Aconcagua Expeditions the highest mountain of South America

Expedition to Aconcagua (6.962 m) normal route the highest mountain of South America

About Aconcagua: Stand on the highest spot of the Southern Hemisphere and observe the magnificence of The Andes The normal route is technically easy. The hard part is the altitude. This is why we are so careful with the acclimatization. The approach to Plaza de Mulas is a long distance of about 40 km. We are also used to making acclimatization trekking to Plaza Francia, the Base Camp of the Southern Wall.

It takes us three days to get to Plaza de Mulas. To reach a better acclimatization and to enjoy a unique view of the Aconcagua we will make a trekking to Mt Bonete (4900 mts) . After that, we start the climbing to the Summit. Our suggested program is set for two days of double equipment porting and security. When the last stage begins, we go higher and higher until we reach the summit. In the Aconcagua , sometimes the presence of a white wind difficults the ascent, this is why we use the security days, increasing the chances to reach the summit.

Aconcagua, one of the famous ‘Seven Summits’ at 22,841′ above sea level, is not just the highest mountain in Argentina, the Andes and in South America, but it is also the highest mountain in the western hemisphere. The unique thing about this giant mountain of almost 23,000′ is that it has a standard route that is not technical. When conditions are ideal you may be able to go to the summit without using crampons at all. Nonetheless, this is a serious mountain where climbers experience the harsh environment of high altitude. Base camp is at 14,300′. Doing carries to camps as high as 19,600′ is a serious challenge. Typical temperatures on summit day are 5 to 10 degrees below zero Farenheit. Crampon and ice axe skills are required for this serious expedition, since you can often find snow on your ascent and it can be hard and steep. Many people that have done Kilimanjaro attempt Aconcagua next, seeing it as the next step above Kilimanjaro but underestimating its difficulty level, which often leads to failure to summit.

Peru: Expeditions Nevados Alpamayo (5947 m) and Huascarán (6768 m) Peru: Expeditions Nevados Alpamayo (5947 m) and Huascarán (6768 m) Peru: Expeditions Nevados Alpamayo (5947 m) and Huascarán (6768 m) Peru: Expeditions Nevados Alpamayo (5947 m) and Huascarán (6768 m)
The biggest challenge on Aconcagua comes from the extreme altitude, which is why we offer a generous acclimatization schedule. Most failures to summit on Aconcagua are due to lack of acclimatization and lack of experience with expeditions. While experience on Kilimanjaro will help prepare you for Aconcagua, we strongly recommend more mountaineering experience before attempting it. Mexico’s volcanoes provide added altitude experience with more challenging climbing skills used (some scrambling and ice axe and crampon use). Also, winter camping skills are strongly recommended. Overall, the more trained you are and the more expedition experience you can have before attempting Aconcagua, the better chances of summiting you will have.

Travel program

Itinerary:

Day 1: Flight from USA/Europe – Arrival to Mendoza (760 m)
Day 2: Mendoza transfer – Penitentes (2700 m)
Day 3: Penitentes – Trekking Confluencia (3368 m)
Day 4: Confluencia – Acclimatization Trekking to Plaza Francia (4200 m)
Day 5: Approach from Confluencia to Plaza de Mulas BC (4250 m)
Day 6: Rest day at Plaza de Mulas BC (4250 m)
Day 7: Plaza de Mulas – Ascent to Mountain Bonete (5000 m)
Day 8: Rest day at base Camp Plaza de Mulas (4250 m)
Day 9: Plaza de Mulas – Carry Equipment and food to C1 (4900 m)
Day 10: Rest day at Plaza de Mulas (4250 m)
Day 11: RAscent from Base Camp to C1 (4900 m)
Day 12: Move to C2 (5400 m)
Day 13: Carry equipment from C2 to C3 ¨ Colera ¨ (6000 m)
Day 14: Ascent from C2 to C3 (6000 m)
Day 15: Ascent Summit Aconcagua (6962 m)
Day 16: Extra Day – Reserve day
Day 17: Extra Day – Reserve day
Day 18: Return from Camp 3 to Base Camp
Day 19: Return from Base Camp to Penitentes and back to Mendoza
Day 20: City Mendoza – Transport to airport – Fligh Back Home

