Climb one of the seven summits

Location: Home » Atacama Expeditions & Treks » San Pedro de Atacama Trek
  • Duration: 5 days
  • Difficulty: Participants must be in good shape
  • Departures: Year around (AET4)
  • Trekking cost: US $2,500 per person minimum 6 clients
  • Hotel Single supplement: US $1,200
  • Reservation: US $900
  • Balance of payment due: 120 days prior to departure
  • Space available: 6 persons

This fascinating trek invite you to discover the magic ambient of Atacama Desert and its oasis: the village of San Pedro, the archeological capital of Chile. We will trek the powerful park of El Tatio to see its Geysers at dawn, travel to the moon in the Moon Valley, relax our body in natural Hot Springs and trek in the vastness of “Altiplano” landscapes: salt flat, lagoons and majestic volcanoes around.

We will climb the superb Lascar Volcano, 5,425m (17,798 ft) on our last day, once we get acclimatized to highness.

 

Route Itinerary

Day 1: Meet Guide and transfer Sand Pedro de Atacama
Meet with your Aconcagua Express Expeditions & Treks Guide at Calama’s airport and transfer to San Pedro de Atacama (2,440m/8,005 ft). San Pedro is an unusually colorful oasis of adobe houses surrounded by a green oasis, hotel check in procedures. In the afternoon We rent bicycles and tour the local archaeological sites of Quitor an 12th-century Indian Pukara (fortress), the former Inka administration center of Catarpe and Tulor the oldest evidence of human life in the area. Hotel

Day 02: Puritama Canyon
Drive to Guatin to observe cactus and river ecosystem, from where we hike through the Puritama canyon. We will see the archaeological remains of the former inhabitants of this region and an unique cactus variety (Echinopsis Atacamensis). Arrive to Puritama hotsprings (33°C/91.4°F, 3,500m/11,482 ft), where we take a refreshing bath and enjoy a small snack before returning San Pedro. Visit the archaeological Museum Le Page and a tour to Death and Moon valley to enjoy the magic colors of a desert sunset. Hotel

Day 3: Altiplanic lagoons Miscanti & Meñique
Today we visit the altiplanic lagoons Miscanti & Meñique.  We start early from San Pedro and drive along the large Atacama salt flat (the largest of Chile). After one hour we arrive in Toconao village. We will walk through its streets and discover the typical architecture (houses built from volcanic rocks) of this area. We finally arrive (after 2 hours) at the charming Miscanti & Meñique lagoons and do a short trekking to a view point at an altitude of 4,200m (13,779 ft). Then we return to San Pedro. Hotel

Day 4: San Pedro – El Tatio Geysers & San Pedro
We leave San Pedro early to drive north towards the geothermal geysers of El Tatio (4,200m/13,779 ft). We drive towards the high Andes, across the Altiplano (Highland), crowned by the superb Putama Volcano. After breakfast a hike follows to observe the impressive steaming fumaroles, small geysers and multicolored craters, we reach some 4,550m (14,927 ft) gaining acclimatization and getting comfortable with the altitude. Free afternoon at San Pedro. Hotel

Day 5: San Pedro & Lascar Volcano (5,590m)
Early in the morning we leave San Pedro toward Talabre Viejo and from there to Laguna Lejía with a view of the glaciated southern slope of Volcano Lascar. We will stop at 4,500m (14,763 ft), the base camp of the volcano. The climb to the summit should take 6 hours from the base camp. At the top, we can see the impressive crater that measures some 600m diameter and 200m deep. As an alternative, according to the amount of sulfur smoke bletch out by Lascar Volcano, we will consider climbing the Toco Volcano at 5,425m (14,647 ft) on its south face trekking route. Return to San Pedro. Hotel and our San Pedro Atacama Trek comes to an end.

