{"id":734,"date":"2020-10-21T11:28:11","date_gmt":"2020-10-21T09:28:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prodigious.fi\/?page_id=734"},"modified":"2020-10-21T11:50:49","modified_gmt":"2020-10-21T09:50:49","slug":"aconcagua-6961m","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/prodigious.fi\/?page_id=734","title":{"rendered":"Aconcagua 6,961m"},"content":{"rendered":"

ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Aconcagua is a mountain in the Principal Cordillera of the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza Province, Argentina. It is the highest mountain in the Americas, the highest outside Asia and the highest in both the Southern and the Western Hemispheres with a summit elevation of 6,961 metres. The mountain is one of the Seven Summits of the seven continents.<\/p>\n

Aconcagua is arguably the highest non-technical mountain in the world, since the northern route does not absolutely require ropes, axes, etc. Aconcagua is technically an easy mountain if approached from the north, via the normal route. The routes to the peak from the south and south-west ridges are more demanding and the south face climb is considered quite difficult. The Polish Glacier Traverse route, also known as the ”Falso de los Polacos” route, crosses through the Vacas valley, ascends to the base of the Polish Glacier, then traverses across to the normal route for the final ascent to the summit. The third most popular route is by the Polish Glacier itself.<\/p>\n

Traditionally there are three guided routes on Aconcagua: Normal Route, Vacas Valley Polish Variation, and the Guanacos Glacier Route. We choose to guide the Polish Vacas Variation Route on the east side of the mountain because it sees less traffic, it is a much more aesthetic approach, and gives us the opportunity to traverse the mountain. Though an ascent of Aconcagua by any of the routes requires minimal technical skills, it does require excellent physical condition and good backpacking and camping skills.<\/p>\n

While the first summit of Aconcagua is credited to Swiss climber Mathias Zurbriggen, there are traces of Inca civilization and culture near the summit. The name itself hearkens back to indigenous roots, the Quechua word \u201cAnco\u201d (white) and \u201cCahuac\u201d (sentinel). Much like the explorers of the Himalayas, the passes around Aconcagua came into play during military expeditions. In 1817, General Jose de San Martin crossed the range in a successful effort to liberate Chile from Spain. By 1950, most sides of the mountain had been climbed with variations of these routes added to the long line of successful summits.<\/p>\n

