Everest 2006
The North Ridge- New!
Call Now!
800.247.1263
Highlights of our Aconcagua Expedition Climb
The highest peak in South America!
Mendoza: Hot and sunny, Mendoza is located in the center of the local wine country, near the eastern slope of the Andes. It is a beautiful Latin city well known to be “muy tranquillo”. Beautiful plazas, street side cafes and music all offer the traveler a sample of the best of the local Latin culture.
Penitentes: We drive directly from Mendoza up to this small Andean ski resort community at 9,000 ft. We’ll stay overnight in a comfortable ski lodge near natural hot springs, great hiking, and excellent scenery. This is the starting point of our trek.
Vacas Valley: Mules will pack our gear for the 25 mile, 3 day trek along the Vacas River into our base camp. A scenic hike in rugged multi-colored Arizona style valleys, but with much greater relief. Remote, especially as we leave the normal Vacas route behind and enter the Upper Vacas Valley where we normally see no other groups until high camp!
Upper Vacas Valley: Into the remote Upper Vacas Valley or “Quebrada Vieja Alta” as it is know locally (the Old High Canyon). A wonderful isolated valley below the north side of Aconcagua full of hundreds of Huanacos! From here we climb a technically easy, yet challenging remote approach to our high camp at 20,000 via a series of 4 camps above base camp reaching Piedra Blanca or White Rocks where we link up with the Vacas normal route. This is by far the best route to climb Aconcagua! We more or less have the mountain to ourselves for most of the trip, a very different experience than both the other “normal routes”.
Base Camp: At Plaza Fondo for the Upper Vacas Route (Plaza Argentina, for the Vacas Normal Route), both are located on a large glacial moraine. Excellent views of the route from here. We’ll spend a couple days acclimatizing and carrying loads before moving higher up.
The Climb: A series of 4 camps above base camp are used. We will double carrying to minimize loads; expect 40 to 50 lb. loads and 4-8 hr. days. A good trail leads past huge penitiente fields (large towers of ice formed by the Andean sun) and excellent, clean water sources. The camps on this side of the mountain are better protected from Aconcagua’s notorious winds. The number of camps and rate of ascent are critical to a safe and enjoyable trip.
The Summit: Summit day is usually 9 to 10 hrs., but can be up to 12 hrs., with small packs. The summit ridge offers an amazing view of the Andes on a clear day stretching to the north and south. We can also look all the way down the South Face, over 9,000 ft. below! Not to be underestimated, at this altitude it is a difficult day but spectacularly rewarding!
Polish Glacier Option: All departures have the option of attempting the Polish Glacier route. This is a challenging technical climb directly up to the summit from camp 4. Only for experienced, strong, and well acclimatized climbers. Unfortunately the success rate (for any team) is very low, so we don’t encourage this option unless you have been to altitude previously and fully understand what technical climbing at that height involves. December is usually the best month for snow conditions on the Polish.
Descent and hike out: We have 2 options: a traverse down the normal route through the Plaza De Mules base camp or a return back down the Vacas Valley. The traverse is the best way. It is a shorter hike, there is no time delay for mules to get our gear out and you can see the beautiful Horocones Valley--more crowded but possibly Aconcagua’s most beautiful valley. We actually make a huge loop trek all the way around the mountain doing this. Then back to the ski lodge in Penitentes and a relaxing evening before we head back to…
Mendoza: Return to Mendoza to enjoy the excellent food and sun while waiting for flights home, or…we can help you plan any extra time you have with suggestions for things to do and see. There is something for everyone: rock-climbing, hot springs, hiking, volcano trekking, rafting. Visit the beautiful beaches of Chile or the National Parks of Patagonia.
Included: Transfers, hotels (except Mendoza), local transportation, mules, food on the mountain, group climbing/camping equipment, American guides.
Not Included: Airfare to/from Mendoza, food and lodging in Mendoza, food at lodge in Penitentes, any insurance or rescue cost, climbing permit fees, bottled water, soda, alcohol, personal equipment.
Length: Allow 20 days Mendoza to Mendoza; even though we typically finish in 16 to 18 days with good weather.
Dates: Multiple departures each season. We offer the best choice for scheduled trips!
Difficulty: Difficult high altitude trekking with heavy loads. For the Polish Glacier option, technical snow and ice climbing experience required.
Altitude: During the climb we maintain a safe rate of ascent to reach the summit at 22, 841 ft.
Trip Price: Please see schedule for current prices and departure dates.