In short: Nevado de Chañi is 5,896 m high and sits on the border between Jujuy and Salta. Jujuy considers it its highest summit. It is climbed on an 8-day expedition from Purmamarca, via El Moreno and the Flor de Pupusa hut at 4,200 m. It is not technical: the difficulty is the altitude.
Chañi, Nevado de Chañi, Nevado del Chañi, Cerro Chañi. They are all the same mountain, and much of the confusion starts there. The rest comes from geography: people search for it as a Jujuy mountain and find it on maps of Salta. Both are true, and in this guide we sort that out before explaining how it is climbed.
Is Chañi in Jujuy or in Salta?
Both. Nevado de Chañi is the physical border between the provinces of Jujuy and Salta, in the Eastern Cordillera of the Andes. Jujuy claims it as its highest summit, which is why it is known as the roof of Jujuy, even though the mountain is shared.
That is how it is described by Andeshandbook, the most widely used Andean mountaineering database, and by the archaeological study of its capacocha published in 2001 in the journal Chungara.
In practice, the approach we use starts on the Jujuy side: Purmamarca, the Cuesta de Lipán pass, the Salinas Grandes salt flats and the community of El Moreno. So although the mountain belongs to both provinces, the expedition is an expedition in Jujuy, with the Quebrada de Humahuaca as the meeting point and the Puna highlands as the everyday landscape.
How high is Nevado de Chañi?
5,896 meters above sea level. It is 104 meters short of 6,000, and one of the highest summits in northwest Argentina, on the Jujuy and Salta border. All the names people search for, Chañi, Nevado de Chañi or Cerro Chañi, refer to this same mountain.
For scale: Cerro Champaquí, the highest point in Córdoba, is 2,790 m. Cerro El Plata, in Mendoza, is 5,968 m. Chañi plays in the same league as El Plata, with a different landscape and a different culture around it.
| Name you will find | What it is |
|---|---|
| Nevado del Chañi | The mountain, 5,896 m |
| Nevado de Chañi | The same mountain |
| Cerro Chañi | The same mountain |
| Chañi | The same mountain |
| Location | Border between Jujuy and Salta |
Why is Chañi a sacred mountain?
Because the Incas performed a capacocha on its summit, a ceremony of offerings to the mountains. In 1905 the body of a child of about five years old was found there with its burial goods. According to Andeshandbook, it was the first burial ever found on the summit of an Argentine mountain.
The child wore a tunic and a woven headband, and was accompanied by bags of coca leaves, sandals and ponchos. For more than a century the remains were held at the Ethnographic Museum in Buenos Aires. In 2026, after 119 years, they were returned to Jujuy.
For the communities of the Puna, Chañi is an apu, a mountain with a spirit. We walk it with that respect: without disturbing the ground, without touching ritual sites and sharing time with the community of El Moreno, which runs the huts on the approach.
How many days does it take to climb Chañi?
Eight days from Purmamarca. You do not walk for eight days: much of the time is acclimatization. You carry loads up, come back down to sleep, rest, and only then set up the high camp at 5,000 meters to attempt the summit.
This is how Nevado de Chañi is climbed, stage by stage:
- Day 1, Purmamarca. Meeting and gear check.
- Day 2, El Moreno (3,600 m). 90 km by vehicle across the Salinas Grandes.
- Day 3, Flor de Pupusa hut (4,200 m). By vehicle, +600 m.
- Day 4, carry to Jefatura de Diablos (5,000 m). 8 km and +800 m, then back to the hut.
- Day 5, rest. Gentle movement to consolidate acclimatization.
- Day 6, high camp. 4 km and +800 m, night in a tent.
- Day 7, summit at 5,896 m. 8 km and +900 m, more than 12 hours.
- Day 8, return. Transfer to Purmamarca.
Day 5 looks like filler but it is key: it locks in what you have gained.
How hard is Nevado de Chañi?
Very demanding, because of the altitude rather than technique. There is no climbing. There are days carrying weight, a night in a tent at 5,000 meters and a summit day of more than 12 hours with very little oxygen, Puna cold and wind.
According to Andeshandbook, the normal route follows the northwest slope and was opened by a Swedish expedition in 1901. The terrain is not technically difficult, but depending on the season there may be snow, and crampons are part of the required gear.
Above 5,000 meters everyone feels something: headaches, loss of appetite, poor sleep or running out of breath on slopes that would be easy lower down. That is expected and does not mean you are in trouble. That is why the expedition is built around acclimatization, and why it is worth reading about the phases of acclimatization and whether Diamox helps you acclimatize before you go.