Sample Itinerary<\/h3>\n
    \n
  • Day 1 – Depart home.<\/li>\n
  • Day 2- Arrive in Mendoza, Argentina. Climbers arrive preferably on a morning flight. After checking into the hotel, we will have a mandatory climb orientation session, as well as a thorough equipment check. This will be followed by a group dinner in one of Mendoza\u2019s many fine restaurants.<\/li>\n
  • Day 3 – After completing the permit process, we board our transport, usually a van, and travel to the town of Penitentes. We usually stop for lunch in the town of Ushpallata. \u00a0Upon arrival in Penitentes, the mule loads will be organized and after we will enjoy dinner in the lodge-style hotel.<\/li>\n
  • Days 4-6 – We leave Penitentes after breakfast and drive to Punta de Vacas (2,439m.). This is a short 15 min trip. Here we will begin our three-day, nearly 50km trek into Plaza Argentina (4,210m) which will be our base camp for the expedition. During the lunch breaks, we will enjoy a picnic-style buffet, including sandwiches, fresh fruit, and vegetables prepared by the guides. On the approach, we will trek through green desert valleys bordered by the mountains of the Andes. During the first half of the approach, Aconcagua mountain will remain hidden by the other mountains, but at the end of the second day, the east face of the mountain will be revealed. On the final day of the trek to Base Camp, we will cross the Vacas River in, then ascend the Relinchos Valley for a steeper and more challenging day of trekking. Well settled in at Base Camp, we say goodbye to the mules and arrieros who transported our gear.<\/li>\n
  • Day 7 – Is a rest day. Today we sort our loads for the remainder of the climb. We\u2019ll explore the local terrain to continue our acclimatization to the altitude and enjoy another day of plentiful meals while we relax in the comfort of Base Camp.<\/li>\n
  • Day 8 – We will carry supplies to Camp 1, located at 4,970m, and return to Base Camp for the night, following the procedure \u201cclimb high, sleep low\u201d for the perfect acclimatization. We\u2019ll \u201cdouble carry\u201d on this move and most moves on the upper mountain to keep pack weight down and to help ensure good acclimatization.<\/li>\n
  • Day 9 – Another rest day. Today we do our final packing preparations for our departure from Base Camp and move to Camp 1.<\/li>\n
  • Day 10 – Moving day to Camp 1. We depart Base Camp after breakfast and will make a slow ascent to Camp 1. We will climb for approximately one hour, rest for 10 to 15 minutes to rehydrate, refuel, and tend any climber needs.<\/li>\n
  • Day 11 – Carry day to Camp Guanacos which sits at 5,548m, located beyond the north side of a high pass known as Ameghino Col. We cache our loads and return to Camp 1 for the night. Sometimes, depending on snow level, we will need to use crampons to ascend the slopes below Ameghino Col. Often we encounter \u201cpenitentes\u201d \u2013 tall snow triangles that can reach six-plus feet in the air \u2013 for which Aconcagua is famous. Camp Guanacos provides spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and a view looking down into the Guanacos Valley, a wilderness preserve off-limits to humans.<\/li>\n
  • Day 12 – Rest day at Camp 1. After yesterday\u2019s carry to Camp Guanacos, this is a well-deserved and much-appreciated rest day. This gives us further acclimatization time and rest before moving higher up.<\/li>\n
  • Day 13 – Moving day to Camp Guanacos, ascending the same route as the prior carry, while feeling much stronger and better acclimatized. We will arrive at camp and set up our tents, then prepare our dinner and rest.<\/li>\n
  • Day 14 – Carry day to Camp Colera (5,945m) located at the intersection of the North Ridge near Refugio Berlin. At camp, we will cache our loads and have a brief rest before descending back to Camp Guanacos for dinner and a well-earned night of rest.<\/li>\n
  • Day 15 – Rest and acclimatization at Camp Guanacos. While planning our upcoming summit attempt, two days out, we will be closely monitoring the weather to plan for the best day available.<\/li>\n
  • Day 16 – Moving day to Camp Colera. On this relatively short move, we will encounter the magnificent views of the Polish Glacier. In camp, we often need to construct rock walls around our tents in case of high winds, or at least reinforce all tent anchors by stacking rocks on top of them. From Camp Colera, we will have a great view of the west side of the mountain and across the Andes into Chile, as well as some of our route to the summit.<\/li>\n
  • Day 17 – Summit day begins at 4 a.m. After breakfast, we will leave camp at 6 a.m. and climb the North Ridge to Refugio Independencia at approximately 6,523m. From there, we will traverse the West Face and climb up into the Canaleta, an 245m. couloir that leads to the summit ridge. Finally, the Guanaco Ridge offers an easy traverse to the summit. On the top, we\u2019ll have a spectacular 360-degree view. All around, you will see the Andes Mountains consisting of several 6,000m. peaks, including Mercedario, another of the highest peaks in South America. To the west lies Chile and the Pacific Ocean, to the east, the plains of Argentina. You will also be able to look directly down the 2,745m south face of Aconcagua, which is considered one of the great faces of the world. Depending on the weather, we will spend 20 \u2013 30 min. on the summit, whereafter we will descend back to High Camp in the afternoon for a well-deserved rest and dinner. It will be a long day, 9 \u2013 12 hours.<\/li>\n
  • Day 18 – We will descend from High Camp to Plaza de Mulas (Base Camp on the west side of the mountain). This day will be an easy nearly 2,000m descent into the Horcones Valley. At Base Camp, we will see a new perspective of Aconcagua, and watch the sun set on Aconcagua\u2019s summit. Plaza de Mulas offers many amenities like an art exhibition and a shower!<\/li>\n
  • Day 19 – On our final day of the climb, we will trek out from Plaza de Mulas to the Horcones Visitor Center. This trek follows the Horcones River, and we will have several opportunities to see the south face of Aconcagua. We will arrive at Confluencia Camp and enjoy refreshments, then finish the hike to the Horcones Visitor Center, from where we will be picked up and transported back to our hotel in Mendoza, where we\u2019ll have our celebration dinner.<\/li>\n
  • Days 20-21 – We have built in these extra days as contingencies. These can be used for acclimatization, rest, or as bad weather days.<\/li>\n
  • Day 22 – Depart Mendoza for home<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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