Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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33.7436°S / 70.0663°W |
Route Type:
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Basic snow climb |
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Time Required:
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One to two days |
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Difficulty:
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III/50º |
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Approach
From the Conaf ranger station in Baños morales, the obvious trail climbs to the north, following the west side of the Morales river valley. After about 1 hour, it reaches Aguas Panimávida, a natural mineral spring. In another hour of walking, the trail reaches the small Laguna del Morado (2380m), a little alpine lake. From the Laguna, keep going to the north following the valley until its end (2800m).
Route Description
From the end of the valley, take a snowfield to the northeast, until reaching a plateau at about 3000m, located between Mirador del Morado to the northwest an cerro Unión to the southeast. From this plateau, it can be clearly seen the Canaleta del Rincón, that begins in a bergshrund a little above the plateau (at about 3250m), and ends in a small col between Mirador and Unión.
Crossing the bergshrund can be a problem, but in the good season (spring) there are usually good snowbridges for crossing it safely.
The 350 meters coulouir has an average inclination of 45º, with sections of 50º. Try to climb it early, to avoid the posibility of rock fall, and to find the snow on its best condition.
From the exposed col where the couloir ends (at about 3600m), climb to the northwest, following the southeast ridge of Mirador del Morado, with an inclination similar to that of the couloir, until reaching the summit ridge (3850m).
The final meters are ideal for enjoying the great views of the Morado massif to the north, the Morales river valley to the south, and the glaciers of the area, before reaching the small 3883 meters summit.
Descent is usually made following the normal route, wich involves walking over a low inclination but sometimes dangerous glacier. If descending by the same route of ascent, maybe some rapels can be necessary, depending on the experience of the climbers.
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Essential Gear
High altitude clothes
Crampons
Helmet
Ice axe
Rope (for the descent by the glacier, and maybe for rappeling or climbing the couloir, depending on the experience of the team)
Snowstakes (one per person)
Ice screws (if descending by the glacier)
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.