All activities / Mountaineering / Summits / Ojos del Salado
Mountaineering / Summits in Ojos del SaladoCL
The world's highest volcano at 6,893 meters, rising from the Atacama in Chile's far north. Non-technical, extreme-altitude, and blessed with the driest big-mountain weather on earth.
Why here
Ojos del Salado is the highest volcano on earth and the second-highest summit in the Americas, and the Atacama's hyper-arid climate gives it something no 6,900-meter peak elsewhere can offer: unusually reliable summit windows. The route is non-technical but the altitude is entirely real, and the acclimatization circuit across the Atacama's 5,000 and 6,000-meter peaks, Siete Hermanas, San Francisco, is a world-class high-desert expedition in its own right. Vehicle access reaches refugios near 5,200 meters, the highest drive-to-base approach anywhere, which is why altitude record attempts of every kind gravitate here.
Best months
The official season runs November 1 to March 31; December through March is prime. Expeditions run 12 to 16 days, most of it acclimatization. Wind is the crux more often than snow; nights are brutally cold all season. Prior 5,000-6,000 meter experience is expected.
Getting there & around
Fly to Copiapo (CPO) via Santiago; operators run 4WD transfers to Laguna Verde and the refugios and handle the climbing registration formalities. Book three to six months ahead.
Skill levels: advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Adventure Consultants
OutfitterThe New Zealand expedition operator running guided Ojos del Salado departures with full Atacama acclimatization circuits.
Andes Specialists
OutfitterAn Andes-dedicated expedition operator with a full Ojos del Salado program from Copiapo.