Ojos del Salado – Chile’s High Point

South America’s tallest peak is Argentina’s Aconcagua, the crown of the mighty Andes. The continent’s preeminent mountain range serves as the border between Argentina and Chile. Aconcagua is just seven miles from Chile and is much closer to Santiago – just under 70 miles – than it is to the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.

About 400 miles north along the gnarly Andean spine lies another towering peak, called Ojos del Salado. This crag is so remote that explorers in the early to mid-20th century couldn’t measure its elevation with certainty, leading many to wonder if this mountain along the border might actually be taller than Aconcagua.

Today, we know Ojos del Salado’s height of 22,615 feet above sea level (6,893 meters) comes up about 250 short of being the pinnacle of South America. Still, its position on the national border allows it to reign as Chile’s High Point!

The mountain’s name references Rio Salado, which means “Salty River.” In Chile, ojo usually refers to a “spring” or “water source.” So, Ojos del Salado translates to the “Springs of the Salado.” In 1937, a Polish expedition used the Salado to reach the flanks of the mountain. This group either originated or reinforced the notion that the river’s source started on the mountain. Ironically, Ojos del Salado is not the origin of the Salado; nearby Cerro Solo contains the headwaters.

Being the High Point of Chile is not this salty crag’s only claim to fame.

Ojos del Salado is a complex or compound volcano. Its massive elevation makes it the highest volcano on the planet. Inside its crater is a lake, which also happens to be the highest permanent lake on Earth.

This lake, a name referencing a river, and the white sheen in the image above all point to a typical, high peak covered in snow, abundant with water. However, these attributes are anomalies. Ojos del Salada is extraordinarily dry and usually looks more like this:

The mountain sits on the Puna de Atacama, a plateau next to the famously arid Atacama Desert.

It’s certainly high enough and cold enough to foster snow, but small amounts of yearly precipitation and intense levels of solar radiation render snowpacks ephemeral and permanent glaciers non-existent.

Though the volcano is currently listed as dormant – the last eruption likely occurred sometime around 750 AD/CE – it still displays some geothermal activity, in the form of fumaroles and hot water. This mountain is a meeting of opposites. The world’s highest permanent lake, situated in a desert, is located in a region that is elevated enough to receive snow, but the mountain feeds it with water that can reach temperatures of up to 105 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius).

Because of the harsh conditions, any snow that sticks around tends to sublimate. This process can create a wicked phenomenon known as penitentes. Long, hard blades of snow develop to look like crowds of penitent worshipers.

The height, the coldness, and the dryness combine to make life tough on this volcano. Vegetation can’t survive past 15,000 feet. Researchers have found lichens, mosses, and bacteria at higher points, but the environment is typically too difficult for macro-organisms.

The landscape seems closer to the Moon or Mars, gorgeous but inhospitable.

At lower elevations, some exotic and striking critters manage to thrive, including flamingos, chinchillas, and vincunas.

Despite being the tallest peak in the region, Ojos del Salado is so remote that humans either didn’t know it existed or avoided it. The Incas, despite building structures on other nearby mountains, did not construct anything on the peak. The first known ascent took place during the 1937 Polish expedition, when Justyn Wojsznis and Jan Szczepański stepped atop the summit in February. Nearly 20 years passed before the next human ventured there.

This follow-up expedition sparked debate about the tallest peak in South America and the Western Hemisphere. Was Ojos del Salado taller than Aconcagua? Its elevation was extraordinary, but visitation was so rare that no one could be sure. As the century progressed, more sophisticated methods determined the volcano would have to settle for a continental silver medal.

Visitation numbers have increased in the 21st century, as any intrepid mountaineer who wants to complete the Seven Second Summits (the second-highest points on each continent) or the Volcanic Seven Summits needs to grace Ojos del Salado’s acme. Still, the number is only in the hundreds annually, far lower than Aconcagua. Despite the lack of ice climbing and a relatively straightforward trek, the success rate of climbing this mountain is low. Just a third of those who attempt the summit achieve it, likely thanks to altitude, wind, cold, and dry air.

Should you ever scale this mountain, you won’t find the source of the Salty River, but you will reach a unique spot on Earth, the planet’s highest volcano, where you can look down at the highest lake!