Aconcagua Itinerary

Day 1: Our guides will meet you at the airport in Mendoza then drive to the Hotel Aconcagua. Our first evening will be spent getting acquainted, checking gear, reviewing the trip, which will be followed with dinner. Mendoza is a beautiful South American city with noticeable European influence. It is summer here, and the warm air is a welcome relief from the Northern Hemisphere's winter.

Day 2: After breakfast we pick up our climbing permits in Mendoza. Then we shuttle to the town of Penitentes and begin acclimatizing. Penitentes is an old ski area at about 9000.' The town is located in a large river valley and is surrounded by magnificent high desert scenery. Here all or our gear will be packed and weighed for the mules which will carry it to base camp (don't worry, we have access to the gear each night!). In the evening we will have a pre-expedition dinner.


Day 3: We finalize preparations of all food and gear to be carried by the mules to camp 1. We start our approach up the Vacas Valley late in the morning. Day 3 isn't easy, and we will truly feel the roughness of the desert. If we are lucky huge Andean condors will rise on strong updrafts above as we hike through Andean winds to our first camp.

Day 4: We arise early in camp, bundled up against the early morning desert chill. After breaking camp, we continue up the narrow valley, which slowly widens and offers a tremendous view of the desert landscape and the mountains beyond. In the evening we camp in a lush meadow by a desert stream, and we get our first views of the Aconcagua.

Day 5: We cross the icy waters of several glacier fed streams in the high desert in neoprene booties. This day is tough, and you might start to feel the altitude. We take hydration breaks and make sure everyone is feeling well as we near base camp.

Day 6: Rest day at base camp. Base camp feels like the moon. It is very dry, stark, and open. Here we can catch up on acclimatization, take day hikes, bathe in the river, and just enjoy the beauty of the southern Andes.

Day 7: We organize our climbing equipment and make our first carry. We carry food, fuel, and other similar equipment to the site of camp 1, then return to base camp. This aids in acclimatization and allows lighter loads to be carried than would be possible with just one trip up the mountain. Here the trail steepens. We leave the river valley and start climbing the mountain.

Day 8: We leave any equipment that is unnecessary for our ascent at base camp and move to Camp 1. We take our time, properly hydrate, and focus on proper pacing as we become more accustomed to the thinning mountain air. From Camp 1 we have views of the upper mountain. We see the massive Polish Glacier and the "Viento Blanco," - the white wind - blowing snow off the summit.

Day 9: Today we make a carry to Camp 2. We move food, fuel, and other equipment up to the Camp 2 site, then return to spend another night at Camp 1. Here the route steepens and we encounter more snow. From Camp 2 we perhaps might view thunderstorms on the plains near Mendoza as we gaze across the high Andean desert landscape.

Day 10: Today we move to Camp 2. We focus on proper pacing and hydration as we gradually move up the mountain.

Day 11: Today we make a carry to Camp 3. We move food, fuel, and other equipment up to the Camp 3 site, then return to spend another night at camp 2. At Camp 3 we really start to feel high. We are exposed to the elements, the wind blows, and we feel the thin air. We gaze out over the high plateau surrounding Camp 3 to glaciers in the valleys below.

Day 12: Today we move to Camp 3. We drink lots of hot liquids and enjoy large meals to keep our bodies fueled for the summit.

Day 13: Today we make our final carry to high camp, known as White Rocks. This is truly a magnificent place, and at 19,800' we are really getting up there. We descend to Camp 3 to spend the night.

Day 14: We move to high camp and prepare to climb to the summit. We hydrate, eat, and rest. We repack our equipment to insure we only carry the essentials to the top. Here patience is very important. We must wait for the right weather conditions in order to have a safe and successful summit bid. Ideally, this means a clear, relatively warm day with light winds. Many people are not patient at this stage and attempt the summit prematurely or in poor weather. Our past experience on the mountain will help us choose the right day.

Day 15-Day 18: These next 4 days are for our summit attempt, we may need a rest day or we may need to wait for better weather. We descend by day 18. On our descent we can descend all the way down to Plaza de Mulas in one push. Going down is easier than coming up!

Day 19: Depart from Plaza de Mulas and hike to entrance of the park, stay in Penitentes. We'll have a celebratory dinner and maybe taste some of Argentina's fine wine as we remember our experience on Aconcagua.

