Mountains fascinated all civilizations around the world, but the Incas were the first and only mountaineering culture to leave archaeological sites at the peaks. In the Argentine Northwest there is an ancestral mountain culture dating back to the Inca period. They built thousands of kilometers of paved trails across the mountains in the Andes, but most important they also conducted rituals and built santuaries on the summits of the highest mountains where modern day archeologists found three mummies called The Children of Llullaillaco, such was the case of Llullaillaco Volcano at 6739m , this is the sixth highest mountain in the Andes Range.
Destinations
Inca Volcanoes
Inca Volcanoes / LLullaillaco 6750m
18 DAYS - VOLCANO QUEWAR 6150 MSNM - VOLCAN TUZGLE 5500 MSNM
This program proposes a mountaineering expedition with a challenge: ascending three Volcanoes and connecting symbolically and spiritually with the Inca civilization by offering Coca leaves to Pachamama “Our Mother Earth” on all three peaks.
In addition to beautiful mountains, this program allows us to discover and explore the region of the Puna Argentina not visited by the common tourist and enjoy Salta and the Quebrada de Humahuaca with their exquisite gastronomy and recognized high altitude wines.
As Mountaineers we know that we cannot guarantee the summits to our clients, but as tour guides we know that we can guarantee an unforgettable experience, knowing the human and professional quality of our Mountain guides and enjoying the safety and professionalism of our company.
Available from October / November / March / April
Tuzgle 5500 masl / Quewar 6130 masl / Mountaineering / Fauna / 4 × 4
The Guides are professional guides AAGM (Argentine Association of Mountain Guides)
Only 4 passengers are transported per van, plus a driver guide.
Accommodations are in double rooms or tents and in shared shelters.
All meals and non-alcoholic beverages on the Mountain are included in the program.
Equip Your Adventure will carry out the porting or transportation of the community team, not the personal mountain team.
Check the price of carrying personal equipment on the mountain.
ABBREVIATED ITINERARY
Day 1 – Arrival to Salta – City Tour in Salta, Check and inspect high altitude mountain equipment and gear, Welcome dinner. Elevation 1200m.
Day 2 – Salta / Tilcara – 5 hour walk in Purmamarca up to 2800m, Tilcara. 2500m
Day 3 – Tilcara / Tilcara – Hike up to 4170m. Barbecue in Tilcara. 2500m.
Day 4 – Tilcara / Sey – Cuesta de Lipan, Salinas Grandes, Susques, walk in Jugueria Ruta 40, Sey. 4000m.
Day 5 – Sey / Tuzgle / San Antonio de los Cobres – Summit Tuzgle Volcano 5516m, night in San Antonio de los Cobres. 3700m.
Day 6 – San Antonio de los Cobres / C1 Quewar – Abra del Gallo, Santa Rosa de Pastos Grandes, hike to C1 Quewar. 4550m.
Day 7. C1 Quewar / Camp Alto Quewar – Hike to Camp Alto del Quewar. 5200m.
Day 8. Summit Quewar / C1 Quewar – Summit Quewar Volcano 6150m, descent to C1. 4550m.
Day 9. C1 Quewar / Tolar Grande – Santa Rosa de Pastos Grandes, Pocitos Salt Flat, Siete Curvas, Tolar Grande. 3400m.
Day 10. Tolar Grande / Tolar Grande – today walks around the beautiful surroundings of Tolar Grande. 3400m.
Day 11. Tolar Grande / Basecamp LLullaillaco – Salar de Arizaro the largest in Argentina, Base Camp LLullaillaco. 4880m.
Day 12. CB / C1 LLullaillaco – Hike to C1. 5400m.
Day 13. C1 / Campo Alto LLullaillaco – Hike to Campo Alto, view of the Inca ruins. 5880m.
Day 14. LLullaillaco / Basecamp to Summit – Summit on the LLullaillaco Volcano, visit to the highest archaeological site in the world, descent to BC, celebration dinner as the objective had been accomplished. 4880m.
Day 15. CB / San Antonio de los Cobres – We take down the camp and return to San Antonio de los Cobres via Tolar Grande. 3700m.
Day 16. San Antonio de los Cobre / Salta – Quebrada del Toro – Salta. 1200m.
Day 17. Free Day – Extra day scheduled in case we encounter weather problems in the mountain. Farewell barbecue. Elevation 1200m.
Day 18. Salta / Transfer Out – Transfer to Salta airport.