Where do you sleep on the expedition?
Almost always indoors. There are nights in Purmamarca, in the community huts of El Moreno and Flor de Pupusa, and a single night in a tent at the Jefatura de Diablos high camp, at 5,000 meters, the night before the summit.
Flor de Pupusa is a stone house at 4,200 meters and serves as the acclimatization base for three nights in a row. It is a simple hut, with no showers, with beds and hot food your body really appreciates after climbing. It is run by the community, as is the one in El Moreno, and part of what makes the expedition special is sharing those days with the people who live there.
The tent night is short, cold and you sleep little, and that is fine: you leave before dawn. After the summit you break camp and go down to sleep in a bed. Meals are included from dinner on day 1 to breakfast on day 8.
What previous experience do you need?
Previous climbs above 4,000 meters, good tolerance to altitude and the ability to walk many hours with a pack. It is not a first mountain or a first 5,000 m peak to improvise on, and it helps to have spent at least one night at altitude before.
A good path to Chañi goes through a three-day 4,000 m peak, such as Cerro del Medio or Adolfo Calle and Stepanek, and a 5,000 m expedition with tents and load carries, such as Cerro Vallecitos. If you live in the north, the Tilcara to Calilegua trek gives you five straight days of mountains and Puna altitude.
If you are not sure where you stand, ask before booking. We would rather tell you not yet than have you reach 5,000 meters without the base the mountain requires.
What should you bring?
A 60 liter backpack, a high mountain sleeping bag and sleeping pad, trekking poles and crampons, category 3 or 4 sunglasses, three clothing layers, hand and head protection, eating utensils, a headlamp and a 2 liter water bottle, plus spare gloves for summit day.
The full list of required gear is on the expedition page. What is non-negotiable is the cold: on the Puna the temperature drops sharply as soon as the sun goes down, and at 5,000 meters the wind matters more than the thermometer. Bring spare gloves and keep batteries inside your sleeping bag, because the cold drains them quickly.
Hydration is part of your gear too. We recommend about 3.5 liters a day: in the cold you do not feel thirsty, and dehydration at altitude worsens performance and symptoms. The route crosses streams and the guides show you where to fill up, so containers for 2 liters are enough.
Frequently asked questions about Nevado de Chañi
How high is Nevado de Chañi?
It is 5,896 m high. It sits on the border between Jujuy and Salta, and Jujuy considers it its highest summit.
Is Nevado de Chañi in Jujuy or Salta?
On the border between both provinces. The most common approach starts on the Jujuy side, from Purmamarca and the community of El Moreno.
Are Chañi, Nevado de Chañi and Nevado del Chañi the same mountain?
Yes. They are different ways of naming the same 5,896 m mountain. It also appears as Cerro Chañi.
How many days do you need to climb Chañi?
Eight days from Purmamarca, with a load carry, a rest day and a night in a tent at 5,000 meters before the summit.
Is Chañi a technical mountain?
No. The normal route has no climbing. The difficulty is the altitude, almost 5,900 meters, and depending on the season there may be snow, which is why crampons are on the gear list.
What was found on the summit of Chañi?
In 1905 the body of a child of about five, offered in an Inca capacocha, was found with its burial goods. The remains were returned to Jujuy in 2024.
What experience do I need for Chañi?
Previous climbs above 4,000 meters and good tolerance to altitude. Ideally, a multi-day expedition with nights at altitude before.
When is Nevado de Chañi climbed?
Dates depend on the season and conditions. Open departures are on the calendar.
How much does the Chañi expedition cost?
The current price, payment plan and inclusions are on the Chañi expedition page. It includes meals, huts, high camp tent, transfers from Purmamarca, guides and insurance.
Sources
- Andeshandbook, Nevado de Chañi page (in Spanish). Accessed 2026-09-14.
- Chungara journal, La capacocha del Nevado de Chañi: una aproximación preliminar desde la arqueología, 2001 (in Spanish). Accessed 2026-09-14.
- Somos Jujuy, Después de 119 años, el ancestro del Chañi regresa a Jujuy, 2024 (in Spanish). Accessed 2026-09-14.
- MONS Actividades de Montaña, Nevado de Chañi expedition page. Accessed 2026-09-14.
Interested in Chañi? Message us on WhatsApp at +54 9 3512 11-3842 with the mountains you have climbed and we will tell you whether it is your time or which step should come first.