Llullaillaco

Llullaillaco is a stratovolcano at the border of Argentina (province of Salta) and Chile. It is the fourth largest volcano and the second highest active volcano in the world, surpassed only by Ojos del Salado. It is also the sixth highest mountain of the Western Hemisphere.

Llullaillaco follows the typical Puna de Atacama volcano pattern: surrounded by large debris fields, and perpetually capped by snow and small glaciers despite the extreme dry conditions.

Its name comes from Aymara "hot water": lloclla= hot and yacu= water. Other sources propose it to be originated from Quechua Lullac= lie, Yacu= water: "lying water".

It has been confirmed that Incas were the first climbers of the mountain, much earlier than America's discovery by Christopher Columbus. Also the huáqueros may have also reached its summit and other mountains' during their searches.

Ascension routes

There are several ascension routes which do not require specialized hiking techniques, although the altitude imposes great difficulty and is by itself a very dangerous factor. Crampons and axe are needed as most paths cross large hard snow and ice fields.

However, the area is known to be covered by antipersonnel mines installed during the Argentina-Chile conflict period of 1978-1982, thus rendering it extremely dangerous. Experienced local guidance and absolute caution is mandatory.

History

In 1999 near Llullaillaco's summit, an Argentinian-Peruvian antropology expedition found the perfectly preserved bodies of three Incan children, sacrificed approximatly 500 years ago. This is the highest burial so far discovered on Tawantinsuyu and possibly also the world's highest.

Geology

Two major evolutionary stages can be highlighted in the history of the volcano: Llullaillaco I, the ancestral primary volcano, dates back to the Pleistocene. Two very eroded cones with associated lava flows, up to 20 km in length distributed mainly to the West, are the main evidences of its existence.

Built upon it there is a well preserved secondary post-glacial edifice called Llullaillaco II which has been active in historic times, whose construction yielded the grown up of several nearby lava domes. Many Holocene lava flows are associated with this latter phase; the two most notable are directed North and South of the volcano. These youthful-looking dacitic flows have been dated to be of late Pleistocene age. Moreover hot avalanche deposits, extending up to 3 km, are associated with one of the southern lava flows. There are still other very conspicuous flows remaining: one of the most striking, apparently caused by partial collapse of Lullaillaco I about 150,000 years ago, extends eastward into Argentina, diverging around Cerro Rosado stratovolcano 17 km to the East and terminating in the Salar del Llullaillaco. This deposit has not been thoroughly studied yet.

There are reports of eruptions in 1854, 1868 and 1877, possibly causing the youngest lava flows on the area, which are easily recognizable because of their very dark appearance.

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Ascension routes

History

Geology

Source

External links