Detailed Program


Day 1: Flight from USA/Europe – Arrival to Mendoza (760 m)
The Guide will be waiting for you at the airport. We will stay at the hotel in the city. A group meeting will follow and you will be introduced to your guides and team (-/-/-)
Day 2: Mendoza transfer – Penitentes (2700 m)
We will obtain individual entrance and ascent permits. You will be personally assisted in this procedure in our commercial office. After this we travel to Villa de Penitentes, where we stay at a Hotel in the mountain. There we get the equipment ready for transportation to the base camp by mule B/-/D
Day 3: Penitentes – Trekking Confluencia (3368 m)
We drive you to Horcones Park, where we get our first view of the mountain. We will get our permits checked at the Ranger station. Then, we head off to Confluencia by walking 4 or 5 hours. B/L/D
Day 4: Confluencia – Acclimatization Trekking to Plaza Francia (4200 m)
We’ve included this day in order to acclimatize better, and give you more chances to summit. We’ll trek for about 5 hours until we arrive to Plaza Francia, base camp of the impressive Aconcagua South Wall. This is one of the nicest points of the expedition B/L/D
Day 5: Approach from Confluencia to Plaza de Mulas BC (4250 m)
After 8-9 hours hiking across “Playa Ancha” and climbing up through a very steep path, we reach Plaza de Mulas, the biggest base camp in Aconcagua Park. By the end of the day, most of us will feel the altitude. B/L/D
Day 6: Rest day at Plaza de Mulas BC (4250 m)
The first day in Base Camp is always a rest day and a good occasion to take a bath and explore the local terrain. B/L/D
Day 7: Plaza de Mulas – Ascent to Mountain Bonete (5000 m)
We’ve included this climbing in order to acclimatize better, and give you more chances to summit. Also you’ll enjoy a spectacular view of the west face of Aconcagua. B/L/D
Day 8: Rest day at base Camp Plaza de Mulas (4250 m)
We’ll stay in Plaza de Mulas to rest from the climbing of Bonete. We will divide expedition loads to carry to the high camps (community gear, fuel and food). We double carry to keep pack weight down and help ensure good acclimatization. B/L/D
Day 9: Plaza de Mulas – Carry Equipment and food to C1 (4900 m)
This is a challenging day where we gain 1.000 m. with a heavy load on easy terrain. Then we’ll return to Base Camp. It’s important to take advantage of the comfort and lower altitude at Base Camp. B/L/D
Day 10: Rest day at Plaza de Mulas (4250 m)
This is a day we mainly use to recover energy, to rest, to hydrate ourselves and for abundant meals. B/L/D
Day 11: Ascent from Base Camp to C1 (4900 m)
The following morning we definite start the ascent to Aconcagua. We move to Camp 1, called “Plaza Canada”. Until now, we were working on get an optimal acclimatization. We want everyone to have the best possible chance to do summit. B/L/D
Day 12: Move to C2 (5400 m)
Called “Nido de Condores” (meaning Condor Nest), is located in a high pass at 5.400 m. and provides a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains. B/L/D
Day 13: Carry equipment from C2 to C3 ¨ Colera ¨ (6000 m)This day, we carry equipment to Camp 3 called “Camp Colera”. After carrying the equipment up, we return to Camp 2 to sleep, to give our bodies more chances to acclimatize. B/L/D
Day 14: Ascent from C2 to C3 (6000 m)
We start a 4 hours walk to Camp 3, located on the North Ridge. We will prepare our tents and eat and rest, to be ready to get the summit. B/L/D
Day 15: C3 – Ascent Summit Aconcagua (6962 m)
It is the most demanding day of the expedition. We climb the North Ridge to Independencia Refuge at approximately 6.500 m. We ascend through the “Portezuelo del Viento” climb “La Canaleta”, and the “Filo del Guanaco”, that leads us to the summit. The prize is waiting for us, a 360° view and the experience of overcoming, that you only finally understand once you reach it. At the end of this experience, we descend to Camp 3. B/L/D
Day 16: Extra Day – Reserve day
These extra days are built in to provide the best possible conditions for each participant to summit. B/L/-
Day 17: Extra Day – Reserve day)
These extra days are built in to provide the best possible conditions for each participant to summit. B/L/D
Day 18: Return from Camp 3 to Base Camp.
We’ll enjoy a great dinner to celebrate the experience. B/L/D
Day 19: Return from Base Camp to Penitentes and back to Mendoza
We have breakfast and then start the descent from Plaza de Mulas to Penitentes. There is a private transport waiting for us to take us to the hotel in Mendoza City. B/L/-
Day 20: City Mendoza – Transport to airport – Fligh Back Home
We have breakfast at the hotel. Check Out and end of services. B/-/-

