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Ojos Del Salado - Group Expedition

Pricing

Ojos del Salado
£1700 or €2380 per person.
Based on 8 people for 16 days.

Dates: The best season is Dec / Jan,
The expedition is available to a group of friends or a club looking for a challenging and different adventure.

Price does not include international travel to Copiapo, Chile.

Estimate €800 for the international flight and €300 for the internal flight and overland crossing.

Ojos del Salado, Atacama Desert, Chile

laguna verde, ojos del salado, chile

This expedition gives a great opportunity to climb high on a 7000m mountain with little technical difficulty (apart from the summit rock tower, which is 30m of scrambling with a fixed rope in place) and a gradual acclimatization programme which gives everyone a good opportunity of reaching the summit. You will also experience the wonerful Atacama Desert, the driest desert in the world and one of the most wonderfull ocations you can imagine!

map of chile and ojos del salado ojos del salado, chile
The volcano is located in a unique desert environment of intense, deep, green lagoons contrasting with the colour of the desert and snow covered volcanoes above. At these lagoons it is possible to see large flocks of flamingoes, horny coots, many ducks, foxes and guanacos, who have all adapted to survive in this environment, with night time temperatures reaching – 25 c.

Our expedition will be self-contained and in the real spirit of adventure, driving our own 4x4 land cruisers through the Atacama Desert to reach the base camp of the volcano. We will prepare our own food and act self-sufficiently on the climb. Climb leaders will be Steve Pinfield and one other Chilean guide. The climb ratio will be no more than 1:5.

Expedition Daily Itinerary:

Trip day	Plan
Day 1	Depart home
Day 2	Arrive Santiago, o'night coach to Copiapo. We may organise a private coach for the whole party (11 hours). Or you can take the public coach from Santiago to Copiapo. From Santiago Airport terminal take the Bus Sur, which departs every 15 minutes and takes 30 minutes to Terminal de Buses Alameda. From there it's an 11 hour bus ride to Copiapo. Best 'class' is semi cama which includes ‘bed’, food, drink and cost about £14.00 or 20 euro. There are many buses going north to Copiapo, Pullman is good too. Or you can fly into Copiapo with Sky Airlines - https://www.skyairline.cl/default.aspx - they have two flights daily, at 1130 and 1900. Cost is around 80 euro depending on tariff. There is communal minivan transport from the airport to Copiapo town, about £12 and 1 hour.
Day 3	Morning in Copiapo preparing. We use Hotel Montecatini as our base in town. Address is Infante 766.Drive of about 5 hours into the Atacama desert. Camp valley Chico, 3000m.
Day 4	Drive of about 2 hours. Camp overnight Laguna Santa Rosa 3,600m. Camp on the shores of lagoon with flamingos.
Day 5-6	Trek Santa Rosa 4900m peak, Move onto Laguna Verde 4400m, a drive of about 5 hours through the Atacama.
Day 7-9	Trek around Laguna Verde, Climb Mules Muertes (5400m) and move to Refuge Atacama (5200m) by car, about 3 hours overland drive. Camping.
Day 10-12	Camp Refuge Atacama, local trek, Carry to Refuge Tejos (5700m,) and overnight. First summit attempt if possible.
Day 13	Summit attempt, descend to Laguna Verde.
Day 14	Depart for Copiapo and can fly to Santiago on an evening flight
Day 15	Depart Santiago for Home
Day 16	Arrive Home

Equipment

climbers on ojos del salado A variety of clothing will be necessary for your trip. You will need clothing for dining in restaurants, the heat of Mendoza and lower altitudes, and to protect you from the colder temperatures whilst on the mountain. This list is designed to help you choose the right gear for the demands of this trek.The emphasis on equipment necessary for mountain travel follows two simple rules: Lightweight and functional. The items you choose to take should be lightweight, dependable and adaptable to a variety of weather conditions. When making the final decision as to what goes into your pack, remember that it’s a fine science of taking just enough clothes and accessories to do the job, whilst not over burdening yourself with items you probably will not use.

Equipment list:

Lightweight duffel bag to carry all personal gear in vehicles.
Medium sack 40-50 litres capacity.
Small day sack
Sleeping bag rated to -20c , best with full length zip so you can ventilate at lower altitudes.
Thermarest or foam sleeping mat.
Ice axe, crampons.( compatible with boots)
Plastic or leather boots, for summit day.
Approach shoes or lightweight trekking boots.
Headtorch
Inner/outer gloves
Fleece hat / balaclava/ sunhat
Sunglasses, suncream
Personal medication, and small first aid kit
Toiletries, small towel
Base layer, top and bottom
Thick fleece jacket polartec 300
Medium polartec, fleece long pants
Windproofs, top/bottom
Lightweight down jacket
Adjustable trekking poles
Water bottle, pee bottle
Shorts, t-shirts, lightweight clothing for warm climate.

Expedition Fee includes

Peak permits
4x4 vehicles and fuel
Tents and cooking equipment
Drinking water
All meals on expedition (except off the mountains eg in Copiapo), fresh 3 meals a day
All organization and preparation
Hotel in Copiapo
Guide and assistant guides

Expedition Fee does not include

International air travel to South America
Internal travel to Copiapo
Hotel meals or meals in towns
Excess baggage charges