Only three volcanoes in the central Andes are active, one of them is the majestic and imposing San José Volcano. The others are the Tupungatito Volcano (5,600 masl) and the Maipo Volcano (5,323 masl).
The San José Volcano rises with its 5,856 meters above sea level in the beautiful valleys of the Cajon del Maipo. Surrounded by rivers, large rock walls and mountains that impress with their different shades. This Volcano invites us to enjoy step by step an unforgettable experience in the central Andes, you can connect with this unique landscape, feel the wind, the scent of wildflowers, drink pure water coming down from the eternal snow of this great Volcano. With a challenging slope you will be able to test yourself, this great Volcano has “3 summits” and it will depend on the weather or the climate in its proximities which one you will be able to visit the day of the ascent. There is the crater of the Volcano that impresses by its magnitude, the Chilean Summit and the International Summit. With the best weather, we will be able to reach the 3 summits and go around the crater, but if the conditions do not allow it, the Volcano generally allows us to reach the crater and/or the Chilean summit.
The San José Volcano belongs to the San José Volcanic Complex, a volcanic complex that has several emission centers aligned in a northwest direction, forming two superimposed main volcanic edifices. The southern volcano, with a flattened summit, is the main cone, with four superimposed central craters forming a depression, in whose northern half is located the active crater, with a small dome inside and almost permanent fumarolic activity. The northern volcano has a wide open crater to the southwest and two small cones on its southeast and north flanks. This complex is covered by extensive glaciers on its eastern flank and several smaller ones in the western sector, being La Engorda and Nieves Negras glaciers the most important ones. There are numerous reports of recent eruptive activity, which according to them would reach up to 21 events possibly occurred between 1822 and 1960.
Although this is a historically active volcano, an updated review of the historical record indicates that there is no clear evidence of major eruptions.
Extensive valleys, plentiful rivers and millenary glaciers are part of the wonderful landscapes in which the great San José Volcano is located.
Location: San José Volcano (5.856 masl), Santiago de Chile.
Region: Metropolitan Region (RM).
Distance from Santiago to Cabrerio via G-25 one way: 109 km approx.
Distance from Santiago to Cabrerio via G -25 return route: 109 km approx.
Total distance round trip: 218 km approx.
We will pick you up and drop you off at the place that suits you best. In the case of this Expedition, we can pick you up and drop you off within the Metropolitan Region (Santiago de Chile). We can pick you up at the airport, home or domicile, hotel or hostel or meeting point and we can drop you off at the same or another point if you require it. Both the pickup and return is done where the client indicates as long as the place indicated is within the area and / or region mentioned above and with prior coordination with our team.
Initial Altitude: El Cabrerio (2.349 masl), parking lot.
Maximum Altitude: San José volcano summit (5.856 masl), Santiago de Chile.
Distance from El Cabrerio (2,349 masl), parking area to Las Lajas Base Camp 1 (3,800 masl): 8.6 km approx.
Distance from Base Camp 1 (3,800 masl) to Base Camp 2 (4,300 masl): 1.7 km approx.
Distance (round trip) from Base Camp 2 (4,300 masl) to the summit of San José Volcano (5,856 masl): 11 km approx.
Distance from Base Camp 2 (4,300 masl) to the Cabrerio sector (2,349 masl), parking area: 10.3 km.
Total distance to be hiked in km: 31.6 km.
You will visit an active volcano in the Central Andes.
You will ascend a volcano over 5,000 meters above sea level.
You will live the experience of a high mountain expedition.
You will test your limits with a challenging ascent.
You will learn about the history of Cajon del Maipo and its geological relevance.
You will be able to travel through unique landscapes in the interior of the Andes Mountains, among mountains, rivers and glaciers.
You will see and learn about the endemic flora and fauna of the central Andes and central Chile.
Incredible views of the great mountains of the Andes Mountain Range await you, from the summit you can see the great Mt. Marmolejo 6,108 meters above sea level, the southernmost 6,000 in the world.
We recommend you to do this expedition between the months of November and April. But it can also be done in autumn and winter, during the months of May, June, July, August, September and October.
Previous experience in trekking and/or mountaineering activities is required.
You must have the physical capacity to carry a backpack of 60-80 liters in certain sections during the approach, since the muleteers and mules arrive only up to the sector of Las Lajas at 3,800 meters above sea level, from this sector onwards each participant must carry their own backpack and equipment.
You must be in good health according to the activity.
