This track was identified and mapped via high-resolution satellite imagery.
Antofagasta to Calama via Baquedano: Into the Atacama
From the Pacific port of Antofagasta up through the Atacama Desert past the old railway junction of Baquedano to Calama, the town beside the Chuquicamata copper mine. In March 1952 Guevara and Granado came this way after stowing away on a ship from Valparaíso. On the way to Chuquicamata, then run by American companies, they met a communist miner and his wife, a meeting Guevara wrote about at length.
Trail Map
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Trail Profile
General Instructions
About 219 km one way, three to four hours. This is true desert: very few services between Antofagasta and Calama, strong sun, and cold nights. Carry water and fill the tank before you leave. Mining trucks use the road day and night.
Weather check
Sampling Micro-Climate...
-23.6509, -70.3975
Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: -23.6509, -70.3975 @ 28m
Quick Stats
Highlights
- See La Portada, the sea arch just north of Antofagasta
- Walk the railway museum at Baquedano, with its old steam engines
- Pass the ruins of the nitrate-era towns on the pampa
- Book a tour of Chuquicamata, one of the world's largest open-pit copper mines
Field Radio Protocol
VHF-UHF Communication
Propagation Telemetry
Ridge Line
92%Gorge Floor
18%Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range
Regulatory Compliance
VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.
Technical Analysis
Total Ascent
+2276 m
Total Descent
-37 m
Ruggedness Index
Terrain Roughness Index
Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).
10.6
Tortuosity Index
Route Curviness Index
Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).
1.09
Gradient Distribution
Surface & Hydrology
Surface Spectrum Analysis
Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.
Difficulty Analysis
Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.
Bounding Box (WGS84)
Point Spacing: 59.9 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0
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Plan this trip
Before you go: Antofagasta to Calama via Baquedano: Into the Atacama
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