Volcanoes, lagoons, monks and cathedrals in the high Andes

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Digital Journal-By Igor I.Solar Sept 9,2013

Quipiaco is a highland lagoon usually frozen in winter surrounded by gentle hills offering breatht...

Image by Igor I Solar

Antofagasta - Among the most interesting expeditions to the Andes Mountain range is the trip to the “Salar de Tara” (Tara Salt-flats). The amazing scenery includes towering volcanoes, beautiful lagoons, incredible rock formations, and varied wildlife.

Quipiaco Lagoon

To get to ”Salar de Tara” one must travel from San Pedro de Atacama, in the region of Antofagasta in Chile, through the international route to Jama Pass which connects northern Chile with the city of Jujuy in Argentina. The route passes near Lincancabur Volcano (5,916 meters) and runs along the border between Chile and Bolivia before passing through the “Aguada de Quipiaco” (Quipiaco Lagoon). Quipiaco is a stunning highland lagoon, normally frozen in winter, surrounded by gentle hills offering breathtakingly beautiful landscapes.

 
About 50 kilometers away from the border, in the middle of the Andes highlands, the route to Tara leaves the main road to enter unmarked paths through the desert sands that are navigable only by experienced guides using 4x4, GPS-equipped vehicles.

Pakana Monks

At about 4400 meters above sea level there are several vertical rock formations known as “Los Monjes de la Pakana” (Pakana monks), also called “Moais of Tara” because of their vague resemblance to the stone statues existing on Easter Island.The “Monks” are gigantic stone pillars standing on the plateau which have been shaped by wind erosion over millions of years.

The Cathedrals and Tara Salt-flats

The way to Tara provides an amazing spectacle of rock formations and earthen colours. Along the trail one can see the 5,653 metre high Zapaleri Mountain, an extinct volcano whose summit in the middle of the Andes is the tripoint of the borders of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina.

The path through the desert sands continues for about 40 kilometres from the sector of the Pakana monks to the “Cathedrals of Tara”, another group of huge rock formations in the mountains also sculpted over millions of years by strong mountain winds.

See & Read More: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/357990

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