Where to practice andinism (mountaineering in the Andes) and summit climbing in Chile?
Chile is a longitudinal, slender and narrow country stretching some 4300 km along the Andes Cordillera from north to south.
There are thus a multitude of sites suitable for hiking in low, medium and high mountains.
In the north, in the region of San Pedro d'Atacama, the more adventurous and sporty can enjoy the ascent of volcanoes such as the Cerro Toco or the Volcán Lascar whose active crater shows its fumaroles. This Andean "plateau" of the Atacama Desert, the Altiplano, is already located between 2500 and 3000 metres above sea level: each summit is therefore a high mountain walk, above 4000 and 5000 metres.
The Lakes region is almost entirely hilly with the relief of the Cordillera at a lower altitude, however. From Pucón it is possible to climb the Villarica (2847m) for example. The western side of the Cordillera is completely covered with forests, so many hikes are possible in this region.
In the south, in Patagonia, the Cordillera even lower (1500m-2500m on average) offers the largest hiking area in the country. The slightest outing in the forest is an opportunity to hike in the mountains. The very numerous National Parks or National Reserves that protect the region, starting from the cities of Puerto Aysen, Coyhaique or Chile Chico for example, do not lack trails, although short, but many of them lead to a glacial lagoon and sometimes even a glacier.
Still in Patagonia, in the extreme south this time, the famous Torres del Paine park offers you the possibility to surpass yourself by leaving for several days of walking through the world-famous W and W circuits. At low altitude since here the Andes Cordillera ends in a maze of fjords, without removing the presence of strong differences in altitude in some places.
The most famous summits of Chile are the following:
- Nevado Ojos del Salado 6,880 m Copiapó
- Cerro Tupungato 6,800 m Santiago
- Volcán Llullaillaco 6,739 m Antofagasta
- Volcano Parinacota 6,342 m Putre
- Volcán Licancabur 5,916 m San Pedro de Atacama
- Descabezado Grande 3 830 m Talca
- Torres del Paine 2 800 m Puerto Natales
- Volcán Villarrica 2,840 m Pucón
- Osorno Volcano 2,652 m Puerto Montt
- Volcán Cerro Hudson 1,905 m Puerto Aisén
