Climbing Ojos del Salado

Catamarca Province – Chile

Elevation:

(22,614ft/6.893m)

Difficulty

Intermediate

Duration

15 days

Itinerary

Transfer from the airport to the hotel, briefing of about the expedition, check the gear, and maybe rent if needed. Overnight in the hotel (-/-/-)

We will drive for a couple of hours to get to our first camp in Vallecito Area, and the rest of the afternoon will hang around and will take slowly  getting our process of acclimatization. Overnight in the tents (B/-/D)

After breakfast, we will start packing our camp, load on the pick-up, and drive for 2 hours to get to Laguna Verde, which is an amazing place, where we will set up our camp, and where we can admire and feel the sensation of being in the Expedition, we will get the first views of many high mountains around and vast flat altiplanos (high platoos). In the afternoon we will have time to make some soft hikes around the lake, and get used to the altitude little by little, with some luck we will have a chance to see the wild Andean camels “Vicunas” and some Flamingos. Dinner will be served by late afternoon and overnight in the tents (B/-/D)

Today we still stay in the same camp, getting more time to adapt our body to the altitude, and will hike to “Siete Hermanas Peak”, it will take us about 5 hour to get the summit on an easy flat terrains, and another 2-3 hours to go down, today will be our first “hard day” and proof of our body how is adapting to the altitude. Dinner and overnight in the Camp (B/-/D)

We will get breakfast and will start packing our belongings in order to drive to different camp, close to Laguna Verde, which is an amazing place to set up a tents, the water of the lake are amazing turquoise colors, and the many surrounding mountains are 6.000m. In the afternoon will hike for some hours to the higher places and afterwards will have a chance to drench in a natural hot springs close to the camp. Dinner and overnight in the tents (B/-/D)

We will start earlier in the morning after breakfast, if we have enough physical condition will get all the way to the summit, which it will take us around 5 to 6 hours and another 2 to 4 hours coming down, otherwise we will get as high us we can and go back to the camp, today is an acclimatization hike and that is the main goal. Dinner and overnight in the camp (B/-/D)

We will start very early in the morning getting breakfast, today we will try to get our mark over (19,685ft/6.000m) we will drive around 19km until San Francisco Pass at (15,583ft/4.750m) which is the border between Chile and Argentina, the we will drive further up to (16,076ft/4.900m) and the rest of the ascension will be done by foot and will take about 5 hours to get to the summit of San Francisco (19,803ft/6.036m) and around 3 hours to go down.  Dinner will be served by late afternoon and overnight in the tents (B/-/D)

After 2 “hard climbs” our bodies will claim to have a rest day, so we will relax whole day, sleeping, maybe natural hot springs, etc. Today we will try to be fully recovered for the next coming days to the higher elevations. Dinner and overnight in the tents (B/-/D)

We will get breakfast, pack all our belongings, and drive to the next camp; it will take only a couple of hours to get here. The afternoon will have free time to get a look of all our gear, and plan our “strategy” for the next 2 days before the summit attempt, dinner and overnight in the tents (B/-/D)

Depending on the season, we can drive for a bit to the next camp, if the road is not snowed; otherwise we just need to carry our needed gear, some food and go up to Refugio Tejos, which it will take us around 4 to 5 hours with heavy loads, very slowly. We will have enough time to prepare our things and gear for the next day, “the summit day”, after and early dinner, we will go to rest and try to sleep because the next morning will start quite early (B/-/D)

Our day will start very early in the morning around 3:00 am. The first sections are quite easy technically speaking, but the altitude will be a great challenge. It will make our rhythm really slowly and will go steady, until getting the last section which is quite technically and loose rocks. There will be some old fix ropes to climb the last meters to get out on a sharp ridge which connects finally to the summit of the highest volcano in the world Ojos del Salado (22,614ft/6.893m). It will take from 7 to 8 hours to get it and 3 to 4 to go down. If we still have energy we will go down all the way to Atacama Refuge area (B/-/D)

We will use this day in case of weather issues (B/-/D)
We will use this day in case of weather issues (B/-/D)

It is time to leave Ojos del Salado Area in order to have a very long drive down to sea level in Bahia Inglesa, where we will enjoy beautiful white sand, summit celebrations, and much more (B/-/-)

We will transfer from Bahia Inglesa to Copiapo which will take about two hours to the Airport in Copiapo. Then we will fly to Santiago de Chile, which it will take us another 1,5 hours. Once here we will fly further to our home destination (B/-/-)

Price: Please contact us

2 nights lodging in Copiapo and Bahia Inglesa
All meals during the hikes and climbs (shown above with B: breakfast and D: dinner)
Lunch and D: Dinner
Bilingual professional guide, guide-client ratio: 1/3 – 2/7 – 3/11
All shared camping gear and equipment for the expedition (tents, stoves, kitchen utensils, etc.)
All the transfers in private transportations
Permanent VHF radio communication
We provide all our guides with a professional first aids kit and pulse oximeter for daily updates of acclimatization progress
Entrance fee
Personal porters
Single supplement
Any cost if the climber abandons the trip
Meals and drinks in the cities
Tips
Personal gear, medication, ground or air evacuations, room service, laundry, beverages, phone communication and items of personal nature, liability insurance, hospitalization or medication of any kind, any other service not mentioned in this condition sheet

Ojos del Salado - Chile