Articles — Ojos del Salado & the Puna 6Ks

Before you go

Emergency

131

Mountain rescue

Fire & rescue 132

Rescue is free

Rescue in Chile is a free public service — by law only Bomberos, the Cuerpo de Socorro Andino and Carabineros' GOPE run rescues, and none of them charges a fee. But Ojos del Salado is extreme and remote: it sits above the reach of most helicopters, so a high rescue means a slow ground evacuation, and any hospital care or repatriation afterward is billed to you.

Get expedition insurance that covers mountaineering above 6,000 m plus ground and air evacuation and repatriation — operators and refuges ask for proof. The separate legal must is the DIFROL border permit: it is free, applied for online (start about 20 business days ahead), and you present it at the Carabineros post at Laguna Verde.

SOS and rescue →When to turn back →DIFROL — Autorización de Expediciones, border permit

Essential safety guides

SOS & rescue When to turn back Reading the weather Altitude illness Comms & beacons All guides →

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