(6.882m)

This is the second highest mountain in the Andes range. Although Mount Pissis is in Argentina, its ascent is both quicker and easier from the Chilean side. Due to its remote location and relative inaccessability, it is one the the few mountains of the Andes that remains unvisited. The journey to Base Camp is also through some of the most fascinating territory to be seen in the Andes.

Days 1 and 2: Fly to Santiago de Chile, the capital of Chile, and travel to Copiapó, the capital of the Atacama region 800km north of Santiago. In this small pretty town we spend the night in the Hotel Inti.

Day 3: At 14:00 we leave by 4 x 4 on a 2 hour journey to Vallecito, a small oasis situated 120km east of Copiapó. Already at 3,100m above sea level, it makes a good spot to spend our first night. For the evening, we climb a small nearby mountain as our first acclimatisation exercise. We then set up camp and make our evening meal.

Day 4: At 11:00 after breakfast and packing up our camp, we drive 34km to Santa Rosa Lake (3.780m). Here we set up camp, have lunch and in the afternoon set off on an excursion around the banks of the lake, which is home to many flamencos. Here we have our evening meal and spend the night.

Day 5: Breakfast at 8:30. After packing up camp, we continue on our drive heading east on the international highway to the Paso de San Francisco (Saint Francis Pass), we we enter Argentina. After dealing with the burocracy of the border patrol, we continue on to La Copia (3,620), where we should arrive around 17:00. Here we set up camp, have our evening meal and spend the night.

Day 6: Breakfast at 8:30. After packing up camp, we continue our drive through imressive surroundings passing the Laguna de los Aparejos and the Laguna Azul, before reaching a third lake - Laguna Verde, from where we have a marvelous view of Mount Pissis. Continuing by 4 x 4, we cross several shallow lakes and rivers formed by the glacial icemelt. This whole area is also home to many flamencos. By evening we arrive at a plain at the mouth of a glacial valley, where we set up Base Camp at 4,500m. Here we have our evening meal and spend the night.

Day 7: Breakfast at 8:30. We prepare the neccessary equipment for the following three days. Following a light lunch at 12:00, we start our ascent towards Camp I. This is a 4 hour walk covering sandy terrain with loose rock and of a gradient no steeper than 20º. We pass a field of penitents and arrive at the foot of the glacier (5,100m) where we set up camp. Here we have our evening meal and spend the night.

Day 8: Breakfast at 8:30. We pack up our camp and set off on the ascent towards Camp II. Ater traversing a field of penitents, we continue the ascent over loose rock in a southerly direction towards the western border of the glacier. Approximately 4 hours after we leave Camp I, we reach Camp II at a height of 5,420m. After a light evening meal we have an early night as tomorrow the summit of Mount Pissis awaits us.

Day 9: Breakfast at 5:30. One hour later we start our climb to the summit, ascending via 35º ice slopes on the east face of the glacier. Once through the glacier, we continue in a south-easterly direction, over rocky terrain towards the final coll. From here, a traverse leads us to the summit of Mount Pissis. The ascent is a total of 8 hours from Camp II. We descend by the same route and are back at Camp II by 17:00. Here we have our evening meal and spend the night.

Day 10: Extra day. Should there be bad weather, we can use this day for a second attempt on the summit.

Day 11: Breakfast at 9:00. We pack up Camp II, and start the 5 hour descent to Base Camp. Here we have lunch, rest, make our evening meal and spend the night.

Day 12: Breakfast at 9:00. We pack up Base Camp and at 11:00, traveling by 4 x 4 we begin the eight hour journey to the town of Fiambalá. Here we have lunch, our evening meal and spend the night in the local hotel.

Day 13: Breakfast in the hotel at 8:00. We start the11 hour return journey by vehichle to Copiapó. From here we continue our journey to the quiet beach town of Caldera, where we spend the night in the Montecarlo Hotel.

Day 14: Sunshine, beach, fresh fish and relaxation in Caldera.

Day 15: From the airport at Copiapó, we return via Santiago where our expedition ends.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.

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