An old mine road to the summit of Cerro Aucanquilcha

# Cerro Aucanquilcha: Chile's Extreme High-Altitude Adventure

Towering in the Antofagasta Region of northern Chile, Cerro Aucanquilcha is a behemoth stratovolcano sitting right on the edge of the Alto Loa National Reserve, just west of the Bolivia border. Once upon a time, this mountain held an impressive title: home to the world's highest drivable road. Today? It's a hauntingly beautiful reminder of mining ambitions at the edge of the sky.

The story here is pretty wild. Back in 1913, miners started extracting sulfur from the volcano using llamas as pack animals—yes, really. Fast forward to 1935, and they'd installed a 22-kilometer aerial cable system to send buckets of sulfur down the mountainside. But the real game-changer came in 1972 when a switchbacking dirt road was completed all the way to the summit, capable of handling 20-ton trucks. For decades, this was genuinely the highest mine on Earth, sitting around 5,500 meters (18,044 feet) above sea level.

Here's where things get interesting (and brutal): that road doesn't work for vehicles anymore. Since the mine closed in 1993, landslides have reclaimed significant portions, and the unpaved surface has deteriorated considerably.

If you're thinking of tackling this on a bike, brace yourself. The terrain is relentless—expect to push your loaded bike roughly 80% of the way between 4,000 meters and the 5,130-meter high point. Yes, sections are technically rideable, and some hardy souls have made it to the summit, but this isn't a leisure cruise.

On foot, it's more manageable if you're properly acclimatized. The old mining camp at 5,280 meters makes a solid basecamp with natural windbreaks for your tent. Just know that the winds here are absolutely merciless, and winter nights? Bone-chilling cold.