San José de Maipo Hotels

Base camps at El Morado lagoon

From CONAF office (S 33º49’19,3” / W 70º03’49,1” alt. 1884 mts.), walk along the uphill trail 2 kilometres until Aguas Panimavidas -a mineral spring- (S 33º48’23,0 / W 70º04’20,5”) where the trail gets practically flat and keep heading north for 2,7 kilometres until reaching a small hill, where at its top the lagoon (S 33º46’57,1” / W 70º04’22,2” alt.2389 metres) is found.
There are plenty of terraces and places to set a tent, but the best ones are at the further end of the plateau, next to fresh water streams. There’s also a pipe that brings clean water from a stream, and good terraces are around.
The base of the glacier (S 33º46’06,3” / W 70º04’27,3” alt. 2530 metres, and environs) makes a good campsite for climbers at any season, and is located just 1600 metres north of the lagoon.

Unique Quality: This camping place has the most amazing view of El Morado peak (featured at the intro page), and is rewarded with peaceful and very wild surroundings.
The area is absolutely unequipped, although there is a pipe which brings water from a sediment-free nearby stream, for camper's convenience.
If you want to camp further into the valley, you can do so in several terraces found some 800 metres north of the lagoon area and also at the ice ramp 2400 metres further north from the lagoon, on the eastern branch of the valley, in case you don't want to stay at the glacier's base. This last place is safe to stay as well (no serac-falling, no cracks in the ice) and a better choice for ice climbers bidding for El Morado wall. Be prudent, though, if you set your camp there in winter, as the wind reaches the ramp quite strongly.
Please, bring back ALL of your garbage, and get rid of it in Santiago rather than at the ranger station.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Address: 5 km. from CONAF's checkpoint
• Website: www.conaf.cl
• Related to: Mountain Climbing, Backpacking, National/State Park
• Written February 21, 2003

Our camp at laguna El Morado

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