Pan American™
Adventures
Atacama · Chile · 6,800 m
Guided mountaineering, technical training, and bespoke expeditions on Ojos del Salado, Incahuasi and the iconic peaks of the Chilean Andes. Small teams. Local guides. A real shot at the summit.
The peaks
The Atacama is the driest, highest range outside the Himalaya — a moonscape of red rock, salt flats and ice. We guide climbers of all levels onto three of its most storied volcanoes.
Crown jewel
Highest volcano on Earth
Slow, methodical acclimatization across four camps. A non-technical but unforgiving climb through volcanic scree, glaciated upper slopes and a short rock scramble to the summit crater.
$7,200 USD total · all-inclusive from Copiapó
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2nd highest in Chile
A wild, remote massif of three summits set above Laguna Santa Rosa. The ideal acclimatization peak — or a stand-alone objective for climbers building toward 7,000 m.
$7,200 USD total · all-inclusive from Copiapó
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House of the Inca
A sacred peak on the Argentine border, named for the high-altitude Inca shrines on its flanks. Spectacular acclimatization through ancient salt flats and pre-Columbian trail networks.
$6,200 USD total · all-inclusive from Copiapó
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Bespoke
Your peaks, your dates, your team. From private-guided ascents of a single Atacama volcano to multi-peak Andes and Patagonia programs. Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll build the expedition around it.
By quote typically $6,000–$18,000 · scoping call included
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Why climb with us
Led by Chilean mountain guides certified by ANENA, FEACH, ENISSCHAG and the UIAA, with operations run by a founder with forty years of expedition experience on four continents.
Every expedition runs to a written risk plan: oxygen, satellite comms, weather windows, and turn-around times that we actually keep. We bring you down before we get you up.
We cap groups at six climbers per expedition and never run more than three climbers per guide above 5,500 m. Personal pace. Real attention. Honest feedback.
We base out of Copiapó with local logistics, local food, local drivers. A portion of every trip supports community projects in the Atacama and Andes.
What we offer
Flagship
Full-service ascents of Ojos del Salado, Tres Cruces and Incahuasi. Permits, logistics, food, oxygen, guides, transport — handled.
Plan a tripRock, ice, glacier travel, crevasse rescue and high-altitude survival. Skills built on real terrain, not the parking lot.
Open Training PortalYour peak, your pace, your team. We build the itinerary, you bring the goal.
Design your tripMulti-day treks across altiplano, salt flats and red-rock canyons — for climbers acclimatizing, or hikers who simply want the view.
Trek optionsCurated outdoor challenges for leadership teams. Stronger teams, made in thinner air.
Talk to us
Our history
Steve Birchfield came to the Atacama for one mountain. He left with a company.
A commercial pilot of forty-plus years, Steve had climbed on four continents before he set foot on Ojos del Salado — the highest volcano on Earth. That first ascent changed him. It wasn’t just the altitude, or the strange beauty of a moonscape stretched between salt flats and glaciers. It was the place itself, and the people in it.
He fell for the Atacama the way climbers fall for ranges they don’t plan to leave — the red rock and ice, the long silences, the Inca trails carved across passes nobody remembers. He fell for Copiapó and the people who’d been living and climbing in that high desert for generations. He fell for the food, the asado, the music, and the Inca culture that still shapes life in northern Chile.
Pan American Adventures was built out of that. Steve wanted to bring climbers into the Atacama the way he’d been brought in — led by people who actually live there. A company guided by locals, run by locals, anchored in the place itself. Not a brand parachuted in from somewhere else. A company of Chileans, working their own mountains, with a pilot from Texas keeping the logistics in the air.
Meet the teamAvailability
Expeditions currently on the calendar. If your preferred dates are open, ask us to plan an expedition around them.
No expeditions on the calendar yet for this window.
Atacama climbing season runs late November through late March. Don't see your dates? Send us a message or WhatsApp Steve.
How booking works
A simple, transparent process for a serious expedition. No high-pressure sales, no hidden fees, no surprises on the mountain.
Choose a peak, pay a $1,500 non-refundable deposit ($500 for custom expeditions) via Stripe. Your spot is confirmed the moment the deposit clears.
Fill out a confidential intake form with your experience, health history, and insurance details. Upload a signed physician's clearance for altitude.
Steve sends a DocuSign release of liability and assumption of risk. Sign on any device. Everything gets stored in your client file.
Fena checks in every 3–4 weeks with training tips, gear reminders, and altitude prep. Steve handles flights, hotels, and Copiapó logistics.
Stripe invoice for the remaining balance is sent by email. Balance is refundable up to 60 days before departure.