Included meals: B=breakfast; L=lunch; D=dinner

What's Included


Services included in the prices:
  • Transportation- All the transportation are according to the schedule, for the group, in private vehicle.Transport Airport – Hotel in Mendoza (18 km). Transport Mendoza-Penitentes (180 km). Transport to and from Penitentes – Punta de Vacas, Aconcagua Park Entrance (7 km). Return to Mendoza from Horcones (187 km)
  • Accomodation- City of Mendoza: Two (2) nights of lodging in a 3 *** hotel in the city of Mendoza, double or triple, half board, beverages not included. Penitentes: One (1) night at Mountain Hotel in Penitentes, Double or triple, half board, beverages not included. The welcome dinner, breakfast and taxes are included. Mountain Camps: All nights of the expedition at double tents or dormitory dome ( 4 or 8 persons) , Full Board
  • Meals – All meals are included during the approaching, at Base Camp and high altitude camps. Meals are prepared daily by the cooks. Our diet include, among other things, fresh fruit, meat, chicken, vegetables, fresh eggs, bread and other. Our meals are energy balanced with all your body requires for the ascent. We are also are prepared to elaborate special meals, like vegetarian, celiac and other kinds
  • Communication-There is permanent communication through VHF, UHF radios, Satellite Telephones, between Base Camps, mountain expeditions, Penitentes and Mendoza. This guarantees safety and organization that will lead your expedition to be a successful one. We also offer an e-mail service in Plaza de Mulas at reasonable costs
  • Dinning tents -The dining domes are completely equiped with tables, chairs, dishes, electricity and heat, to provide the highest comfort and quality services. You will be attended by our Camp Team, in charge of preparing meals and of offering an excepcional service with a friendly treatment
  • Mules for Equipment Transportation -We take your equipment (30 kg/person) from Penitentes to Plaza Argentina and then we transport 10 kg with the load of your preference from Plaza Argentina to Plaza de Mulas. Then from Plaza de Mulas we take back 30 kg to Horcones Park Entrance and then Penitentes. Our “responsibility and confidence service” means taking your equipment on time and in perfect conditions to and from Base Camp and back to Penitentes. We own our tame mules and the carriers are experimented
  • Medical Equipment -We have medical kits at base camps that include all regular medicines and oximeters, oxygen tubes and hyperbaric chambers exclusively for our clients in ready to solve all kinds of problems. The guides also carry a medical kit for high camps. We have access to rangers, rescue teams, police, professionals medicine doctors and medical institutes specializing in mountain accidents, who are immediately put on alert and get ready whenever they are required by BC personals
  • Dormitory Tents – We provide our clients with the best mountain tents available (The North Face, Mountain Hard Wear) equipped with comfortable mats at the base camps. Also we have exclusive dormitory tents for 4 or 8 persons, with bunk beds, electric light and carpet. We have private bathroom for our clients, toilettes at Confluencia Camp and letrines at Plaza de Mulas and Argentina Camps. We also offered hot water baths at convenient prices
  • Porters -The porter is in charge of helping the group with the extra weight the group equipment represents. Our programmed expeditions includes the carry of double tents. This is to avoid extra unnecessary efforts so you can preserve your energy, for the day you reach the summit. If you need a porter to help you with your personal gear, all you need to do is ask for one
  • Others Service – Assistance in the obtainment of Aconcagua Provincial Park entrance permits. The Aconcagua is a reserved area, managed by the Government of the Province of Mendoza. To be able to enter the park one must obtain a permit, for trekking or for ascending to the summit. You will be personally assisted in this procedure at our sales office. The permit cost is not included in our services
  • Facility for the deposit and care of equipment. A person in charge of the camp supervises your equipment while you ascend. Personal equipment reviews and advice for rental, if necessary
Not included:
  • Aconcagua Park climbing fee (tax charged by Mendoza government, according to dates)
  • Personal equipment
  • Rescue or other costs due to abandon of expedition
  • Personal expenses (tips, laundry, phone, drinks, and porters or other items not specified above.)
  • Extra nights in hotel in case of early return to the city
  • Meals in Mendoza
  • All other services not listed as included
Note: The load bearing equipment namely tents expedition participants, staff team and sleeping bag etc is by the customer, you can take the services of hiring porter in the Base Camp as required.

Prices & Dates

Tour Information:

Season: Dicember to March
Difficulty: Moderate
Dates & Prices:
From / To
01.02. - 20.02.2017 On this trip, places are still available. “Guaranteed execution date !!!”

Prices: * 4,500.00 USD / Contact us! ✓
Places: On this trip, places are still available.* On this trip, places are still available.
Trip-code: ►Code-number (►AR-101) ✓
Duration: 20 days
Participants: Minimal: 4 Maximal: 15
Members: We have 4 people confirmed - join in our group - Contact us!
Country / Location: Argentina, province of Mendoza, department of Las Heras
Mountain Guide: Fernando Iza
Other dates / additional info: Contact us!

Legend Booking-information
EZZ - Single room supplement
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