Llullaillaco Expedition
- Llullaillaco
- History and more
- Maps
Llullaillaco
Llullaillaco, the second highest volcano in the world, surpassed only by Ojos del Salado, is situated in a remote part of the region on the Chile-Argentina border and lies in the Puna de Atacama, a region of very high volcanic peaks on a high plateau within the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places in the world. It is the fifth highest volcano in the world, and it is also the seventh highest mountain of the Western Hemisphere.
The peak's name comes from Aymara "murky water": llulla= dirty and yacu= water. Other sources propose it to have originated from Quechua Lullac= lie, Yacu= water: "lying (or treacherous) water".
Llullaillaco follows the typical Puna de Atacama volcano pattern: it is surrounded by large debris fields, and is perpetually capped by snow and small glaciers despite the extremely dry conditions of the region.
There are several climbing routes which do not require specialized climbing techniques, although the low temperatures and the altitude impose great difficulty.
The best period to climb it is between June and October. Have a look to our San Pedro & Llullaillaco program
History
We can recognize two major evolutionary stages in the history of the volcano. Llullaillaco I, the ancestral volcano, which has a history dating back to the Pleistocene (1.5 + 0.4 Ma), is now represented by two deeply eroded cones and associated lava flows; some of which are up to 20 km in length and are distributed mainly to the west. Llullaillaco II is the present post-glacial edifice and is a small, well preserved cone built upon Llullaillaco I. There are reports of eruptions in 1854, 1868 and 1877
It has been confirmed that Incas climbed Llullaillaco in the pre-Columbian period. On the summit there are extensive ruins, including a short stairway, several small stone dwellings and various raised terraces. these date from the time of the Incas when the mountain was used for religious purposes and sacrifices. They constitute the highest evidence of human presence worldwide before the late nineteenth century. Also, the huáqueros may have also reached its summit and those of other mountains in the region during their searches.
In 1999 on Llullaillaco's summit, an Argentine-Peruvian expedition found the perfectly preserved bodies of three Inca children, sacrificed approximately 500 years ago. This is the highest Inca burial so far discovered in Tawantinsuyu and the world's highest archaeological site.
The mummies are those of a 15-year-old girl, nicknamed "La doncella" (The maiden), a seven-year-old boy, and a six-year-old girl, nicknamed "La niña del rayo" (The lightning girl). The three mummies are exhibited at the Museo de Arqueología de Alta Montaña in Salta , Argentina. Mummies are typically rotated in the exhibit every six months.
The first recorded ascent (after pre-Columbian period) was on December 1, 1952, by Bión González and Juan Harseim.
