COTOPAXI FOR A CAUSE · December 5–13, 2026

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APU EXPERIENCES
APU × ZUKO — Adaptive Experiences
APU EXPERIENCES×ZUKOZUKO

Adaptive adventure · Joint venture

APU × ZUKO — Adaptive Experiences

Nature is not a staircase. Together with Zuko Carrasco we design outdoor programs for wheelchair users and people with reduced mobility — trails, páramo, beach and volcanoes, with adapted equipment, trained crew and real safety protocols.

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Sharing adventures with Zuko Carrasco and Nico Vélez is how this beautiful project was born.

Zuko Carrasco has spent years proving that a wheelchair is a vehicle, not a limit. APU Experiences brings trained guides and assitants, logistics and general safety; Zuko brings adaptive technique, lived experience and a community that already knows how to move in challenging places.

Every program is planned around the person: your chair, your transfers, your assistance needs and your goal for the day. We scout each route in advance, brief the support team and adapt distance, surface and gradient before you arrive.

Black and white portrait of Zuko Carrasco in his wheelchair
Cover of the book No camino, pero puedo volar by Sebastián «Zuko» Carrasco

His story, in his words

“No camino, pero puedo volar”

Sebastián «Zuko» Carrasco

Zuko tells his own story in this book: the accident, the long road back, and the decision to keep going outdoors — paragliding, mountains and a community that grew around him. It is a story of altitude, resilience and community.

The spirit of the book is the spirit of these programs: the chair is a vehicle, not a limit. Ask us about it when you write — we can help you get a copy.

Ask about the book

The person behind the movement

Zuko in motion

Zuko Carrasco smiling at a viewpoint overlooking Quito
Adaptive equipment, real terrain, more ways forward.
Zuko Carrasco outdoors in a wheelchair on an open mountain landscape
Zuko Carrasco looking at an archaeological piece inside a museum
Two wheelchair users at night in front of the Teatro Sucre in Quito

Images: Primicias and Tododisca. View source

Two ways to travel

Two ways to travel

Adaptive does not mean one thing. We run two kinds of trips, and we help you choose the right one for you, your chair and the day you want to have.

Independent trips — your chair, your pace

You move in your own wheelchair with minimal assistance. We scout the route, confirm the surface and gradient, and a guide stays close — but you propel, steer and decide the pace. Built for wheelchair users who travel independently and want to keep that freedom outdoors.

Fully assisted trips — a team around you

You travel in an adapted chair (Joëlette, beach chair or handbike) with a full support team: porters who carry and steady the chair, people who push on the climbs and brake on the descents, and guides who rope and secure you on steep or exposed terrain. For people who need complete assistance to reach places a standard chair cannot go.

The programs

Start with a half day and progress as far as you want to go.

01

Historic Quito — A First Move

Full day · Quito Colonial streets, plazas and churches

A first move before the mountain. You walk and roll through Quito's UNESCO-listed historic center with Zuko Carrasco, accompanied by a specialized guide in Quito's history and tourism. We confirm accessible routes, ramps and rest stops in advance, and the day unfolds at your pace — plazas, churches, viewpoints and a long lunch together. No altitude gear, no trail — just the city, the story and a crew that knows how to move through it.

  • Specialized history and tourism guide
  • Zuko Carrasco accompanying the route
  • Accessible route scouting and rest stops
  • Lunch in the historic center
02

First Trail — Introduction Day

Half day · near Quito Forest track, gentle gradient

The starting point. We fit the adapted chair, practise transfers and technique on a smooth track, and finish with a viewpoint picnic. Perfect for a first time outdoors after an injury or diagnosis.

  • Adapted trail chair and harnesses
  • Guides and support crew
  • Adapted transport from Quito
  • Snacks and hot drinks
03

Páramo & Crater Lakes

Full day High páramo, 3,200 – 3,900 m

A full day in the high grasslands: Cotopaxi's plains, Antisana's plateau or a crater lake rim. Big skies, wild horses and condors, with a route profile chosen for your chair and the day's weather.

  • Route scouting and weather plan
  • Larger support crew for rotation
  • Lunch and altitude briefing
  • Photo and video of the day
04

Galapagos Accessible

5 – 8 days Islands, boardwalks and sea

Island hopping or a cruise cabin built around accessibility: boardwalk trails, snorkelling with assisted entry, kayak transfers and wildlife metres away. We confirm every dock, panga transfer and room before booking.

  • Accessibility audit of the itinerary
  • Naturalist guide plus APU crew
  • Assisted snorkelling equipment
  • Flights and park fees coordinated

How we make it work

Adapted equipment

Joëlette-type single-wheel trail chairs, beach chairs with balloon wheels and hand-cycle setups, matched to the terrain of each route.

Trained support crew

A dedicated team of guides and volunteers per participant, briefed on transfers, pacing, weather calls and evacuation routes.

Accessible logistics

Adapted transport, accessible lodging, bathroom planning and medical contacts confirmed before every departure.

Companions welcome

Family and friends join the same route — these are shared days outdoors, not a separate program on the side.

Plan an adaptive experience

Tell us about your chair, your assistance needs and what you would love to do outdoors. We will come back with a route, a crew and a date.

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ZUKOZUKOJoint venture