Introduction

Cerro Provinica is the most visited summit of the Ramón Range, the mountain range immediately to East of Santiago, visible from anywhere in the city. North to South, it is the first peak of the before mentioned range; towards the South follow Cerro Tambor, Cerro Ramón and Cerro Punta de Damas.

Cerro Provincia is one of Santiago´s most visited nearby peaks on weekends. Since it is a fairly easy and safe climb, a broad range of people climb the peak, most of whom will share some deep thoughts about the bustling city in the distance during rest stops, almost always followed by some mention of the city´s heavily polluted air.

Cerro Provincia (called by some "de la Providencia") is a dry hill, with a landscape very typical of the "precordillera" (lower ranges of the Andes, just next to the Central Valley) of Central Chile. During summer, the lower two thirds are a real oven. The last third is somewhat cooler thanks to the winds and the temperature loss due to altitude. From the summit, the entire Central Valley may be seen, all the way to the Cordillera de la Costa. Towards the east, one can see the complete line of great mountains that would be visible from Santiago if only the Ramon Range didn´t stand in the way.