GUNUNG · Argentina

Cerro Bonete

Cerro Bonete Chico

Information

Elevation: 6.759 m
Country: Argentina (AR)
Location / Range: Andes (Puna de Atacama), utara Provinsi La Rioja dekat batas Catamarca
Mountain type: Puncak tinggi Puna berasal-usul vulkanik purba (kubah lava dasit–riodasit), kini tanpa aktivitas vulkanik
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: -28.0186, -68.7561
Difficulty: Berat (jalur relatif non-teknis, tetapi ekstrem karena ketinggian ~6.759 m, keterpencilan total, dan tuntutan aklimatisasi panjang)
Best Season: Musim panas belahan bumi selatan (November–Maret), terutama Desember–Februari
Permits & Rules: Tidak ada infrastruktur; akses melalui Puna La Rioja/Catamarca yang sangat terpencil. Sangat disarankan logistik ekspedisi 4x4, pemandu, izin/koordinasi lokal, dan aklimatisasi bertahap
Hazards: Ketinggian ekstrem (risiko AMS, edema paru/otak ketinggian), angin Puna yang kencang dan sangat dingin, keterpencilan mutlak tanpa jalur evakuasi cepat, dehidrasi, radiasi UV tinggi, dan badai salju mendadak

Description

Cerro Bonete — often called Cerro Bonete Chico to distinguish it from Cerro Bonete Grande — is a 6,759 m mountain in the far north of La Rioja Province, Argentina, near the border with Catamarca. That height makes it the fifth-highest independent summit in all of the Americas, after Aconcagua, Ojos del Salado, Monte Pissis and Huascarán. An older claim that its summit reached 6,872 m has been disproved by SRTM radar data, which confirms 6,759 m. Although today it appears as a high, non-volcanic massif, geologically Bonete was built by volcanic activity within the last 3.5 million years that formed lava domes of dacite and rhyodacite. It sits in the heart of the Puna de Atacama — a dry, cold, windswept and almost uninhabited high desert — so climbing it is a long high-altitude expedition rather than a technical climb: the main challenges are altitude, weather and remoteness, not difficult terrain.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

Pendakian gabungan dengan Cerro Veladero

Berat (ketinggian ekstrem)

Ekspedisi (memanfaatkan aklimatisasi dua puncak)

Some climbers combine Cerro Bonete Chico (6,759 m) with the neighbouring Cerro Veladero (6,436 m) in a single expedition to maximize acclimatization and logistics on the Puna. This uses shared high camps and the same 4x4 approach, enabling an ascent of two nearby six-thousanders on Argentina's remote high plateau.

Source

Ruta normal via Laguna Azul (flank barat)

Berat (non-teknis; scree/talus, salju musiman)

Ekspedisi beberapa hari (aklimatisasi + kamp tinggi berjenjang)

The current normal route generally starts from Laguna Azul, ascending the mountain's scree- and talus-covered western slopes to the summit. An alternative north-ridge line climbs from the pass between Laguna Creton and Mallín Mate Dulce, requiring a roughly 2.5 km ridge traverse over or around numerous false summits. It is technically easy — essentially trekking on rock and scree, with occasional snow/ice where crampons and an ice axe may be used.

Source

Rute normal ekspedisi via Puna La Rioja (kamp tinggi bertahap)

Berat (non-teknis, ketinggian ekstrem)

Ekspedisi beberapa hari (aklimatisasi + kamp tinggi berjenjang)

Climbing Cerro Bonete Chico is generally a 4x4 expedition deep into the Puna de Atacama in northern La Rioja, followed by progressively higher camps for acclimatization toward 6,759 m. The terrain is mostly rock, scree and seasonal snowfields with no significant technical difficulty; the real challenges are extreme altitude, cold Puna winds and total remoteness. It requires self-sufficient water, fuel and weather margins, since there is no infrastructure or rapid rescue.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Cerro Bonete Chico (6,759 m), the fifth-highest independent summit in the Americas, is climbed as a long high-altitude expedition across the remote, dry and windswept Puna de Atacama. The videos below document the journey to the summit — from a solo ascent to a combined climb with a neighbouring peak, to a full 6,759 m expedition on Argentina's high plateau.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.