GUNUNG · Chili

Volcán Lascar

Volcán Láscar

Volcán Láscar, stratovolkano paling aktif di Andes tengah, di Gurun Atacama, Chili. Photo: source

Information

Elevation: 5.592 m
Country: Chili (CL)
Location / Range: Zona Vulkanik Sentral Andes, Gurun Atacama (dekat San Pedro de Atacama)
Mountain type: Gunung berapi (stratovolkano kompleks, aktif)
Volcanic?: Yes — volcano
Coordinates: -23.3667, -67.7464
Difficulty: Berat (ketinggian >5.500 m; pendakian non-teknis tetapi butuh aklimatisasi)
Best Season: April–November (musim kering Altiplano); akses tergantung tingkat siaga vulkanik
Permits & Rules: Pendakian umumnya lewat operator berlisensi dari San Pedro de Atacama; akses dapat ditutup SERNAGEOMIN/CONAF saat aktivitas vulkanik meningkat
Hazards: Penyakit ketinggian (>5.500 m) yang serius, gas vulkanik (SO2) di dekat kawah aktif, suhu beku & angin gurun tinggi, risiko erupsi vulkanian mendadak

Description

Volcán Láscar (5,592 m) is the most active stratovolcano in the Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, standing in Chile's Atacama Desert not far from the tourist town of San Pedro de Atacama. Erupting on record since 1848 and continually releasing gas with occasional vulcanian eruptions, it has two cones with several craters — the active one on the eastern cone. Even so, when the alert level is low, Láscar is one of the most-climbed 5,000ers among Atacama visitors: the ascent starts from high ground around 4,600–4,900 m and is a non-technical route that still demands acclimatisation because of the extreme altitude. The reward is a direct view into the steaming crater, the Salar de Atacama and the chain of Altiplano volcanoes.

Gallery

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

Routes

Ascenso Normal (dari sisi barat/base ~4.900 m)

Berat karena ketinggian (jalur non-teknis di pasir & scree vulkanik)

+700 m ≈4–6 jam pulang-pergi dari titik tertinggi kendaraan

The normal route for visiting climbers from San Pedro de Atacama. A 4x4 delivers climbers to high ground around 4,600–4,900 m, then the ascent follows sand and volcanic-scree ridges to the crater rim at 5,592 m. Technically not difficult, but the extreme altitude makes it hard and demands several days of prior acclimatisation. Its proximity to the active crater means the climb only opens when the volcanic alert level is low, and it is usually guided by a licensed operator.

Source

Climbing Experiences

Climbing Volcán Láscar almost always starts from San Pedro de Atacama as part of a staged acclimatisation program. The ascent begins from high ground around 4,600–4,900 m and is a non-technical route over volcanic sand and scree toward the rim of the steaming active crater. Climbers' footage — in Spanish, English and Portuguese — consistently stresses the extreme altitude, desert cold and wind, sulphur smell near the crater, and the views of the Salar de Atacama and Altiplano volcanoes.

References

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