Atacama Volcanoes 2

December 2024 – After exactly two years I returned to San Pedro de Atacama in northern Chile to climb more volcanoes. I started with four days in Bolivia to acclimatize. After returning to San Pedro I climbed three volcanoes, two of them being higher than 6,000 meters:

6,046 meters / 19,836 feet high Volcán Acamarachi (also known as Volcán Pili).
5,916 meters / 19,409 feet high Volcán Licancabur.
6,155 meters / 20.194 feet high Volcán San Pedro (Chile).

I will again give my big thanks to Lautaro Bustamante from CHUCARO Turismo Aventura for all the support throughout the trip. I also used Lautaro on my first trip to San Pedro de Atacama two years earlier. He was my driver and guide for all the climbs, he came with his very well equipped 4×4 capable for reaching the volcanoes, and he served the most delicious outdoor breakfast prior to every climb. Seven days of full service for a very reasonable price. I highly recommend Lautaro and his company if you are in for a similar adventure.

Bolivia

I went on a four-day three-night tour into Bolivia from San Pedro de Atacama. The main attraction was Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world, measuring 10,582 square kilometers / 4,086 square miles.

Volcán Acamarachi

I planned to summit this volcano during my first trip to San Pedro de Atacama in December 2022, but didn’t have time to do so due to bad weather. So this volcano was high on my list and was therefore also the first I attempted. We stayed in tents at the base of the mountain at 4,600 meters and started climbing the volcano next morning at 4am. The climb took about 6 hours.

Volcán Licancabur

This volcano is the closest to San Pedro de Atacama and the one that can be seen from most streets in the town. The crater of the volcano contains Licancabur Lake, a crater lake that is among the highest lakes in the world.

Volcán San Pedro (Chile)

This volcano became the last and the highest I summited on this trip. So far, it is also the second-highest volcano I have ever summited. The volcano is located a 4-hour drive north of San Pedro de Atacama.