Appropriate season

Cerro Mirador del Morado is a springtime mountain. It is recommended to climb at the end of spring and the beginning of summer, when the snow conditions are optimum. The peak is also an excellent place to practice randonee skiing.

At the beginning of spring, the snow is deep, heavy, and very loose (with a danger of avalanches). In summer, the peak practically has no snow, and the route becomes a continuum of scree and sectors of poor quality rock.

Access

From Las Vizcachas, it is approximately 43 kilometers to San Gabriel (and the Carabineros control point), following the main road that winds along the Cajón del Maipo. From San Gabriel, it is another 18.2 km to Baños Morales, following the dirt road that runs up the valley of the Volcán river. Baños Morales is a small village located at the confluence of the Morales and Volcán rivers, on the east and north banks respectively (you must cross a bridge from the road you've been following until this point). Baños Morales has arrieros (horsemen of the Andes), goatherds, camping, innkeepers, and mountaineers. It's the final point towards the east with a minimum of provisions and with shade trees that allow a break from the sun (as well as Lo Valdés, which you find right in front, on the opposite bank of the Volcán river).

From Baños Morales, head for the entrance of the valley, which is an area protected by CONAF (Reserva Natural del Morado). To enter, one must tell the CONAF office about your excursion (time, number of persons, objective, return) and pay a fixed price per person per day of stay.

Approach

From the CONAF control point, one should follow the trail that winds to the end of the valley. In about one hour (3 km), you will reach Aguas Panimávida, an open area with wells of mineral water. In another two or three hours, you will reach Morado Lake (2,430m), after walking some 5 km. This is a natural place for camping: you are at just about the end of the valley, and the area has available abundant water and places to camp. Nevertheless, others prefer to continue to a plateau located at about 2,880m, walking towards the summit. From the lake, it requires more than two hours to reach this point, if you go with camping equipment. Without camping equipment, the time is reduced about in half.

The climb

From Morado Lake, continue to the end of the valley and take the farthest east snow-filled ramp that allows you to climb over the moraine of the glacier (VerFoto1) until reaching a large plateau, under a cirque of peaks formed between Cerro Union and Mirador (between one hour and an hour and a half. Upon reaching this plateau, continue to the north towards the colouir that falls on the right side of Cerro Mirador (as one can see in the first photo of the route, this colouir is not a part of the peak, but is the juncture of this peak with the chain of mountains east of the valley). (VerFoto4) At the base of the colouir, (about 3,230m), take care with a notorious bergschrund, which, depending on the season of the year, can be a very exposed and dangerous place.

The colouir is relatively clean (there is not much rockfall), although one should be attentive to the slide of snow and rocks coming from the east side of Mirador, and possible avalanches (for this reason, we recommend departing as early as possible. (VerFoto4)

From the bergschrund until the end of the colouir (the col between Cerros Unión and Mirador,) it is between one hour and a half and three hours (the range of time is large, given that the time varies much depending on the condition of the snow). The grade of the colouir is approximately 45°, although there are sections which steepen to 50°. The pass is pretty airy towards Morado valley.

Once at the pass, (+/-3.580m), continue ahead on the ridge of the mountain in the direction of the summit. The grade is similar to the colouir, and is sustained, without natural rest breaks; you reach the summit ridge in about two hours. The final meters pass in minutes, while you contemplate the spectacular scenery all about. VerFoto3.

The summit is small and very exposed to the wind, although it is the best place to contemplate the impressive Morado South Face and the glaciers which are in all directions. (VerFoto2).

Normally, one descends the peak using the normal route to the plateau. Nevertheless, the same route can be an alternate if the conditions of the snow and the experience and skill of the mountaineers warrant. The descent via the normal route can be much more slow and dangerous.

Gear

Abrigo y cortaviento

Ice axe or technical ice tools

Rope (for the glacier traverse on the descent). Also corresponding harnesses and crevasse rescue gear.

Pickets (1 per person)

Helmet

Schedule

Schedule 1

1. Santiago – Laguna
2. Laguna – Summit - Stgo

This is the traditional itinerary.

Schedule 2

Baños Morales - Summit - Stgo

The peak is climbable in one day from Baños Morales, though it requires departing very early.

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Ruta por la canaleta del rincón, con hielo, morrenas no tanta nieve, la pendiente de unos 40 y 50°, nunca vimos la rimaya estaba tapada con nieve o eso creimos, se nota el cambio de las fotos anteriores en el glaciar, logramos la cumbre en 5, 5 horas, bajamos al portezuelo haciendo rapel por un anaclaje natural que estaba en el cerro, un cordin que parece que llevaba años, le confiamos y todo salio bien, muy buen cerro, la mejor experiencia 

Nieve desde los 2600. De madrugada permite buen avance, luego con el sol se sopea. La rimaya tenía un buen puente, no siendo necesario asegurar. Desde la salida de la canaleta el tramo de gateo en roca habrá tenido unos 40-50m y luego se retomaba la nieve. Penitente comenzando a formarse por la parte superior. El descenso por el glaciar San Francisco estuvo fácil y expedito, con griestas visibles y buenas pasadas.