Cerro del Quimal, Mountain summit in Cordillera Domeyko, Chile

Cerro del Quimal is a 4,278-meter summit in the Cordillera Domeyko, about 70 kilometers from San Pedro de Atacama and west of the Salar de Atacama. It is the highest peak of that range. Its slopes can be climbed from any of its sides without major technical difficulty.

The peak forms part of the Cordillera Domeyko, a mountain range extending roughly 600 kilometers north to south along the eastern edge of the Atacama Desert. This geological formation has shaped the landscape for millions of years and influenced settlement patterns for early inhabitants in the region.

For the Likan-Antay, Quimal is Mama Kimanchu in Kunza, the female mountain paired with Licancabur, Tata Likanku. In the canal-cleaning ceremony, communities call on Quimal for rain through a song and a communal dance called talatur. On 1 August, when Pachamama opens to receive offerings, Licancabur's shadow reaches Quimal's summit at sunrise, read as an act of love and a fertility symbol.

The ascent has no marked trail and no major technical difficulty, so it can be climbed from any of its slopes; route-finding skills are needed. The mountain lies about 70 km from San Pedro de Atacama, west of the Salar de Atacama, and tours in the area commonly head here. Carry water and gear for the 4,278 m altitude.

On August 1st at dawn, the neighboring Licancabur mountain casts its shadow across this peak, a rare astronomical alignment. This annual occurrence reveals the precise geographic positioning of the two mountains and draws attention from those interested in natural phenomena.