Services

Services included

  • Professional Bilingual Trekking Guide.
  • Ratio Guide Clients 1-6
  • All local organization and supervision by KL Expeditions Staff.
  • Airport assistance at Calama
  • Private transfers the entire tour including airport pick-up.
  • Hotel 5 nights based on double occupancy with breakfast in San Pedro.
  • Entry fee to Tatio Geysers, Death and Moon Valleys, Museum Le Page, Puritama hot springs & Miscanti & Meñique biological reserve.
  • Full board on trekking and camping days, box lunch included.
  • Radio Communications equipment VHF.
  • First aid kit.

Services not included

  • Personal trekking equipment.
  • Any cost involved in an early or late departure.
  • Any meals on city and transfers days.
  • Any drinks (soda, beer or wine) in the cities and during transfer days.
  • Cancellation, accident and rescue insurance.
  • Cash for extra expenses.
  • Gratuities.
  • Any other service not mentioned in the list.

Important

  • Any departure can be re-scheduled with a minimum of 6 persons.
  • All itineraries are subject to change due to changes in the weather, group dynamic and guide’s preferences.
  • Flights from USA is with LAN Chile and departure are from Los Angeles, New York and Miami.

Climber Experiences

I would firstly like to thank you all for putting together such a great expedition. I would like to make particularly comment on the efforts of our guide Cristina who did such a great job.
The cooks at both base camps also deserve mention, as the food they prepared was fantastic. Having said that the cooked meals provided at altitude were perfect for the conditions. The hotel at Penitentes was also a little run down, but again there did not seem to be many other options.
This criticisms do not even rate as concerns. The service provided by your company was fantastic and I would not hesitate to recommend it to others.

Stephen Hynd
Australia

Gabriel and Mariana were really fantastic and helpful, especially since I struggled with acclimatization. Suzanne (at base camp) was also really great. When I descended early she looked after me to ensure that all of my logistics for leaving the park were coordinated. The trip was overall well organized, very informative, very realistic expectations and a great experience – unfortunately, my body did not hold up as well as usual, but I do not feel that I (or the company) could have done anything differently to improve my chances. A great climbing team!

Nancy Henning
USA

Everything went very smooth, it was great to have a small bag of stuff sent from Plaza Argentina around to Plaza de Mulas, as we could have clean underwear, socks and our trail shoes without having to carry them to high camp.

Tatiana seemed very knowledgeable with first aid and altitude sickness, and seemed well prepared.  Tatiana’s food was awesome. The other groups in our camps were jealous when all they had was rice and we had fresh baked pizza in Camp 2! A couple mornings in base camp, there was not much provided for breakfast (one day was only toast) and we finally had to ask them each day to make eggs.

Joaquin was very helpful with all of my requests, and very quick to respond, which is one of the main reasons I selected KL Adventure to work with on this trip.

The transfers and transport was fine.  All vehicles were comfortable and there was plenty of room.  Hyatt is awesome of course. Penitentes is not great, but obviously there is no other option.

The trip was great, we will definitely work with you again for our 2010 climb, and also hope to add a Patagonia trip in the near future. It was also nice to have Joaquin meet the group in Mendoza and to spend more time with him on the drive to Santiago. We would definitely want to have Tatiana as our guide again.  She was exceptional and there was not another guide on the mountain I would have rather had than her. It is also very nice to have a local guide as your leader, better in my opinion than having American or European guides.

Billi also did a very nice job, as an assistant guide she was great.  The two of them worked very well together.

