Ultimate Aconcagua

Welcome to Mendoza! Today is your first day with EverTrek and the beginning of your adventure. Our team will be waiting to welcome you to Argentina and take you to your hotel in the heart of the city. In the summer Mendoza can be very hot so you may wish to leave your down jacket packed for now! After you have settled into your hotel you will have a briefing with your mountain guide who will provide all the relevant information about your itinerary and some practical information about the climb itself. Then you can relax in the hotel and take this opportunity before the trip starts to enjoy some of Argentina’s famous Malbec wine - Mendoza is the wine capital of Argentina after all.

After breakfast it's time to get serious! The guides will do a thorough check of your gear as it's important that you have everything you need for the adventure ahead. In case something is missing, there will be time to rent or buy equipment at one of Mendoza’s many outdoor equipment shops.

You then head to the National Parks Office to obtain your climbing permit for Aconcagua and in the early afternoon you will drive to the Vallecitos Valley. The drive will take you straight to the door of a mountain hut in the Vallecitos Valley, already you will have gained nearly 2000 meters in altitude so the next few days are about getting acclimatised to this altitude where you will hike high and sleep low to ensure decent acclimatisation. You will enjoy an early dinner followed by an informative briefing about the next day's activities.

Today is the first climb of the programme; the aim is to summit Loma Blanca, a nearby peak, perfect to gain more altitude and improve acclimatisation. The climb starts from the hut and follows a side valley to the main Vallecitos’ Valley. The trail ascends gently, reaching a col between the Loma Blanca and Arenales. After a rest to enjoy the great view of the lower Mendoza’s Valley and the Potrerillos’ Dam, the trail will follow a wide ridge that heads up towards the mountain summit. The view from the summit is epic and will show the main Vallecitos’ Valley plus part of the next day's trails, the next climb Adolfo Calle and at the end of the valley, the stunning Vallecitos Peak can be seen.

You descend down the southeast ridge until you reach the old ski lifts, carrying on down a broad track past the old ski station until you arrive back at the hut. At the hut, a typical Argentinian “asado” will be waiting for your hungry group before you climb into your tent for a good night's sleep.

Ascent: 937m / Descent: 937m / Highest Altitude: 3664m / Activity duration: 5hr

After breakfast your group will get ready to move upwards to the first campsite of the trip: Vega Superior. It will be possible to leave some gear at the hut and take only what you need for the next couple of days - your guide can help advise you on what to take and what to leave. The hike is not very long and on the way you will pass by other minor refuges until you cross the Vallecitos’ River and head up to the main valley. There will be two short steep sections before reaching the hidden Vega Superior Camp which is located at the foot of the San Bernardo and Adolfo Calle Peaks. When you arrive, the team will host a short workshop on how to set up your tents in both good and bad weather. You then have the rest of the day to relax, rest and acclimatise.

Ascent: 723m / Highest Altitude: 3450m / Activity duration: 3hr

Adolfo Calle is a pointy peak that looks very steep from the camp; most of the ascent is done over rocky terrain following a zigzagging trail. From the camp, the guides will lead the way over a ridge that heads up to the moraine, the climb is quite demanding and a good slow tempo is very important. After an hour, there is a col that opens into an inner valley between the Adolfo Calle on the left and Stefanek Peak on the right. The path through the valley is easy and welcome after the first steep section. 30 minutes later another steep ascent starts following switchbacks which help you gain altitude, the slope will start to level out and after a short scrambling section you will have reached the summit.

The summit is a rocky ridge with spectacular views of the Mendoza Valley and above to all the surrounding peaks like: Vallecitos, El Rincon, Loma Amarilla and the lower slopes of the area’s giant El Plata. You will trace back the same path until the col and from there descend down some steep scree which will lead you to a small ascent. A few minutes later you will be back at the camp for a well earned nights rest.

Ascent: 817 m / Descent: 817 m / Highest Altitude: 4267 m / Activity duration: 5hr

You will have a nice relaxing start to the day at the beautiful campsite ‘Vega Superior’. The plan today is to hike to the next Campsite, El Salto, where you will stop for lunch before heading back down for another night at Vega Superior. Today is all about one thing, acclimatising! You’re following the tried and tested method of climb high, sleep low and get plenty of rest.

Ascent: 638m / Descent: 638m / Highest Altitude: 4288m / Activity duration: 5hr

The sunrises from Vega Superior are some of the best on the trek, giving you a beautiful view up to Vallecitos’ eastern face, a scary looking climb, but thankfully not your route of ascent. After breakfast you will head back up the trail to El Salto. The way through the Vallecitos’ is beautiful and gradually gains altitude allowing for a gentle climb. The last section to reach the camp is the hardest section, The ridge is known as “El Infiernillo” (The little hell).

