Marmolejo
(6109 m / 19,598 ft.)

The southernmost six-thousander in the world

Trekking / summit: alpine; 7-8 days

On the eastern part of the El Morado National Park raises mount Marmolejo, the southernmost "six-thousander" (in meters) in the world. From the Maipo valley what first appears is the San José volcano, Marmolejo's continuation towards the south, separated from it only by a narrow pass. Both mountains form part of a long chain. The complex is composed by a series of summits, of which only the main point exceeds the 6,000 m line. On the west side of the three-kilometers-wide caldera, different eruption spots bare witness to the long activity periods that throughout the centuries this now extinct volcano has had. Imposing glaciers cover the south and southeast flanks of this steep massif. Unlike the Tupungato, this six-thousander is of easy access and its ascent is relatively simple. Four different routes lead to the summit. Here we present the one through the Estero (brook) Marmolejo which has a low level of difficulty.

Starting point

Santiago

How to get there

From Santiago, go up the Maipo River valley, go pass Baños Morales (hot springs) up to the Colina bridge, approx. 3 hours. Two transportation companies provide minibus services that cover the whole stretch. Departure is at 7.30 am from Plaza Italia, in front of the Theater of the University of Chile. Depending on the season, departures are not daily. Information and beforehand reservations with Turismo Arpué at (56 2) 211 7165, or Manzur Expediciones at (56 2) 643 5651.

Day 1
(6 hours 985 m 60 m 3,240 m)

Right behind the bridge (2,292 m), we find the cabin of a countryman who produces goat cheese in the summer. From there we walk the dirt road and some hundreds of meters later, we take to the right of a fork on the road and follow the narrow path that goes up. A little less than an hour later, we arrive in the green valley of La Engorda that stretches toward the San José volcano. The begining of the valley is blocked by big boulders. Here we leave the path leading to the San José and cross a small bridge over the La Engorda brook. On the other side, we follow another track eastward, between the La Engorda and the Marmolejo brooks. Before arriving at the west hillside of the San José volcano, we must cross the Marmolejo brook and, depending on the season of the year and the hour of the day, this can be a very wet experience, since, unfortunately, there is no bridge yet. In Spring, we simply continue going up the Marmolejo valley and cross the brook higher up through a snow bridge.

The road keeps going up on the west side of the brook, through a very changing terrain which includes a rocky ground with large stones, and is frecuently lost. At 3,234 m we arrive at Confluencia, where two brooks converge. Here it’s possible to camp and, in the summer, there is clear water available. It’s also the last place where pack animals can get, since the growing stony ground prevent them from going on. Those who dispensed with this help can continue going up the valley for another hour. Here what’s best is to leave the track and walk through the narrow ravine along the brook. When the ravine starts to widen again, we cross the brook to the east, for the last time during the ascent. A few minutes later, near a huge rock and at 3,240 m, we’ll find a flat place with clean water where we can camp. Since the sources of the Marmolejo are glaciers and carries lots of sediments in springtime it is not advisable to drink its waters. All along the valley there exists the risk of landslides; rock avalanches roll downhill often, especially in warm afternoons. Choose well the place where to camp.

Day 2

We recommend to make an acclimatation excursion to the glacier. For this, we have to continue going up the Marmolejo valley and cross the following valley in the east direction. Walking on stony grounds and sandy terrain, we soon arrive at the glacier. Its lower part is covered with rocks and dirt, but upward it shines white and blue unfolding all its splendor. You can climb without difficulty up to 3,800 m. The whole excursion lasts approx. 5 hours.

Day 3
(6-7 hrs. 980 m 40 m 4,325 m)

We keep going up the valley – with smooth slopes at the begining – ascending along the Marmolejo brook through its east side. During the the season, the track is seen in some sections between the sand and the stony terrain. After 1 or 2 hours, we arrive at the steep slope that leads us to the pass. When there is snow, it’s relatively easy to climb up the slope using crampons; in the summer, the stones in the ground constitute a not inconsiderable difficulty during the ascent and the descent. After approximately 6 hours, we arrive at the pass, with its wonderful view of the mountains to the north, especially the Piuquenes and its glacier. The second camp, with its flat surfaces, is just a few minutes away, at 4,325 m. The water is under the ice penitents fields that melt, at the latest, in the afternoon.

Day 4

For acclimation purposes, this day should be used only to carry equipment to the third camp, and then go back to the second camp.

Day 5
(4-5 hrs., 655 m 10 m 4,978 m)

If we look at the summit, we can already see the place where the third camp will be. At its right there is a promontory of light brown rock. The way is in part marked with rock milestones, but depending on the period of the year, it could be covered with snow. At 4 900m, right after the promontory, there are good places to pitch the third camp, even if we are here quite far from the summit. Depending on the state of the snow, we could even camp a little higher. We can find place for various tents on the morrain stone ground at 4,978 m.

Day 6
(6-8 hrs., 1100 m 1100 m 6109 m)

The glacier covers the first half of the road to the summit. If no ice penitents are formed, this route is the easiest with crampons. Up on the glacier there is a track that leads to the summit, which is a little after the highest point visible from the third camp, adorned by a reddish rock. The road looks a lot shorter than it really is and we cannot take it too lightly. The view is wholly worth it.

Days 7 and 8

Descend down to the second camp and to the starting point.

GPS Data Marmolejo

Colina bridge	S 33°48.886'	W 070°00.484'	2 292 m
Marmolejo brook	S 33°47.778'	W 069°59.561'	2 478 m
Confluencia	S 33°45.443'	W 069°58.317'	3 234 m
1st Camp	S 33°45.005'	W 069°58.096'	3 240 m
2nd Camp	S 33°42.864'	W 069°56.772'	4 325 m
3rd Camp	S 33°43.430'	W 069°55.633'	4 900 m
Summit	S 33°44.077'	W 069°52.660'	6 109 m