Recorrido
DETAILS OF OUR SERVICES
Guides - Our guides are professionals with years of experience, skills and deep understanding and knowledge of this region. They were handpicked and carefully selected among the best. They have excellent people skills and a true commitment to share and pass on our culture. They are very sensible and great at generating unforgettable memories.
Transportation – all our programs make use of 4x4 vehicles. The vehicles are properly licensed and approved by CNRT (National Transport Regulating Commitee) and properly insured. Any of our vehicles can seat up to 4 travelers plus a guide who is also the driver. On board we have a satellite phone for emergencies, a VHF radio, an oxigen tuve and mask and a first aid kit.
Accomodations – The region and every village or town have different categories of places to stay. Equipa Tu Aventura will always proceed to book reservations according to guests preferences and availability at every destination.
Meals – Generaly we eat our meals at restaurants or simple dinners in towns or villages where they offer these services and we will have picnics or packed lunches in remote areas without such facilities. Our picnics are delicious and boast plenty of variety, amazing panoramic views, great Argentine wines and moka coffee. Evenings with an apperitive drink are our specialty. If you are vegetarian, vegan, celiac or have any allergies or dietary restrictions, please let us know in advance so we can make all necessary arrangements.
Walking – Often times, the most beautiful places are away from a road. That’s why our itineraries always feature some walking. The walks have different levels of difficulty according to our travelers preferences and/or physical condition so they can make the best out of these experiences.
What is the price of this trip? – Equipa Tu Aventura is a Tour Operator specialized in adventure tourism. We specialize in off-the-tourist trail travel experiences tailor made to fit every guest’s preferences. This is the main reason why there is no price list. We custom design all our itineraries to fit your interests and budget so you can get the best value for money. In order to do this, it’s important you let us know beforehand your interests, preferences and needs.
TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST VISIT TO ARGENTINA
1. Economy / Inflation – Argentina is a country with great fluctuations in its economy, at least as far as its currency. With double digit inflation and surprise devaluations, the Central Bank has a tight grip on the foreign exchange rate. The official rate is fixed at an under market value so there is a big difference between the black market dollar exchanged on the streets(called Blue Dollar) and the official rate. Many foreign visitors carry U$D or Euros in cash to Exchange on the black market where they get a much higher rate than in banks or exchange bureaus.
2. Culture – Argentina has the largest cultural scene in South America. Its film industry is vibrant and over the years many local films made successful runs at prestigious awards. Our advice to visitors is to watch a few emblematic films before travelling to Argentina to better understand the country’s history, the local idiosyncrasy and its cultural diversity. Buenos Aires, the country’s capital, is one of the top cultural metropolis in the western world worth a 2 or 3 days stop over to fully enjoy its cafes, night life, theaters, Milonga and Tango dance halls, libraries and museums.
3. Security – The Argentine people is kind and generally a good host to foreign visitors. Through the first half of the 20th century Argentina saw several waves of immigration mostly from Europe. Italy, Spain, Germany, France and Britain, were the origin countries with the biggest numbers of arrivals but many people also came from Eastern Europe, Siria and Lebanon. These new “Argentines” contributed to make our gene pool and cultural diversity even bigger. European visitors will find it very easy to blend in our cities. You will come across very few “Argentinos” that speak a second language, but many will go out of their way despite the language barrier to try to help you in any way or just to talk to you. We are always curious as to where are you visiting from. Argentina is a safe country to travel, but you need to pay attention and not be foolish as you would in any other country in the world.
WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO IN THE PUNA
The Puna or Altiplano is a high altitude plateau at an average elevation of 3500m where our bodies need time to adapt and adjust to the higher altitude and the lower pressure. 90% of our guests do very well in these conditions but the rest must drink more than the usual amount of water to keep hydrated, walk at a slower pace, not undertake strenuous physical activities and drink coca tea during the first few days of the tour to get acclimatized. It’s always a good idea to talk to your doctor before embarking on this trip if you never travelled to places in high elevation before.
In the Puna and in many other places in the northwest of Argentina, local people are kind and welcoming but many people are also shy and very reserved. So you should never take a picture of them or their animals without asking them first. Usually after you try to talk to them and they get to know you better there will be pictures with nice smiles from our new friends.
In many tour destinations around the world visitors engage in bargaining to lower the asking price of let’s say handicraft. In Argentina due to very high inflation, profit margins are small and uncertain, that’s the main reason our artisans don’t bargain. Prices are already very low at dollar or Euro value so out of respect please do not bargain.