Andrew Nachman Northwest Voyageur
USA

Tatiana and Billi were great guides on the Aconcagua expedition. I’d be happy to climb another mountain with them again!! Our food was better than that from other groups going up the mountain, and it was nice to have hot thermoses brought to our tent in mornings (other groups noticed this, and the fact that they had to go get their own water, among other things less positive than that of our group). I always felt safe, that Tatiana & Billi knew what they were doing on the mountain, and that they had enough energy to handle whatever could come our way. On summit day, Billi brought a guy down to Camp 3 from 1/3 (or more) of the way up, then she ascended and caught up to us, in order to summit from Camp 3 in only 5 ½ hours! A real rock star. Then, when I was really burnt out almost all the way back to camp (with heavier snow coming down and covering the trail), Billi helped me back to Camp3… a real help when it was needed, and on the part of the trail where accidents are most prone to happen (way down from summit day). This was really appreciated. Our staff helped create a real team atmosphere, and our group was the “cool table” at the lower camps, and out dining tent was the social center of activity with several groups joining us for cards, games, etc after dinner. Our pace up the mountain was the right speed, not to fast and not too slow, enabling 5 of 6 of our group to get to the summit, and the remaining 1 doing his personal best on summit day! One guy from another group was “turned around” partway up on summit day; he later felt that he could have made it to the top with a slightly slower group pace. I’ve seen this before on other mountains. Our pace was just right! We were properly aware of the mountain challenges before the expedition, and the challenge met my personal expectations. I came off the mountain without any physical aches and pains, feeling good about the expedition and ready for more mountains in the future! Perhaps Elbrus and Denali, the 2nd with some technical training and practice. I have NO COMPLAINTS about this expedition! I believe our guides, our food were better than that of other groups, that our group gear was appropriate, and that we were properly instructed on how to prepare for the mountain and which gear to bring! I enjoyed the company of the clients as well, and that of the other teams headed up the mountain with us. This was a great expedition, and I’m lucky to have made some new friends on the mountain.

I’d recommend KL Adventure for anyone wanting to climb Aconcagua, in particular Tatiana as lead guide. Likewise I’d climb a mountain (Nepal?) with Billi and recommend her guiding services as well. Best Wishes, Mark.

Mark
USA

Let me just say thank you for how you were with my wife while I was on the mountain. This was a very important to me and I am very pleased that you were so helpful with letting my wife know what was going on.
Leo was a fantastic guide with great energy, and I could not ask for a better companion for the duration of the trip!! All in all, the trip was fantastic and well organized!!
Anyhow, thanks again for all your hospitality and helpfullness…you guys should be proud of your business!

Erhard Zeising
USA

The two guides were excellent in every possible respect. Everything was well prepared and well organized. Overall I am very much impressed by the dignity, the professionalism and the good manners of the guides. Organization and set up of the expedition was at a very high level.

I will certainly recommend your agency to other fellow climber how will want to try the same experience. Thank you

Sotris Skevis
Greece

Hallo Joaquin,
Nun bin ich schon einen Monat zurück in Deutschland und denke immernoch jeden Tag an die tolle Bergtour zum Aconcagua. Du glaubst nicht wie glücklich ich bin, daß ich das geschaft habe. Dies habe ich im besonderen Dir und Deinem Unternehmen Aconcagua Express zu verdanken. Mit Tom Torkelson hatten wir einen super Bergführer der zum einen eine sehr schöne Route zum Gipfel geführt hat, Vacas Route, die zum anderen auch eine optimale Aklimatisation ermöglicht hat. Die gesamte Organisation war vom Anfang bis zum Ende sehr gut. Es gibt wirklich nichts was ich meine, was besser gemacht werden könnte. Wenn Du neue Kunden aus Deutschland oder Europa hast, die Fragen zur Aconcaguabesteigung haben, kannst Du Ihnen gerne meine email-Adresse geben, damit Sie Kontakt mit mir aufnehmen können.
Vielen vielen Dank!!

Johannes Niedeggen
Deutschland

Overall environment of the expedition was nice, relaxed and very good.
Guides were able proactively to solve all unexpected issues during the trip, and responded to the requests in fast and professional way.

Sarma Jeca
Sweden

Hello, Magaly!
Was good talking to you on the phone today. We are very happy with the trip, a bit tired and feel very lucky with the weather and our guide, Gabriel, both being important factors that allowed us to summit.

Olga Kotova
Latvia

Beautiful route, and the strategy for adjusting to the altitude was very good. I really enjoyed our team, and Christina and Marianna also seemed to be enjoying themselves very well. Good atmosphere.

Choice for Aconcagua Express Expeditions was also because you were the only ones to actually give me advice on an expedition when I e-mailed you. You offered me a specific expedition and date. So the personal info was important for me.

Martijn de Boer
Netherlands