Spending a night on the slopes of Ojos del Salado Volcano (6,893 m) means withstanding night gusts of 90 km/h and temperatures that plunge to -25 °C. Having exact information about the high-mountain infrastructure helps you avoid thermal failures and serious logistical surprises.
At Vulcano Expediciones we have been guiding ascents in the Puna de Atacama for more than 25 years. We have spent dozens of nights in every hut and camp on the northern side. This guide compiles the GPS coordinates we verified in the field, the up-to-date structural condition, the usable water sources and the recommended camping strategy.
Summary Table: Huts and Camps on the North Route (Chile)
The system of huts and base camps on Ojos del Salado runs along the 4x4 track that links international route CH-31 with the north face of the volcano.
| Hut / Camp | Altitude (m) | GPS Coordinates (WGS84) | Type of Structure | Real Capacity | Water / Snow | Operating Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refugio Laguna Verde | 4,340 m | 26°52'16" S, 68°28'33" W | Stone / Wood | ~15 people | Mineral hot spring | Open, free access |
| Refugio Murray (Claudio Lucero) | 4,500 m | 26°58'21" S, 68°27'48" W | Metal container | 8 - 10 people | No water source of its own | Open, free access |
| Campamento Atacama | 5,200 m | 27°06'35" S, 68°32'48" W | 2 Containers + Stone windbreaks | 8 in the module + tents | Penitentes snow | Open, free access |
| Refugio Tejos (UA) | 5,837 m | 27°06'01" S, 68°33'12" W | Insulated double container | 12 bunks | Snowfield snow | Open, free access |
| Campamento El Arenal (Argentine Route) | 4,800 m | 27°11'40" S, 68°24'10" W | Stone windbreaks on scree | Tents only (100%) | Peninsular snow | No permanent hut |
💡 Field experience: None of the huts on Ojos del Salado has wardens, heating or the option to book in advance. Access is free, in order of arrival (first come, first served). Going up to the high camps without a 4-season tent, counting on finding a spot at Tejos, is severe logistical negligence. To check the exact map position, altitudes and access tracks of each of these huts, you can explore our Interactive Map of the Seismiles Route.
1. Laguna Verde Hut and Camp (4,340 m)
Laguna Verde is the nerve center of altiplano acclimatization. Set on the shore of a turquoise lake ringed by 6,000 m peaks, it offers excellent initial shelter before heading in toward the volcano.
Technical Sheet and GPS Coordinates
- Altitude: 4,340 m.
- GPS coordinates:
26°52'16" S, 68°28'33" W(-26.87111, -68.47583). - Vehicle access: Directly along the paved CH-31 route, 250 km from Copiapó. Suitable for all types of vehicles.
Structural Condition and Services
The main infrastructure is a large cabin built with stone walls and a wooden roof. Inside there are long tables, benches and sheltered floor space to lay out sleeping pads and sleeping bags.
Outside there are temporary chemical toilets installed during the high-season months. Their maintenance is irregular, however. For that reason we recommend practicing Leave No Trace principles by carrying bags for your personal waste.
Water Source and Treatment
Next to the hut, thermal springs well up at temperatures between 35 °C and 40 °C. Stone windbreaks surround pools where you can bathe to relax your muscles during the acclimatization days.
But the water from the springs along the shore has high concentrations of minerals, sodium and sulfur. Do not drink it directly without treatment. For drinking we recommend two options:
- Bring drinking water in jugs: Load at least 30 liters per person from Copiapó in the truck.
- Filtering and prolonged boiling: Use water from distant springs, filtering it with activated carbon and mineral neutralizers.
2. Claudio Lucero / Murray Hut (4,500 m)
Built on the Juncal flats, Refugio Murray pays tribute to the legendary Chilean mountaineer Claudio Lucero. It is the usual technical stop when leaving the international route to enter the volcanic track.
Technical Sheet and GPS Coordinates
- Altitude: 4,500 m.
- GPS coordinates:
26°58'21" S, 68°27'48" W(-26.97250, -68.46333). - Vehicle access: Gravel and light sand track, 10 km south of the Maricunga Carabineros station. A 4x4 is recommended.
Condition of the Infrastructure
The hut is a modular steel container anchored on a concrete slab. Its interior is lined with plywood for thermal insulation.
- Interior capacity: 8 to 10 people sleeping on mats on the wooden floor.
- Equipment: A fixed auxiliary table, shelves for gear and reinforced polycarbonate windows.
- Insulation: It keeps the interior temperature 5 °C to 10 °C above the outside temperature during the night.
Water Strategy and Logistics
The area around Murray is completely arid. There are no streams of liquid water or permanent snowfields nearby.
All the drinking water to supply this site has to be carried in the vehicle. In a supply emergency, go to the San Francisco Border Complex or to the Carabineros post at Maricunga.
Plan your hydration progressively by checking altitude symptoms with the Acclimatization and Altitude (AMS) Calculator.
3. Campamento Atacama (5,200 m)
Campamento Atacama is the real operating base for climbing Ojos del Salado. The general access road ends here and the direct physical demand of the high mountain begins.
Technical Sheet and GPS Coordinates
- Altitude: 5,200 m.
- GPS coordinates:
27°06'35" S, 68°32'48" W(-27.10972, -68.54667). - Vehicle access: 22 km of 4x4 driving from Laguna Verde. You need to lower tire pressure to 18-20 PSI on soft sand sections, as we explain in our guide to 4x4 Logistics and Driving on the Seismiles Route.
Camp Infrastructure and Layout
The camp has two habitable metal containers placed by the regional authorities and the Andean Rescue Corps.
- Open Module: Available as quick shelter for mountaineers. It holds between 6 and 8 people, tightly packed.
