Less air in every breath

The air at 2,407 metres holds the same share of oxygen as at sea level, but it is thinner, so each breath brings in about three quarters as much. At El Tatio, 4,320 metres, it is closer to 58 per cent. Your body adapts by breathing faster and, over days, by making more red blood cells.

Climb high, sleep low

Mountaineers learned long ago that the altitude you sleep at matters more than the altitude you visit. Every Sal Alta journey keeps you sleeping at the lodge while the days go higher, then back down. By the fifth day most guests feel no difference at all.

What we carry

Every vehicle has oxygen and a pulse oximeter. Guides check you at every stop above 4,000 metres and write it in a daily log. If anyone feels unwell, the answer is always the same: go down.