Ojos del Salado is the highest volcano in the world and one of the main high-altitude objectives in South America. Mountain Guide runs a short 8-day programme for participants who are already acclimatised, a separate 15-day expedition from Copiapó, and a combined programme with Aconcagua. On this page you can compare the formats, understand what the route demands and move on to the full description of the expedition you choose.
Key point: vehicle support makes the logistics easier, but it does not cancel out the altitude, the cold, the wind, the remoteness of the area or the need for step-by-step acclimatisation. The final decision on going up and on the equipment used is taken according to the actual conditions.
Ojos del Salado climbing programmes
Ojos del Salado in 8 days
The short module repeats the Chilean part of the Aconcagua combination and is intended only for participants with fresh acclimatisation above 6000 m. It contains no gradual build-up through Laguna Santa Rosa, Laguna Verde and San Francisco. The previous-altitude requirements, the route, the two reserve days and the list of services are published on the Ojos del Salado in 8 days page.
Ojos del Salado in 15 days
The separate 15-day Ojos del Salado expedition starts in Copiapó. Altitude is gained in stages: through Laguna Santa Rosa, an acclimatisation outing, Laguna Verde, the ascent of San Francisco, Atacama camp and Tejos. The programme includes reserve days. The detailed day-by-day plan, the dates, the price, the list of services, the equipment list and the restrictions are published on the 15-day climb page.
Premium Ojos del Salado – 15 days
A full acclimatisation programme with hotels, vehicles, the number of guides, camp service and reserve tailored to you. Every upgrade is confirmed against the dates and written into a specification.
Private Ojos del Salado – 15 days
A closed group from two participants upwards, with your own dates, a separate vehicle calculation and a guide team agreed in advance. Acclimatisation through the lagunas and San Francisco is retained.
Aconcagua + Ojos del Salado in 22 days
The combined programme links two almost seven-thousand-metre summits in a single trip. It is a distinct expedition product, not two ordinary tours added together. The order of the mountains, the transfers, the acclimatisation and the time reserve are set out on the Aconcagua + Ojos del Salado expedition page.
Ojos del Salado B2B logistics
Ground handling for agencies, clubs and professional guides: Copiapó, off-road vehicles, camps, meals, local guides and permit support are put together to the client’s itinerary. Leading the group is not treated as included unless it is listed separately.
How Ojos del Salado differs from Aconcagua
Both summits are in the Andes and both call for a serious attitude to altitude, but the expedition experience is different. On Ojos del Salado a significant part of the movement between camps is done in off-road vehicles. The area is a remote high-altitude desert where the weather affects not only the climb but also the driving. Directly below the summit there is a rock section where, depending on the state of the route, a rope may be needed.
Aconcagua involves a long walk in to base camp and then movement through a system of high camps. If you are comparing destinations, start by looking at all Aconcagua climbing programmes, and then weigh up the duration, the altitude experience, the support format and your own readiness.
How the 15-day expedition runs
After arriving in Copiapó the group moves up into the high-altitude part of the Atacama. The first stages are not there to bring you quickly closer to the summit but to let you adapt: the sleeping altitudes rise gradually, and the acclimatisation outings show how the body is responding. The group then moves to Atacama camp, goes up to Tejos and only after that prepares for the summit attempt.
The final days depend on the state of the roads, the weather, how the team is feeling and the guides‘ decision. Reserve days should not be treated as free time that can be cut from the programme in advance. They are part of the expedition logic.
Who Ojos del Salado suits
The programme is designed for prepared participants with altitude experience and basic equipment skills. Straightforward terrain does not make an almost seven-thousand-metre summit easy. You need to be ready for several days at high altitude, early starts, cold, wind, a self-sufficient camp routine and long stretches of movement at a slow pace.
Before booking it is important to talk honestly about your previous climbs, your highest sleeping altitude, how you tolerate altitude, your state of health, your training volume and your experience with crampons, ice axe, helmet and harness. If that experience is not sufficient, it is better to choose a preparatory route in advance than to try to make up for it once you are in the Atacama.
Altitude, acclimatisation and safety
The main difficulty of Ojos del Salado comes from the altitude and from the conditions of a cold high-altitude desert. How you feel is assessed every day. Symptoms must not be hidden from the guide, and the decision to carry on should not be driven only by a tour that has been paid for, by flight tickets or by a wish to reach the summit at any cost.