- Operations / Emergency Module: Reserved for rescue personnel, park rangers or rescue teams during high season.
- Stone Windbreak Area: Around the modules there are more than 15 circular windbreaks built from volcanic rock. They let you pitch 4-season tents sheltered from the westerly winds.
⚠️ Safety warning: At 5,200 meters the air density is 45% lower than at sea level. Nights are cold. Make sure you have a tested sleep system. Check the insulating strength of your sleeping pad and bag in the Sleeping Bag and R-Value Calculator.
Water Supply: Melting Snow
There is no running water at Atacama. The only water source is the snow accumulated in the penitentes of the neighboring gully.
Suggested Gas Consumption for Melting Snow at 5,200 m:
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• Compact snow / Penitentes: ~100 g of isobutane/propane mix per person / day.
• Frosty or loose snow: ~150 g of gas per person / day.
• Boiling time at 5,200 m: 8 to 11 minutes per liter (boiling point: ~83 °C).
Melting snow takes patience. Always put a first splash of water in the pot before adding the snow, so you don't burn the bottom of the pot and waste fuel.
4. Refugio Tejos (5,837 m)
Located on the upper plateau of the north face, the Universidad de Atacama Hut (Tejos) is the last fixed structure before the summit stretch.
Technical Sheet and GPS Coordinates
- Altitude: 5,837 m (often cited as 5,830 m).
- GPS coordinates:
27°06'01" S, 68°33'12" W(-27.10028, -68.55333). - Access: A 3 to 4 hour hike from Campamento Atacama. If the track is clear of snow, a well-prepared 4x4 truck with low range and an expert driver can reach the door of the hut.
Details of the Tejos Infrastructure
Donated by the Universidad de Atacama in memory of the Tejos brothers, the structure is made up of two metal modules joined together with thermal insulation between them.
- Bunk capacity: 12 wooden bunks arranged as double berths.
- Mattresses: None. You must use an insulated sleeping pad on the wood.
- Table and common space: A small central aisle with a table for stove preparation and pack storage.
- Interior temperature: Although it fully protects from the wind, the temperature inside the hut at night usually ranges between -10 °C and -15 °C.
| Feature | Refugio Tejos (5,837 m) | Campamento Atacama (5,200 m) |
|---|---|---|
| Wind Protection | 100% Airtight (Steel walls) | Partial in a tent (Needs stone windbreaks) |
| Occupancy Rate (Jan-Feb) | Very High (Risk of overcrowding) | Moderate (Ample camping space) |
| Exposure to Hypoxia | Severe (~41% O2 available) | Moderate (~45% O2 available) |
| Time to Summit Push | 6 to 9 hours to the top | 10 to 13 hours to the top |
The altitude at Tejos creates high physiological stress during the night's rest. Analyze the impact of environmental hypoxia with our Altitude to Available Oxygen Calculator.
Getting Water at Tejos
Water is obtained by melting blocks of ice from the permanent snowfields located 50 meters from the hut.
Since water melted from pure snow lacks mineral salts, add electrolytes or rehydration tablets to avoid osmotic depletion and muscle fatigue on summit day.
5. Overnight Strategies and Overcrowding Protocol
The classic dilemma when planning Ojos del Salado is deciding whether to sleep at Tejos or launch the summit push directly from Atacama.
Option A: Direct Push from Campamento Atacama (5,200 m)
- Advantages: You will sleep at a lower altitude, which guarantees better muscle recovery and better quality sleep. You avoid carrying heavy sleeping bags and stoves up to 5,800 meters.
- Disadvantages: Summit day gets 3 to 4 hours longer. It requires leaving at 2:00 AM in extremely low temperatures.
- Ideal profile: Climbers with great walking speed and 4x4 convoys that carry the team up to Tejos in the early morning so they can start walking at 5,837 m.
Option B: Overnight at Refugio Tejos (5,837 m)
- Advantages: It reduces the elevation to climb on foot on summit day to 1,056 vertical meters. It lets you start the day at 4:30 AM or 5:00 AM.
- Disadvantages: The physical deterioration overnight from hypoxia at 5,837 m is pronounced. If the hut is full, you will have to pitch a tent on frozen ground in severe winds.
Overcrowding Protocol at Tejos (5,837 m):
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1. Check whether there are free bunks when you arrive, before 3:00 PM.
2. If all 12 bunks are taken, ask for space on the floor of the aisle.
3. If the hut is packed to maximum capacity (16+ people), level a platform outside.
4. Anchor the 4-season tent using heavy volcanic rock blocks on the guy lines. Do not trust light aluminum stakes on the frozen scree.
Essential Gear for the Camp System
To operate safely in the Ojos del Salado huts, pack the following proven technical items in your duffel:
- Down Sleeping Bag: At least 1,000 grams of 800+ fill power down (comfort range -20 °C to -25 °C).
- High R-Value Sleeping Pad: A closed-cell foam pad (R-Value ~2.0) under an insulated inflatable pad (R-Value > 4.5) for a combined total R-Value above 6.0.
- Multi-fuel Stove or Gas Stove with Preheater: Conventional gas stoves without a preheating tube fail at -15 °C. Choose liquid fuel (white gas) or synthetic winter blends.
- Lithium Batteries: Alkaline and NiMH batteries lose their charge within minutes at -20 °C. Use only lithium batteries for your headlamp and GPS devices.
Before setting out on the final stretch to the summit, review the technical requirements of the summit rock pass in our guide to The Final Chimney of Ojos del Salado: Technical Difficulty and Use of Ropes. Also, make sure you arrange the official authorization in advance by reviewing the procedure at DIFROL and CONAF Permits for Ojos del Salado.