It is recommended not to have recent operations and/or injuries since the route requires walking long stretches with weight on rocky terrain.
To have the appropriate personal technical clothing for the activity.
If you are a minor, you must have written authorization from your parents or guardians.
You must complete and sign a medical form which is given to you before each activity.
Choose the itinerary of your preference, the accordion will be displayed and at the end of each itinerary you will find the prices of each program and itinerary of this activity.
Check our available itineraries: 4-day basic itinerary and 4-day full itinerary (only for acclimatized clients or with previous experience); 5-day basic itinerary and 5-day full itinerary.
BASIC ITINERARY - 4 DAYS - SAN JOSE VOLCANO
Santiago – El Cabrerio area, Cajon del Maipo (2.349 masl) – Plantat Refuge trekking (3.130 masl) – Camp 1, Las Lajas camp (3.800 masl).
We include:
Camp 1 (3.800 masl) – Camp 2 (4.300 masl), This is the last camp that still has water due to the scarcity of snow on the Volcano.
We include:
Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – San José volcano summit (5.856 masl) – Camp 2 (4.300 masl).
Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – Disassembly of Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – Meeting with muleteer and mules in Las Lajas sector (3.800 masl) – El Cabrerio (2.349 masl), parking lot – Santiago.
We include:
Other services included:
Specification of transportation, food, guides, and others:
Our vehicles are equipped to operate in high mountain terrain, they comply with all safety systems established by law to operate in this type of terrain.
Both vehicles include:
Food provided by Allmountain:
Guide and Assistant guide:
Muleteer and mules:
Important information: We promote NO animal abuse. Therefore, the pack mules will not carry more than a reasonable weight and we will verify before each activity the conditions of the animal. As a company, we make sure to work together with the muleteer, the welfare of the mules that participate in our expeditions, knowing the places where they feed, where they live and the treatment they receive.
Photography Service:
Satellite telephone:
Covid 19 prevention elements:
Equipment not provided by Allmountain in the basic itinerary and required in the San Jose Volcano expedition:
Obligatory technical equipment not included in the basic itinerary:
This itinerary does not include:
FULL ITINERARY - 4 DAYS - SAN JOSE VOLCANO
Santiago – El Cabrerio area, Cajon del Maipo (2.349 masl) – Plantat Refuge trekking (3.130 masl) – Camp 1, Las Lajas camp (3.800 masl).
We include:
Camp 1 (3.800 masl) – Camp 2 (4.300 masl), This is the last camp that still has water due to the scarcity of snow on the Volcano.
We include:
Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – San José volcano summit (5.856 masl) – Camp 2 (4.300 masl).
We include:
Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – Disassembly of Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – Meeting with muleteer and mules in Las Lajas sector (3.800 masl) – El Cabrerio (2.349 masl), parking lot – Santiago.
We include:
Equipo proporcionado por Allmountain:
Other services included:
Technical equipment included and provided by Allmountain:
Specification of transportation, food, guides, and others:
Our vehicles are equipped to operate in high mountain terrain, they comply with all safety systems established by law to operate in this type of terrain.
Both vehicles include:
Food provided by Allmountain:
Food Expedition days: 4 days.
Guide and Assistant guide:
Muleteer and mules:
Important information: We promote NO animal abuse. Therefore, the pack mules will not carry more than a reasonable weight and we will verify before each activity the conditions of the animal. As a company, we make sure to work together with the muleteer, the welfare of the mules that participate in our expeditions, knowing the places where they feed, where they live and the treatment they receive.
Photography Service:
Satellite telephone:
Covid 19 prevention elements:
This itinerary does not include:
Santiago – El Cabrerío area, Cajon del Maipo (2.349 masl) – Plantat refuge trekking (3.130 masl) – Camp 1, Las Lajas area (3.800 masl).
We include:
Camp 1 (3.800 masl) – Camp 2 (4.300 masl) This is the last camp that still has water due to the scarcity of snow on the Volcano.
We included:
Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – San Jose volcano summit (5.856 masl) – Camp 2 (4.300 masl).
Campamento 2 (4.300 msnm) – Cumbre Volcán San José (5.856 msnm) – Campamento 2 (4.300 msnm).
Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – Camp 2 Disassembly (4.300 masl) – Meeting with muleteer and mules in Las Lajas sector (3.800 masl) – El Cabrerio (2.349 masl), parking lot – Santiago.
We included:
Other services included:
Specification of transportation, food, guides, and others: specificación de transporte, alimentación, guías, y otros:
Our vehicles are equipped to operate in high mountain terrain, they comply with all safety systems established by law to operate in this type of terrain.
