| Beginning of the Expedition(day 1) |
End of Expedition |
| December 28th, 2011 | January 01st, 2012 |
| January 06th, 2012 | January 10th, 2012 |
| January 15th, 2012 | January 19th, 2012 |
| February 05th, 2012 | February 09th, 2012 |
- A program that gives the highest chance of success, with a low level of difficulty and risk.
- To know the Aconcagua Base Camp and be at the foot of the highest point of the Western Hemisphere.
- The ability to view your performance up to 5000 meters, this being a great stepping stone for climbing the highest mountains (6000/7000 m) of the Andes.
- To stay in touch with people all over the world, like you, are looking for a challenge within full communion with the mountain.
Plaza de Mulas Base Camp
Once you have arrived at Plaza de Mulas, you will spend 5 nights in the campsite. It´s fully prepared to make the trip around the magnificent South American mountain as comfortable as possible. There are tents for eating, kitchen, equipment storage. Toilets are available too. An excellent team of people will attend you, preparing delicious meals and providing you an excellent service. The advantages of the campsite are not only its commodities, but also the direct contact with nature.
Trekking Plaza de Mulas - Ruta Normal
Our guides (See more information about them)
The mountain guides are qualified professionals of the AAGM (Argentinean Association of Mountain Guides) and the EPGAMT (Provincial School of High Mountain and Trekking Guides). The last qualification takes 2 years long. All the guides are professionals with proven experience and ability to offer security to the teams. The expedition is leadered by a high mountain guide every 3 / 4 clients.
Trekking in the area
You will make a short trek at the area to know the Plaza de Mulas base camp, the Hotel Refugio Plaza Mulas, Park Rangers and the glaciers around.
Plaza de Mulas hotel - Refugio Plaza de Mulas - Aconcagua
Technical difficulty: this activity does not present any technical difficulty; this means that the participants don´t require a previous climbing experience on rocks or ice.
Physical difficulty: in order to avoid any kind of inconveniences in the process of acclimatization and to succeed in getting the summit, we suggest you follow a program of training that is adapted to the activity that you are going to make.
Other types of difficulties: the biggest problem that you can face on your expedition are the effects of the altitude on your body. Another difficulty are the low temperatures on the mountain, the effects of which are reduced with a high-quality clothing and equipment.
Assistance to buy the climbing permits
Mount Aconcagua is located in a provincial Park, managed by the Government of Mendoza. To get into the Park you should get a permit, in accordance to the activity that you are going to participate in (climbing, long trek, short trek). This working paper must be done personally, as a government rule. That is why each passenger should go to the Park's office with their own passport.
Trekking Plaza de Mulas
Luggage care
If you wish to leave certain personal belongings that you will not need during the days of the expedition, you can do so at our office in Mendoza City.
Trekking Plaza de Mulas
Transfer Mendoza / Puente del Inca / Mendoza
A private transfer will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Puente Del Inca. We will drive over 180 kilometers, which separate Mendoza City from Puente Del Inca (roundtrip). The scenery on the journey is one of the most spectacular landscapes in the central Andes.
Meals
On the expedition you will enjoy all the meals (B: Breakfast / L: Lunch / PL: Packed Lunch if we are on the move / D: Dinner) that are carefully planned by professionals to have a balanced diet during those days on the mountain.
The cooks always prepare every meal, with fixed menu. You will enjoy tasty and large portions of very good meals.
If you are vegetarian, let us know.
Confluencia Camp
While you are gaining height, your body needs some time to start with the process of acclimatization. Therefore, it is extremely important to stop for two nights at an intermediate level, to help your body to start with this process. During that time, you will camp in the Confluencia campsite, which has the enough comfort to spend a good deal of time, being fully equipped.
Trekking Plaza de Mulas - Normal Route
Trekking to Plaza Francia
On the 3 th day of the trekking, you will visit the base of the mythical South Face of the Aconcagua mountain. This is the most vertical face of the mountain, with glaciers and walls almost 3000 meters tall.
