Chris and I traveled from May 27th through June 7th, 2016. We flew into Quito, spent a couple nights there (one more than expected due to some Cuenca runway paving mistakes...), then a night in Cuenca before setting off on the trek. We booked this part of the trip through Happy Gringo and were met at our hotel in Cuenca by our local guide and driver. The route and elevation for our hike is shown below. According to our guide, we were the first to take this hike in several months, so it definitely fits the bill if you're looking for an "off-the-beaten path" adventure! Additional information about the history and geography of the area near our second night (the Tambo Real) is available here, from Quito Adventure.

These photos, and many more, including the wild fireworks towers in Cuenca, are available in my Zenfolio gallery.

Recommendations for others interested in taking this hike: Definitely bring knee-high rubber boots. Both of us had more traditional waterproof hiking boots and they definitely weren't the best choice. The ground is very marshy, so having the full rubber boots definitely gives you peace-of-mind while hiking and keeps you from having to think carefully about each next step. Also recommend carrying plenty of water -- we both had 3L bladders and additional water bottles that we burned through each day. We should have boiled extra water (or brought purification tablets) on the first night and carried more than we did, because we ran through the water we had quickly on day two. Water was listed as one of the "inclusions" for the trek, but we really wish we had brought more on our own. We brought Clif Bars and energy chews with us and they were invaluable on the hike -- highly recommended.