A treacherous border road to Salar de Ollague Pass in the Andes

A treacherous border road to Salar de Ollague Pass in the Andes

Bolivia, south-america

Length

254 km

Elevation

3,695 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, adventure-seekers, listen up! You HAVE to hear about Paso Salar de Ollagüe, a seriously epic high-altitude pass chilling out at 3,695m (12,122ft) on the Chile-Bolivia border.

Nestled right in the heart of the Andes, inside Chile's Reserva Nacional Alto Loa, this route links the Antofagasta Region of Chile with Bolivia's Potosi Department. Word to the wise: it's only open from 8 AM to 8 PM daily.

Now, let's talk about the road itself. Forget smooth tarmac – this baby is all about that rugged, unpaved life! Known as CH-21 in Chile and Carretera 701 in Bolivia, both sides are gravel and can be pretty gnarly. But hey, that's part of the fun, right? The good news is it's usually open year-round.

Clocking in at 254km (157 miles) from Calama (Chile) to Maicota (Bolivia), this journey is REMOTE. Like, seriously out there. Unless you're a seasoned off-road pro, hooking up with a local driver is HIGHLY recommended. Trust me, the views are worth it, but you want to soak them in, not stress about navigating tricky terrain! Get ready for some unforgettable scenery.

Where is it?

A treacherous border road to Salar de Ollague Pass in the Andes is located in Bolivia (south-america). Coordinates: -14.7828, -63.6871

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Road Details

Country
Bolivia
Continent
south-america
Length
254 km
Max Elevation
3,695 m
Difficulty
hard
Coordinates
-14.7828, -63.6871

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