BIGMOUNTAIN EL PLOMO BY BIKE
“ A BIGMOUNTAINBIKE EXPERIENCE – 5.424 m.a.s.l -”
Every day above Santiago de Chile rises to 17,800 feet the summit of a sacred mountain of the Andes, a mountain that we see every day as a backdrop of the city. We call this mountain “Cerro El Plomo”. The original native peoples of the Andes worshiped the mountains for millennia and ascended to them on a spiritual pilgrimage. Cerro El Plomo is the "Apu Wamani" of the Mapocho valley, in the Quechua language; The Guardian of the Valley. It was a sanctuary of height for the INCAS because from its glaciers came the water of the Mapocho river, main tributary of the valley for its harvests. Inner Mountain invites you to find in its ascent the harmony with a majestic natural environment and the inner journey obtained by the sacrifice and effort that implies to go to the mountains, and also carrying a bike!. El Plomo mountain is one of the longest downhills in the world, completing more than 4,000 meters unevennless of just greatness downhill, starting at 5,424 meters above sea level and ending at 1,300 m.a.s.l.. A challenge only for MTB experts. To get into this experience of climbing the great big mountain "El Plomo" by bike, you have to be very clear that this is a high mountain experience, and carrying a bike. It is an experience completely out of your comfort zone. The "Bigmountainbike" concept is a new trend that seeks to find the limits beyond the daily that we usually ride. It is to search in suffering, a joy and a unique experience that only gives you the mountain. That is why the mind and good acclimatization in height is key to achieving the success of any bigmountain bike expedition.
ACCLIMATIZATION
The acclimatization process is key to our first approaches to the mountains, is essential to do it before we go to high altitudes, to see how our body behaves to physical effort and bikes with height pressure. Therefore, for the experience of climbing Cerro El Plomo by bike, we will make a previous ascent of acclimatization that is included in this program and hopefully you can assist since this will serve to know us as a group, fundamental thing for success in an expedition of these characteristics.ACCLIMATIZATION DAY
Mt. Pintor (4.200 msnm)
We will do the acclimatization ride that will take place a weekend before the ascent to Cerro El Plomo. The climb takes about 3 1/2 hours and we reach the summit of the emblematic Mt. Pintor (4,200 meters above sea level - 13,780 ft). To later enjoy a very great downhill between huge mountains that gives us a unique free ride! It is very important to attend this ride because we can meet as a group and acclimatize our body to the height, which is essential in an expedition over 5,000 meters.
WEATHER
The mountains tend to have different climatic conditions from the zonal climate where they are, due to a decrease of the temperature with the height. The climate in Mt. El Plomo is generally a very cold climate starting at 4,000 mts. It is recommended to reach its summit before 12 noon due to high storms occurring near the summit.
ITINERARY
Day 1
Santiago – Tres puntas – Base Camp “Federación” (4.150 mts)
Our expedition begins in "Tres puntas" (Valle Nevado ski resort - 3,600 m.a.s.l), where we will leave our truck and the muleteer with our packhorses will be waiting for us to take all the heavy equipment to our Base Camp "Federacion" (Tents, meals, sleeping bags etc). Place that will be our base camp where we will spend the first and second night. From Tres puntas we have about 4 hours with our bikes until we reach the Base Camp.Day 2
Acclimatization at Base Camp “Federación” and carry the bikes until the 4.500 mts
After having rested and fed well in our Base Camp. This day we will do some pedaling through the base camp zone and during the afternoon we will carry our bikes up to 4,500 m.a.s.l, so the next day we will start walking lighter from our BC. Then at the BC we prepare everything for the next day go to the summit.Day 3
Base Camp Federacion – Summit Mt Plomo – Tres Puntas
Summit day. Starting from Base Camp "Federacion" to the summit completing more than 1,300 meters of unevenness on this great and hard day with our bikes on our shoulders. On this day we will be accompanied by another guide who will be with us throughout the ascent in case of any altitude sickness, extreme fatigue or cold. After 7 hours going up, we can enjoy the majestic and really impressive view from the summit of this sacred mountain. We going to put our helmets and get ready for our epic and extreme descent to "Federacion" base camp, where we can rest and eat something before continue. Then we going to pack everything and we going to continue descending until Tres Puntas, place where we gonna celebrate our summit day with a well deserved barbecued!. It should be remembered that we are in a place of difficult access for any evacuation, so the descent has to be considered as “extreme” and descend with the greatest possible precaution. Here is tested how good you are riding a bike, mental and physically. Extreme tiredness and very cold temperatures make this experience something extreme and unique.Day 4
Tres Puntas – “Parvazo” downhill – Santiago de Chile
Having challenged and enjoyed by bike the summit of one of the most emblematic mountains of Chile and celebrating with a great barbecued. Now, in Tres puntas, you have the option of going down to the 1,300 m.a.s.l, connecting with the great bike park of "La Parva" and then with one of the most emblematic downhill trails of Santiago; El “Parvazo”, thus completing more than 4,100 unevenness meters of pure high mountain freeride and DH! Then, very happy but tired we return to the capital, Santiago de Chile. End of the trip.REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
Equipment & Clothing
- Bike (available for rent)
- Flat pedals
- Crampons (available for rent)
- Sleeping Pad (available for rent)
- Sleeping bag -10 C mínimun (available for rent)
- Sunglasses
- Backpack (35 – 45 Lts ideal)
- High mountain boots
- High mountain clothes (Feather or primaloft jacket, windstopper jacket, etc)
- First and second layer (up and down)
- Shirt, breathable if possible
- High mountain gloves
- High mountain pants
- Sunscreen
- Coat cap and jockey
