Summit

This massif is the northernmost point of a high-altitude volcanic concentration which is one of the reasons the Atacama Region is famous. It is located entirely in Chile and is part of the Cordillera Sundt, a short range that is to the north-east of Laguna Verde.

The El Ermitaño (The Hermit) belongs to what is known as “Caldera Wheelwright” which consists of large bucket-shaped volcanic depressions that typically come from the collapse of the summit of a volcano. This generates craters that can be over a kilometre in diameter. The Caldera Wheelwright is one of the largest structures in the area and its crater reaches a diameter of 22 km. Inside the crater is not only El rmitaño but also peaks like the Peña Blanca Volcano, the Wheelwright Peak and the Rex Volcano.

Taking the city of Copiapó as a point of departure, head towards,
and then take the international road, Ruta 31, that leads to Argentina
via the San Francisco border crossing.

The road crosses the Cordillera Domeyko until it reaches the southern
end of the Chilean Alti-Plano where the Maricunga Salt Lake is
located. Here you find the San Francisco border post where you
should register your expedition.

For the process of acclimatisation it is recommended to continue
along Ruta 31 to Laguna Verde (4,342 m) where it is possible to set
up camp and where the budget company Aventurismo can supply
radios, water, bathrooms and hot springs. There is also a police
station here that is closed during the winter and re-opens at the
beginning of October. If the station is open, you should give the
police the notice of the expedition previously given at the San
Francisco border post.

Continuing towards El Ermitaño, you must re-trace your journey on
Ruta 31 until the Piedra Pómez sector (see waypoints) from where
it is necessary to leave the road to the right and head in the direction
of the volcano, trying to use the existing tracks. It is only possible
to continue on this route until approximately 4,750 m, as the terrain
from this point consists of soft sand and large rocks which impede
the advance. From this point advance directly towards El Ermitaño
in a northerly direction on soft sand and rocks. On our expedition,
the BC was set up at 5,050 m in a place that was ideal for protection
against the persistently strong wind.

The day of the summit ascent should begin very early due to the
height that must be climbed that day.

The ascent is carried out using a long scree slope made up of stones
of various sizes that are quite loose in the first section. This scree
slope continues until approximately 5,700 m, from where you can
see the actual summit, still very distant. From here, the scree slope
becomes less steep. On reaching the false summit, the real summit
of El Ermitaño appears, just a few metres behind it.

The descent follows the same route used for the ascent.

• No special permits* are required to climb El Ermitaño but you
should inform the police in the San Francisco border post 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. Buy sufficient fuel in Copiapó as there are
no other places to buy it during the rest of the journey.

• If you do not have your own transport it is recommended to send
a letter asking for support to the headquarters of the Army 1st
division in Antofagasta (Av. Ejército 01180, Antofagasta). Once
approved it will be sent to the 23rd Regiment in Copiapó, which
will co-ordinate the support.

• Another option is a transport service from Copiapó. Among the
companies that offer the service are Aventurismo (52-235340 /
mobile: 99694654, who also offers transport from Laguna Verde
to the various mountains), Gran Atacama Tour Operador (52-
219271, www.granatacama.cl) and Atacama Chile Tour Operador
(mobile: 98723652, www.atacamachile.com).

• The facilities of the company Aventurismo at Laguna Verde can
be used from November 1st to March 31 every year. You can pay
at Laguna Verde.

• 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. This can be taken
from Copiapó or Laguna Verde.

• The Puna de Atacama area has high precipitation in winter and
summer, when it is slightly affected by the “Alti-Planic winter”.
The climatic instability can also be accompanied by strong squalls
and wind-storms. It is therefore strongly recommended to climb
during the months of spring and summer, as the winter presents
very low temperatures and abundant precipitation. It is necessary
to keep up-to-date with the weather forecast.

* Since December 1st 2004 the company Aventurismo (32-235340) has had
the rights for access to the summit of the Ojos del Salado Volcano and its
neighbouring summits over 6,000 m, also to the Atacama (5,200 m) and
Tejos (5,800 m) refugios and the Laguna Verde thermal springs. The permit
includes a series of services that can only be used if the expeditions are run
between November and the end of March. At the date of publication of this
book, the only permit that requires payment is for the Ojos del Salado, but
eventually the El Ermitaño Volcano will also require such a permit.