GUNUNG · Chile
Cerro Toco
Source—
- Feels like
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- Humidity
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- Wind
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Source: Open-Meteo
Information
- Elevation
- 5.604 m
- Country
- Chile (CL)
- Location / Range
- Andes (Puna de Atacama, Cordillera)
- Mountain type
- Gunung berapi (stratovolcano/kubah lava — Purico Complex)
- Volcanic?
- Yes — volcano
- Coordinates
- -22.9399, -67.7803
- Difficulty
- Sedang (non-teknis; tantangan utama ketinggian ekstrem)
- Best Season
- Bisa sepanjang tahun; hindari salju & angin dingin musim dingin (Jun–Agu). Aklimatisasi 2–3 hari dulu di San Pedro de Atacama.
- Permits & Rules
- Berada di kawasan Chajnantor Scientific Reserve; umumnya didaki bersama pemandu berlisensi dari San Pedro de Atacama. Jalan kendaraan mencapai ~5.200 m sehingga pendakian efektif hanya ~400 m.
- Hazards
- Penyakit ketinggian akut (AMS) akibat puncak >5.600 m, udara sangat tipis, suhu dingin ekstrem, dan angin kencang di dataran tinggi gurun.
Description
Cerro Toco (5,604 m) is a volcano (lava dome/stratovolcano) at the northeastern end of the Purico volcanic complex, in the Atacama Desert of Chile's Antofagasta Region — only a few kilometres from the Bolivian border and near Licancabur and Juriques. Because a vehicle road reaches about 5,200 m, it is one of the most accessible 5,600-metre summits in the Andes and a favourite acclimatization peak: the effective climb is only ~400 m of ascent over 2–3 hours, with no technical difficulty, yet demanding because of the altitude. The summit offers a 360° panorama over the Salar de Atacama, the San Pedro oasis, and the chain of border volcanoes. On its western flank stands the Atacama Cosmology Telescope at ~5,200 m — one of the highest observatories on Earth.
Gallery
Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.
Routes
Ruta Normal (dari kepala jalan ~5.200 m)
Sedang (non-teknis; hiking di ketinggian ekstrem)The standard and most popular route to the summit of Cerro Toco (5,604 m). A 4x4 delivers climbers to a trailhead around 5,200 m near the Chajnantor telescope complex, so the hike is just a rocky, sandy switchback trail of about 3 km with ~400 m of gain. There is no technical difficulty, but the air is very thin and cold — 2–3 days of acclimatization in San Pedro de Atacama is strongly advised. The summit gives a 360° panorama over the Salar de Atacama, the San Pedro oasis, and the Licancabur and Juriques volcanoes.
SourceClimbing Experiences
Climbers describe Cerro Toco as a friendly but not-to-be-underestimated first 5,000-metre summit: because the road reaches ~5,200 m, the climb is short (~400 m, 2–3 hours) up a rocky/sandy switchback trail, yet the very thin air makes every step feel heavy. Many highlight the importance of 2–3 days acclimatizing in San Pedro de Atacama, the cold and wind at the top, and the reward of a 360° panorama over the Salar de Atacama and the border volcanoes.
References
The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.