A vehicle makes it possible to gain height quickly between individual points, which is exactly why the planned sequence of nights and outings matters so much. Being able to drive higher does not mean the body is ready to sleep there or to start the summit push.
Weather and season
The programme dates fall in the southern hemisphere summer. In the high Atacama you can meet strong wind, frost, snow and a wide gap between daytime and night-time conditions. The weather can change the state of the roads, the access to camps and the timing of the summit attempt. Current requirements and driving conditions are checked before every expedition.
Accommodation and daily life
A hotel is used in Copiapó, and on the route there are tented camps and, when it is actually available, the Tejos refuge. This is a remote area with no guaranteed hotel service. Constant showers, electricity, charging, internet and mobile coverage in the camps are not guaranteed.
Each participant needs a suitable sleeping bag, a personal insulation system, a head torch, a power reserve for electronics and toiletries. The current personal equipment list is published on the page of the programme you choose.
What is and is not included in the programme
The list of services depends on the format you choose. The 15-day expedition page lists separately the Russian-speaking support at the stated group size, the local mountain guides, the transfers, the accommodation, the meals and the group equipment. The same page states the permit, the insurance, the personal equipment, the porters, the flights and the other costs that are not in the price.
Before paying, check the final list rather than the marketing name: the dates and meeting point, the number of hotel nights, the room format, the meals, the transport, the guide-to-participant ratio, the reserve days, the permit, the insurance, the rental items and any extra costs.
Private and premium expeditions
For a closed team, use the private 15-day programme. If you need a higher level of hotels, vehicles and camp service, open Premium Ojos del Salado. Both pages keep the full acclimatisation and separate the basic services from options on request.
How to choose a programme
- Choose Ojos del Salado in 8 days only if every participant has confirmed fresh acclimatisation above 6000 m.
- Choose the 15-day Ojos del Salado if the main goal of the trip is the highest volcano in the world.
- Choose the premium Ojos if you want the full 15-day acclimatisation and an extended written service specification.
- Choose the private Ojos for a closed group from two participants upwards with your own dates.
- Choose B2B logistics if the group already has its own professional leader.
- Choose Aconcagua + Ojos del Salado if you have enough experience and enough time for two big high-altitude objectives in one trip.
- Read the Ojos del Salado overview if you first want to get to grips with the altitude, the character of the area and the particulars of the route.
- Compare the destination with the Aconcagua programmes if you have not yet decided between the two summits.
A complete guide to Ojos del Salado
We have split expedition preparation into separate articles, so it is easier to check every important question before booking: from fitness and acclimatisation to roads, insurance and turnaround criteria. Start with the full Ojos del Salado overview, then open the section you need.
Preparation
Fitness, training, altitude experience and a test outing.
Acclimatisation
The logic behind nights, outings and decisions when symptoms appear.
Equipment
Boots, crampons, sleeping bag, clothing and personal kit.
Weather and season
Wind, frost, snow, roads and reserve days.
Logistics
Copiapó, off-road vehicles, camps, access and documents.
Cost
What makes up the full expedition budget.
With a guide or independently
Responsibility, support and the emergency plan.
Ojos or Aconcagua
A comparison of two almost seven-thousand-metre Andean summits.
The seven volcanoes
Where Ojos sits in the highest-volcanoes project.
Camps
Santa Rosa, Laguna Verde, Atacama and Tejos.
San Francisco
The role of an acclimatisation summit at 6018 m.
Insurance and evacuation
High-altitude cover, rescue work and assistance.
Reasons for turning back
What can be prepared for and what cannot be guaranteed.
The dates, the price, the day-by-day programme and the exact list of services are on the 15-day Ojos del Salado climb page. The articles in this section explain the route but do not replace the conditions in force for a particular departure.
How to enquire
Discuss the programme on TelegramSend an enquiry by emailWhatsApp, if you do not use Telegram
In your enquiry, give your age, the summits you have climbed, your highest day-outing and sleeping altitudes, your experience with mountaineering equipment, your preferred dates and the group format. After that we can discuss in concrete terms the right programme, the preparation and the services that should go into the quote.