Snow
Backcountry Ski Touring in Cajón del Maipo
A full day of guided ski touring in the Cajón del Maipo, about 2 hours from Santiago, skinning up and skiing the couloirs of Valle Las Arenas.
Full day
Photo: Tijs Michels / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0Mountains & volcanoes · Central Andes
Cerro El Plomo Ascent
At a glance
A 3-day guided climb of Cerro El Plomo (5,424 m) from Valle Nevado, with a base camp at 4,100 m and mules carrying the heavy gear.
3 daysDuration
~4 kmDistance
~750 mElevation gain
- Duration
- 3 days / 2 nights
- Level
- Advanced
- Group
- 1–12
- Season
- Spring and summer (September–March)
- Distance
- about 4 km from base camp to the summit on summit day
- Elevation gain
- about 750 m on day 1 (to base camp); about 1,400 m on summit day
- Start
- Valle Nevado ski center (transport to and from Valle Nevado not included)
Overview
Cerro El Plomo rises to 5,424 m (17,795 ft) above Santiago. This three-day ascent starts at the Valle Nevado ski center and follows the Federación valley to a base camp at 4,100 m (13,451 ft). Arrieros (muleteers) from Farellones carry the heavier gear on their mules, so the walk up to camp is a gentle approach.
Summit day starts before dawn. The route gains roughly 1,400 m over about 4 km, passes the site where the Inca mummy known as the Niño del Plomo was found in 1954, and crosses a section of the Iver glacier before the final ridge. From the top you look out over the Central Andes and down to the Santiago valley. You sleep at camp again that night and walk back down to Valle Nevado on day three.
The climb runs with our mountain team in Santiago, with a camp cook, radio communication and all meals on the mountain. It is a real mountaineering objective above 5,000 m, not a hike, and it rewards people who arrive fit and already used to altitude. Private groups can also book Cerro Marmolejo and other peaks around Santiago on their own dates, with the same cook, radio and mule support.
Highlights
- Stand on Cerro El Plomo (5,424 m / 17,795 ft), the summit above Santiago, in three days
- Base camp at Federación (4,100 m), with mules and arrieros from Farellones carrying the heavy gear
- Pass the site where the Inca mummy known as the Niño del Plomo was found in 1954
- Cross a section of the Iver glacier on the way to the summit ridge
- Camp cook and all meals on the mountain, run by our mountain team
Day by day
Day 1
Valle Nevado to Federación base camp (4,100 m)
Meet at the Valle Nevado ski center. A gentle 4–5 hour approach trek, with roughly 750 m of elevation gain, takes you up to Federación base camp while the arrieros and mules carry the heavier gear. The afternoon is for acclimatizing and checking gear, followed by dinner and rest.
Day 2
Summit day (5,424 m)
Alpine start. The summit push takes 7–9 hours round trip, depending on conditions and pace. The route passes the site where the Niño del Plomo was found, then crosses a section of the Iver glacier (crampons are carried in case of recent snowfall) before the final ridge to the summit. Back at camp, the afternoon is for rest and a celebration dinner.
Day 3
Descent to Valle Nevado
An unhurried walk back down to Valle Nevado, with a chance of seeing condors along the way. The program ends at the Valle Nevado ski center in the afternoon.
Included and not included
Included
- Mountain guides and support staff, including a camp cook
- All meals during the expedition (breakfasts, trail rations, dinners)
- Mule support for base camp equipment
- Base camp infrastructure (tents, sleeping pads, communal dome, kitchen)
- Crampons and technical group gear as needed
- First aid, radio communication and personal accident insurance
Not included
- Personal technical clothing and footwear
- Photography or video service
- Sleeping bag
- Transport to and from Valle Nevado
- Travel insurance (strongly recommended)
What to bring and who it's for
What to bring
- A sleeping bag for two nights at 4,100 m (not included)
- Personal technical clothing for strong wind and sub-zero temperatures on summit day
- Your own mountaineering footwear
- Travel insurance details
Who it's for
Fit hikers who are ready for a real mountaineering objective above 5,000 m. Summit day is a demanding, sustained effort of roughly 1,400 m in about 4 km. We strongly recommend an acclimatization hike the week before, for example Cerro Pintor (4,100 m).
Good to know
- Weather changes quickly on El Plomo. Expect strong wind and sub-zero temperatures on summit day.
- A free online briefing about 30 days before departure covers gear, logistics and dietary needs.
- Valle Nevado asks mountaineers to fill in its registration form and to register entry and exit at the Farellones Carabineros station. Night entry is not allowed.
- The land around Valle Nevado is private, and archaeological remains on the mountain must not be touched.
- Summit day timing depends on conditions and on the group's pace.
Where it happens
The map loads from Esri when you open it.
- Valle NevadoMeeting point at the ski center.
- Federación campBase camp at 4,100 m.
- Cerro El Plomo summit5,424 m.
- Valle NevadoEnd of the program.
Make it part of a trip
Combine it with other days in a trip designed around you.
Plan a tailor-made trip
Ready to go?
FAQs
It is a genuine mountaineering objective above 5,000 m, not a hike. Summit day gains roughly 1,400 m over about 4 km and takes 7–9 hours round trip. The altitude, cold and wind make it a demanding day even for strong hikers.
You need to be fit and ready for a long, sustained effort at altitude. The route crosses a section of the Iver glacier, and crampons are provided as part of the group gear when conditions call for them. If you have not been above 4,000 m before, plan an acclimatization hike before the trip.
We strongly recommend an acclimatization hike the week before, for example Cerro Pintor (4,100 m). The online briefing about 30 days before departure is a good moment to plan this with us.
We run this ascent in spring and summer, from September to March. Even in summer, expect sub-zero temperatures and strong wind on summit day, and weather that changes quickly.
No. Arrieros from Farellones and their mules carry the heavier gear and the base camp equipment between Valle Nevado and Federación.
Both nights are at Federación base camp (4,100 m), with tents, sleeping pads, a communal dome and a kitchen run by the camp cook. The sleeping bag is not included, so bring one suited to sub-zero nights.
The climb starts and finishes at the Valle Nevado ski center, above Santiago. Transport to and from Valle Nevado is not included in the program, so let us know when you request your quote.
No. Weather on El Plomo changes quickly, and summit day depends on conditions and the group's pace. Good fitness and acclimatization before the trip improve your chances.
SOURCES · Vertic field notes · andeshandbook.org · laderasur.com · vallenevado.com