50 km from Tolar Grande
Travel 2007, ATACAMA DESERT
With 4000 m over sea level, this is the highest desert in the world. Most parts of the desert you will find in Chile, but the desert continues to stretch over the border in to Argentina as well. According to NASA, this desert is the driest one in the world, mostly covered with salt lakes, lava and sand. What make this desert so special is the altitude and the sort of narrowness to the sky. Another thing that I found striking with this desert was the rich variation of soil and minerals, changing from one desert valley to another. In the Argentinean Atacama areas where I travelled, the landscapes were often shifting dramatically in colores
To travel from on valley to another, one in red, than sepia, to green, next in blue, purple, yellow -even white, was an extraordinary experience and nothing that could be compared with any other experiences I have had before.
5 200 m over sealevel
If you like to visit deserted mines, I guess this must be an ideal place for this kind of adventures!
Salar de Pocitos
Roads are extremely bad and you cannot travel in these areas without a 4 wheel jeep. Even thought you do not meet a lot of cars on these roads, you have to watch out for trucks, transporting minerals on these small dirt roads, this vehicle act as they are the “king of the roads”, and you are the one, expected to step aside. Petrol stations are not to be found in very long stretches and the altitude force you to be careful even with smallest motions in the beginning. You also have to plane where to sleep, there are very few villages, but in some of them you might find simple loggings or a guesthouse. No one speaks English, so
Spanish is almost a must. Prepare yourself with food supply in the car, you might not find a restaurant for a couple of days! It is cold in the night, sleeping in the car might get far too cold. Be aware of the sun, at this altitude the sun is extremely dangerous and you never see anyone without a hat or textile covering their heads and faces at this heights.
Landmark 20 west from Chauchari
To reach Atacama Desert from Argentina, easiest way to go there is to fly to Salta or Tucuman. Flights from Buenos Aires are not too expensive. In Salta you can rent a 4 wheel drive, but book ahead on internet, (they do not have that many). If you want to continue in to Chile and San Pedro de Atacama, the vehicle needs a special registration, to cross the Chilean border. You can also choose to take a bus from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama. There is only one option, starting 7 in the morning, arriving in San Pedro de Atacama in the middle of the night, so you have to book a place to sleep there on beforehand. Busses are not comfortable at all, and the journey takes more than 16 hours and just with a few stops on the way. On the stretch from Salta to San Pedro de Atacama you will travel from an altitude on 1 700 m and pass the highest plateau on 5 200 m, and then move along on the desert plains, at least 6 more hours before you reach the desert city San Pedro de Atacama in Chile. However this might be an alternative to see the Atacama Desert (from a vehicle) since the 4 wheel drive alternative is quite expensive.
Alpaca
If you are lucky, you might see wild Alpacas, and in some of the many salt lakes, you may find a lot of flamingos. Alpacas is one of the few "larger" animals that can live at this altitude.
My personal reason for this desert journey, was to experience a desert on such high altitude and to complete a land art project during. I was also interested to experience high mountains related to a desert.
