down as the sun was setting. We passed 14 crosses on our way up to the 15th and largest cross.

Overall, we are super excited to have access to some of the most awe-inspiring hikes in the world throughout our service here with Manna! We can’t wait to literally reach new heights and see more of the beautiful landscapes Ecuador has to offer.