Both vehicles include:
Food provided by Allmountain:
Guide and Assistant guide:
Muleteer and mules:
Important information: We promote NO animal abuse. Therefore, the pack mules will not carry more than a reasonable weight and we will verify before each activity the conditions of the animal. As a company, we make sure to work together with the muleteer, the welfare of the mules that participate in our expeditions, knowing the places where they feed, where they live and the treatment they receive.
Photography Service:
Satellite telephone:
Covid 19 prevention elements:
Equipment not provided by Allmountain in the basic itinerary and required in the San Jose Volcano expedition:
Obligatory technical equipment not included in the basic itinerary:
This itinerary does not include:
FULL ITINERARY - 5 DAYS - SAN JOSE VOLCANO
Santiago – El Cabrerío area, Cajon del Maipo (2.349 masl) – Plantat refuge trekking (3.130 masl) – Camp 1, Las Lajas area (3.800 masl).
We include:
Camp 1 (3.800 masl) – Camp 2 (4.300 masl) This is the last camp that still has water due to the scarcity of snow on the Volcano.
We included:
Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – San Jose volcano summit (5.856 masl) – Camp 2 (4.300 masl).
We included:
Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – San Jose volcano summit (5.856 masl) – Camp 2 (4.300 masl).
We included:
Camp 2 (4.300 masl) – Camp 2 Disassembly (4.300 masl) – Meeting with muleteer and mules in Las Lajas sector (3.800 masl) – El Cabrerio (2.349 masl), parking lot – Santiago.
We included:
Equipment provided by Allmountain:
Other services included:
Technical equipment included and provided by Allmountain:
Specification of transportation, food, guides, and others:
Our vehicles are equipped to operate in high mountain terrain, they comply with all safety systems established by law to operate in this type of terrain.
Both vehicles include:
Food provided by Allmountain:
Food Expedition days: 4 days.
Guide and Assistant guide:
Muleteer and mules:
Important information: We promote NO animal abuse. Therefore, the pack mules will not carry more than a reasonable weight and we will verify before each activity the conditions of the animal. As a company, we make sure to work together with the muleteer, the welfare of the mules that participate in our expeditions, knowing the places where they feed, where they live and the treatment they receive.
Photography Service:
Satellite telephone:
Covid 19 prevention elements:
This itinerary does not include:
To confirm your reservation you must pay 50% of the total amount of the expedition. To do so, please write to our email info@allmountain.cl and we will tell you the form and details of payment.
**The payment of the reservation, made from abroad is made through Paypal: When using this form of payment, the corresponding amount will be added according to the amount of the reservation, which is the Paypal charge when payments are made from abroad.
We work only with 4×4 vehicles equipped for the mountains. (Comfortable and with great capacity for mountain trails).
We work with groups that, in general, do not exceed six people per outing (which helps us to provide a more personalized service, in which a more familiar and concentrated atmosphere is generated).
Allmountain is certified by Sernatur (Certification of Tourist Guides; Certification in Adventure Tourism, sub-areas of: High Mountain, hiking, trekking, climbing) and is currently registered in the Registry of Tourism Service Providers of the same institution.
Our guides are people with experience in the field and have the required certifications to work in these activities (certifications that are also being updated), such as: Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Certification.
In each activity, we privilege the provision of a sustainable service: we use recyclable and organic products, we promote the principles of NDR (Leave No Trace), we promote local tourism, etc.
If you want to participate in a trekking or expedition and you do not have the technical equipment to do so, Allmountain includes them in each activity (if required). Example: tent, crampons, ice axe, helmet, etc.
In every trekking, expedition, mountain tour or climbing trip, we bet on one:
Cultural Sustainability:
Souvenirs from local artisans: We visit cultural centers, museums, craft fairs in order to promote the consumption of products from local communities and for our customers to interact with them to get a complete experience of the local community and their customs, food and so on.
Ecological Sustainability:
We use soaps and natural cleaning products that do not pollute the soil and water of the places we visit.
We use glass containers and after each activity we separate and recycle the garbage produced during our outings.
We try to clean the places we visit or bring the garbage we find.
Energy Sustainability:
Solar battery chargers: We use solar battery chargers to charge our cell phones, cameras and other electronic items.
Haz clic para chatear por WhatsApp o envíanos un correo electrónico a info@allmountain.cl / Click to chat via WhatsApp or send us an email to info@allmountain.cl