Wayfinders: ECUADOR & GALAPAGOS

Feb. 22-Mar. 03, 2024

“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt

SKY AND SEA

SKY: Mt. Cotopaxi, the 2nd-highest active volcano in the world at 5,897m, is the backdrop for Wayfinders: Ecuador. Its summit is our lofty objective, with a beautiful 22-room hacienda as our private and magical abode for the week (along with 2 nights at 2 magical locations elsewhere).

SEA: After our time in Ecuador, you’re invited to join your fellow Wayfinders for a 4-day extension to the spectacular Galapagos Islands, where our private cruise ship will sail the islands and we’ll get up close with local wildlife.

Mt. Cotopaxi: A MIGHTY challenge

SUMMITTING Cotopaxi is no walk in the park.

OK, it is, technically, a walk in a (national) park.

It’s also a climb of one of the highest active volcanoes in the world. It’s almost 20,000 feet high. Summit day is a 10 to 12-hour slog (about 6-7 hours up, starting at 1 am).

You will probably quit 6 times on the way up.

Your fellow Wayfinders will pick you up 6 times.

You will reach the summit.

You will be prepared, mentally, physically and spiritually (the Wayfinders community will see to that).

The climb is not technical but it is tough. You will stand on Cotopaxi’s windy summit, hollering at the sunrise at the top of your lungs with your fellow Wayfinders.

Oh yeah, there’s a lot of other cool s@#$ to do around Cotopaxi, leading up to summit day. These will be an incredible 9 days.

Ecuador will break you. And you will have massive breakthroughs. You will forge some of the deepest connections you’ve ever made, with an incredible group of humans embarking on an epic journey together.

Our HOME

OUR PRIVATE LODGE

On the slopes of Rumiñahui Volcano, in a truly privileged location, our private 22-room hacienda is the ideal spot to explore Cotopaxi Volcano and its surroundings. It is a working ranch, dedicated to sustainable agriculture, livestock, conservation, and ecotourism, with milk, cheese and vegetables produced on-site for the kitchen.

The hacienda is a meeting point between cultures, traditions, and legends, and one of the best ways to get intimate and up-close with the Andean way of life.

The house is located in a spectacularly scenic spot, at an altitude of 3,600 meters (11,811 feet) above sea level. The scenic premises are surrounded by four volcanoes, (one of which is Cotopaxi).

The hacienda has many cozy meeting spots and a central courtyard where you can connect and converse with your fellow Wayfinders, delicious local food (much of which is grown and raised on-site), and a mountain spa with 3 hot tubs/jacuzzis and a sweat lodge heated with volcanic rocks. It’s the perfect place for the Wayfinders tribe to experience a hefty dose of Andean magic.

“The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure.”

— Joseph Campbell

Our theme AND OUR JOURNEY

A journey: work and calling.

The theme of our journey through Ecuador, which we will explore through self-reflection, dialogue (both inner and outer), and other group/individual exercises, is work and calling, answering questions such as:

Do I have a calling? What is it?
Am I fulfilled with my current work? Can I find fulfilment with my current company, or do I need start a new chapter? How can I experience more fulfillment and joy with my current work?
What is my ikigai? Where do my skills, passions, what the world needs, and what I can make a living at intersect?
How can I create a company that demands much less of me and supports the life I want?

Upon the conclusion of Wayfinders: Ecuador, you will have deep clarity around your work and calling, along with an action plan and a toolkit for:

1) Moving toward a work-life of greater alignment and fulfilment
2) Spending less time doing the things you don’t want to be doing
3) Spending more time doing work that is deeply aligned with your soul

Galapagos Islands Extension

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS EXTENSION

After our time in Ecuador, you are invited to join the Wayfinders crew for a spectacular 4-day cruise through the Galapagos Islands.

NOTE: This extension is limited to just 12 people, and will be available for booking in May to the first 12 people who sign up for Wayfinders Ecuador, so get your spot ASAP if you want to join us in the Galapagos.

The Galapagos Islands are a natural wonderland that simply must be seen to be believed. Located off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the islands are home to an incredible array of unique wildlife, including giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, and marine iguanas.

