Cerro Mercedario and High Mountains of San Juan
Dare climb a mythical mountain and enjoy a view from a point even higher than condors can reach.
The Incas climbed Cerro Mercedario to worship the Sun god. Over five hundred years later, that same mountain top is waiting for you to live a unique experience. Enjoy climbing the fourth highest mountain in the Americas. Rest on the Valle del Colorado camp, surrounded by glaciers and a waterfall. Enjoy the mountain which does not receive many visitors and hence allows you to watch the typical Andean species: guanacos and foxes, hares and condors.
Cerro Mercedario lies together with four other mountains of the Cordillera de la Ramada: Pico Polaco and La Mesa, La Ramada and Alma Negra. They are all over six thousand meters high. Do you dare climb them? Go up amidst trails and valleys, ice and snow. Are you looking for your next challenge in the mountain? In the province of San Juan, listen to the call of the Cuyo mountain tops. Get ready to climb.
Geographic location: Center-West of the province of San Juan.
How to get there: Barreal is located 210 kilometers away from the city of San Juan. There is an asphalted road that takes you there.
Area: 22,589 sq km Climate: dry and cold.
Altitude: 1,626 meters above sea level (average altitude), 6,770 meters above sea level (maximum altitude at Cerro Mercedario).
Recommended length of stay: 15 to 16 days.
Recommended clothes and gear: they vary depending on the mountain top that you want to reach. It is advisable to book a certified tour guide to get detailed information about the required equipment and the conditions when climbing.
What to do: the most popular route for climbing Cerro Mercedario –the one the Incas originally used– goes along the North side and crosses La Ollada glacier. But it is not the only one. On the East side, you can climb up along the Caballito glacier route. On the West side, the way up is steeper and hence more dangerous; this is the Argentina route. From the camping site on the South side, you can also access the other mountain tops of the Cordillera de la Ramada: Pico Polaco (6,000 meters above sea level), La Mesa (6,100 meters above sea level), Alma Negra (6,200 meters above sea level) and La Ramada (6,300 meters above sea level). In every case, expeditions leave from Barreal, in the Calingasta district, where visitors can book transportation, equipment and tour guide services as well as buy food supplies.
Tips: it is advisable to book certified mountain tour guides to get detailed information about the conditions of the roads and the soil.