The authorization procedure for expeditions to frequently climbed peaks applies to all mountaineering and/or climbing expeditions carried out on prominent peaks located in Chile's Border Zone by persons who do not have their habitual residence in Chile.

Activities such as hiking, camping, skiing, mountain biking or motorcycling, horseback riding, and other activities unrelated to mountaineering or climbing do not require DIFROL authorization.

1. Submit the expedition plan sufficiently in advance of its starting date, namely at least 20 days before the expedition members enter Chile. This requirement is important for any coordination DIFROL may need to carry out with other agencies.
2. Submit the complete list of participants, indicating each person's name, nationality, passport number or identification document, and the country that issued it.
3. Provide the detailed itinerary of the peaks to be climbed or a precise description of the places to be visited along the route. For long traverses, attaching a map or sketch of the proposed route is recommended.
4. State the start and end dates of the activity at each site or peak.
5. Provide the applicant's address, including street name and number, postal code, city and country, as well as their email address, whether the applicant is a member of the group or the expedition leader.
6. Provide the details of a contact person in the country of origin who can be notified in the event of an emergency, including: street, number, telephone number, postal code, city, country and email address. The contact person must not be a participant in the expedition and must be readily reachable.

Free authorization

DIFROL authorization is completely free of charge.

Participants and insurance

Authorization may be subject to the condition that the mountaineering or climbing expedition be undertaken by at least two persons.

Participants may also be required to have insurance covering rescue costs in the event of an emergency or special evacuation.

Applicants assume responsibility for the risks inherent in the activity they intend to undertake, without any liability on the part of the State of Chile or any of its dependent institutions.

Contact with Carabineros de Chile

Once authorization has been obtained and the expedition members are in the area where the activity will take place, they must report to or contact the Carabineros de Chile unit, Chile's national police, with jurisdiction over the area.

Further information is available at www.carabinerosdechile.cl .

This allows the DIFROL permit to be verified and the start and end dates of the expedition, the routes to be followed, and the adequacy of the field equipment carried by expedition members for their safety to be recorded.

Carabineros may also provide appropriate recommendations or suggestions to help prevent accidents in isolated, open and rugged terrain.

Natural emergencies and weather conditions

Authorizations are subject to the condition that, at the time scheduled for the expedition, no natural emergencies or adverse weather conditions have occurred in the area that could endanger the physical safety of expedition members.

If any such circumstance arises, DIFROL, the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (SENAPRED) and/or the competent local authorities may order the suspension, postponement or early termination of the expedition when they have relevant information from SENAPRED or the Chilean Meteorological Directorate.

Further information is available at:

• SENAPRED
• Chilean Meteorological Directorate

Responsibility of expedition members

The decision to undertake the climbs is the sole responsibility of the applicant expedition members.

It is recommended to bear in mind that physical exertion at altitude is risky for persons whose health is not compatible with such activity.

By applying for a DIFROL permit, applicants declare that they assume the risks inherent in the activity and accept the financial costs of any rescue operations required in an emergency, without subsequent liability for the State of Chile or its dependent agencies.

Submitting the application

Expedition members must submit an application to DIFROL through the online Expedition Authorization system.

In the event of a justified technical difficulty, inquiries may be sent by email to: [email protected] .

Protection of personal data

The mandatory information and personal data requested by DIFROL are safeguarded in accordance with current regulations.

This information allows Chilean authorities to quickly identify the user in the event of an accident or emergency, organize a rescue and contact family members or close contacts in the user's country of origin.

Complex expeditions, or expeditions requiring inter-institutional coordination, are understood to be all scientific expeditions carried out in Chile's Border Zone, including State-protected wilderness areas such as national parks, national reserves and natural monuments.

Coordination with competent authorities

Scientific expeditions require coordination with other institutions involved in the protection of the environment and the natural, archaeological and cultural heritage, such as the National Forestry Corporation (www.conaf.cl); the Agricultural and Livestock Service (www.sag.gob.cl); or the National Museum of Natural History (www.mnhn.gob.cl), among others.

National counterpart

For these expeditions, the researcher must identify in the application to DIFROL the Chilean counterpart involved in carrying out the expedition.

Expedition participants must contact directly the relevant Chilean organizations that will act as the national counterpart and share the expedition results with them.

Researchers are advised to provide complete and timely information on the expedition's objectives, the places to be visited and the activities to be carried out in each case. This will facilitate any necessary consultations.

Under current regulations, in the case of scientific research expeditions, DIFROL may require the inclusion of one or two Chilean participants, which will be communicated to applicants in due course.

Scientific expeditions carried out in Chile are required to have a national counterpart.

Expedition results

Researchers undertake to provide DIFROL, when requested by this Service, with a copy of the expedition results so that they may be forwarded to the competent Chilean organizations.

In the case of biological research involving holotypes, the competent institution is the National Museum of Natural History.

National, historical and archaeological monuments

Expeditions associated with national monuments, historical monuments or archaeological sites also require prior authorization from the National Monuments Council.

If the project is authorized, researchers must comply with all requirements established by that Council. Further information and contact details are available at www.monumentos.cl .

Entry and removal of species and samples

Customs formalities and other procedures relating to material collected during the research are the direct responsibility of the interested parties and must fully comply with Chilean legislation.

Further information is available at www.aduana.cl .

Professional filming in protected wilderness areas

When professional filming is carried out in units of the National System of State-Protected Wilderness Areas (SNASPE), under the administration of the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF), including national parks and reserves as well as natural monuments, the interested parties must carry out the same coordination.

