This extraordinary ride will introduce you to a side of our spectacular country that few Ecuadorians, let alone visitors, ever see. You will participate in a traditional "rodeo", literally "round-up", of fighting bulls in the remote fastness of the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes. This is not a spectacle organised for the benefit of tourists, but a time-honoured annual event in the calendar of a working ranch. You will ride with real chagras (Andean cowboys) whose life and work has changed little for generations. The spectacle of chagras at work, resplendent in their traditional ponchos and llama or goat hair chaps and intricately carved wooden bucket stirrups, will leave you with life-long memories of the "real Ecuador".

This program is for 2 to 8 riders. This ride will take place to coincide with the bi-annual cattle round-up - please phone or email Gabriel for details. Due to the inherently dangerous nature of equestrian sports we require guests to sign a liability waiver.

Transfer from Quito Airport or hotel. You will be driven to the opulent colonial hacienda of La Carriona, situated on the southern outskirts of Quito. La Carriona is known for the sympathetic conversion it has received from family seat to luxury hotel. Each room and suite has it's own individual character and is appointed with period furniture and a modern bathroom with piping hot water. The immaculate gardens, lined with Jacaranda trees, offer a haven of peace from the hustle and bustle of Quito. Its location on the edge of the city is ideal for access to the historic centre of Ecuador's capital city, and also the central highlands through which you will be riding for the remainder of the week. You will be offered a guided tour of the colonial heart of Quito, or you can choose to spend the rest of the day relaxing by the heated pool, in the sauna, or simply enjoying the beauty of the house.

You will be offered a guided tour of the old colonial heart of Quito - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You will be collected from La Carriona and driven half an hour south along the spectacular "Avenue of the Volcanoes" to Hacienda La Alegria. Your host, Gabriel Espinosa, is passionate about horses and riding, and you will soon see why his operation is famed for the quality of its horses. You will be given the chance to get used to your horse in the safety of our "round" and paddock.

We will then make the four hour ride up La Viudita ("The Widow", 3760m), our "local" mountain. From the top, weather permitting, you will be able to enjoy the spectacular equatorial sunset. Eight of Ecuador's volcano giants are visible from the summit. The spectacular view encompasses Quito city and its surrounding valleys as well as the mountains, high pastures and humid forests where you will be riding during the following days. This mountain is ideal for acclimatizing to the Ecuadorian highlands.

Today's ride will take us to the west of Hacienda La Alegria, where you will witness a completely different landscape. After riding for 2 ½ hours over the Sierra Occidental up to an elevation of 3,500m, we will start to descend towards the coast. As we lose altitude the scenery changes dramatically as thick sub-tropical jungle replaces the Andean vegetation. Riding through unspoiled primary forest you will see a great variety of exotic orchids, giant guneras (marsh plants), natural ferns (the oldest species in the world) and bromeliads covering the trees and high altitude bamboo. This is the famed cloud forest of Ecuador, where luxuriant vegetation thrives in the high humidity of the rising air from the coast. We will ride to the pretty high altitude primary forest of Monte Oscuro. From here there is a panoramic vista along the mountain chain and on clear evenings we can see the lights of coastal villages. We spend the night at La Alegria, dining in the cosy dining room and relaxing in front of a roaring log fire.

We ride out early from Hacienda La Alegria and across the valley to the east. The morning will be spent climbing the onto a high ridge (4200m) on Volcan Ruminahui (4712m). The night will be spent at Hacienda La Cantora.

The countryside really opens up from here, and descending into the wilderness that lies beyond Ruminahui, you will feel like you are on the set of a Western! The terrain becomes more outlandish as we approach the foot of Cotopaxi, with lava flows, grassy plains, melt water lakes and usually herds of wild horses. We will either camp on the shores of a small lake, Santo Domingo (4150m), or alternatively stay at the nearby llama ranch of Pedregal on the high plateau beneath Cotopaxi. If we camp, our back-up team will greet us there with comfortable tents and warm sleeping bags, a camp fire and a hot meal, and of course a warming glass of Aguadiente!

Today's ride is shorter but no less spectacular. Leaving the back-up team to strike camp, we travel light to the rodeo, taking only a change of clothes and essential items on pack horses. The romance of the trail, travelling through open countryside, is highly evocative. Small groups of wild bulls punctuate the high grasslands, and it is not unusual to come across herds of alpaca and llama. As it is rodeo time we may encounter chagras on their way to RODEO FARM.

