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Ascent to two Andean 6000 m summits in 12 days

6000ers Atacama
6000ers Atacama
10-day Atacama trek and climb to Licancabur
10-day Atacama trek and climb to Licancabur
10-day Atacama trek and climb to Licancabur

Discover all the beauty of the Andes! Eduardo, a certified mountain guide, takes you to two 6000 m peaks: San Francisco Volcano and Cerro Vicuñas. Join this 12-day adventure, which also includes climbing Mulas Muertas and Siete Hermanos.

Group

Andes

12 Days

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

Fit

Intermediate


Description

Along the vastness of the Atacama Desert, near the border of Argentina and Chile, there are two 6000 m peaks that are just as beautiful as challenging for you to climb: San Francisco Volcano (6023 m) and Cerro Vicuñas (6088 m). Both are part of this complete 12-day itinerary that starts and ends in the small town of Copiapó, with an exciting adventure in between.

Let’s picture this expedition for a minute, shall we? We’ll start at Copiapó and move on to Laguna Santa Rosa, where we can admire the pristine waters of the lagoon and spend the night in a nice hut. Afterwards, we will climb a 4780 m peak called Siete Hermanos, as part of our acclimatization. We will rest for a day and spend the night at a comfortable hut that has a pool of warm water to relax as much as we can.

The following day, we will climb Mulas Muertas peak, at 5200 m. We will probably be tired, so I scheduled a rest day in between, before the big adventure of reaching the summit of San Francisco Volcano. After another day of resting our bodies, we will reach our second 6000 m summit: the cone shaped Cerro Vicuñas.

These two 6000 m summits are fairly easy to reach for experienced and fit climbers, but remember that 6000 m are never suited for the faint of heart. In order to really enjoy and succeed in this adventure, it’s important no to underestimate it: high altitude and bad weather can make things difficult.

If you are already in love with this itinerary, don’t waste another minute: send a request to book it now! 

If you want to explore more of the Andes and you have a spare few days, you can try this 2-day guided ascent to Cerro Penitentes (4350 m) in Mendoza, Argentina.

Price includes

- Guiding fee

- Accommodation included

- Transport during the trip

- Breakfast

- Lunch

- Dinner

Price details

The price is only for the fixed departures. Ask me for private groups.

The following items are NOT included in the price:

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-Flights from/to Copiapo;

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-Personal climbing equipment;

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-Money return in case you abandon the expedition;

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-International travel insurance;

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-Lunch and dinner in Copiapo;

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-Reimbursement for loss or damage of your personal equipment.


Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival to Copiapó – 800m

Pick up at the airport. Drive to Copiapó. Check your personal equipment. First dinner together, and overnight in a hotel.

Day 2: Copiapó – Laguna Santa Rosa Hut – 3700m

After a 210 km drive, we will spend the night at a small mountain hut at the edge of the Santa Rosa Lagoon.

Day 3: Climbing Siete Hermanos – 4780m

We will reach the first step on our acclimatization plan. We will climb Cerro Siete Hermanos (4780 m), as high as we can.

Day 4: Laguna Santa Rosa Hut – Laguna Verde Hut – 4300m

We will start a very early drive to Laguna Verde and set up our tents for the night. A relaxing plus: a pool of warm water to end the day on the best note!

Day 5: Climb to Mulas Muertas – 5200m

After breakfast, we will head up to Mulas Muertas, another acclimatization spot at 5200 m. We will overnight at Laguna Verde Hut.

Day 6: Rest day – Laguna Verde – 4300m

We will spend the day recovering and trying to relax at Laguna Verde, to prepare our bodies for one of the big challenges.

Day 7: Climbing San Francisco – 6023m

Our first 6000 m peak: the San Francisco Volcano. We will start before sunrise and will probably summit around noon.

Day 8: Rest day at Laguna Verde – 4300m or 2nd attempt day to climb Mt. San Francisco

Another rest day, relaxing at Laguna Verde.

Day 9: Climbing Vicuñas – 6088m

Our second 6000 m peak: Cerro Vicuñas. 4 by 4 cars will take us to 5000 m, after a few stops to replenish our energies with snacks and water.

Day 10: Spare day in case of bad weather or acclimatization

Day 11: Descent to Copiapó

Day 12: Flight out

 

Details

Accommodation

2 nights in a 3-star hotel in Copiapo, Laguna Santa Rosa Hut, Laguna Verde Hut, camping in tents.

More info

Please keep in mind that you will need a complete and adequate mountaineering equipment to have a successful expedition to San Francisco. For that purpose, all your personal equipment will be checked by one of our guides in the hotel. There are no rental shops in Copiapo or Santiago. If you need to rent mountaineering equipment, we can rent it for you in Mendoza but we need to know all your sizes in advanced.

Meeting point

Copiapó

About the guide

I'm originally from São Paulo and lived in Brazil until 2010 when I decided to drop everything and live off the mountain.

I used to work in advertising, until I studied and graduated in 2013 from the EPGAMT school in Mendoza. Today I'm one of the few professional mountain guides from Brazil.

I've been a climber for 12 years and have great experience in climbing rock, ice and high mountain. I'm specialized in the Central Andes and climbed dozens of mountains in the region.

I've done crossings in the Central Andes from Argentina to Chile, and ice climbing as well, participating for 5 years in Vallecitos Ice Climbing Festival. In addition I climbed great mountains like: Aconcagua (6962m), Ojos del Salado (6898m), Tres Cruces Sur (6738m), Tres Cruces Central (6640m), Mercedario (6770m), Tupungato Volcano (6556m), Aconcagua and Cerro Plata (5943m), Vicuñas (6087m), among others.

I've been working in Aconcagua for the last 4 years in a row and started as a porter in 2012. I worked my way up and now lead several expeditions at Central and dry Andes.

Languages

Portuguese | English


What people are saying about Eduardo Tonetti

Jerry Bierbower

5.00

February, 2019

You People there at Explore have really put a great trip together. I don,t know how you could improve on this. Thanks forgiving me the chance to experience Chile!

Simon Hebdon

5.00

January, 2019

We absolutely loved the Licancabur ascent, it was a real adventure despite the fact we didnt make it to the top.  The overnight stay in the very rustic Bolivian refuge was  a real experience that we will remember forever (very basic but comfortable). Its a credit to our guide Brian that we made it as far as we did but a combination of tiredness, altitude and overconfirdence meant we didnt make it to the top. This didnt however detract from this being an incredible experience for my wife and i. Watching the sunrise at 5300m was breathtaking, another memory that will last a long time. Would absolutely recommend this as long as you are fit, &amp; used to very long hikes (12+ hours). The local team prepped us well as they could including some additional clothing and thicker gloves for the very cold start to the day (it warms considerably after sunrise). Brian provided expert guidance on the volcano along with snacks, great stories and helpful input when making the tough decision to call it a day at around 5400m. Highy recommended !

Anne-Laure Tinardon

5.00

October, 2018

These 2-days in Cerro Penitentes were amazing in the environnement of Aconcagua and the Andes in general. Eduardo has been very professional, very reactive to my questions before and during the trek, very aware or my wellness. We had a very good time and I should recommend it for sure.


 

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