Our team picks you up at the airport. Gear check, welcome dinner, briefing. Then the mountain.
The team
Operations Director · Lead guide
Thirty years on the rope
Fena leads every Pan American Adventures expedition. With thirty years of mountaineering behind him — and more than twenty as a professional instructor and guide — he’s worked the high peaks of Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Patagonia and the Atacama, across mountaineering, ski mountaineering, rock and ice. A veteran of the Chilean Mountaineering Federation and the Chilean Olympic Committee, and a UIAA-affiliated instructor since 2009, Fena is the climber making the calls on the mountain — and the reason our teams come home.
Founder
“The Skinny Gringo”
Founder of Pan American Adventures. Commercial pilot of forty-plus years, entrepreneur, and adventure enthusiast who has lived and worked on four continents. His first high-altitude climb — Ojos del Salado — turned into a company. Steve runs operations from the ground and leaves the climbing to the guides who do it for a living.
Guide · High-altitude specialist
Atacama native
A highly trained mountaineering guide and instructor, certified by ANENA (National Association for the Study of Snow and Avalanche). Member of the Chilean Association of Mountain and Climbing Guides and of FEACH (Chilean Federation of Climbing), trained at ENISSCHAG (National School for Ski Instructors). Ismael brings extensive experience across the Atacama and the wider Andes — a world-class guide and instructor we’re proud to have on the rope.
What climbers say
“Fena and the team ran the cleanest, calmest expedition I've ever been on. Honest weather calls, honest pacing, and a summit day I'll remember the rest of my life.”
“I came to climb a mountain and left with friends in Copiapó. The local connection makes Pan American different — you feel like a guest, not a customer.”
“As a first-time high-altitude climber I was nervous. Their acclimatization plan was patient and conservative, and it got me to 22,000 ft on my own legs.”
Not ready to book?
A $7,200 climb is a big decision. Send us the one question standing between you and a deposit. Steve or Fena reads every message personally and replies within 24 hours.
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Frequently asked
No, but strong high-altitude experience helps. For Ojos del Salado, a prior summit above 5,500 m is strongly recommended. Tres Cruces and Incahuasi are more approachable for climbers with solid 4,000–5,000 m experience and real fitness. If you're unsure, ask us — we'll tell you honestly whether we think you're ready or whether an acclimatization peak first would serve you better.
Weather and altitude are the honest answers. On the peaks we guide, well-acclimatized climbers with real fitness and no altitude issues summit the majority of the time. We build buffer days into every expedition specifically so weather doesn't decide your trip. Fena will always turn a team around when conditions warrant — nobody has ever regretted a good turnaround.
Small. Typically 2–4 climbers per guide. Our maximum group size is 6, and we add a second guide for groups over 3 to keep guide-to-climber ratios tight on summit day.
Travel and rescue insurance that explicitly covers high-altitude mountaineering to at least 7,000 m and emergency evacuation from remote terrain. Common providers our climbers use: Global Rescue, IMG Signature, World Nomads Explorer, and Ripcord. Standard travel policies almost never cover mountaineering above 6,000 m — read the fine print.
Yes for some items — double boots, crampons, ice axe, and sleeping bags can be rented in Copiapó through our partners. Ask us before you fly if you're unsure what to rent versus what to bring. Everything else on the equipment list is personal.
The $1,500 deposit ($500 for custom) is non-refundable. The balance is refundable up to 60 days before your expedition start date. Inside 60 days, the balance is non-refundable, but we can transfer your booking to a future expedition if you have a medical reason with documentation.
Yes. We run Starlink at base camps, so you can send daily updates to family and emergency contacts, check weather, and stay connected. No internet at high camps or on summit day.
Fena has final authority on the mountain and will not push a climber who's not adapting well. If you need to descend, one of our team escorts you down safely. If you can't continue but the rest of the team can, they continue with the lead guide. Refund policy on descent: no refund for personal descent, but priority rebooking on a future expedition.
If we cancel your summit day for weather and can't reschedule inside your expedition window, we credit 25% of the expedition price toward a future Pan American Adventures expedition, valid for 24 months. Weather turnarounds initiated by the guide for safety are treated the same way. Cash refunds for weather cancellations are at Steve's discretion in consultation with your lead guide.
Yes, through our custom expedition program. Past clients have booked Aconcagua, Patagonia peaks, and multi-peak Andean itineraries. If we can guide it safely with our team, we'll consider it.
Question not answered here? Email us — Steve or Fena will get back to you within 24 hours.
Get in touch
Tell us your goal, your experience level, and roughly when you'd like to go. We'll get back within two business days with a tailored proposal.