Volcán Ojos del Salado Base Camp Route

The drive to Ojos del Salado base camp at 5,200 meters is a brutal lesson in high-altitude vehicle dynamics, following mining tracks through the Atacama’s most desolate corner where the world’s highest volcano towers over a landscape that looks like the surface of Mars. Starting from Copiapó, the route climbs steadily through the Tres Cruces National Park, past the emerald waters of Laguna Verde, before the final technical push through loose volcanic scree and boulder fields. At base camp, you’re higher than any point in the continental United States, with clear views of both the Pacific Ocean and the Andes spine stretching to Bolivia.

This is expert-level high-altitude driving where mechanical sympathy matters more than horsepower. Turbocharged diesels are mandatory — anything naturally aspirated will struggle above 4,000 meters. The route demands aggressive tires, skid plates, and emergency shelter because weather changes happen fast and violently at altitude. Best attempted March through November when snow doesn’t block the highest sections, but always pack winter gear. No fuel or water above Copiapó — plan accordingly. The payoff is standing at one of the most remote accessible points in the Western Hemisphere, where the silence is absolute and the night sky reveals stars invisible at sea level.