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Salín is on the border with Argentina. Its name, in the extinct Kunza (or Diaguita-Atacameña) language means Brother or Sister. Its
geographical isolation is the main reason for the scarcity of mountaineers and visitors to the area. Sulphur used to be extracted for
commercial purposes from its volcanic caldera but this stopped being economically viable and today the only trace of this activity are
the marks made by the extractions.
Standing alone in the Puna de Atacama, it has no registered past activity. At the north of the mountain, only a few kilometres away,
is the small mountain range made up of the Pular, Pajoneles Norte, Pajonales Sur and Socompa volcanoes. These are the only high
mountain reference points near to Salín. A second reference is that the Pular Salt Lake lies to the north-east. It has a large surface
area and is well worth a visit.
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The access route for Salín is very similar to the access for Pular. From
Calama, take the international road that leads to Argentina (Ruta
23) until San Pedro de Atacama which should be taken as km 0.
Continuing on Ruta 23, you go through the town of Toconao (2,485
m) at km 38. Leaving the town at km 40, turn west towards the
Atacama Salt Lake, which is indicated with a road sign.
Continue along this route to the village of Peine, which is situated
at km 100 on the route. From Peine you continue on a sandy road
in a south-easterly direction towards the settlement of Tilomonte.
About 300 metres before entering Tilomonte, take the right fork in
the road that leads in a southerly direction towards the Tilocalar
Hills. At km 123, there is another fork in the road. Take the road to
the right that ascends zig-zagging to the highest part of the Tilocalar
Hills and then through a large plain. Continue south, using the
Llullaillaco Volcano as a reference.
The road, which is in excellent condition due to the maintenance
carried out by the personnel at the Zaldívar mine, leads to the
Negrillar station where there are wells that are used to supply water
to the mine. The road is crossed by electrical pylons which run from
west to east. Further on, where the road is of a red colour, it is
necessary to turn east at km 152 which has for reference large blue
buildings which contain the pumps and machinery belonging to
Estación Negrillar. About 200 metres before these buildings you turn
east on a straight road in front of the Pajonales Sur Volcano. You
ascend until the base of the volcano and continue on a track that
is in good condition until reaching a pass on the right-hand side.
It is very important not to venture off the roads or tracks as there
are many poorly-marked MINE-FIELDS (CAMPOS MINADOS) in this
area. It is therefore strongly recommended to use the given waypoints.
From Estación Negrillar there is 22 km until the end of the vehicle
track which skirts a MINE FIELD (CAMPO MINADO). Once you have
reached the end of the road and ascended to the highest part there
is a fork marked with a sign “CC MM INCA”. Take the right hand
road towards the south-east. At km 171 it is necessary to use the
vehicle’s double traction because of the softness of the terrain (there
are large areas of pumice stone). Due to the type of terrain and its
gradient, it is recommended to take a vehicle only until km 177 and
from there to set out on the walk towards the base of the volcano
where BC can be set up (4,400 m). The distance to BC is approximately
7.2 km. |
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From Salín’s base, where BC is located, there is a distance of 6.2
km, as the crow flies, to the summit. The ascent begins in a southeasterly
direction to the first terrace at the front of the volcano.
From here you must continue the ascent skirting around a second
terrace. After this second terrace the route to the summit is along
the north-west ridge.
Care should be taken with the crevasses at around km 4, taking
extra precautions if there are very snowy conditions, when they
could be hidden by a layer of snow.
The last two kilometres of the ascent are more complicated as the
gradient tends to quite a bit steeper, although never more than 60º.
From here, the summit is already in sight and the route is quite straight.
One crevasse, close to 800 metres before the summit, can slow your
progress, but a pair of crampons are sufficient to overcome it.
The descent is via the north-east face. It is easier than the ascent
and therefore can be done at greater speed.
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• No special permits are required to climb Salín but you should
inform the police in San Pedro de Atacama 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. As the mountain is on the border,
foreigners must ask for permission from DIFROL (www.difrol.cl).
• It is recommended to contact the Club Social Andino in San
Pedro de Atacama, who can help with contacts and information
for the approach and at the Negrillar station (minera Zaldivar).
• The best transport option is to take a 4x4 vehicle. See appendix
for recommendations. Take sufficient fuel in Calama as the supply
in San Pedro is not always assured.
• 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.
• The number of un-marked mine fields on the route until the Salín
Pass should be a reason for special care.
• You should buy provisions in Calama as San Pedro is the only
other place where small quantities of provisions can be bought.
• It is recommended to take equipment and clothing 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 water.
• 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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