Ojos del Salado - 14 days

Itinerary

Ojos del Salado - 14 days

Day 1 – Arrival to Copiapo – 800m

We’ll pick you up at the airport, 50km away from Copiapo. In the same day, we will check your personal equipment, making all final adjustments and shopping if necessary. Today we’ll have our first dinner together and meet the rest of the team. Included: transport and hotel

Day 2 – Copiapo – Laguna Santa Rosa Hut – 3700m

After a 210km drive, we’ll sleep in a small mountain hut at the edge of a beautiful salty lagoon called Santa Rosa. Included: Breakfast, transport, lunch, and dinner

Day 3 – Acclimatization on Siete Hermanos – 4780m

We’ll climb Siete Hermanos up to its summit or go as high as we can depending on the team’s condition. This is a fairly ‘low’ 4780m peak near Laguna Santa Rosa. Included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 4 – Laguna Santa Rosa Hut – Laguna Verde Hut – 4300m

After a nice and generous breakfast, we’ll drive 120km to Laguna Verde. We’ll cook and gather in a small mountain hut and sleep in tents. The good news is that inside the hut there is a rather large pool of warm water which comes from nearby hot springs. Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner (and bath!)

Day 5 – Climb to Mulas Muertas – 5200m

Another day of acclimatisation. Today is our turn climb Mulas Muertas located just a few kilometers away from our hut. Again, we’ll take it very easy and go as high as we can without compromising our bodies. Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner (and bath again!)

Day 6 – Rest day – 4300m

Today we’ll rest on Laguna Verde.

Day 7 – Climbing Nevado San Francisco – 6023m

After a very early breakfast, we’ll put our plastic boots and packs on and then drive to 5000 metres to start the climb to Nevado San Francisco via the north ridge. The drive takes about 30 minutes and the climb might take us 5 to 7 hours. Would be great if you can try you best to get to the top as this will really push your confidence and acclimatisation. After summiting, our 4WD vehicles will be waiting for us at the bottom, then take us back to the hut. Included: Breakfast, packed lunch, transport, and dinner

Day 8 – Rest day – 4400m

Today will rest at Laguna Verde and recover from yesterday’s climb. Included: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Day 9 – Drive to Atacama Hut – 5200m

A 2-hour drive to a higher hut named Atacama. Only this time its a 5200 metre high hut and the roads can be quite bad. Today you get to relax (or try to) and enjoy the lunar landscape to Atacama Hut while our skillful drivers do what they do best. Included: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and offroad insane transport

Day 10 – Atacama Hut – Tejos Hut – 5800m

This is when we finally put large backpacks on and stop driving! After an early lunch, we’ll walk for 3 to 5 hours to a 5800 metre metal hut named Tejos. Included: Breakfast and lunch

Day 11 – First summit attempt – 6898m

After a 3am start, we expect a 7 to 9-hour push to the summit. The climb starts with straightforward switchbacks then changes to a huge traverse at 6500m. We then reach the main crater and work our way to the summit over a final steep gully and a technical 10-metre rock section to the main summit. Included: chance of summiting the largest volcano on Earth!

Day 12 – Second summit attempt

In case weather was bad yesterday

Day 13 – Drive back to Copiapo

Included: transport and hotel

Day 14 – Flight out

** The above itinerary is subject to change due weather conditions, performance of the group, political/administrative problems and any other events not described.

Equipment

Having good mountaineering equipment is one of the key points to have a successful expedition. Please note all your personal equipment will be checked by one of our guides in the hotel. You can rent equipment in Copiapo, please let us know in advance what do you need so we let you know availability and prices.

FAQ

Where should I fly to?

The best way to get to Copiapo is to fly to Santiago (usually via LAN Chile) then take a secondary flight (usually via Sky Airlines) to Copiapo. The second flight can be very cheap. Also, search for flights from your home country to Copiapo. LAN does the connection and it might be cheaper sometimes.

What are the huts like?

The huts are abandoned and maintained by commercial expeditions and mountaineers who frequently climb any of the 38 x 6000m peaks in the surrounding area. Laguna Santa Rosa Hut is usually well maintained as more people visit more frequently. Also, there is a CONAF station (park rangers) 100 metres away from it. 9 people can sleep in mattresses comfortably inside.

Laguna Verde Hut is very basic. We normally don’t use its 6 mattresses inside and we only use it for cooking and go to the warm pool inside.

Claudio Lucero is huge! It has 16 mattresses and 2 floors. It doesn’t have any regular maintenance but is usually fairly clean.

