The Easiest 6,000er: Nevado San Francisco Unveiled

Difficulty

Challenging

Comfort

Basic

Group size

2-10 tourists,
over 18 y.o.

While it might not be a household name, Nevado San Francisco is a sparkling gem of the Andes — a perfect introduction to the world of high-altitude mountaineering. Straddling the breathtaking Chile–Argentina border in the heart of the Atacama Desert, this peak is often hailed as the world’s most accessible 6,000-meter summit. And for good reason.

Our expedition follows a well-established route used by climbers acclimatizing for the mighty Ojos del Salado, the tallest volcano on Earth. With a carefully crafted acclimatization plan and the support of 4WD vehicles, we’ll ascend to dizzying heights — reaching up to 5,200 meters with ease, no need for heavy packs or technical climbing. This is high-altitude made comfortable, and adventure made achievable.

Maximo K. is the provider of this trip

The provider speaks: English, Spanish

Maximo is one of the world’s most accomplished high-altitude mountaineers, with over 25 years of climbing experience and a career spanning more than 118 expeditions. Born in Argentina, raised in Brazil, and educated in the UK, Max has led professional climbs since the age of 23, guiding teams through some of the most extreme and remote mountain regions on Earth—from the Andes to the Himalayas. His deep knowledge and calm leadership have earned him a reputation for precision, safety, and unwavering dedication. Recognized by Guinness World Records, Max holds the record for the most 6,000-meter peaks climbed, with 90 ascents in the Andes alone. He has summited over 260 peaks above 5,500 meters and participated in at least 11 expeditions to the world’s legendary 8,000-meter giants, including the formidable K2. In 2012, he launched the Andes 6K+ Project, an ambitious mission to climb all 104 Andean peaks over 6,000 meters—an effort that is now 85% complete. His solo season, during which he summited 30 of these peaks alone, remains a landmark achievement in South American mountaineering. Beyond his climbing exploits, Max is a passionate educator and researcher. He contributes to high-altitude medicine studies, teaches specialized courses for physicians, and plays an active role in the classification and naming of Andean peaks. As the founder of Andes Specialists, he continues to share his knowledge and love for the mountains with climbers from around the world. With more than 30 countries visited, Max remains as humble as he is accomplished—always seeking the next summit with the same curiosity and respect that first drew him to the heights.

View Maximo`s tours

The tour guides you'll probably meet as well

Jorge

Jorge was born in Trelew, a city in the province of Chubut, in Argentine Patagonia, near the sea. At the age of 12, his family moved to Epuyen, a small town nestled in the mountains of Northern Patagonia. It was in this environment that Jorge began to explore and climb mountains from an early age. At 15, a physical education teacher introduced him to the fundamentals of hiking through the forests and mountains of the region. He earned his Trekking Guide certification in 2011 and became a certified Mountain Guide in 2013 through the Provincial School of High Mountain and Trekking Guides in Mendoza. Over the course of his career, Jorge has climbed various mountains in Patagonia, the Central Andes, Bolivia, and Brazil. Since 2015, Jorge has been working as a guide with Gente de Montanha, where he is also responsible for expedition logistics during the summer season in Argentina. During the rest of the year, he returns to Epuyen, where he dedicates himself to mountaineering, climbing, trekking, kayaking, and cycle touring—always planning his next adventure. Throughout his career, Jorge has led more than 25 expeditions to Mount Aconcagua, completed over 42 expeditions to mountains above 6,000 meters, and helped more than 150 people achieve their mountaineering dreams. He has been guiding for Gente de Montanha for over 10 years.

Tour highlights

Summit Nevado San Francisco (6,023m)

One of the world’s most accessible 6,000-meter peaks, perfect for high-altitude experience.

Stay at a Private Camp on Laguna Verde

Camp complete with Starlink internet, hot showers, and full comfort at 4,300 meters.

Smooth Acclimatization with 4WD Support

Reach extreme altitudes easily without heavy loads or technical climbing.

Route details

We’ll meet you at the airport, just 50 km from Copiapó, and take care of final gear checks and any last-minute shopping. In the evening, enjoy our first group dinner and get to know your fellow adventurers!

Included: Transport, hotel 🛏️

Difficulty

Challenging

Does not require specific skills, but one must be in a good physical shape

Tour provider's comments

🥾 Previous high altitude trekking experience (highly recommended)

💪 Solid cardiovascular fitness

You don’t need to be a technical climber, but you should be familiar with the effects of altitude and basic snow walking. Treks like Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Base Camp, or even Machu Picchu are great preparation.

Accommodation

Comfort

Basic

Hotel

2 nights

Camp Site

2 nights

Tent

7 nights

4 stars hotel with shared rooms.

