I'm carrying on with questions about summits in the Andes !
This time regarding Licancabur :

> It is said that there might be explosive mines on the slopes of Licancabur. All removed ?
Any signs mentionning them ? Any objective danger ?

> Is it therefore safer to climb up with a local guide ? (Chilean as we would start from San Pedro)

> If done with a guide, how much do San Pedro agencies charge ?

> If done without a guide, easy to find transportation between San Pedro and the start of the ascent ?
How much for that transportation ?

Thanks again to everybody !

you can easily do lincancabur without a guide, at least if you have some experience with altitude (summit is close to 6000m).
I climbed it in 2001 with a friend. you can go with one of the tourist groups doing the salar de uyuni-tour with landrovers. get out at laguna blanca (small settlement) and camp there for one night, then hike up to "base camp" (there are some rockwalls for protection from the wind - part of an ancient inka building or so). Remember to bring enough water!!! (only salt lakes and the snow is melting away in the daylight)
the climb itself is technically easy. climbing up scree and snow slopes and a little scrambling. we only used "normal" trekking boots and trekking poles (no grampons/ice axe). bring some warm clothing, headlamp and enough water & everythings ok. we did not hear anything about mines and did the whole trip in 3 days from san pedro. (return same way) unfortunately we spent the first night in a thunderstorm around 5000 metres, which means in the storm. not very nice (the tent nearly got crushed by snow and wind).

have fun!
flo.

Myzantrope wrote:> It is said that there might be explosive mines on the slopes of Licancabur. All removed ?
Any signs mentionning them ? Any objective danger ?

There are. There are also mine fields between Calama and San Pedro (the signs are next to the road). They started removing them, but they are not removed yet. Signs are there, but not everywhere. Licancabur is still therefore climbed from Bolivia, even of you go w/ a Chilean agency.

Myzantrope wrote:> Is it therefore safer to climb up with a local guide ? (Chilean as we would start from San Pedro)

No local Chilean guides takes you from the Chilean side anyways. They all go via Bolivia

Myzantrope wrote:> If done without a guide, easy to find transportation between San Pedro and the start of the ascent ?

You can hitchhike, but this will leave you with quite a bit of walking. Most cars go to Argentina though, but some trucks to Bolivia. They go in the morning from the Aduana. When going back, most cars (not many though) come by there in the afternoon.


Cheers,
Peter

In San Pedro is one agency "Bolivia Tours" (as I remember), which organizes trips to the salars in Bolivia. They will take you for 10US$ to the refugio at the Laguna Blanca. This service is run daily since at the refugio the tourist change from jeep (Bolivia) to bus (Chile) and reverse.
From the refugio it's one hour or little more by walk to the awesome Laguna Verde, where you are alone in the afternoon - one of the greatest spots in the Andes.

Usually the authorities want that you use a guide for Licancabur. Just tell them you go hiking for some days and do the summit on your own.

From the refugio you need approx. two days for the summit. Leave the hut at noon and go to the foot of Licancabur, climb it the following morning and return to the refugio. the next morning around 10 the bus takes you back to San Pedro.

Salut Myzantrope,

It's a 10km walk on the road from Laguna Blanca refuge to the ruins on the Licancabur slopes.
I started walking in at 2pm from the refuge and set up my tent before 5pm at 5000m.
Wake up at 1 or 2 am and start walking to the top. You shoud get there by 6 or 7am and have time to run down, pack and get back to the refuge to catch the 10:30 bus to San Pedro.
The story in français here (jour 148) : http://fabriceontheroad.blogspot.com/20 ... chive.html

A ciao !