Sal Alta · since 2009
San Pedro de Atacama
A guiding company from San Pedro, started by people who were born at 2,400 metres.
The year the first 4×4 left San Pedro
Guides, cooks and drivers, most from the oasis villages
Guests since then
Nights anyone has slept above 4,300 m with us
02 — The people
The guides you’ll spend your days with
Tomás Reyes
Founder, head guide
Born in San Pedro. Guided his first group to El Tatio at nineteen.
Valentina Cruz
Trip designer
Plans the lakes and the Uyuni crossing. Speaks three languages and quechua greetings.
Rahul Mehta
Mountain guide
Leads every summit day on Cerro Toco and keeps the acclimatisation logs.
Ingrid Holm
Astronomer
Runs the telescope nights at Domo Estrella. Formerly at a Chilean observatory.
03 — What we hold to
Four promises
Slow the climb
No journey visits 4,000 metres before its third day. No exceptions, even when the weather tempts us.
Hire from the oasis
Guides, cooks and drivers come from the villages around the salar, and are paid through the off season.
Pay the communities
Every entry fee goes to the community that looks after the site. We add 5% on top.
Leave it as we found it
We carry out everything we carry in, drive only on marked tracks and keep groups to eight.
04 — Seventeen years
From one 4×4 to six lodges
One vehicle, one guide, and the first altitude notebook.
Casa Sal Alta opens: twelve adobe suites and a pool.
The Uyuni Crossing and Tambo Colorada, with oxygen in every room.
Domo Estrella and the telescope nights.
Casa Costa on the Pacific, and six journeys in all.
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