The islands were famously visited by Charles Darwin in 1835, and his observations of the flora and fauna there helped shape his theory of evolution. Visitors to the Galapagos today can still see many of the same species that Darwin encountered, and experience the same sense of wonder that he did.

But the Galapagos are more than just a living museum of natural history. The islands are also home to some of the world's most spectacular scenery, from rugged volcanic landscapes to pristine beaches and crystal-clear waters.

(This will not be a traditional Wayfinders experience (no exercises and the like) - we’re just there to enjoy and have fun!)

Details, Costs, and faq

You need to get your butt to Quito no later than Feb. 23, 2024. 2 nights in Quito (Feb. 22 and 23) are included in the cost. You’ll be back in Quito on March 3, 2024.
The Adventure itself is 8 nights (Feb. 24-Mar. 2, including Feb. 29 as it’s a leap year). We depart our hacienda after lunch on March 3 and arrive in Quito mid-afternoon (it’s a 90-minute drive).
Your investment includes:
-2024 membership in the Wayfinders community (a $1500 CAD value)
Click here to read about 2023 membership
-A spot in The Wayfinders Edge business program (a $2500 CAD value), launching fall of 2023
-All expenses covered while in Ecuador, including 2 nights in Quito before the event (dinner in Quito on Feb. 23 is included, but other Quito meals are on you). Your bar tab and souvenirs are yours to cover, everything else is ours.
—
The investment to join Wayfinders Ecuador is as follows:
-Upfront payment of $12,495 CAD
-10 monthly payments of $1495 CAD
(We also have USD payment options)
Altitude (and altitude sickness) are definitely a concern, but mostly if you are foolish and don’t heed our advice.
Our hacienda sits at 3600 m/11,811 ft., so it’s already quite high and we only go up from there. Mt. Cotopaxi is almost at 20,000 feet. You will definitely feel the effects of the altitude, but if you follow our advice you should be fine. Thousands of people summit Cotopaxi every year without incident.
If you’re concerned about how your body might react to altitude, we recommend getting a Diamox prescription and arriving in Quito at least 2 days early (we depart for our hacienda on Feb. 24) to acclimatize, as Quito sits at 2850m and is a great way to get adjusted to the altitude.
Before we summit Cotopaxi we will have spent 7 nights at the hacienda, with a smaller summit as practice before our summit attempt, and a night at the refugio halfway up.
As of June 19, 2023, there are 2 spots left and they are available on a first-come, first-served basis (to those who have been offered a spot).
My suggestion, if you are interested in joining us, is to sort out your logistics and put down a deposit as soon as possible. Once the event is sold out, cancellations are rare.
The Galapagos extension will cost approximately $3100 USD per person, including a return flight from Quito, all transportation, meals, lodging and activities. You will only need money for your bar tab and any souvenirs you want to purchase.
Booking - via a $300 USD deposit - for the Galapagos extension will be available after you sign up for the Ecuador event. Final payment is due in August 2023.
My refund policy has typically been ‘no refunds, no credits’, and I encourage people to get cancellation insurance for the unexpected. I put down large sums of money to secure lodges and suppliers, spots are limited, and I want to screen for people who are truly committed to coming and aren’t going to let other priorities overtake their participation.
For this event, however, I am going to be a bit more flexible: after you put down your deposit/make your initial payment, you’ll have until Aug. 1, 2023 during which you can cancel (i.e. before your next payment if you chose the deposit option).
If you cancel during that time any payments made will be refunded, minus $2500 CAD*, which can be converted to a credit that can be used for a future Wayfinders event.
*I am paying large deposits to secure exclusive use of the lodges and other suppliers for this event, and taking on the significant risk of not filling up your spot should you choose to cancel, so I need to share some of that risk with you.
NOTE: I recommend you purchase cancellation insurance to cover you for unexpected issues leading up to the event.
Participation is capped at 24 participants. I expect spots to fill up quickly so I recommend getting your signup in as soon as you can, especially if you want to book the Galapagos extension, which is capped at 16.