The Ampato Volcano is a volcano and also a snow-capped mountain that is located within the district of Maca, in the province of Caylloma, department of Arequipa. It is 80 kilometers from the city of Arequipa and It has almost 6,300 meters above sea level. The Ampato volcano is still an active volcano at the top of which temperatures below 0ºC have been detected.
Ampato means “frog” in Aymara; This name refers to the silhouette of the volcano seen from a strategic point in the surroundings.
The Ampato volcano has two peaks, the north one, over 6150 m s. n. m., and the south and main, at 6290 m s. n. m .. also known as the kingdom of the ducks
It belongs to the Ampato mountain range which, together with the Volcanic mountain range and the Chila mountain range, is part of the three main mountain ranges of the department.
The volcanoes that surround it are the Sabancaya and the Hualca Hualca.
This volcano is one of the favorite places in Arequipa, especially for those who have an interest in mountaineering; The first expedition that went to the volcano in order to conquer its summit, and that has a record, is the one that took place in 1966 and was led by Culbert.
Although the ascents to the top of the volcano are not considered within the difficult range, for mountaineering, the truth is that, although the natural terrain of the Ampato makes access easy, there are other factors that make it difficult, such as the case of the inclement cold that is registered in the area, as well as the strong winds, the constant snow that makes the path slippery, among other reasons, that make it necessary that the journey towards the conquest of Ampato be done in the company of guides specialized in mountaineering, since they know the most pertinent routes and know what to do in possible risk situations.
The Ampato Volcano is an important mountain in the department of Arequipa also, due to the archaeological discoveries that have been found in it, such is the case of the well-known “Lady of Ampato”, popularly called “The Juanita Mummy”, which were the remains frozen from a girl, possibly originally from Arequipa or from the city of Cusco, who was left in the place, as a ritual, during the Inca rule.
Routes to the Ampato Volcano:
There are three ways to reach the summit:
East side: normal route, east slope, crossing the north summit. It begins at the base camp (4600 m s. N. M.) And climbs in a northwesterly direction up slopes of rock and snow until reaching platforms suitable for setting up the field (5400 m s. N. M.) 1, 4 or 5 hours after starting the ascent.
From here we continue uphill to the east and then turn south and pass the north summit (6150 m s. N. M.). Complications culminate at this point; the continuation of the path is easier and in 6 hours the southern summit is finally reached.
The return is made in 3 hours to camp 1 and in 1.5 hours to base camp.
East side: slope; southeast ridge:
From the base camp you walk 2 kilometers to the edge of the gorge “el glaciar” (4900 m s. N. M.), Where an advanced base camp is installed. The journey continues when it meets a defined rocky ridge (lure of the path) and climbs the snow slopes until reaching the main summit, the south. The journey from the slope takes between 8 or 9 hours. The descent takes 4 hours and follows the same route as the ascent.
West side: Mucurca-Cabanaconde route:
It is an extremely long route (7 days round trip) and very little frequented. It begins in the town of Cabanaconde, in the Colca Canyon, and uses Inca trails, crossing beautiful places such as the Mucurca lagoon (4300 m s. N. M.).