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Palpana, located in the upper part of the Loa River valley, remains something of a mystery as it has not offered much information about
its birth and development. It is located in the Andes of the Puna de Atacama, completely in Chilean territory, and forms part of a linear
mountain range that runs from north to south, parallel with the Bolivian border. To its west lies the Loa River and to its east the salt
lakes of Carcote and Ascotán. It is part of the National Reserve Alto Loa, the fourth largest natural park in the country. The landscape
that can be seen from the summit is breath-taking, with a view that extends to the source of the Loa River in the foothills of the Miño
Mountain.
The railway line from Calama to La Paz runs very close to Palapana. There are two stations, Carcote and Cebollar, that serve the small
towns of the same names. The towns’ main activity is the extraction of borax, the main mineral used in the extraction of boric acid.
Other interesting towns to visit, a little further from the volcano, are the settlement of Chiu-Chiu, which has one of the oldest churches
in Chile, and Pukará de Lasana which has remnants of the Atacameña or Likan Antay culture. Chiu-Chiu also gives an idea of the
present means of subsistence for the small farms that make up the population of the region. These activities are, at the same time, a
good way to carry out the process of acclimatisation.
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From Calama, take the international highway that leads to Bolivia
via Ollagüe (Ruta 21) in the direction of Chiu-Chiu. After Chiu-Chiu
the road changes into a dust road. It is in good condition and follows
the eastern side of the Loa River. Approximately 100 km from Calama,
following the road towards Ollagüe, is the village of Ascotán (3,900
m) where it necessary to register the expedition at the police station.
Approximately 168 km from Calama, further along the international
highway there is an intersection with an interior road. It is necessary
to take this road in a westerly direction until reaching the pass
between the Chela and Palpana mountains. After the pass, you
enter the wide Loa Valley. Continue on a winding, soft Incan road
(which can be identified by the type of rock construction), heading
towards the south-west slope of the mountain until you come to
a cairn. This is a good place to set up BC (no registered waypoints). |
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Due to Palpana’s shape, the initial route from BC is quite obvious.
It is recommended to facilitate the climb by establishing a HC at
5,000 m. From here, continue the ascent looking for the ridge that
leads to the highest rock cliff that is at the top of the west face.
The cliff should be climbed straight up from the ridge. From the top
of this cliff you can see the summit. You can also see a cairn in the
middle of the pass that joins this summit with the El Mercurio
Mountain, a possible secondary objective for teams that climb
Palpana. From this point, the ascent to the summit is very clear and
will be difficult to miss.
The descent follows the same route as the ascent. |
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• No special permits are required to climb Palpana but you should
inform the police in the station in Ascotán of your expedition,
giving them a letter showing participants, nationalities, passport
or ID numbers, details of activities and specific itineraries, dates,
route and a map of the area.
• The best transport option is to take a 4x4 vehicle. See appendix
for recommendations.
• If you do not have your own transport it is recommended that
you contact Regimiento Reforzado No 1 Topater in Calama and
the respective PARME (Patrulla de Rescate de Montaña del Ejército,
Army Mountain Rescue Patrol) to ask for support. It is also possible
to get accommodation at the Topater Regiment.
• A good transport option is offered by Manuel González in Calama
(mobile: 87439321), who has a great knowledge of the area and
mountain activities.
• It is recommended to take equipment and clothes suitable for
high altitude mountaineering. As part of the equipment it is
recommended to take an ice axe and crampons.
• Take sufficient water for the whole expedition as there are no
permanent sources of potable water in Ollagüe, Ascotán or
Cebollar and there are no signs of permanent water in Amincha.
• This area is affected by the so-called 'Alti-Planic winter', with an
unstable climate and intense precipitation between the months
of December and March. It is strongly recommended that you do
not climb during this period. The winter months (June - August)
are more stable but overnight temperatures are close to -30º C.
The spring months (September – December) are the most
recommended as the climate remains stable and the temperatures
are higher. |
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