Atacama Hut has 4 mattresses and is basically a wooden container size hut with a small kitchen. We usually cook inside and camp outside. There are very good tent platforms there.

Tejos is the more ‘sophisticated’ one. It’s an L-shape conglomerate of 2 standard containers brought in by a mining company in the early 90’s. It has a kitchen, shelves, and beds. Fits 9 people sleeping comfortably on mattresses.

If there are more teams climbing Ojos, we usually use the ‘first to arrive first to use’ but we are generous specially when other teams don’t have tents or someone is sick.

Can I rent equipment in Copiapo?

Yes, you can rent all equipment in Copiapo. You need to let us know earlier though. Let us know and find out the current prices for renting equipment for the whole length of the climb.

Do you think I’m able to climb 4 summits in just 13 days?

Keep in mind that the Siete Hermanos, Mulas Muertas and Vicuñas are just acclimatisation mountains and not our expedition’s goal. In our last expedition to the vast majority of our clients did summit Vicuñas (6067m) but for safety reasons, we didn’t go all the way on Siete Hermanos and Mulas Muertas.

Can I hire a porter at Ojos del Salado?

Unfortunately, it is a very remote mountain and there are no permanently installed services there.

Is there electricity in the huts?

The mountain huts we’ll use are very basic. Most of them were abandoned over 20 years ago and the only maintenance is done by mountaineers. There are no power plugs or any kind of services in these huts. There are however mattresses and some furniture that make our stay easier.

I can exchange money in Copiapo?

Yes. There are exchange offices that buy US dollars, sterling and euro in Copiapo. Best rates are in US dollars.

How much equipment will I have to carry? Can I can make it?

Your backpack will never weigh more than 12-15kg. The only time you will have to carry your personal gear is from the Atacama hut to Tejos, at 5800m.

The entire group of equipment will be purchased, assembled, clean and carried by guides and porters. You will NOT have to carry these (unless you are very nice and want to help). On the way to the last camp, you’ll be carrying your sleeping bag, crampons, clothing and some smaller items.

There is communication on the mountain?

Yes! At any time you can use our satellite phone. The calls cost USD 3/minute. Throughout the expedition, we will post daily updates to our Facebook page via SPOT satellite.

Would you guys call my family and tell them I’m alright?

Of course! Even better! We have a blog that is updated every day! We normally post messages or photos about the expedition progress. Please visit our Facebook page and check the latest posts.

I’ve heard Ojos is just a walk, is it true?

In fact, Ojos is not a technical mountain. Only the last 10-15 meters are technical but we normally have a fixed line to help you out on that last bit. Don’t forget the mountain is almost 7000 meters high. Altitude and bad weather have caused many people to lose their lives because they didn’t respect their own boundaries and underestimated the mountain.

Can I charge my iPhone battery or my camera?

Yes! We have solar panels to charge batteries, iPods, etc. Of course this changes when there’s not enough sunlight. Car 12V DC plugs are also an options while our vehicles are on the move.

What if I abandon or quit the expedition?

If you quit the expedition 1 week before departure, it is possible to recover part of your investment. Contact us and find out more.

If you quit the expedition in Copiapo, you can continue enjoying the services we provide you such as transportation and hotel. However we can not pay back the money you invested because logistics will already be hired.

If you quit the expedition after we left Copiapo, you will have to cover individual transportation and accommodation costs. Everyone who leaves the expedition for personal or health reasons should pay these costs.

If you give up during the summit attempt, you will never have to go down alone. Usually, we coordinate your descent with more expedition members. One of the guides will always be with you.

To leave Ojos del Salado, one of our vehicles will have to travel 600km to make a roundtrip to Copiapo. Fuel, maintenance and guide’s expenditure must be covered in case you wish to return home.

What’s your philosophy?

We accept women and men of any age, experience or ambition. We ask our members to be patient, respect the leader’s decisions and never go up or down alone.

Remember that you don’t pay us to take you to the summit, you pay mountaineering professionals with several years experience to help you up and down a steep mountain in the safest possible way.

Our itinerary may seem slower than other companies, this is due to a longer acclimatisation plan based on safety. More days will actually improve the chance of reaching the summit!

How much money should I take?

You should take enough money in case you decide to abandon the expedition. We recommend you to bring a total of USD 400 in US currency and 40.000 or more in Chilean pesos for the whole trip.

Can pay for rental equipment with a credit card?

No, this must be paid in US dollars to our guides.

How much does the climbing permit costs?

There is a required permission to climb Ojos del Salado called DIFROL. This has no cost and is carried by the expedition leader.

What sort of training do I need for big mountains like this one?

