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ACONCAGUA AN EXPEDITION TO THE ROOF OF SOUTH AMERICA
Our expedition begins and ends in the city of Mendoza, Argentina. Mendoza is a charming city of wide boulevards, sidewalk cafes, lush,
colorful parks, and friendly locals. It is bustling with summertime activity and is a perfect city for walking. Our first step of the expedition
will be to check your gear in your hotel room, ideally, after you have rested from crossing the globe. Gear check is a critical step. It is
important to bring the essential items you will need to climb to the Top of the Americas. Although times are changing, do not count on
being able to find what you need once you get to Argentina. Mendoza is your best bet to buy or rent gear, although it is not always
easy to find at the last minute. Make sure you leave home with everything on your equipment list. If you are having serious difficulty
finding a particular item, please let us know before you leave for South America! We have a limited amount of rental equipment.
Aconcagua Normal route Itinerary and schedule dates:
L'Aconcagua (en Francais) Itineraire de la voie normale. Depart 2008 / 2009
El Plomo - Aconcagua Normal route combination itinerary:
Aconcagua map and drawing:
Aconcagua photos:
NEW ACONCAGUA AMEGHINO & UPPER GUANACO ROUTE
A group meeting will follow gear check. We will introduce your guides and team members and talk about several aspects of your
expedition. We will discuss the philosophy and style of the expedition, the effects of medications at altitude, sanitation, water treatment,
teamwork, and the art of climbing big mountains. Dinner will take place immediately after the meeting, at a fine Mendoza restaurant
reached via a pleasant walk from the hotel. We will have a chance to taste gourmet Argentinean cuisine, fresh beef and delicious wines
(there are plenty of alternatives for non-drinkers and vegetarians in the group as well). Be prepared for a late dinner, since dinnertime
in Argentina begins at 9:00 PM!
The next morning we will visit the office of the National park and get our climbing permit before traveling with our van to Penitentes, a
ski area on the Argentinean side of the dramatic Andes Mountain Range. This is a spectacular 3 to 4 hour ride from Mendoza,
ascending over 10,000 feet through rugged mountain scenery. Approximately 100 miles after leaving Mendoza driving west through
the expansive Central Valley, we will stop for lunch and then continue heading west towards the Cordillera de Los Andes (the Andes
Mountain Range). We follow the Mendoza Valley, gaining altitude as we drive deep into the jagged Andes. Imposing peaks and
profound valleys line our route as we approach Penitentes. Once in Penitentes we do our last minute packing, arrange mule loads, and
then have a free time to enjoy a hike or just to relax. Penitentes is the beginning of our acclimatization process, and although we are at
only 8500’ the time spent here is essential to our slow building process of reaching 22,834’! Our body is a high performance machine
and it starts compensating right away to the lower oxygen environment, even in Penitentes, producing more red blood cells which is
exactly what we want it to do!.
The next three days will be spent approaching Base Camp which is at 13,000’. Mules and their muleteers will carry all of our gear to
Base Camp except for our day packs, which we carry daily with food, water, and a change of warm clothes. We have access to our
mules and gear every night on the approach. This makes our hike in very enjoyable. Our approach will involve 35 miles of spectacular,
colorful, high desert scenery. Normally it gets very hot and dry during the day. After a 4-5 hour hike the first day, we
will reach Confluencia camp at 3,300m. were we will stay for two night for better acclimatization. From there a long day hike will lead to
base camp Plaza de Mulas at 4,300m. Now we have several weeks to reach the summit. we will carefully work on acclimatization, carry
load and set up high camp, rest and enjoy expedition style climbing.
Our expedition begins and ends in the city of Mendoza, Argentina. Mendoza is a charming city of wide boulevards, sidewalk cafes, lush,
colorful parks, and friendly locals. It is bustling with summertime activity and is a perfect city for walking. Our first step of the expedition
will be to check your gear in your hotel room, ideally, after you have rested from crossing the globe. Gear check is a critical step. It is
important to bring the essential items you will need to climb to the Top of the Americas. Although times are changing, do not count on
being able to find what you need once you get to Argentina. Mendoza is your best bet to buy or rent gear, although it is not always
easy to find at the last minute. Make sure you leave home with everything on your equipment list. If you are having serious difficulty
finding a particular item, please let us know before you leave for South America! We have a limited amount of rental equipment.
Aconcagua Normal route Itinerary and schedule dates:
L'Aconcagua (en Francais) Itineraire de la voie normale. Depart 2008 / 2009
El Plomo - Aconcagua Normal route combination itinerary:
Aconcagua map and drawing:
Aconcagua photos:
NEW ACONCAGUA AMEGHINO & UPPER GUANACO ROUTE
A group meeting will follow gear check. We will introduce your guides and team members and talk about several aspects of your
expedition. We will discuss the philosophy and style of the expedition, the effects of medications at altitude, sanitation, water treatment,
teamwork, and the art of climbing big mountains. Dinner will take place immediately after the meeting, at a fine Mendoza restaurant
reached via a pleasant walk from the hotel. We will have a chance to taste gourmet Argentinean cuisine, fresh beef and delicious wines
(there are plenty of alternatives for non-drinkers and vegetarians in the group as well). Be prepared for a late dinner, since dinnertime
in Argentina begins at 9:00 PM!
The next morning we will visit the office of the National park and get our climbing permit before traveling with our van to Penitentes, a
ski area on the Argentinean side of the dramatic Andes Mountain Range. This is a spectacular 3 to 4 hour ride from Mendoza,
ascending over 10,000 feet through rugged mountain scenery. Approximately 100 miles after leaving Mendoza driving west through
the expansive Central Valley, we will stop for lunch and then continue heading west towards the Cordillera de Los Andes (the Andes
Mountain Range). We follow the Mendoza Valley, gaining altitude as we drive deep into the jagged Andes. Imposing peaks and
profound valleys line our route as we approach Penitentes. Once in Penitentes we do our last minute packing, arrange mule loads, and
then have a free time to enjoy a hike or just to relax. Penitentes is the beginning of our acclimatization process, and although we are at
only 8500’ the time spent here is essential to our slow building process of reaching 22,834’! Our body is a high performance machine
and it starts compensating right away to the lower oxygen environment, even in Penitentes, producing more red blood cells which is
exactly what we want it to do!.
The next three days will be spent approaching Base Camp which is at 13,000’. Mules and their muleteers will carry all of our gear to
Base Camp except for our day packs, which we carry daily with food, water, and a change of warm clothes. We have access to our
mules and gear every night on the approach. This makes our hike in very enjoyable. Our approach will involve 35 miles of spectacular,
colorful, high desert scenery. Normally it gets very hot and dry during the day. After a 4-5 hour hike the first day, we
will reach Confluencia camp at 3,300m. were we will stay for two night for better acclimatization. From there a long day hike will lead to
base camp Plaza de Mulas at 4,300m. Now we have several weeks to reach the summit. we will carefully work on acclimatization, carry
load and set up high camp, rest and enjoy expedition style climbing.
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