How To Climb Aconcagua

Transcription

1

2 Aconcagua is the ultimate mountain experience for individuals without technical experience. The summit is the tallest peak outside Asia, being the highest point in the Western and Southern Hemispheres. This high altitude adventure is for those that want to push their limits physically and mentally. This is a full service trek to the summit of the stone sentinel, Aconcagua. Starting and ending from the city of Mendoza, Argentina. Our team of guides, porters, cooks, and mules will provide the logistical support to get you to the 22,840ft peak in the Andes mountain range. Penitentes, Horcones, Plaza Francia, South face of Cerro Aconcagua, Plaza de Mulas, Cerro Bonete, Nido de Condores are all the highlights on this trek up the Normal route. (For those individuals wishing to blend high altitude and technical climbing, then we can adjust this trek to ascend via the Polish Glacier route) In more detail... Day 1 ~ Mendoza Once you arrive in Mendoza, Argentina you will meet your guide for a private transfer back to the Hotel. We will have a nice evening out in Mendoza and enjoy the local cuisine. We will stay at Hotel Aconcagua in the heart of the city close to bars and restaurants. The first day in Mendoza is to relax after the long international flight. Overnight Mendoza Hotel **option depends on departure** Day 2 ~ Penitentes After a nice breakfast at the hotel we will transfer into the city to obtain our permits for the climb. The park service requires all members of the party to sign their own permit form and fill out the appropriate information. After we obtain our permits we will transfer to Penitentes, approximately 4 hours away, via private transfer where we will give our bags to the mule service. We will stay at Hotel Ayelen at the base of Penitentes Ski Resort situated at 8,900 feet. This is our first night at altitude and we will begin our acclimating schedule from here. Overnight Hotel Ayelen (B,L,D) Day 3 ~ Camp Confluenzia After a good breakfast at Hotel Ayelen we will transfer to Horcones and sign in with the park service. From here we will begin our 10 km, 6 mile, walk towards Camp Confluencia situated at just below 3,380 meters(11,090 ft). After we arrive at camp we will have a good portion of the day to rest while we continue to acclimate. At Camp Confluencia we will have all meals provided and our own bunk style tents. The camp has spectacular views of the surrounding peaks and is our first chance to appreciate the altitude in this arid environment. Overnight Camp Confluenzia (B,L,D)

3 Day 4 ~ Plaza Francia After breakfast we will make our way to Plaza Francia, approximately 3,900 meters (12,795 ft), and a view of Aconcagua from the imposing South Face. There is a great viewing area for pictures and we will have lunch here at our maximum elevation. The South Face has only been climbed by a select few and its treacherous avalanches can be seen from Plaza Francia. This will be a long trek where we will take our time and adjust to the ability level of the group. We will arrive back to camp no later than 4pm and have a chance to rest before we eat dinner prepared in our dining tent. Overnight Plaza Francia (B,L,D) Day 5 ~ Plaza de Mulas With an early start, we will grab a good breakfast and begin our long trek towards Plaza de Mulas. This will be our longest day and will require the entire group to be prepared with ample water, snacks, and sunscreen due to the extreme aridity of this terrain. The trail follows the Valley de Los Horcones along rocky terrain as we slowly gain altitude throughout the day. We will have lunch on the trail at an unused campsite known as Refugio Ibanez. After approximately 22 km (12.2 miles) we will reach our destination of our basecamp at Plaza de Mulas. Overnight Plaza de Mulas (B,L,D) Day 6 ~ Plaza de Mulas This will be a complete rest day. We encourage everyone to get out, walk around for while, and get the legs moving, but there will be no acclimating or trekking today. We will have breakfast, lunch, and dinner, at camp. Overnight Plaza de Mulas (B,L,D) Day 7 ~ Plaza de Mulas After a good breakfast we will trek up a local peak, Cerro Bonete (16,600 ft) to get further acclimated and begin our preparation for our summit push. Breakfast will be served at Refugio Plaza de Mulas, and lunch will be packed to take on the trek, and dinner will be provided upon return. Overnight Plaza de Mulas (B,L,D) Day 8 ~ Plaza de Mulas Today will be our fist look at the mountain and the terrain we will cover on once we depart from base camp. We will climb up past Camp Canada and progress to a higher elevation to further acclimate. Overnight Plaza de Mulas (B,L,D) Day 9 ~ Plaza de Mulas This day is dedicated as another rest day where we will have one last night in the Refugio before we begin our summit push. If desired there is a day hike for anyone who feels strong. All meals will be at Camp and we will pack our gear the night before. Overnight Paza de Mulas (B,L,D)

