Has anyone here climbed Cerro El Plomo outside of Santiago? The one that's about 5430 meters.

This may seem like a dumb question, but how hard is it? For example, do you need an ice axe or are trekking poles enough? I've heard there are no crevasses. Is this an accurate statement? Any guesses in degrees on the steepness of the slopes or snow and ice fields?

Thanks.

Hi!

I was up there in 2004. The normal route is a scree hike-up, but I strongly advice crampons for a short stretch were you need to traverse a snow field. This is not a good place to fall, as you would fall down the glaciar iver.
A small axe is a good idea for that stretch, but for solid hikers poles are OK.

Go during the week, it is crowded on weekends.

Cheers,
Peter

Thanks for the info.