Explore-Share logo and link to home

Climbing Ojos del Salado: Top Outdoor Adventures Awaiting You

4.40

(20 reviews)

Soar to the stratovolcano summit perched on the Southern Cone border

The giant stratovolcano of Ojos del Salado rises along the South American border between Argentina and Chile. It comprises the east of Chilean Copiapó and the west of Argentinian Fiambalá. At 6,893 meters, Ojos del Salado is the highest active volcano in the world, and second highest peak in the Southern and Western Hemispheres. Its ascent is technically gentle except for the final meters, which require ropes and harnesses. There are two routes to reach Ojos del Salado: the San Francisco International Pass from the Argentinian side, and the more accessible and shorter route from the Chilean side. Visit during the milder months between October and March for ideal climbing conditions.

Top mountain climbing trips | Argentina

Contact usContact us

Need Assistance?

Our knowledgeable team is here to assist you at any moment throughout your adventure.

Trustpilot reviews
TrustScore 4.9 out of 5

(4.8)

We are rated Excellent on Trustpilot

FAQs: Mountain Climbing in Argentina

What should I know about Mountain Climbing Ojos del Salado?

The stratovolcano of Ojos del Salado hangs extremely high on the South American border between Argentina and Chile. At 6,893 meters above sea level, it is the highest active volcano on Earth, as well as being the second highest mountain in both the Western and Southern Hemisphere. The Andean giant of Aconcagua (6,961m), the highest mountain, stands just 370 miles away. The translation of the stratovolcano is The Eyes of the Salty One, due to its large deposits of salt in lagoons and glaciers.

Why should I choose Ojos del Salado for my Mountain Climbing adventure?

Giant volcanic neighbourhood

Standing in the southern section of the Central Volcanic Zone in the Andes, the high rising Ojos del Salado even towers above a neighbouring collection of 6,000-meter peaks. At 6,893 meters, the stratovolcano is the world’s highest active volcano, as well as being the second highest mountain in both the Western and Southern Hemisphere, peaked only slightly by Aconcagua (6,961 meters).

Rich, unique environment

The landscape surrounding the Ojos del Salado stratovolcano is located in a unique desert environment. It’s punctuated with green lagoons, volcanoes that at times can be covered in snow even in the summer, and vast desert that rolls beyond the eye can see. This picture-perfect region is also home to flocks of flamingos, coots, ducks and foxes that populate the lands and wander among the high altitude territory.

Rewarding climbs

The naturally challenging terrain that forms a high and rocky border between the states of Chile and Argentina also forms spectacular beauty that requires a lot of effort to capture some of the most unforgettable rewards of mountain climbing. Mountain climbing here demands at least more than 10 days to conquer some of the best heights, while other routes take around 1 month to accomplish the incredible feat.

What can I expect from the weather during my Mountain Climbing trip in Ojos del Salado?

The region of the Ojos del Salado receive a dry climate during the summer months, which is due to its location in the Atacama dessert and the Andes.

Which language is predominantly spoken in the Ojos del Salado region?

Spanish.

What currency is accepted around Ojos del Salado?

Argentinian peso (ARS) and Chilean peso (CLP).

What's the country code for the Ojos del Salado region?

+54 in Argentina and +56 in Chile.

When is the best time to travel to Ojos del Salado for Mountain Climbing?

Visit during the milder months between October and March for ideal climbing conditions.

What people are saying about Mountain Climbing |

5.00

This review was for a guide (Gaston Lopez) sent by Hernan. This was the worst guiding I've experienced on any trip taken over the last 8 years on over a dozen trips around the world. Numerous issues that you would not expect from a guide who's been certified for 12+ years. The most significant being: suggested I could wear normal hiking boots on a 6016 meter mountain (Nevado San Francisco) when I've always worn doubles on 6000 and even on cold 5000 meter mountains. An inexperienced person could have had foot issues/frost bite as it was cold the day we summited. Not knowing the route on Ojos - he suggested we try for the summit at 13:30 after moving from Arenal to the higher camp, but couldn't provide an answer when I asked what the average time was for people to summit when leaving from the high camp. We eventually had to turn around from this summit attempt because he seriously misjudged the timing and lost the route during our ascent. After this failed attempt, he said we'd make another attempt the following morning and that it would take maybe 7 hours up and 5 hours down, meaning we'd need to leave by 8:00 at the absolute latest to make it back before dark. The next morning he was still sleeping at 7:00, and hadn't mentioned anything about departure time the night before, so I left before him and led myself up to the plateau before he caught up and we went the rest of the way together. By this point I had lost all confidence in his guiding ability, advice, and planning, so I made the decision to leave on my own for the summit because I knew he wasn't leaving me enough time by sleeping in. Other issues: every time this guide verbalized the itinerary, it was different (he was clearly very disorganized and lacked basic planning skills); this was the worst and cheapest food I've experienced on any trip. Example: after an 11-hour summit day, we had canned lentils, canned vegetables, rice, tuna, and tomatoes mixed together for dinner vs. other teams that ate grilled meat, stir fry, hamburgers, tacos, etc. There was also inadequate/low quality breakfast of cookies and cereal only, as opposed to other teams eating eggs, toast with jam & peanut butter, bread/chapati, etc.; of all the guided teams at Las Grutas, we didn't have paperwork for the car to get past the gendarmie post so we had to get a ride from someone else to Nevado (shows poor planning and logistics); pacing was not great and he was so far ahead of me most of the time that he had no idea what my pace was, not to mention this is a dangerous practice in terms of keeping an eye on your client; guide had no hand sanitizer and didn't wash hands when preparing food; guide incorrectly told me I was developing HAPE because of a cough I tend to get at altitude but my oxsat was 83% and resting heart rate was ~95 bpm at 5500 meters.

Michael

5.00

Highly recommended, very professional and trained guide. Attentive at all times to the needs of each one. The expedition was a complete success. Thanks Eze!!

Contact usContact us

Need Assistance?

Our knowledgeable team is here to assist you at any moment throughout your adventure.

Join our newsletter!

Stay up-to-date on the best adventures.