4 Day 10 ~ Camp Canada After a good breakfast we will leave the Refugio and climb up the scree slopes to the pinnacles surrounding the flat promontory of Camp Canada situated at 4,907 m (16,100 ft.) Hiking time is usually 3 to 4 hours. We will spend the night here and prepare for our next day to Nido de Condores. Overnight Camp Canada (B,L,D) Day 11 ~ Nido de Condores Today we will make our way back up the mountain to Nido de Condores and will stay the night here. Nido de Condores is a large flat area with some large rocks that provide wind breaks. The view to the south, across a vast scree field called the Gran Acarreo, reveals the famous Canaleta Couloir and the summit of Aconcagua. This will take approximately 4 hours with plenty of switchbacks before we reach Camp 2 at 5,395 m (17,700 ft.) Overnight Nido de Condores (B,L,D) Day 12 ~ Nido de Condores This day is scheduled for rest and weather. Overnight Nido de Condores (B,L,D) Day 13 ~ Camp Cholera Our route from here ascends the subtle crest of the Northwest ridge towards Camp Berlin at 5,791 m (19,000 ft.). We will push on from here and move up to our high camp known as Camp Cholera. This camp, situated at 5,823 m (19,100 ft.), offers better protection from the wind and is often less crowded than Berlin Camp. Camp Cholera, while being a higher camp does offer a more direct route to the summit and reduces our time at the extreme altitudes. Your guide will make this determination to proceed to this camp as we make our ascent up the mountain. Overnight Camp Cholera (B,L,D) Day 14 ~ Summit / Camp Cholera Summit Day: From our high camp we depart between 2-3 am where the route continues along the Northwest ridge, passing the highest refuge in the world, Refugia Independencia, at 21,476 ft. From these ruins we continue climbing up and right, crossing the Cresta del Viento (Windy Crest). From here we traverse the upper part of the Gran Acarreo, which leads to the Canaleta, the most famous and challenging part of the Normal Route. The Canaleta is an approximately 30 scree gully that rises 500 m (1,500 ft) and requires great patience and stamina. Above the Canaleta, we will find ourselves on the Cresta del Guanaco, the ridge that joins the lower South Summit to the higher

5 North Summit. We follow the ridge crest to the 6,962 m (22,841 ft.) true summit, where an aluminum cross marks the highest point in the Western Hemisphere! The 360 views from the summit are aweinspiring as you gaze out towards the numerous 6,000 m peaks of the Andes. Summiting and returning to high camp takes between 9-12 hours. Overnight Camp Cholera (B,L,D) Day 15 ~ Penitentes Today we descend back to Base Camp and have a celebratory dinner, a hot shower, and plenty of rest before we make our way back to Penitentes. Overnight Hotel Ayelen (B,L,D) Day 16 ~ Mendoza In the morning we will have the opportunity to descend in two different fashions. 1) Anyone who wishes to hike the remaining 25 km will depart at 8:30 with your guide and meet the party back at the trailhead around 15:30 pm; or 2) we can descend via helicopter departing around 15:00 and arriving around 15:30 to the trailhead. From here you drive back to Mendoza. Overnight Mendoza Hotel (B,L) Day 17 ~ Depart Have breakfast at the hotel and transfer to airport for our flights back home. (B) END OF SERVICES ~ This is a sample itinerary that can be adjusted to suit your needs. For more info about pricing, set departures, custom trips, etc --- Please call or us [email protected] ~