Climb Ojos del Salado volcano at 6893 meters in Chile

Flight to Copiapo via Santiago de Chile.

We are met at Copiapo airport by our correspondent. Transfer to the city and check into the hotel. Initial contact with the guide to confirm the following day's schedule. Copiapo is Chile's third largest city, capital of the mining industry, at the gateway to the Atacama Desert, almost 700 kilometers north of Santiago. Its proximity to the great volcanoes of the border line will be an excellent starting point. Its major Andean volcanoes include Los Patos (6239 m), Nevado de Incahuasi (6621 m) and, of course, Nevado de Tres Cruces (6749 m) and the lord of the land, Ojos del Salado (6893 m). The lagoons, vast expanses of water with varying degrees of salinity, offer an astonishing spectacle: Laguna Verde, Laguna Santa Rosa, Salar de Maricunga. 

We take the road towards Don Juan, which lies halfway between Copiapo and the Laguna Santa Rosa (Salar de Maricunga). The altitude (2600 m) is perfect for acclimatisation. The place takes its name from an old goldsmith who lived in the nearby mountains. We will be stopping off at a local community (the Coyas) that benefits from the passage of travellers.

We continue our journey over the Chilean Altiplano towards the Laguna Santa Rosa. Our second camp, located at an altitude of around 3700 meters on the edge of the lagoon, is essential to our acclimatization process. Our first easy trek will take us around this emerald lagoon. 

We complete our acclimatization by climbing Cerro Siete Hermanos, which overlooks the Laguna Santa Rosa. The typical Atacama desert landscape unfolds before our eyes, with its tawny colours, ochres and the contrasting waters of the Laguna Santa Rosa. The first part of the ascent takes place on a 4X4 track before finishing on foot. Return to our Laguna Camp. 

We are back on the road through the Nevado Tres Cruces National Park and along the Salar de Marcicunga. The landscapes are as desert-like and fascinating as ever. Ten or so kilometers before reaching Laguna Verde, we pass the Claudio Lucero refuge, a basic, icy hut. We set up our own comfortable camp some distance away. Let's make the most of the evening light and get plenty of photos. 

After a short transfer along the banks of the Laguna Verde, we head for the summit of the Mulas Muertas. A well-marked path starts from the Laguna. It then joins a vague spur that we follow to the summit. After a few kilometers of walking, the view over the lagoon becomes magnificent. Higher up, Nevado Hincahuasi (6621 m) and Ojos del Salado stand out against the sky. The path becomes lost before you reach the summit, giving way to stony terrain strewn with volcanic boulders. 

We are back in our vehicles for a transfer close to the Agentine-Chile border. Cerro San Francisco is shared between the two countries. 

This is the last day we can use our all-terrain vehicles to gain altitude. We carry all our equipment to the Atacama mountain hut, 33 kilometers away. The road passes at the foot of Cerro Vicuña. The vehicles drop us off 2 hours' walk from the hut, so that we can continue acclimatizing. Now we are ready for the final ascent. The hut is a simple tin hut with only six places. So we set up our own tents nearby. 

We get down to business. We have to carry a lot of the equipment needed for the bivouac before the climb. We follow the 4X4 track that leads to the Tejos hut (5837 m), a simple tin hut that cannot be used, 5 kilometers away. Once we reach the hut, we set up camp before heading back down to the Atacama hut for the night.

As we already carried most of the equipment the day before, this day will be less arduous. We are back on the same route as the day before to reach our high camp. 

Night-time departure for the final day's ascent. The acclimatizsation of the previous days is now bearing fruit. Depending on the snow conditions, the ascent can be mainly on rocky terrain, interspersed with glacial passages (walking between ice penitents). The summit pyramid, made up of large stacked boulders, requires a few easy climbing moves, but these are made difficult by the altitude. Back at the Tejos hut, we have to dismantle our camp from the previous day and bring everything down to the level of the Atacama hut. 

Contingency day in the event of bad weather (strong winds), for a second chance to climb the Ojos del Salado. 

We take the road back to Copiapo, 260 kilometers away. One last look, a few last photos of the exceptional landscapes of the Chilean Altiplano.

Transfer to airport and flight back to Europe.