Andean Trails  
 

The Clockhouse, Bonnington Mill Business Centre,
72 Newhaven Road, Edinburgh Scotland EH6 4JG
44 (0)131 467 7086
,   info@andeantrails.co.uk

 
 
   
 
Strenuous climb of aconcagua  

Rooftop of the Americas: ACONCAGUA (AC)
(strenuous expedition)
17 days from Mendoza, Argentina.

  Aconcagua AC

group or tailor-made departures.

climb Aconcagua

View Trip Dossier View Slide Show
  View Dates & Prices
 

Cerro Aconcagua (6959m), the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, lies just within Argentina, some 12 kilometres from the Chilean border.


The itinerary is physically strenuous and a great challenge, but is not technically demanding. It is suitable for most adventurous people with a good level of physical fitness, and experience of trekking and camping in remote mountain areas.


We have three trekking and climbing programmes on the mountain: this Normal Route, the scenic Vacas Valley, and the Polish Glacier Traverse which takes in the whole mountain.


The Normal Route


Our 17-day expedition begins in Mendoza. If you fly in and / or out of Santiago in Chile we are happy to help with hotels, transfers, and a bus or flight between there and Mendoza.


For Aconcagua, mules are used to transport food and climbing equipment to (and rubbish out from) the Plaza de Mulas base camp. Group members and guides carry just a day sack to Base Camp, with mules carrying everything else. However, above Base Camp you carry all of your own equipment in a large backpack up and down the mountain. Porters available at extra cost. We use a guide:client ratio of approximately 1:3 on Aconcagua, as the better the ratio the higher the chances of summit success for all. Groups ize is a maximum of 12 but is usually around 6 clients and 2 guides.


For this programme, experience in the use of crampons and snow-shoes is not a requirement, but previous experience of backpacking and camping in winter conditions would be beneficial.

For more information about high altitude, please visit the Medex website.

Here you can download, for free, Travel at High Altitude - a guide to staying healthy in the mountains, a booklet which draws on the research and experience of more than 20 internationally-recognised experts.

Check our Books and Maps section where you will find a range of literature to help you get the most out of your South American adventure.

 

 

  Itinerary
  Day 1 Arrive Mendoza
  2 Travel to Penitentes (2,700m).
  3 Travel to Puente del Inca and trek to Confuencia (3,360m).
  4 Acclimatisation Day
  5 Trek to Plaza de Mulas (4,250m).
  6,7, 8 Acclimatisation days.
  9 Trek to camp 1 (5,000m).
  10 Trek to camp 2 (5,400m).
11 Trek to camp 3 (6,000m).
12, 13, 14 Summit days.
15 Descend to Base Camp.
16 Return to Mendoza.
  17 Tour ends
 

Accommodation
Hotels 3 nights, camping 13 nights.