Atacama Desert Trekking

Itinerary

Day 1- Santiago-Calama-Valle de La Luna (Moon Valley) - San Pedro (Hotel, B-L-D)

Flight from the US into Calama. We will greet everyone at Calama’s airport. San Pedro is 61 miles from the airport on a paved road. In San Pedro we will have a welcome briefing and will set up Expedition teams. Navigation/map reading workshop, communications workshop. In the evening we will do a 3 hr. trek through the Cordillera de la Sal passing trough sandy canyons, amazing salty formations and dunes. We will end our trek to enjoy sunset in the spectacular Valle de la Luna. We will spend our first night in a hotel in San Pedro.

Day 2 San Pedro – Baños de Puritana – El Tatio (Camp, B-L-D)

The first day out is relatively easy! After one hour on a mini-bus, we will do a two-hour trek to get the initial high altitude acclimatization. We will arrive to Puritana Hot Springs where we will have lunch and enjoy the springs. We will continue by mini-buses to Tatio Geysers where after another short trek we will arrive at our first campsite. Here at 14,000 feet we will have a glimpse of the Altiplano (high plateau) that is located between 13,000 and 15,000 feet high. The landscape is completely different from that of San Pedro. It is normal to unexpectedly come across brooks, lagoons and many salt deposits. Camping and logistic workshops/Debriefing.

Day 3 - El Tatio – San Pedro (Camp, B-L-D) After visiting the Geysers and its incredible geothermal formations we will start a bike descent that will take us through Caspana and Toconce. Afternoon rock climbing. Debriefing.

Day 4 - San Pedro - Catarpe - San Baltoro (Camp, B-L-D)

After getting to the Catarpe ruins at 8,000 ft. we will start a 6-hour trek trough a narrow canyon that will require us to walk into the river and in between an alley of vertical rock walls to San Baltoro. Trekking/canyoning/debriefing.

Day 5 - San Baltoro – Rio Grande – Machuca (Camp, B-L-D)

Another day of a long and hard trek through the Altiplano. Debriefing.

Day 6 - Machuca- Lascar (Camp, B-L-D)

By vehicle we will go to the base of Lascar Volcano at 16,909 feet. We will have a view of the whole San Pedro de Atacama Oasis. Trekking/debriefing.

Day 7 - Miscanti and Miñiques lagoons (Camp, B-L-D)

We will start before sunrise our ascent of Lascar; from the summit we will see the gigantic crater - 2,500 ft. in diameter and 985 ft. deep. Upon descending, we will return to San Pedro to the Hotel. Summit and Final debriefing.

Day 8 - San Pedro - Calama

Trip back to Calama with a visit to Chuquicamata Cooper Mine (world’s largest open pit mine). Arrival to Santiago and departure back to the US (arrival next day, Sunday).