Finally we will arrive at El Salto Campsite, which receives its name from the waterfall that flows into the valley below the camp. The group will set up the tents, grab some lunch and then have a detailed briefing about the next day's climb to Vallecitos before resting and heading to your tent for the night.

Ascent: 638m / Highest Altitude: 4288m / Activity duration: 4hr

The team will provide an early breakfast around 4:00am before you head off to start the climb at around 5:00am. Vallecitos is not a technical climb, but it is a very long ascent and for the first time you will be going above 5000 meters so the altitude will definitely be a factor.

Your route climbs along Vallecitos’ east flank, the terrain gets steeper as you increase in altitude until around 5000 meters, from there you traverse to the right and head to the Vallecitos’ col located between Vallecitos to the right and El Plata to the left. The col is at 5100 meters and from here is the best view of Aconcagua, towering over its neighbours. After a short break you will climb along the Vallecitos’ ridge which takes you to the summit. The last part of the climb is spectacular and has amazing views of the Tupungato Volcano right before arriving at the summit.

After a short time on the summit for celebrations and photos you will descend following the same route back to camp. Arriving at camp you will have a hearty meal before heading to your tent for a well-deserved sleep.

Ascent: 1173m / Descent: 1173m / Highest Altitude: 5461m / Activity duration: 10hr

After a well-deserved rest and a good breakfast, you will descend to the hut. The hike will take about four hours and once at the hut your transport will be waiting to take you for lunch at one of Uspallacta’s great restaurants. After lunch you will drive along the mountain roads that take you to a location called Penitentes, the main entrance to Aconcagua Regional Park. You will spend the night at a hotel and have a warm shower and a soft bed to sleep in after many nights in the mountains.

Descent: 1561 m / Activity duration: 3hr

You are now ready to head for Aconcagua! Transport will pick you up around mid morning and take you for a short drive to the park’s main entrance, the gateway to Aconcagua. Today’s hike is a relaxing one and has a little touch of Hollywood. You will also notice the landscape is changing, becoming much dryer and arid but with its own charm. The coloured mountains and the vastness of the landscape bring to mind Tibetan planes so it’s no wonder this valley was chosen to film the movie Seven Years in Tibet.

After a short hike you will reach Brad Pits’ Bridge, a legacy of the film set. Your trail then follows the raging Horcones River which flows along the valley towards Confluencia Camp. This camp is the first of the two fixed camps on Aconcagua. On arrival you will receive a medical check, a big meal and then time to relax and rest.

Ascent: 588m / Highest Altitude: 3409m / Activity duration: 4hr

An early morning and a quick breakfast before you continue the trail. Leaving camp, your path will drop into a gorge and cross the Lower Horcones River then climb up overlooking the Plaza Francia’s valley where the famous South face stands. The Horcones’ Valley opens up into a wide broad valley which follows the mountain by the East flank. The colors and shapes of both rivers and mountains are an unforgettable spectacle. The landscape changes dramatically from the wide riverbed, known as Playa Ancha, to a narrower valley with a steep climb towards your lunch spot of Piedra Ibañez. After lunch you will continue on to Aconcagua’s base camp, Plaza de Mulas. Base camp is located in a great spot, just at the foot of the mountain and surrounded by the peaks of Cerros Cuerno, Catedral, Horcones and Bonete, offering a real alpine atmosphere.

Ascent: 955m / Highest Altitude: 4364m / Activity duration: 8hr

After the long hike from Confluencia you deserve a rest day at base camp. Plaza de Mulas is a well prepared camp with bathrooms, showers, bars and little restaurants. It also has the world’s highest art gallery as certified by Guinness World Records. If you feel like a more active day, it is possible to do a short hike to take a look at the glacier descending from Cerro Cuerno.

After enjoying a plentiful breakfast and packing your duffel bag, you will start what you came all the way to Argentina to do, climb Aconcagua! The first part is up to a camp called “EL Semaforo” (the traffic light), this camp has great views down to Plaza de Mulas. From this point the trail does a lot of switchbacks and the ascent is slow but constant. About half way up there will be a lunch stop at Conway stones/towers, then the trail moves towards the north for a final steep section up to camp 1, Canada Camp.

