Arrival in La Rioja (515 m) – Argentina
Reception at the airport and transfer to hotel. In the evening, information briefing with the staff.
Night in hotel.

Included meals: Non

Cortaderas (3300 m)
Pick up at hotel and drive to Fiambala’s area in the Catamarca region, to a hotel 100 km. from Fiambala, with very good commodities.
Rest of the day for acclimatization, as there has been a significant altitude gain in a short period of time.
Night in hotel.
Included meals: Breakfast

Climb: Cerro Coquenas (4048 m)
After breakfast, departure for the first acclimatization hike of the program. There will be a short drive to a rustic refuge at the foot of the mountain (3265 m), from here the team will hike over a low inclination plateau until a steeper section is found. The terrain is easy and perfect to walk very slow and gain good altitude. If the weather is clear, the will be a first good look at Ojos del Salado, Incahuasi and San Francisco volcanoes.
After the activity, back to hotel.
Night in hotel.
Ascent: 783 m / Descend: 783 m / Highest Altitude: 4048 m / Activity duration: 5 h / Distance one-way: 6,11 Km.
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic

Climb: Cerro Morocho Chico (4485 m)
Today the team will be taken for a short 30 min drive to the trailhead, from here the trek will start ascending a well marked rocky trail for about 4-5 h to the summit. There will be a perfect view to the next acclimatization summit Cerro Morocho Falso and the Cerro La Punta. The descent will take about a couple of hour and then drive back to the hotel.
Night in hotel.
Ascent: 450 m / Descend: 450 m / Highest Altitude: 4485 m / Activity duration: 4-5 h / Distance round-trip: 8,7 Km.
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic

Climb: Cerro Falso Morocho (4577 m)
The summit day begins after breakfast. A one-hour drive from the hotel crosses the “Puna” (highland desert) landscape to the base of the mountain. From there, the trail follows a well-defined, S-shaped valley up to the summit. This is a trekking peak with no technical difficulties. The view from the top is outstanding, overlooking the neighboring peaks: Incahuasi (6621 m), Nevado San Francisco (6016 m), and, in the background, the main objective of the program—Ojos del Salado (6893 m).

The descent follows the same route. Upon returning to the vehicles, there is a 30-minute drive to a campsite located near the old Las Cuevas refuge, where base camp will be set up at 4000 m.

Note: In case of adverse weather conditions that make it impossible to set up camp, the team will spend the night in Cortaderas. In such case, dinner is not included.

Night in tents.
Ascent: 547 m / Descent: 547 m / Highest Altitude: 4577 m / Activity duration: 5 h / Distance round-trip: 8,88 Km.
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic, Dinner

Nev. San Francisco’s Base Camp & Acclimatization hike
In the morning, after a good rest, the team will break down the campsite and drive to the base camp of Nevado San Francisco. Once there, the camp will be set up, followed by a short hike to support the acclimatization process.

The rest of the day will be dedicated to resting and preparing for the next day’s climb.
Night in tents
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic, Dinner

Climb: Nevado San Francisco (6016 m)
Nevado San Francisco is the third summit of the program and a very important one, as it is the best acclimatizing before Ojos del Salado, with its summit just above 6000 meters. San Francisco is known as the easiest 6000 meters mountain in Argentina and therefore a very popular one.
The summit day starts early; taking a trail that crosses a huge moraine from the right to the left side, aiming at a col between the two summits of the mountain. The highest one is the right one and in order to climb it, the team will follow a snowfield that stretches all the way up to the main summit.
From the top there is a great view to: Incahuasi, Pissis, Walter Penck, Ojos del Salado, Morocho, falso Morocho and the San Francisco Lake, just to name a few.
On the decent a short stop at camp I to pack up the campsite and continue to the vehicles. The drive will take about 2 hours back to the hotel close in Cortaderas.
Night in hotel.
Ascent: 1266 m / Descent: 1266 m / Highest Altitude: 6016 m / Activity duration: 10-12 h / Distance to the summit: 7,58 Km. one-way
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic

Ojos del Salado base camp (5360 m)
Today is a long road trip (8 h) to Ojos del Salado’s base camp. Starting from Cortaderas, heading westwards towards the Chilean border. The 4-wheel drive will drive over the “Puna” (highland desert) until base camp, located at 5500 meters. The camp will be set up and the idea is to take it very easy for the rest of the day.
Night in tent.
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic, Dinner

Acclimatization to Ojos del Salado – camp I (5757 m)
After a good rest, the plan is to hike up to camp I, carrying some provisions for the climb. This ascent will take about 4 hours, due to altitude. If any of the team’s members is not feeling up to it, is a great opportunity to stay back at BC and rest.
The descent follows the same way up.
Night in tent.
Ascent: 397 m / Descent: 397 m / Highest Altitude: 5757 m / Activity duration: 4-5 h / Distance round-trip: 7,58 Km.
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic, Dinner

Ojos del Salado – camp I (5757 m)
Easy going morning to get all the gear and logistics prepared for the summit bid. Once everything is ready, the whole team will move up to camp I. On arrival the staff will work hard melting water and getting everybody ready. On the afternoon a summit’s information briefing and early dinner.
Night in tent.
Ascent: 397 m / Highest Altitude: 5757 m / Activity duration: 3-4 h / Distance: 3,79 Km.
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic, Dinner

Climb: Ojos del Salado (6893 m)
The summit day starts early. The departure time will be set by the mountain guides, according to the team’s physical condition and the weather forecast. Breakfast will be served one hour before the scheduled departure.
The team will begin the ascent heading toward the saddle that links the two summits of the mountain. There is still much debate about which of the two summits is higher, but recent surveys have shown that the difference in altitude is just a few centimeters. The west summit (also known as the Chilean summit, although the border crosses both peaks) is the easier and more popular of the two, whether approached from the Argentine or Chilean side.
The east summit is slightly more challenging due to a scrambling section below the summit. The climb does not require advanced technical skills, but it is still a high-altitude mountain and a demanding hike. Weather plays a crucial role in the ascent. Because of its location in the Atacama Desert, strong winds can strike the mountain at any time, making the climb impossible.
The average time from Camp I to the summit is 8 to 10 hours, but this can vary depending on weather conditions, physical fitness, and acclimatization.
From either summit, there is an incredible panoramic view of both countries. It is a magnificent experience to stand atop the second-highest mountain in the Americas, with the Atacama Desert’s “Puna” stretching out below!
The descent continues all the way back to base camp, after a short stop to pack up Camp I.
Night in tent.
Ascent: 1136 m / Descent: 1533 m / Highest Altitude: 6893 m / Activity duration: 14-16 h / Distance to the summit: 4,7 Km. / Distance from summit to BC: 8,49 Km.
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic, Dinner

Spare summit day
This is a reserve day in case bad weather or bad conditions
Note: Everything is included in the mountain. If the mountain is climbed/attempted on the schedule days, all services away from the mountain are on the client’s own account.
Included meals: Breakfast, Picnic, Dinner on the mountain

Tinogasta
Departure from BC back to Tinogasta (8 h).
Night in hotel.
Included meals: Breakfast

La Rioja
Return to La Rioja for a last night in the area.
Night in hotel.
Included meals: Breakfast

Departure
Pick up at hotel and transfer out to Airport (1 h) – End of services
Included meals: Breakfast