ANDES CLIMBCerro El Plomo

This expedition includes high-altitude mountaineering, backpacking, glacier and snow travel, tent camping and route finding. The Andes are the longest continental mountain range in the world, and over the course of one week participants learn and apply the principle of "Climb High, Sleep Low" to acclimatize properly, exactly as on a full-scale high-altitude expedition.

Working in teams to set the pace, navigate routes, establish camps and build a strong group dynamic is challenging yet deeply rewarding. Climbing Cerro El Plomo offers breathtaking views of neighbouring peaks — including Aconcagua, the highest summit in South America — and of the lush valleys far below.

El Niño del Plomo — The Inca Child of El Plomo Cerro El Plomo is not only a mountain: it is a sacred Inca sanctuary. In 1954, at 5,400 m near the summit, muleteers discovered the perfectly preserved frozen body of an eight-year-old Inca boy, buried around the year 1500 as part of a *capacocha* — the highest Inca ritual offering to the mountain gods, or *apus*. The child was dressed in fine textiles, wearing silver ornaments, feathered headwear and moccasins, and accompanied by miniature statuettes of gold, silver and spondylus shell. He is one of the best-preserved Inca mummies ever found, and today rests in the Chilean National Museum of Natural History in Santiago.

Along the route, teams walk past authentic Inca structures — ceremonial platforms, stone walls and the remains of the highest known Inca ceremonial site — that mark the ancient pilgrimage path to the summit. Understanding this legacy transforms the climb: participants are not only ascending a 5,424 m peak, they are following a route walked by Inca priests five centuries ago.

Activities and Risks Activities include high-altitude mountaineering, backpacking, snow travel, tent camping and route finding. Risks associated with this expedition include extreme cold, sunburn, multi-day exposure, isolated travel, falling or rolling rocks and hypothermia.

Difficulty Difficult. The program includes several days of trekking and climbing, as well as the ascent of a 17,782 ft peak. Participants must be in good physical shape to fully appreciate the program. No previous experience in rock or ice climbing is required.