We stay at one of the beautiful haciendas or "tambos" (a Quechua word meaning inn) nestling in a spectacular valley surrounded by snow-capped peaks, connected to the rest of civilisation only by a seasonal track winding through the mountains. The current structure is on a site that has boasted a tambo since Inca times. It is built in the traditional straw and adobe style and is extremely picturesque with its straw roof. The interior is rustic and comfortable, and there is always a roaring log fire to welcome visitors. This will be home for the next two nights. In the afternoon there is an opportunity to explore the valley on horseback or watch the young bulls being branded and tagged in the corral.

Today you will be given the chance to ride with real chagras, mustering wild fighting bulls in the most incredible mountain environment. The day starts with a hearty breakfast, don't hold back: you will earn it! We saddle up and gather in a circle on our horses to be given our riding instructions for the day by the head chagra. The circle of mounted chagras is a colourful sight. You will be assigned to a chagra who will take care of you for the day and make sure you are not in danger at any point.

We ride up the paramo to the high ridges surrounding the local mountains, climbing from 3600 to 4000 m, and through a series of calls and whistles the chagras communicate to each other, indicating the position of the various groups of bulls – "vaca jaja!", "vaca carajo!". Gradually each rider works his/her way down pushing the cattle ahead down into the valley bottom. Some of the "bravo" bulls are lassoed with two ropes and expertly driven into the corrals.

You can participate in this exhilarating work or hang back and watch. These bulls are effectively "wild" and have bred from Spanish fighting stock, so you must be an experienced rider to join in. When the bulls are safely corralled it is time for a late lunch and a relaxing afternoon of watching the chagras tag and brand the livestock. Some amateur displays of bullfighting may also be put on. The evening meal will consist of a traditional barbeque and you can indulge in the knowledge that you helped round up the animal in question! The chagras sing traditional songs in Quechua and the Aguadiente is sure to be passed round. And so to bed!

After bidding a sad farewell to the hospitable cowboys we ride further east for a short while towards the spectacular snowy cone of Antisana. Skirting round to the north, we ride across the truly awe-inspiring country which lies between Quilindana, Cotopaxi, Sincholagua and Ruminahui. We spend the night at Hacienda La Cantora.

This is Day Five in reverse. We return to well deserved creature comforts!

This ride will take place to coincide with the bi-annual cattle round-up - please phone or email Gabriel for details.

10 full days riding, 9 nights accommodation - mostly camping (tents and sleeping mats are provided), all transfers to/from Quito, meals, horses, tack and bilingual guide, support vehicle, city tour, accident insurance, and park tickets.

All meals are tailored for hungry riders and combine delicious Ecuadorian and international cuisine. Our visitors book contains many compliments to the chef at La Alegria! Vegetarian / other special dietary options on request.

Breakfast: coffee, tea, cocoa, oatmeal, eggs and/or French toast, natural fruit juice and fruit of the season.

Lunch: Trail days: high energy pack lunch (sandwiches, fruit, candy). Hacienda days: similar to dinner.

Dinner: typical Ecuadorian soup, chicken, beef, pork or pasta, vegetables, rice or potatoes, dessert. Vegetarian / other special dietary options on request.

Drinks: water, juices, soft drinks.

Airfares, airport tax, alcoholic drinks.

A warm sleeping bag is essential. Long underwear or pantyhose (to prevent chaffing), vests / T-shirts, sweatshirts / long-sleeve shirts, fleece jacket, wind stopper / rain jacket, riding boots or lightweight hiking boots, gloves, scarf, high factor sunscreen, sunglasses. We provide riding helmets, half-length chaps, waterproof full-length chaps and ponchos for wet weather.

At Hacienda La Alegria our horses are very important to us. Most have been bred here on the farm from mixed Criollo (native South American), English Thoroughbred and Arabian stock, resulting in a near perfect combination of toughness, agility, calm temperament and "mountain sense". Beginners and experienced riders alike have found them easy to ride, willing and good mannered. If you have previous riding experience you will be given plenty of opportunity to canter.

We have a range of tack including North American style, English style, Mclellan calvary, Chillean and traditional Ecuadorian "Chagra" style with its intricate leather-work and saddle horn.