Day 20: We shuttle back to Mendoza and enjoy the warm, thick air in the town's sunshine.

Day 21: Flights to USA or other destinations.

Top of Page

Aconcagua Traverse Fees
Cost per person:
   $3900 (client to guide ratio 3:1)
   $4900 (client to guide ratio 2:1)

Program Cost Inclusions
  -Up to four nights lodging, on a shared basis, in Mendoza
  -Lodging in Penitentes on a shared basis
  -Dinners and breakfasts in Penitentes
  -Group climbing gear and group camping gear
  -Roundtrip transportation from Mendoza to Aconcagua
  -Park climbing/entrance permit

Program Cost Exclusions   -Travel to and from Mendoza
  -Lodging should the expedition finish early
  -Drinks in Plaza de Mulas
  -Drink in Penitentes
  -Meals while not on the mountain or while traveling
  -Airport taxes
  -Insurance


Why Go with us

• Past experience on the mountain. Terry and Art have both ascended Aconcagua on several expeditions. This will be their fourth trip guiding the Vacas/Guanacos Valley route.
• Art, the expedition leader, is an IFMGA certified guide, the highest level of guide certification attainable. Bart, the assistant guide, is actively pursuing IFMGA certification and has completed courses in rock, alpine, and ski mountaineering guiding. Because we are trained to an international standard we utilize the safest and most current guiding techniques.
• Low ratios. We climb at ratios lower than most American guide services to minimize risk and increase chances of summit success
• You will know who your guide will be. We can tell you who you will be climbing with when you sign up for the expedition.

Top of Page

General Information

Mountaineering Background
The integrity and accuracy of each individuals response when providing us with information regarding experience will directly contribute to the potential for success and the enjoyment of the group members. Group members should be comfortable with crampon travel and confident in their self arrest skills. Winter hiking and camping experience is good preparation for high altitude environments. Mountaineering experience is not necessary.

Physical Conditioning
Our route selection is not a technical ascent, but it is long and the demands of altitude are high. Your level of physical conditioning is very important to your safety and your enjoyment of this expedition. While there is no guarantee how even the most fit mountaineer will perform at altitude, an adequate base of conditioning and cardiovascular fitness will increase chances of success, help decrease the unpleasant effects of acclimatization, and generally add to the overall enjoyment of the trip.

Equipment
Upon booking we will send you an equipment list. Below is a sample list. Some items may be added or changed depending on the expedition objective.


Climbing Clothing:
  2 pair synthetic underwear
  2 pair synthetic long underwear tops and bottoms
  3 pair thick synthetic or wool socks
  3 pair synthetic liners
  1 expedition weight bottoms
  2 expedition weight tops
  1 pile or fleece jacket
  Gortex or similar wind shell with full coverage hood
  Gortex pant or similar, bibs work well
  2 pair light or mid weight liner gloves
  1 pair heavy gloves or mitts
  1 pair heavy over mitts
  Wool or synthetic balaclava or hat and face mask
  1 extra hat
  Full coverage gaiters
  100% UV sunglasses and ski goggles

Technical Gear
  Alpine style climbing pack 5000 cu. in. max
  Zero degree sleeping bag and compression stuff sack
  Thermarest or equivalent sleeping pad
  Plastic double boots and mountaineering crampons
  Ice axe

Personal Gear
  2 1 liter water bottles, with insulating cover
  Headlamp with extra batteries
  Swiss army knife
  Mini first aid kit: moleskin, band aids, tape, aspirin, and antibiotics
  Camera and film
  Sunscreen
  Passport, money, charge cards
  Personal eating kit: insulated cup, bowl, spoon(plastic)
  Iodine or water purification tablets

Luggage
We recommend a large duffel bag (Wild Things Burro Bags or EMS bags) work great. They will be used by our mule and llama drivers to bring equipment into base camps.

Recommended Vaccinations
See your doctor prior to the trip for recommended vaccinations.

Food
We eat a variety of fresh, local food in Argentina. We drink bottled beverages and eat only well cooked items. We watch out for fresh vegetables, uncooked foods, ice cubes, especially in the outdoor markets and small food stands. We will use bottled water to brush our teeth.

Money
Credit or debit cards are best in the larger cities. Travelers checks work in Mendoza but not in the smaller towns. Any US currency should be in excellent condition and try to avoid large denominations.