High altitude is a liar. It makes everything look closer than it is. When you're standing in the middle of the Puna de Atacama, staring up at Nevado Ojos del Salado, the world feels deceptively simple. It’s just a big, brown, dusty pile of volcanic rock, right? Wrong. This is the highest volcano on Earth, sitting at $6,893$ meters ($22,615$ feet), and it is a logistical nightmare that humbles world-class mountaineers every single season.
People obsess over the "Seven Summits," but Ojos is the king of the Volcanic Seven Summits. It straddles the border between Chile and Argentina. It’s a place where the wind doesn’t just blow; it screams. Honestly, if you aren't prepared for the absolute desolation of the high-altitude desert, this mountain will break you before you even reach the technical climbing sections.
The Identity Crisis: Is it Chile or Argentina?
It’s both. But where you start changes your entire experience. Most people choose the Chilean side because the logistics are just... easier. You fly into Copiapó, drive into the desert, and use the Refugio Jorge Rojas or Refugio Atacama as your base. The Chilean side feels more "organized," if you can even use that word for a place that looks like the surface of Mars.
Then there's the Argentine side. It’s wilder. It’s lonelier. If you go via Fiambalá in the Catamarca province, you're signing up for a true expedition. There are fewer fixed camps. You’re dealing with more rugged terrain. Some purists argue the Argentine approach is the "real" way to see the Puna, but let's be real: most people just want to stand on the summit without disappearing into a sandstorm.
The border actually runs right through the summit massif. There are two main summits, actually. The West summit is in Chile, and the East summit is on the border. They are separated by a tiny margin in height—we’re talking centimeters—which has caused decades of petty arguments among geographers.
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The "Highest Lake" Mystery
One of the coolest things about Ojos del Salado isn't even the peak itself. It’s the water. On the eastern slope, there’s a permanent crater lake about 100 meters in diameter. It sits at roughly $6,390$ meters. That makes it the highest lake of any kind in the world.
Think about that for a second. At that altitude, the air is half as thick as at sea level. The temperature is usually well below freezing. Yet, because of the volcanic heat underneath, this water stays liquid—or at least partially liquid—throughout the year. It’s a biological anomaly. Researchers have actually studied these waters to understand how life might survive on other planets, specifically Mars. If you're hiking past it, don't expect a tropical swim. It’s a harsh, salty, freezing puddle that represents some of the most extreme conditions on the planet.
Why the Altitude Here Hits Different
You've probably heard people say that 6,000 meters in the Andes feels like 7,000 meters in the Himalayas. There's some truth to that, but not for the reasons you think. It's the dryness. The Atacama is the driest non-polar place on Earth. Your body loses moisture just by breathing. Dehydration is the silent killer on Ojos. You’ll be drinking six liters of water a day and still feel like your throat is made of sandpaper.
Then there's the wind. The "Viento Blanco" (White Wind) can come out of nowhere. It’s a mix of snow and dust that drops visibility to zero in minutes.
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The Physical Toll
- Extreme Diurnal Range: It can be $20°C$ during the day in the sun and $-25°C$ at night. Your gear has to handle both.
- Penitentes: These are weird, blade-like snow formations that grow out of the ground. They can be two feet tall and sharp as glass. Walking through them is like navigating a field of frozen machetes.
- The Final Scramble: The last 30 meters of Ojos are the only "technical" part. It’s a Class 4 scramble on loose, rotten volcanic rock. At nearly 6,900 meters, pulling your body weight up a rock face feels like running a marathon while breathing through a straw.
The Driving Record Obsession
Ojos del Salado is famous for something most mountains hate: cars. Because the terrain is relatively "flat" (in a relative, volcanic sense) and the snow line is so high, off-road enthusiasts have used it as a testing ground for years.
Back in 2007, a duo named Gonzalo Bravo and Eduardo Canales drove a modified Suzuki Samurai up to $6,688$ meters. They literally beat a world record previously held by a Jeep. Then, in 2024, a team using a Porsche 911 (highly modified, obviously) pushed even higher. It’s become this weird playground for high-altitude internal combustion engines and electric motors. But don't let that fool you into thinking it's a drive-up peak. These teams spend millions on logistics, specialized tires, and oxygen for the drivers. For the average trekker, you’re still huffing it on foot from the last Refugio.
Planning Your Logistics (Don't Wing This)
You need a permit. In Chile, this is handled by DIFROL (Dirección Nacional de Fronteras y Límites del Estado). If you're going with a commercial guide, they usually handle the paperwork, but if you're going solo or with a small group of friends, don't skip this. The Chilean Carabineros (police) are very strict about checking permits at the Laguna Verde station.
Best Time to Go
Forget winter. You’ll die. The window is tiny: late November to early March. December and January are the sweet spots. Even then, you can get hit by a "Bolivian Winter" storm that dumps snow in the middle of summer.
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Gear Check
You don't need oxygen, but you do need double boots. Don't try this in single leather hiking boots. Your toes will turn black. You need a -30°C sleeping bag, even if you’re staying in the huts. The huts are basically metal boxes that trap the cold rather than the heat.
The Reality of the Summit Day
Summit day usually starts at 3:00 AM. It’s dark, it’s freezing, and the stars are so bright they look fake. You start from Refugio Tejos at $5,800$ meters. The first few hours are a soul-crushing slog up a switchback trail in loose volcanic ash. Every two steps up, you slide one step back.
As you approach the crater rim, the smell of sulfur hits you. This is still an active volcano, after all. The last time it "erupted" was about 1,300 years ago, but it still burps out steam and gas every now and then. Once you hit the rim, you have to traverse around to the summit block. This is where people fail. The exhaustion at this altitude is physical and mental. You’ll see the summit—it looks like you could throw a rock and hit it—but it’ll take you another two hours to get there.
Actionable Steps for Aspiring Climbers
If you're actually serious about tagging the top of the world's highest volcano, you can't just show up. Here is the blueprint.
- Acclimatize in San Pedro de Atacama first. Spend four or five days at $2,500$-$4,000$ meters. Climb Cerro Toco or Lascar Volcano ($5,592$m) as a warm-up. If you go straight from sea level to the Ojos base camp, you’re going to get HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema). No question.
- Rent a true 4x4. A RAV4 isn't going to cut it. You need something with high clearance, a snorkel, and a winch if possible. The sand in the Atacama is "fesh-fesh"—fine like talcum powder—and it swallows tires for breakfast.
- Hire a local guide for the final push. Even if you're an experienced climber, the route finding through the rock towers near the summit can be tricky in a whiteout. Companies like Aventurismo or Andes Mountain Expedition are the gold standard in Copiapó.
- Bring a Satellite Messenger. Cell service doesn't exist here. A Garmin inReach or a Zoleo is your only lifeline if someone breaks a leg or gets severe altitude sickness.
- Check your ego. Ojos del Salado has a high "turn back" rate. The weather changes in ten minutes. If the wind picks up and the clouds turn that weird, bruised purple color, get off the mountain. The volcano isn't going anywhere.
This mountain isn't about technical prowess or fancy rope work. It’s a test of grit. It's about how much dust you can swallow and how much cold your lungs can take before you reach that tiny, rocky point where there’s nothing left above you but the thin, black sky of the upper atmosphere. Keep your water bottles inside your jacket so they don't freeze, keep moving your toes, and remember that the descent is where most accidents happen. Get down fast, get to the hot springs at Laguna Verde, and soak your aching bones. You’ll have earned it.