- General information
- Interesting facts about Ojos del Salado
- Ojos del Salado for tourists
Volcano Ojos del Salado is the second highest peak in South America. The volcano is located on the Chilean-Argentine border, and its peak belongs to the territory of Argentina.
General information
To the west of Ojos del Salado (its height is more than 6800 m) and to the Pacific coast lies the Atacama Desert, and its eastern slope is occupied by the highest lake in the world (it is located in a crater, at an altitude of almost 6400 meters; the diameter of the lake is 100 m). It is worth noting that the name of the volcano is translated from Spanish as “salty eyes”. This high-mountainous salt lake is one “eye”.
The eastern slopes of the mountain are famous for their tropical forests (they grow up to the 3 km mark; this area is subject to heavy rainfall). As for the western slopes, they are deserted, due to insufficient precipitation in this area. And at an altitude of 5 km there is snow.
Throughout its history, the volcano has not erupted, although occasionally it was activated in 1937, 1956 and 1993, when it slightly “spat” water vapor and sulfur. However, it is considered extinct.
Interesting facts about Ojos del Salado
For the first time climbers from Poland (Jan Szczepanski and Yunis Voiznis) managed to conquer Ojos del Salado in 1937. Then the sacrificial altars of the Incas were discovered by experienced climbers. From which it was concluded that the Indians worshiped the volcano as a sacred mountain, and it acted as a place of sacrifice.
In 2007, the Chilean athlete Gonzalo Bravo managed to set a world record for climbing a mountain by car. He climbed the slope of Ojos del Salado in a modified Suzuki SJ to a height of 6688 meters.
There is one more curious fact: the locals use “mist catchers” to get water in the desert. They are made in the form of cylinders with the height of a person: on their walls (they are made of nylon threads) fog condenses, after which the extracted water flows down into the reservoir.
Ojos del Salado for tourists
The best peaks for mountaineering are those on the Chilean side. Climbing groups usually find their refuge near Copiapo.
The period from November to March (dry and warm) is best suited for conquering Ojos del Salado. So, many people prefer to hit the road at the end of the year, when it is easier to find water (the snow begins to melt; the average wind speed becomes lower). In any case, do not forget about the equipment - windproof clothing, as well as protection for the hands, feet and face.
Mountaineering along the slopes of the volcano cannot be called a difficult journey, except for a serious section of the path just before the very top (the main “stumbling block” is the wind blowing at high speed). Therefore, those who are not ready to overcome such difficulties come back, never having conquered Ojos del Salado to the end.
It is worth noting that by conquering the mountain slopes from the Chilean side, travelers will be able to spend the night in a hut, while the slopes on the Argentine side lack such amenities, but there are wind shelters built by other climbers who once climbed the mountain.
Organized tours together with a guide on a reduced program take 7 days (a full-fledged program is designed for at least 13 days):
- Day 1: The journey begins in Copiapo, where the purchase of the necessary products for the ascent will be made. On the same day, a transfer will be made to the Santa Rosa Lagoon, where you will be able to meet flamingos and llamas (guanacos). Here tourists will spend the night in a camp.
- Day 2: in the morning an ascent will be made (with the aim of undergoing acclimatization) to the summit “7 brothers” (4800 m). After a 6-hour ascent, a descent to the Laguna Santa Rosa camp will follow, where the night will pass.
- Day 3: in the morning, tourists will be transferred to the Laguna Santa Verde (you can swim in warm springs). Here camp will be set up and the night will be spent.
- Day 4: tourists will be transported to the Atacama shelter, but they will be asked to overcome the last section of the journey (several kilometers) on foot for better acclimatization. The night will be spent in a well-equipped camp near the Atacama shelter.
- Day 5: In the early morning, tourists will have a 3-4-hour journey to the Tejos shelter (you can pick up the food and water brought here). Night in tents.
- Day 6: Travelers will be picked up in the middle of the night (1-2 a.m.) to start climbing Ojos del Salado. The ascent will take about 10-11 hours. You should be prepared that at the top you will be greeted by a sharp take-off and you will have to climb the rocks along the site, about 4 m long. Then you will descend down to the Atacama shelter.
- Day 7: Transfer to Copiapo - the starting point of the route.
In the vicinity of the volcano, the following objects are of interest: the ruins of ancient Indian buildings - huts made of stone and cactus; La Silla Observatory (has 18 telescopes; its location is an area isolated from artificial light and dust sources, which is important for observations).
