Above:   Trekking hill Guane Guane, Pomerape and Parinacota Volcanoes, in the heart of Lauca National Park, Chile.  In the foreground, a wide spot in the Lauca River forms a cushion bog, or "bofedal".

Remember that Lauca National Park and 2 of the 3 other wilderness areas we visit are situated mostly above 4,300m in elevation.  This is above 14,000 feet. Alto Andino tours don't include mountain climbing, but we sometimes drive over passes of about 4,800m. The village of Putre is at 3,500m, or about 11,400 feet. 

Do yourself a favor:  Try to spend at least 2 nights at the level of Putre before ascending to the altiplano.  Whether you are birding, botanizing, or coming to the parks for the wildlife, you'll enjoy the trip more with an extra day of acclimatizing.  We offer tours throughout northern Chile, and some itineraries don't include high elevations. 

If you are pregnant, or have diabetes, high blood pressure, epilepsy, migraine headaches, asthma, sickle cell anemia, emphysema, or other circulatory or respiratory diseases, please obtain the advice of your doctor before planning an altiplano trip.  Best to consult a physician anyway, before coming to such a high elevation.  Lago Chungara is approximately the same elevation as the summit of Mt. Rainier in Washington State.