UIAGM / IFMGA Internationally Certified Mountain Guides
AMGA Certified Alpine Guide, Rock Guide & Ski Mountaineering Guides
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Aconcagua Climbing
Located in the heart of the Argentine-Chilean Central Andes, at 22,834, is the highest mountain in the world outside Asia making it also the highest point in the Western Hemisphere. A phenomenal mountain of rock and ice and gigantic faces, fitting its native Inca name well; Ackon Cahuak, or Stone Sentinel. Our approach will involve 35 miles of colorful spectacular high desert scenery, where the muleteers, or arrieros, will transport our gear to our 13,000 Base Camp. Surrounded by 21,000 peaks, we will have a formidable view of the Central Andes. We will climb in traditional expedition style using multiple camps enroute, allowing adequate time to acclimatize to the low oxygen environment and assuring enough time to wait out stormy weather. Our goal is to get everybody safely to the Top! We offer 2 different routes on Aconcagua; the classic technical Polish Glacier Route, Our new and remote Guanacos Valley Route, this year we are approaching all routes via Guanacos Valley and we are descending the MountainÕs North Side, accomplishing a traverse as well! The Guanacos Valley Route is not technically difficult, although high altitude, cold temperatures and strong winds make these climbs very challenging. Participants must be in excellent physical condition, able to carry a heavy pack, and have basic mountaineering skills. Participants on the Polish Glacier Expedition must have previous high altitude and technical climbing experience since this beautiful route offers steep snow and ice climbing at extreme altitude.
GUANACOS VALLEY
This route is a newly discovered, non-technical route, which Aventuras Patagonicas explored in February Î97. This is a much less traveled side of Aconcagua with a gradual elevation gain between camps, allowing for easier acclimatization than other routes. Acclimatization is the key element to summiting the highest peak in the Western hemisphere. Our excellent success rate has been improved by climbing Aconcagua via the Guanacos Valley. We named this route the "Guanacos Route" because, during the exploration of the Valley, we encountered large herds of wild Guanaco, a rare sight in the Aconcagua region. This route offers very few trails, few people, and a true sense of adventure. It is the last untouched route on Aconcagua and we would be proud to share this route with you! This season we are traversing the mountain as well!
TRAVERSE
Our Traverse has been popular among climbers in the last
few years. Climbing Aconcagua via a non-technical route and descending the shorter Normal Route you get the whole spectrum of the mountain traveling through three different valleys, the Vacas,Guanacos and Horcones, and passing four different faces of this tremendous peak. On all of these expeditions mules take our gear to Base Camp (Plaza
Guanacos) on the East side of the mountain. After the Summit, we descend the north side to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp. At Plaza de Mulas Base Camp, on the Normal Route, we stay at a mountain lodge, a reward to look forward to after climbing the mountain. Mules then carry our gear from Plaza de Mulas back to Penitentes while we hike out to civilization with a light pack. This season, we have decided to do all our routes via the pristine Guanacos Valley, adding our long time favorite Summit Climb and Traverse to this route for the descent.
POLISH GLACIER
We will approach our Polish Glacier Expedition via the Guanacos Valley and Traverse the mountain as well! People signing up for the Polish Glacier Route should have previous high altitude experience, and be very familiar with the use of ice axe, crampons, and belaying techniques. We have specialized in the Polish Glacier Route, having successfully guided it many times. The line we choose will depend on conditions. If a lot of penitentes (snow pinnacles formed by direct sunlight) are encountered in the lower section of the glacier we will start by climbing through the scree and rock on the right hand side. The steeper Polish Glacier direct route has been the choice route in recent years. Although steeper, it is safer and easier due to fewer icy and exposed traverses than on the old Polish route. On this spectacular, steep snow and ice climb we will use several running belays. In steeper icy sections we will climb pitches instead of using running belays, belaying and regrouping at every anchor. A long day of climbing will take us to the Summit Ridge at 22,000' after the last steep pitch; a 55-60 degree narrow gully with the entire Glacier below at our feet. The final ridge is very long and gentle. After summiting, we descend quickly down the Normal Route, where at Independencia (20,790') we traverse east back to our High Camp at 19,200'.
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2005 was our most successful season ever on Aconcagua...
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WATCH DVD TRAILER
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ACONCAGUA INFO
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Topographic map of Cerro Aconcagua
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