Tickets to group meeting place

Group meeting place

Copiapó

Calculate tour price with tickets from your city

Partnered with

Weather during the tour

Weather conditions along the route

You will get a weather forecast for this tour’s route based on

the forecasts for this season
the statistics from previous years’ trips

Conditions

Included

English speaking leader;
professional english speaking guides with experience on every 6,000m peak;
average guide ratio of 1:2 to 1:3 on summit days;
transportation from Copiapó airport to hotel and back;
2 hotel nights in Cumbres de Atacama (4 stars, shared rooms);
all transportation in 4×4 vehicles throughout the expedition;
2 nights at Refugio Laguna Santa Rosa (shared rooms);
camping setup at Laguna Verde base and all summit camps;
tent nights (7 nights), including set-up and breakdown;
dining tent and kitchen tent at basecamp;
all meals during the expedition (breakfast, trail snack, dinner);
clean drinking water throughout the expedition;
transport of expedition gear and food via vehicle (no load carrying by clients);
medical support: Oximeter checks, health monitoring, emergency oxygen;
group equipment (tents, stoves, cookware, kitchen gear, fuel, etc.);
toilet tents at Laguna Verde;
solar charger for USB devices;
starlink internet at basecamp (free basic access).

Extras

flights to/from Copiapó (CPO);
personal mountain gear (sleeping bag, boots, down jacket, etc.);
rental of personal equipment (available in Copiapó, pre-booking required);
meals in Copiapó (approx. 3 meals);
travel insurance (recommended);
extra nights in hotel or private rooms (upon request);
private tent supplement;
expenses due to early descent or abandoning the expedition;
tips for guides;
personal medication or medical expenses.

Equipment Rental Costs – Copiapó

2024 rental prices – confirm availability in advance:

Thermal sleeping pad – $35
Down jacket – $115
La Sportiva double boots – $130
Down mittens – $50
Crampons – $50
Climbing helmet – $40
Ice axe – $50
Sleeping bag (-5ºC to -10ºC comfort) – $90

It's important to know

Having the right mountaineering gear is essential for a successful expedition. Your equipment will be personally checked by one of our guides upon arrival at the hotel. Don’t worry if you’re missing something — you can easily rent or buy all necessary mountaineering equipment in Copiapo.

Head

Bandana
Buff or similar

Hat
Woollen hat or similar for cold days

Sunglasses (cat 3 or 4)
With side protection to fit your face

Sunscreen and lip balm
30 FPS or more

Batteries
AA or AAA batteries depending on your headtorch. Can be purchased in local store.

Headtorch
Working headtorch and spare batteries

Torso

Summit Down Jacket
Heavy hooded down jacket for cold conditions

Snowproof jacket
A good snow, rain and windproof jacket

T-shirt
Synthetic fibre long or short sleeve t-shirt

Fleece jacket
Used alone or as part of a layer system for better performance

Legs

Trekking pants
Light trekking pants

Base layer pants
For very cold days and summit push

Snowproof pants
Goretex or similar pants will be used for high wind or during snow conditions

Fleece Pants
Fleece, polartec or similar. To be used with other layers for very cold conditions

Hands

Hand warmers
Chemical hand warmers for the summit push.

Mittens
Thick down mittens for summit push

Gloves
Fleece or polartec gloves for every day use

Feet

Single layer boots
Any single layer boot such as Nepal Extreme, Latok, Batura, pro Thermic Salomon, Super Mountain 9 Salomon, etc

Sandals or crocs
Sandals or crocs for river crossing or hanging around camp

Trekking boots
Waterproof trekking boots, try wearing them before the expedition

Trekking socks
Good thick trekking socks

Thick expedition socks
For summit day

Double boots

A pair of double or double plastic boots such as Koflach Exped, Koflach Vertical, Asolo Ottomilla, Asolo AFS, Trezetta, Scarpa Vega, Scarpa Inferno, La Sportiva Baruntse, Olympus Mons, La Sportiva Spantik, Scarpa Phantom, La Sportiva G2.
Single layer boots such as La Sportiva Nepal XT, EVO, Batura or Boreal Latok, ARE NOT SUITABLE.

Other Equipment

Inflatable matress
An inflatable mattress and its repair kit

Carbo gels
These gels help out on recovery

Snacks
Salty snacks, sweets, etc. Any sort of tasty ready food as complement. On high altitude mountains we don’t normally worry about vitamins and proteins as these kinds of food are too hard to digest. You can buy all these in a local market.

Sleeping Bag
A good down sleeping

Rucksack
A decent rucksack with hip belt and rain cover

Personal Hygiene kit
Soap, tooth brus, come, etc

Sleeping mattress
We prefer taking 2 foam sleeping mattress because of sharp rocks. If you have an inflatable mattress you should also bring a foam mattress to protect the inflatable one against sharp rocks. Don’t forget bringing a repair kit if you have an inflatable mattress.

1 litre thermos
Metallic good quality 1 litre thermos for the summit push. You must have one. Please do not bring smaller ones.

Water bottle
Nalgene 1 litre bottles or similar are great for expeditions! We prefer to not use camelbacks as its hose pipe might freeze

Duffel Bag
Used to transport or store your equipment. In many cases, we transport your personal gear on animals and we don’t want your equipment to get wet or have mule smell…