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Cerro Lampallo (4750m) | Alta Catamarca, Argentina

This “cerro” is a bit of an anecdote for us, as we chose it at random for acclimatising, looking to the sides of the road between Cortaderas and Las Lozas. We had no information about it, no one in the area knew anything about it and we found no trace along the route, not even at the peak (where we left a landmark of stones to bear witness to our ascent). Going down, we even baptised it (Cerro Independencia), but when we got home, and after looking carefully at the cartography, we found it already had a name, and supposedly some previous ascent, never mind!

A peak to start walking at a certain altitude before going to Las Grutas. An obvious, very pretty route to the top.

Area: Alta Catamarca, Argentina               Andes

Type of activity: Expeditions

I also recommend reading:  Index of the area     Villages and refuges     Recommendations     Transports

1 Map Argentine IGM

2 Google Earth diagram

 3 Visualising the route

4 From the pass

SUMMARY

Difficulty: Easy, acclimatisation climb. Distances longer than they seem.

Recommended material: Trekking equipment

Best time: November-March

Difference in level: 1200m

Times: For information only, as the conditions of the terrain and the personal conditions can vary a great deal. Between 3h30m and 4 hours for the climb, 2 hours for the descent.

Map:  Carta topográfica-Hoja 2769-23 Cerro de Incahuasi 1:100.000 IGM Argentino

Waypoints in UPS UTM/Datum WGS84 position format: Where you can get to by 4x4  19J 0585447 6982173  The pass 19J 0582297 6980832  Cerro Lampallo  19J 0579661  6981405

ACCESS BY CAR

Along the road from Fiambalá to el Paso de San Francisco. It lies between the former Cortaderas customs post (now in ruins) and the Las Lozas refuge, and is visible from the road. If you have a 4x4 the approach can be shortened a little. From the road we go off by 4x4 to the west, aiming at a solitary rock, with the river some 50 metres before it. We cannot continue here, because it is very deep and cannot be crossed by 4x4.

5 Halfway up, as always, it seems closer than it is

6 Taking photographs

7 From the peak

8 The descent from the past is on the lava flow

ASCENT

The route is visible at all times. We cross the river, pass the solitary rock and cross flatlands to a point under the pass, which is left to our left. We go through areas of sand and reach the pass, from where we follow the wide crest to the peak, the last part; it is best to go round a little to the right and approach the peak from behind, as it is very wide. The view is spectacular: Cerro Bonete, Monte Pissis, Cerro Nacimiento, Volcán Olmedo and Walter Penck, Ojos del Salado, El Muerto, El Fraile, Nevado Incahuasi, Cerro San Francisco, Cerro Bertrand, Cerro Morocho...

We go down the same way as we came up. It is possible to improvise a descent down the sand gulleys to our left, as long as we have no doubts.

9 Cerro Lampallo

 10 View from the peak

Date of information: 2007

Date of the route: December 2006

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