Tupungato is as Strato-volcano. It is the 3rd ellevation of the Central Cordillera of Argentina and Chile, losing in altitude only by Aconcagua and Mercedario.
It is situated very close to the "top of Andes"and from anywhere on Tupungato you can see the south face of Aconcagua.
The summit it was reached for the first time by the switzerland guide Mathias Zubbrigen, on the same expedition that he conquest the Aconcagua for the first time.
Tupungato is one of the highest peaks of Andes, but almost nobody intents to climb it, exatly because of it's proximit to the big A.
Althought Tupungato is great mountain, with a good variaty of routes, that can be just a trek or a ice mixt climb.

Getting There

There is two ways to get there, from Argentina and Chile.
From Argentina, it's more dificult to get there. The acces and the approx takes, about 10 days. From Chile is a little less.
Arriving in Santiago, and after taking all permits, you must find a way to get where the trail starts.
The Club Andino Aleman of Santiago charges about US$ 100,00 to leave the people there. But there is a way to go and save money.
When I went to Tupungato at 2003 Febbruary, I took a bus in Santiago to San Jose de Maipu, and I asked to the driver to stop at the cross betwen the mainly road and the road that leaves to Alfafal. We dropped there, in the middle of nothing and started to asked at the houses around for someone who have a car to leave us where the trekking start. We paid about 20.000 pesos, that is about 25 bucks!
Alfafal is a power plant that is administrated by Gener. There you must show your permits to enter.
You 'll also pass at a military area, so, you have take that permits. There is more 30 Km of a unpaved road to get there.
That road is for a mining company exclusive use, so you'll not find civilian cars. Only Trucks! But with the permits, your hike could go.

THE APPROXIMATION:

Day 1:Arriving where the trail starts, just 15 minutes up hill you find a good place to camp, Chacayes. You are at the beggining of begging.
Day 2: Following the trail, you'll walk up thru the Colorado river valley. A 5 or 6 hour of trekk you'll arrive at tributary river of Colorado, the Museo river, where has a good place to camp, Baños Azules, close to a small peak called "Pan de Azucar".
Day 3: That day is the worst one. You shoud cross the Estero del Museo river, go up to the Pan de Azucar slopes get do get down to another river, Estero del Azufre, that is situated inside a big canyon. Getting up all again you'll also walk more about 6 hour, still get at the Tupungato termas, a natural hot water pool. Walking a little more, you'll find close to the Estero del Tupungato River a good place to camp, that is the first place you can see to Summit of Tupungato and Tupungatito. That place is called Piedra azul, at 3000 meters high.
Day 4: Following the trail, you'll cross more two deep canyons rivers, and finally arrive at Vega de los Flojos, no more than 3200 meters. It takes less than 2 hour to do it. Take that day to rest.
Day 5: From Vega de los Flojos cross a hughe frontal moraine, walking up two valleys. Walk always on the right. It will have a moment that you'll have to go up the right side of a slopes, take care, that place is dificult to find the trail, crossing the rivers will show a great problem in that mountain.
Going up that slope, I'll cross a camp place called Los Espanholes. That is not a good place to rest because of the water, so continue following the trail, still arrive at a "paso" where you 'll find a beautifull ice towers formation called "penitentes", where has a good place to camp at 4300 meters.
Day 6: Go up to a camp situated at 5200. You'll cross a camp place at 4600 and some penitentes formation.
Day 7: Do up to 5500 camp. It's not a long trip, so you can choose to camp more high, about 5800.
Day 9: Summit Day.

For go back you leave about 3 or 4 days!

permits

Three permits are required:
from Chilean army, DIFROL and GENER
all permits are free
You take all in Santiago.
The first permit you must take is from DIFROL, that is the governamental department that takes care the boundaries (Dirección de fronteras y limites). You take that permit at that address:
Calle Bandera 52, 4th floor.
telephone: 56-2-6714110
fax: 56-2-6711909

Arriving there, you must leave a letter with your personal information. Than they will gave you another letter, to leave to the Chilean Army.
The army will gave you other letter that you'll have to send to GENER.
With the GENER letter in hands, you'll can go!
internet:
http://www.difrol.cl/index3.htm
email: difrol2@minrel.cl

When To Climb

The best season to climb is the South American summer.
To get there and go back you will spend about 15 days

Camping

Camps are allowed, it is a wild mountain, so, enjoy!

Mountain Conditions

See http://www.meteochile.cl/Pronos/pron_gral.html and click on Cordillera-zona central for weather conditions on the mountains of Central Chile.

Miscellaneous Info

To see more information, At Santiago look for The Club Andino Alemán...
Club andino's site:(http://www2.ing.puc.cl/~cseebach/Climbing/dav/)
To buy maps of Tupungato and all Chile Mountains:
IGM - Instituto Geografico Militar: Calle Dieciocho 369, Toesca subway station - Santiago.
www.igm.cl

External Links

gentedemontanha.com
more photos about Tupungato
difrol
Chilean department of boundaries, link for permits information
Instituto Militar Geográfico
Maps of Chile
Club Andino Aleman
Club Andino Alemán of Santiago de Chile.
Guides and information about the mountain
meteochile
Weather conditions in Chile
tutiempo.net
Weather conditions of Argentina

Images



[ View Gallery - 38 More Images ]