To 6000m mountains, we recommend you start training at least three months before, depending on your physical condition. Aerobic exercises like running and cycling are very useful. Ideally, ask a professional to recommend you a good aerobic training program. A very effective exercise is to go hiking with a rucksack on lower mountains. BEWARE of injuries! We have had some cases of clients who have trained too much and ended up hurting themselves.

What experience do I need for Ojos?

Ideally, anyone attempting Ojos should have climbed a 6000 metre peak before, in order to become familiarized with acclimatisation and snow walking. We, however, understand how hard it can be to have enough holidays in a year to climb these. So alternatively you can get away with just a multi-day altitude trek such as Everest Basecamp, Annapurna Basecamp or machu picchu.

How is the weather at Ojos del Salado?

This is a very windy mountain! It is also a very dry region where the wind from the Pacific starts at around 11am and blows until abut 5pm. It is common to have at least one snow storm during the expedition. Our team receives daily weather forecast updates.

What if I have a special diet?

Please tell us in advance about any food issues you might have and also please remind our guides about it too. Unless you bring your own food, we cannot help you if you are mmacrobiotic vegan or celiac due to extreme logistical difficulties. Contact us and let us know about your food restriction.

Who cooks at altitude camps?

We have very skilful guide/cooks! We guarantee you will e impressed about the meals!

Why do I have to bring freeze dried food?

We recommend our customers to bring 2 or 3 packs of freeze dried meals to camp 3. We have tried to serve a standard menu at camp 3 for several years but it never worked. One of the symptoms high altitude produces on the human body is the lack of appetite. Therefore people become very ‘picky’ on extreme altitudes so we prefer everyone brings their own meal.

Is there water at Ojos del Salado?

There is no liquid water in Ojos del Salado. Eventually some snow might melt and start running a little stream. These are however temporary and we cannot count on it. We take all the water from Copiapo. In our last expedition we took 320 litres of water for each whole expedition.

What if I have a health problem?

Our leader Maximo Kausch has extensive experience in mountain medicine and can solve most of problems you might encounter.

What if I need a rescue?

All our guides are trained rescuers and experienced in rescues on big mountains. Rescues can be made with one of our 4WD vehicles, this way you can get to a hospital in just three hours.

Do you recommend the use of Diamox?

NOT for the Central Andes. In extreme altitudes like the Himalayas or Karakorum we do recommend using Acetilzolamide or Diamox. This drug seems to actually work during the acclimatisation period by increasing the breathing rate at night (reduces CO2 levels), and also is a diuretic which eliminates sodium out of your system. In the Andes mountains however, mountains are too dry and taking diuretics such as Diamox actually decrease your acclimatisation capacity.

I was climbing in Peru before and I had a hard time communicating to my guide. Do your guides speak any english?

Yes, our leader Maximo Kausch has lived in the UK for 10 years and speaks fluent english. Please check our team’s information and find out about our guides’ communication skills.

What percentage of your clients actually make it to the summit?

It depends upon weather, experiences, fitness and their nationality. But usually about 75% of our european and north american clients get to the top.

Where do we go to the toilet on the mountain?

Ojos del Salado is not a controlled mountain. However we take care of it! There are designated toilets near each hut. Anywhere where there aren’t designated toilets, we make our ‘business’ in bin bags and take them back to Copiapo.

What’s the temperature my sleeping bag should stand?

We recommend you to bring good down sleeping bags with comfort temperature of -15 up to -22. Please note there are 2 types of temperatures shown in most of sleeping bags. We’re focusing on the “comfort temperature”.

Map

 

Cost

Price: USD 3100 per person

 

What’s included:

 

• Leadership of Andes Specialists, a network of highly skilled professional guides; experts in every region of the Andes.
• 1 or 2 assistant mountain guides (EPGAMT/AAGM certification) depending upon number or clients (client per guide ratio = 2/3);
• 20% off equipment rental at our partner store (we rent in Mendoza and take it to Copiapo);
• Transport from/to airport;
• 2 nights in a 3- star hotel in Copiapo – the rooms are shared by each two expedition members
• 4×4 transport from Copiapo
• Every night at the Laguna Santa Rosa refuges;
• Use of tents
• Use of medical kit
• Stoves and gas in all altitude camps
• All meals out of Copiapo
• Bureaucratic permissions (if necessary)

What is NOT included:

 

• Flights from/to Copiapo;
• Personal climbing equipment;
• Money return in case you abandon the expedition;
• International travel insurance;
• Lunch and dinner in Copiapo;
• Reimbursement for loss or damage of your personal equipment.