Nevado Ojos del Salado (6,893 m), the highest active volcano in the world, is the great objective of this expedition. But the chance of reaching its summit begins long before the final push: it depends on advancing gradually, listening to your body and arriving at the mountain well acclimatised.
Over fourteen days we travel across the Puna de Atacama, among salt flats, high-altitude lagoons and mountains rising above six thousand metres. From Copiapó, the route advances through Laguna Santa Rosa, the Siete Hermanas and Pastillitos peaks, and Laguna Negro Francisco, until reaching Laguna Verde (4,310 m), which will be our base for the higher ascents. Along the way we may spot wildlife typical of this landscape, such as vicuñas, guanacos, flamingos and condors.
Here acclimatisation has two summit objectives: the Copiapó volcano (6,052 m) and Barrancas Blancas (6,119 m). These are ascents with value of their own that let us gain experience and altitude adaptation before taking on Ojos del Salado.
From Laguna Verde we organise the summit days according to how the group is progressing, the weather and the state of the access and mountain routes. The itinerary includes two reserve days, days 12 and 13, to adjust the plan before returning to Copiapó.
It is an invitation to experience high-altitude mountaineering in its full dimension: sharing camps and refuges, travelling through remote landscapes and taking on three summits above 6,000 metres, with Ojos del Salado as the final destination.