Full details of the persons who will undertake the activity must be provided, together with a detailed list of the technical equipment that will temporarily enter Chile, in order to facilitate its customs admission.

Without prejudice to the foregoing, any permits required by the National Forestry Corporation must also be obtained.

Protection of personal data

The mandatory information and personal data requested by DIFROL are safeguarded in accordance with current regulations.

This information allows Chilean authorities to quickly identify the user in the event of an accident or emergency, organize a rescue and contact family members or close contacts in the user's country of origin.

Due to the natural characteristics of these areas, expedition participants must report their previous experience in glaciated zones.

At least two people are required for a traverse or climb to be authorized.

Interested parties must demonstrate that they have an evacuation plan for emergencies and that they have obtained insurance to cover the costs of possible rescue operations.

Communications

Information must be provided on the communication system that will be used so that the relevant organizations can communicate with expedition members if necessary and to help safeguard their safety.

Expedition participants must have an emergency communication system for use in the event of an unforeseen incident.

At least one of the following communication systems must be available:

1. Satellite telephone.
2. HF communications (International SAR frequency 13286 MHz).
3. VHF/AM communications (International SAR frequency 123.1).

In addition, a personal emergency radio beacon (PLB), frequency 121.5 - 243 or 406 MHz, must always be available for use in emergencies.

The communication equipment indicated above must include long-life batteries.

Camps

The location of the Base Camp and temporary camps must be reported, including latitude and longitude to the nearest second and the reference system used.

Coordination with SENAPRED

Following instructions from the National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (SENAPRED), at the central level, expedition members are requested to make initial contact with the Regional Director of SENAPRED (Regional SENAPRED Office).

This contact is intended to provide further information about the activities to be carried out during the expedition so that the municipal and provincial emergency authorities can be informed accordingly.

Equipment and physical condition

Participants must wear thermal clothing suitable for extreme temperatures and be in optimal physical condition consistent with the demands of the area.

Persons participating in this activity must have insurance to cover any emergency and possible rescue operations, including hospitalization, ambulance transport and air transport, among others.

They must also maintain ongoing communication with the local Carabineros unit, reporting their arrival in the expedition area and their subsequent return.

Expeditions of any kind entering or leaving the country must travel exclusively through border crossings authorized for the movement of persons, vehicles and cargo, where the respective immigration, customs and animal and plant health authorities are present.

Authorized border crossings can be consulted at www.pasosfronterizos.gov.cl .

Any entry into or departure from national territory through any other point on the border with neighboring countries, other than the point previously reported or identified, will be considered transit through an unauthorized location, which is considered illegal transit.

To carry out press and/or professional filming in Chile, whether inside or outside the Border Zone, activities that are not within DIFROL's jurisdiction, the interested party must obtain the corresponding professional accreditation.

Accreditation

Accreditation must be obtained directly from the Ministry General Secretariat of Government of Chile:

• Telephone: +56 2 2690 4909
• Email: [email protected]

Coordination must also be carried out with the Press and Communications Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: [email protected] .

Group information

The editor responsible for the group must submit a letter bearing the organization's logo and signature, stating the purpose of the filming and listing the professionals who will participate.

The list must include each participant's passport number or personal identification document (passport or identity card) , country of origin, the filming locations in Chile, the dates on which the activity will take place, and the dates of entry into and departure from Chile.

Temporary entry of equipment

For the temporary importation of equipment, an ATA Carnet (www.atacarnet.com) must be held.

If the country is not a member of that convention, a list of the press equipment must be attached, indicating brand, model, serial number and approximate value in US dollars.

Personal equipment, notebooks, personal cameras and similar items do not require special temporary import procedures.

Expeditions on rivers, lakes, channels and territorial waters are subject to the knowledge and approval of the National Maritime Authority.

Information is required on the navigation route, the type of vessel, the personal safety measures adopted by the expedition member and compliance with the other requirements established in the Nautical Sports Regulations.

These regulations are available for consultation at www.directemar.cl , under Regulations and Publications.

Publication TM - 002 contains the requirements and conditions that must be met by all persons navigating Chilean inland waters.

These expeditions do not require authorization from DIFROL. They fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the National Maritime Authority (Chilean Navy).

DIFROL authorization is completely free of charge.

Authorization may be subject to the condition that the mountaineering or climbing expedition be undertaken by at least two persons.

Participants may also be required to have insurance covering rescue costs in the event of an emergency or special evacuation.

Applicants assume responsibility for the risks inherent in the activity they intend to undertake, without any liability on the part of the State of Chile or any of its dependent institutions.

Once authorization has been obtained and expedition members are in the area where the activity will take place, they must report to or contact the Carabineros de Chile unit with jurisdiction over the area.

This allows the DIFROL permit to be verified, the expedition's start and end dates and routes to be recorded, and the adequacy of field equipment to be checked. Appropriate safety recommendations may also be provided.

Authorizations are subject to the condition that no natural emergencies or adverse weather conditions have occurred in the area at the time scheduled for the expedition that could endanger the physical safety of participants.

If any such circumstance arises, DIFROL, SENAPRED and/or the competent local authorities may order the suspension, postponement or early termination of the expedition.

The decision to undertake the activity is the sole responsibility of the applicants. Physical exertion at altitude may be hazardous to persons whose health is not compatible with such activity.

By applying for a DIFROL permit, applicants declare that they assume the risks inherent in the activity and accept the financial costs of any rescue operations required in an emergency, without subsequent liability for the State of Chile or its dependent agencies.