Summit

The Llullaillaco Volcano, 6,739 m, is the third highest mountain in Chile and the second highest active volcano in the world behind the Ojos del Salado. Its name
has different meanings depending on the language. In the Aymara tongue it means Hot Water, in Quechua it means Lying Water.

Located in the Antofagasta Region, this volcano started its evolution 1.8 million years ago. There were two recognised phases in its formation that can be distinguished
in its present structure. The ancestral phase can be seen in the presence of two deep, eroded cones that still show traces of their lava flows. The more recent phase
dates from the post glacial period and can be seen in the small and well conserved cone that constitutes the summit.

Situated in the Llullaillaco National Park, 275 km south-east of the city of Antofagasta, this fascinating massif sits in an isolation that makes visiting it difficult.
This has meant that in spite of the great number of important archeological finds, the mountain still has a relatively low profile.

The remains of huts, roads, steps to the summit and a cemetery are part of the traces of Incan culture found at different heights on the volcano. But, without
doubt, the fame that Llullaillaco enjoys today comes from being the owner of the highest ceremonial ruins in the world and from the discovery of three mummified
bodies. In 1999 an Argentinian expedition, supported by the National Geographic Society, made the discovery in the surroundings of a ceremonial platform located
at 6,710 m. The bodies were of a 15 year old adolescent, a boy of seven and a girl of six. Judging by their belongings, the last two were members of noble families.
36 gold and silver statuettes were found together with the bodies. They are now exhibited in the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña in the Argentinian city
of Salta. The bodies are in especially conditioned laboratories in the Universidad Católica in Salta.

From Antofagasta, take the road that leads in a south-easterly
direction towards the La Escondida mine. About 700 metres east
of La Escondida is P-12, the mine’s security guard office. From here
you should continue towards the Socompa border post on Ruta B-
55. After leaving the security office the road becomes a dust road
that is in passable condition and relatively well signed. It follows the
train line from Antofagasta to Socompa.

The route crosses well-signposted mine fields and there are sectors
of La Escondida with piles of material known as ‘tortas’ (cakes) that
can be seen from the road. The imposing Llullaillaco is sometimes
also visible from the road.

Approximately two km after passing the Imilac train station, you
must turn south in the direction of the Punta Negra Salt Lake. As
the salt lake is used by La Escondida to extract water, there is a large
network of roads, electrical pylons and pipes that can easily be
confusing. However, it is to be emphasized that you should cross
the salt lake in a south-easterly direction, noting that the posts that
follow the road are numbered. As a point of reference, the road
passes between two buildings of about 100 m2 each at post 200.

Between posts 306 and 307, at approximately 183 km from
Antofagasta, it is necessary to turn left in an easterly direction
towards Llullaillaco. The road is in poor condition and the route is
difficult to follow. A little after km 186 there is a marked turning
where you should turn left towards the volcano. Follow this route
for several kilometres, keeping for reference that the road goes
between the gullies of La Zorra and Las Zorritas and always leads
in a south-easterly direction. At km 203 you arrive at the Llullaillaco
National Park, at the entrance of which there is a CONAF sign.

A short walk from here and you arrive at a marked T junction at km
219. This is the intersection with the road from the Monturaqui
train station which leads to the Llullaillaco Sur Pass. From this point,
you should turn right in a southerly direction and descend into a
small gully which leads to the Las Zorritas Valley. A few metres along
the route from this point you will be able to see the CONAF Zorritas
refugio (4,160 m) which can be used to carry out the acclimatisation
process. It has a large kitchen and three rooms for sleeping.

From the CONAF refugio you should get back on the vehicle route,
and follow it to the gully that lies south of the refugio. A few
kilometres further, you arrive at a crossroads of three roads (4,280
m). At this point you should make sure that you only continue on
the main road which is on the right. Do NOT take either the road
to the left nor the one in the centre as both lead to areas of MINE
FIELDS. After a few kilometres following the right hand road you
will see that on the right side there are erratic blocks, between one
and two metres in height, and some planks of wood. You should
turn left here and follow a faint path until it ends (after 3 km). Here
there are several possiblities for setting up BC (4,600 m).

From BC you can set out on the ascent following the course of the
stream that is there.

From time to time you will be able to see signs of a path. After a
couple of hours of ascent, the stream ends and is replaced by a
large moraine. Here it is necessary to go off course, skirting round
the right hand side (south-west) of the base of the moraine. At this
point the ascent becomes less steep. There are numerous places
here suitable for establishing HC (5,300 m).

At this point there is a slope. If it is covered in snow you can continue
the ascent up it directly to the snow field. If there is not much snow
it is recommended to keep on skirting around the base of the moraine,
a route that leads to a couloir of hard snow with a slope of between
30º-40º that finally joins the snow field at about 6,100 m.

The snow field should be tackled on its left hand side, arriving at a
kind of pass at about 6,350 m that marks the entrance to a corry
between the main summit on the left hand side and the south-west
summit on the right. The ascent should continue on the right towards
the pass, taking into account that there are two or three false passes.

At 6,596 m there is another pass where you should take the couloir
to the left in a north-easterly direction in order to ascend a slope
of rocks and then a scree slope that has no snow and that takes
you towards the main summit. After an ascent through some snow
you arrive at a false summit from where it is possible to see the real
summit. From this point there is a 20 minute ascent through bare
rocks for which it is essential to use your hands.

The descent takes the same route as the ascent.