Nevado del Chañi “Snowy of Chañi”

Brief history

The first climbers of these mountains were the Inca for religious reasons, and they deposited different mummies over 80 years on its top.

The first climbers on record made the ascent in 1901, and later, the mummies were looted. Today, the mummies are preserved in poor condition, because of looters, in museums in Buenos Aires.

Different military expeditions were also carried out with different objectives; for example in one of these military expeditions, a cannon was fired to achieve the highest cannon firing record in the world at that time.

Other expeditions were with anthropological objectives, detailing the innumerable amount of Inca traces.

Other important expeditions are the opening of vertical ascent routes through the south face. These sports expeditions were true feats of human achievement.

Necessary equipment

• Crampons

• Pickaxes

• Trekking poles

• First layer thermal clothing (gloves, pants, t-shirts)

• Second layer clothing (trekking pants, coat, hat, cap, socks)

• Third layer clothing (windstopper pants, waterproof jacket, warm gloves, down jacket)

• Winter sleeping bag

• Sleeping pad

• Utensils to eat (plate, cup, cutlery, etc.)

• 60L backpack

• Sunglasses with UV 4 protection

• Trekking boots

• Mountain boots

• Do not forget personal medication and personal hygiene products

Minimize weight on all necessary equipment, including cameras, books, and any other items you'd like to carry. We must be aware that everything must be transported in difficult conditions and by ourselves.

In any case, you can bring any things that you consider important and during the first day in the hotel decide together if we will leave it stored in the hotel or take it with us.

Itinerary

Day 1 Meeting

The first day with all the group together is in Jujuy. We shared the first day walking in San Salvador de Jujuy downtown waiting for the group. At the end of the day, we will have an introductory meeting and the goal is to get to know each other and introduce ourselves.

During the meeting, we will talk about the rules of coexistence, safety, organization and we will answer all questions and doubts. We will also review the itinerary with special attention on day 1.

Day 2 San Salvador de Jujuy to Leon river.

The second day starts early. We will load all the equipment in the transfer, and we will travel approximately 50 minutes to Leon. Leon is a town about 15 miles from San Salvador de Jujuy.

We will meet the Balderrama family who will be in charge of transporting the heavy equipment on their donkeys.

The town of Leon takes the name from the Leon River that passes by its side. At this point, we will abandon the routes, and the vehicles will travel through a dirt road in poor condition. It’s an unofficial road on the side of the river, and every year floods produce damage on the road.

We will advance about 6.5 miles to Encrucijada, which is where the Leon River joins another river. From this point, our expedition begins on foot.

Going up the Leon River, we will have to cross it several times, and we will have lunch on one of its sides. At the end of the afternoon, we will camp near the lands of local residents. The campsite is just before starting the ascent on the Inca trail.

Day 3 Río León to Ovejeria 11.500 ft

Early in the morning, we start the ascent on the Inca trail. It's a zig zag trail where the amazing landscape and views start to show their beauty.

This part of the trail is long and hard. We will need to go slow and rest to enjoy the views. This trail is built for Incas and is an incredible work of engineering over hundreds of years old.

Our goal for the second day is Ovejeria, a hidden place between mountains with a little church and houses. Everything is built with mood bricks. In this unreal place, lives the Balderrama family. They farm during the summer different types of vegetables and take care of their sheep and goats during the winter.

Close to their home we can find a lot of pictographs. Experts say that the pictographs are from before the Incan Empire.

Day 4 Acclimatization day.

We will need this day to rest, walk around, share meals with the Balderrama, visit their animals and crops, and learn about their customs.

We will also carry out the first physical check-up and control the acclimatization.

In the afternoon, we will make a hike to the blue lagoon to continue with the acclimatization process.

Day 5 Ovejeria to the military shelter 15.000 ft

We will make this segment slowly. On the way, we will visit the Balderrama’s winter shelter, the water channels for irrigation, and the blue lagoon again and we will stop many times to appreciate the incredible views.

The donkeys will carry the heavy loads, and we will prepare again to acclimatize in this refuge.

There is a lot of history locked up in these mountains. For the first time, we will see the south face of Chañi, and its most famous vertical climbing routes.

Day 6 Acclimatization day.

On this new day of acclimatization, we will visit the surroundings. We will visit different interesting parts of the glacier plate, and we will talk about geology and geography.

We will carry out more medical check-ups. It is common to experience headaches, nausea, and general malaise. We will be monitoring symptoms to prepare for the days ahead.

It is very important to have a talk with the group about the preparation for the summit and high camp days, and we will review the equipment and use of crampons and ice axes.

Day 7 Military shelter to high camp 16.700 ft

In the morning, with the equipment that each member of the group must transport, we will move to the high camp. Once there, we will set up the tents, rest, and take the opportunity to prepare ourselves for the summit day.

We will perform the last medical exam and control the symptoms.

This camp will be set up without the help of the donkeys because it is too high for them, so all the equipment will be distributed among the members of the expedition.

Finally, in the afternoon and after the specific talk for the attack on the summit, we will go to sleep very early.

Day 8 Summit 19,455 ft

We must get up to start walking around 2 am. We will have a quick and hot breakfast, and at the agreed time, we will begin the ascent.

The ascent is done slowly, we will seek to maintain the rhythm and the first great rest will be done at sunset, taking advantage of the morning sun to warm up. We must stay together and stay hydrated. Achieving the summit requires a high degree of concentration, teamwork, and mental toughness.

Near noon we will reach the summit to enjoy the achievement and appreciate the views.

We will make the descent in the heat of the afternoon, and when we reach the high camp, we will take a break.

We will break camp and begin the descent to the military shelter for the night.

Day 9 Military shelter to Ovejeria

In the morning, we will organize the equipment and return to Ovejeria. The donkeys will load the equipment again, and in the afternoon, we will be resting in the company of the Balderrama who will prepare their best dinner: goat in a clay oven with vegetables grown by them in the area.

It is a night of celebration for the objective achieved. If the summit was not possible, we must celebrate the experience, the learning, and the happiness of sharing good times in incredible places like these.

Day 10 Ovejeria to San Salvador de Jujuy

This last day is long and complex, we must get up early and undertake a journey of 18 miles to where the transport vehicles await us on the Leon River. We must retrace the Inca trail and cross the river in several parts.

The views, as always, will be incredible and the happiness of concluding the experience adds a palette of emotions difficult to describe.

Once in the transport, we will return to the hotel, take a shower, and finally go out to enjoy a group dinner at a local grill in the city that welcomes us with the best cuts of meat every year.

If there is still energy left, we will end up in our favorite bar enjoying good talks, music, and sharing with our fellow hikers.

Day 11 Goodbye

In the morning, our roads are divided, it will be our farewell at breakfast, and those who have to return to their homes and their families will be able to start their respective trips. We strongly recommend taking more days to get to know Jujuy and northern Argentina. They are incredible places that are worth enjoying.