During that trekking, you will gain 700 meter that will give your body a sign that the acclimatization process is starting.
Trekking Plaza de Mulas - Normal Route
Tents
Normally, during the summer high-season, Aconcagua is a mountain with good weather conditions. Yet if you happen to have a few days of storms, you will be responsive to nature's whims at high altitudes. Therefore, we will be sure to provide you with the highest quality tents. We have used The North Face and Mountain Hardware, which have proved to work well for our clients over the years. Usually two climbers will sleep in each tent, but if our guide considers it necessary, a maximum of three climbers may sleep in one tent.
Communications
We take advantage of the VHF and BLU radio lines that help us to stay in contact between the high-altitude campsites, Plaza de Mulas, Confluencia, Puente del Inca and Mendoza. Therefore, we can respond almost instantaneously to whatever issue that may arise.
Participation or Summit Certificate
We will extend you a certificate signed by the Guide of the expedition and the Ceo of Acomara-AconcaguaExpeditions certifying that you have participated in the Plaza de Mulas base camp expedition (or reached the Mt. Bonete´s summit if that happened).
Climbing Permit
The only way to enter the Aconcagua Park is by getting the permit personally in Mendoza city. If the ticket is not used within the dates established by the Park authorities, the money will not be returned. The ticket will be invalid in the future years.
The entrance fee's payment support the maintenance and care of Aconcagua Provincial Park and aid to preserve and protect it. It also supports the maintenance of the medical, the park rangers and the rescue service (Helicopter)
Extras
Those extra expenses as food or drinks separate from those described in the itinerary should be payed by you, not being included.
Expenses for giving up the expedition
In order to have better but cheaper services, the expedition is quoted taking into account the whole group. In any case that you give up the scheduled itinerary because of personal problems, mountain sickness, etc, you start taking private services.
Once you give up the itinerary, the transfer from Puente del Inca to Mendoza city in a regular bus is included in the expedition.
Personal equipment and sleeping bag
The personal equipment (sleeping bag and clothing) that you will need is not included so you would have to buy it or rent any equipment. Take into account our guides if you need assistance.
Personal Insurance
Having a personal insurance is not a fundamental requirement to do guided Aconcagua trek. However, we suggest that you contact an insurance company if you wish to get one taking into account the risk in the mountain.
| Recomended Equipment and Clothing | |
| Feet: 3 pairs of thick socks for cold (sky type) 2 pairs of comfortable trekking boots Legs: 1 pair of thick shelter pants 1 pair of rainproof pants 1 pair of comfortable long pants (trekking type) Body: 2 synthetic underwear shirts 1 turtleneck of synthetic material 1 fleece jacket of alike 1 shelter jacket (down or synthetical) 1 rainproof jacket Hands: 1 pair of light inner gloves 1 pair of rainproof gloves for shelter (mitten type) |
Head: Sun cap or hat Shelter hat (wool or fleece) A good pair of sunglasses with UV filter Expedition Gear: 1 Sunscreen (never less than factor 20) One litter water bottle Sleeping mattress for high mountain Personal care elements Front lamp with extra batteries Sleeping bag for -10 °C Technical equipment: 1 comfortable backpack of 40 liters or more 1 pair of telescopic pools |
This activity can also be taken in private way. This means that you choose the departure date and you share it only with your fellow partners. The cost is higher than the scheduled treks. If you are interested, please ask us about our private treks.
To confirm the reservations Acomara-AconcaguaExpeditions asks for the a downpayment of the total amount, that can be sent through banking transfer (ask for account information) or through internet by PayPal - www.paypal.com. To ensure the security of your information, all credit cards and electronic transfers are handled by PayPal.
The balance must be paid in Mendoza, before starting the expedition.
Mount Aconcagua
Cancellation
the cancellation of any reservation must be made in writing without exception. Under no circumstances will the deposit be refunded, instead the CLIENT will assume a credit in his/her favor equivalent to the amount paid to be used towards different services offered by Aconcagua Expeditions.com in season and for the lapse of two years.