Ascent: 546m / Highest Altitude: 4910m / Activity duration: 4hr

The morning light will hit the camp at about 9am and the group will get ready to move up, heading to the famous Nido de Condores or Camp 2 (Eagle’s Nest). The trail traverses northwards, switching back at a place known as Cambio de Pendiente (Hills Side Change). During the hike, you will see for the first time the summit day trail - so the excitement will get very real. As you continue upwards gaining steady altitude, the Argentinian flag marks the location of camp 2. Nido de Condores is a huge campsite placed on a broad plateau facing northeast. This will be the first time that the other side of Aconcagua will show its face and In the evening you will experience the best sunset on the trip.

Ascent: 664m / Highest Altitude: 5574m / Activity duration: 4hr

From today the schedule will be very flexible, as it is important to plan the summit bid according to the weather conditions and your group’s wellbeing. If the weather conditions are good, the group will have breakfast and start today’s hike. It’s quite a short day due to the altitude so you will go very slowly. Sometimes, depending on the mountain conditions, there might be snow on the trail. The ascent will be done by a wide col that leads straight up to the high camp, Berlin. Depending on the weather conditions and condition of the camp, you may continue another 30 minutes to Colera Camp.

These camps are the highest on the mountain, just below 6000 meters. It is highly important to take it very easy, drink as much as possible and rest. Your guide will do a detailed briefing about the summit attempt, where they will go over all of the relevant details for the climb. A very early dinner and a good rest, as well as mental preparation for the attempt are all essential.

Ascent: 395m / Highest Altitude: 5969m / Activity duration: 4hr

The big day is here! The start time will depend on the weather but it will be around 5:00 AM. The pace will be very slow, which is the key to a successful summit. The first part of the climb is done in about two hours over some gentle slopes until you reach a place known as Piedras Blancas (White stones) at 6050m, usually reached at sunrise. After a very short break, the ascent will continue up the Eastern side with views over the opposite side of the mountain down into the valleys of Vacas. After a one and a half hour hike, you will be at the ruins of an old refuge called Independencia at 6383m where there will be a longer break to recover, before starting the long traverse to La Canaleta.

Having trekked from Independencia, you will arrive at El Portezuelo del Viento (The Wind Passage), the beginning of the traverse will take about two to three hours until you reach La Cueva 6680 m (The Cave). Here you will have another well deserved and important break before the steepest part of the climb: La Canaleta (the gorge). This section takes around one and a half hours and is the key to the summit, it’s time to dig deep and keep the summit in mind! The terrain, depending on the conditions, is a mixture of rocks and snow and the trail switchbacks as it gains altitude until you reach a ridge-like formation from where the famous “Guanacos” traverse begins.

The summit is visible from this point and the traverse takes about one and a half hours along the ridge where the world famous South Face ends, the Summit of Aconcagua is just a few steps away. Words can’t describe the feeling of finally stepping foot on the roof of the Americas, so you will just have to experience it! Needless to say you will have an epic view of the South face and the neighbouring peaks with the distant summit of Vallecitos. The descent will take between three to four hours and is quite demanding after the ascent. Back at the camp, your guide will prepare some food before everyone heads to sleep.

Ascent: 993m / Descent: 993m / Highest Altitude: 6962m / Activity duration: 10-12hr

Please note - If attempting the summit on the 1st or 2nd scheduled days (Day 16 or 17) and leaving the mountain afterwards – the extra hotel nights and meals in Mulas, Confluencia, Penitentes, Mendoza or Santiago will be on each member’s own expense.

This is a back-up day in case weather prevents a successful summit. If you reached the summit on day 16, it is a good opportunity to rest before you descend.

Please note - If attempting the summit on the 1st or 2nd scheduled days (Day 16 or 17) and leaving the mountain afterwards – the extra hotel nights and meals in Mulas, Confluencia, Penitentes, Mendoza or Santiago will be on each member’s own expense

This is a back up day in case weather prevents a successful summit. If you reached the summit on day 16, it is a good opportunity to rest before you descend.

Once the sun hits the tents, your group will start to prepare for the descent. The guide will cook some breakfast and then you will all head back down. It will take around four to five hours to reach base camp, depending on how tired your legs are, but there is no hurry.

Descent: 1605m / Activity duration: 4-5hr

You will trek from Base camp to the entrance of the National Park at Horcones and then transfer to Mendoza. Upon arrival in Mendoza you will head to the hotel and in the evening have a celebration dinner with all the team.

Descent: 1543m / Activity duration: 8hr

The time has come to say goodbye to Argentina and the EverTrek team before the long journey home. You have done it, you summited the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas and one of the seven summits! Where's next?