Ojos Del Salado Infinity Loop is an extension of the infinity loop concept thought up by Chad Kellogg, originally for Mt. Rainier in Washington State, USA. Originally, thought up as a grand blend of ultra-endurance and mountaineering. It is a way to use fitness to see and experience every view of a volcano, similarly to a summit-circumnavigation, but with two full climbs over the mountain instead of one up and down on the same route. It requires astute study of the conditions, weather, and best timing for each element of the journey.
Why Ojos Del Salado?
Ojos Del Salado is a natural extension of the “infinity loop” concept beyond the United States, for these reasons:
- It is the tallest volcano in the world, standing at 6,893 metres (22,615 ft) above sea level
- One of the Volcanic Seven Summits
- OdS has Aesthetically opposed standard climbing routes on the north and south sides of the Volcano.
- A geographically intuitive circumnavigation at hut elevations, ~17,000'
Just like the original infinity loop the basic route rules/directions are as follows:
- Climb up to the summit and down the opposing side
- Complete a half-circumnavigation back to your starting point
- Climb up and over the summit again
- Complete the other half-circumnavigation
[See Caltopo Map]
Time starts when you take the first step away from your starting point, and ends upon successfully completing the two trips over and two half-circumnavigations.
Videos for visual beta:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSXYlP1jHUk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHL0mSa3Ti8
Further Research:
https://explorersweb.com/second-seven-summits-ojos-del-salado/
https://www.summitpost.org/ojos-del-salado/150299
https://www.explore-share.com/blog/ojos-del-salado-facts-information/
Some great listens:
Kaytlyn Gerbin and Alex Borsuk on Rainier Infinity Loop
Jason Hardrath on the “Serenity and Suffering”
“To Infinity” - the original podcast about an infinity loop
- submitted by Jason Hardrath (IG)
