Day 1: Arrivals in Mendoza (800 m / 2,625’)
Your guide will meet you at the airport, and escort you to your accommodation. Mendoza’s summer climate is warm and humid; however, the hotel is air-conditioned for your comfort. It is an attractive and prosperous town adorned with European style architecture, lush parks, and street side cafes and bars. This is also the wine-producing center of Argentina, offering winery tours and wine tasting opportunities.
Day 2: Journey to Penitentes (2,580 m / 8,465’)
Your second day is reserved for a relaxed morning after long journeys. After lunch, you will take a private bus towards Puente Del Inca. This journey takes approximately three hours to reach your stop a few miles below Inca: the resort of Penitentes. Although this is a ski resort, the weather will be relatively warm and dry. You will stay at the Ayelen Hotel for the night.
Day 3: Drive to Las Cuevas Refuge (3,200 m / 10,499’)
On the third day, you will be heading towards the Chilean border to settle in at a small mountain refuge owned by your guide’s friends, Don Gerardo. His home will serve as your base for your initial acclimatization process. After lunch, you and your guide will hike up the Tolosa Valley to the base of the majestic Tolosa Glacier and enjoy the spectacular views.
Day 4: Acclimatization Hike and Overnight 1 (3,900m / 12,795’)
After a lazy morning, you will start your hike to the Cristo Redentor Refuge at the Border of Argentina and Chile. You can either camp out under the stars, or use the Refuge as your base for the evening. Wonderful views of the upper part of Aconcagua will give you a look at what is to come.
Day 5: Acclimatization Hike 2 (4,200m / 13,800’, 3,200 m / 12,795’ sleep)
After breakfast, your guide will utilize the beautiful Santa Elena Peak (normally attaining around 4,200m) to continue increasing your acclimatization, later returning to your base at Las Cuevas Refuge, where a well-deserved shower and dinner will be waiting for you.
Day 6: Parque Nacional Aconcagua, Confluencia (3,200 m / 12,795’)
On the sixth day, you can look forward to a lazy morning to recover from Stage 1. After lunch, you and your guide will head to the Aconcagua Park gates, enter the park, and trek up the Horcones Valley to the green campsite at Confluencia (3,200m). This is a short day, but the lush camp provides plenty of necessary water.
Day 7: Plaza de Mulas Base Camp (4,200 m / 13800’)
Your trek continues on the following day, from Confluencia to the Plaza de Mulas Base Camp, following a broad, stone-covered, valley floor to a steep trail that leads to a terminal moraine. The base camp at Plaza de Mulas is situated on the top of this moraine, just off the Horcones Glacier and beneath a vast west face of Aconcagua. Base Camp is very comfortable, with a huge mess tent and a full-kitchen staff and porters. You will be provided with world-class mountain cuisine that includes vegetarian meals, free-range Argentinian steak, delicious soups, and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Day 8: Rest and Acclimatization at Base Camp (4,200 m / 13,800’)
At this point, most people start to feel the altitude after sleeping so high, so you will use your eighth day to rest, acclimate, enjoy stunning views, and experience base camp culture.
Day 9: Transport Supplies to Plaza Don Fernando (4,800 m / 15,748′, 4,200 m/13,800′ sleep)
On the following day, you can carry your load from base camp to Plaza Don Fernando. Throughout your climb of Aconcagua, you will follow the philosophy of ‘climb high-sleep low’ as you ascend the mountain. From your base camp at Plaza de Mulas, you will follow the trail as it gradually switches back up steep scree slopes to the rock spires that mark Plaza Don Fernando. This is where you will cache gear and food before returning to base camp. This usually takes from 4 to 6 hours (round trip).
Day 10: Rest and Acclimatization at Base Camp (4,200 m / 13800’)
Use your tenth day to relax and acclimatize to new surroundings at Base Camp.
Day 11: Climb Cerro Cuerno (5,250m / 17,224’, 4,200 m / 13800’ sleep)
You will start your day with an early wake-up call to climb Cerro Cuerno by the right side of the face on a steep 35-55 degree ice/snow face to reach the col between Cuerno and Aconcagua. Then, you will follow the East Ridge to the summit — a beautiful peak that is rarely climbed. This will be a good climb and preparation for the main challenge of this expedition, the climb of the Polish Glacier. You will return to Base Camp after this ascent.
Day 12: Rest and Acclimatization at Base Camp (4,200 m / 13,800’)
Before returning to Plaza Don Fernando, you will take another rest day at Base Camp, after a long day on the summit of Mt. Cuerno. This will dramatically improve your acclimatization and chances of a successful summit.
Day 13: Move to Plaza Don Fernando (4,800 m / 15,748’)
The next day, you will return to Plaza Don Fernando, this time to sleep. You will carry all of our personal equipment as you will not be returning to Base Camp unless forced to by bad weather.
Day 14 & 15: Move to Plaza Don Benegas (5,400 m / 17,717’)
On the next day, you will move up to Plaza Don Benegas which will take 3 – 5 hours. You will reach your camp where you can look forward to another day of rest.
Day 16: Climb to Camp Plaza Caluba (5,950 m / 19,521’)
This is when you move on up, for approximately 3 to 5 hours, to Grand Plaza Caluba Camp. You will carry three days worth of food, fuel, personal equipment, and tents.
Day 17: Summit Day (6963m / 22,844’)
For this big day, you will need to have a very early start. At about 1:00AM, the stoves from the guide’s tents will start running to prepare water and you will depart for your Polish Glacier climb a few hours later. You will have a very demanding and long day ahead. A 12 to 16 hours of climbing a day is very much possible when climbing the Polish Glacier. The line your guide will choose will depend on the conditions. If a lot of penitentes (snow pinnacles formed by direct sunlight) are encountered in the lower section of the glacier, you will start by climbing through the scree and rock on the right hand side.
A long day of climbing will take you to the Summit Ridge at 22,000′ after the last steep pitch — a 55-60 degree narrow gully with the entire Glacier below our feet. The final ridge is very long and gentle and above all, awesome! From there, you will be able to look directly down the 9,000’ South Face of Aconcagua, considered one of the great faces of the world! At the summit, you will have a spectacular 360-degree view. All around, you will see the Andes Mountains consisting of several 20,000’ peaks, including another of the highest peaks in South America, Mercedario. To the west lies Chile and the Pacific Ocean, and, to the east, the pre-Andes and plains of Argentina.
After summiting, you will descend quickly via the Normal Route, where at Independencia (20,790 m ) you will traverse west back to your High Camp — the Grand Plaza Caluba Camp — for rest and rehydration.
Day 18: Descend to Base Camp
This is when you descend from Plaza Caluba to Base Camp. You will probably have some equipment and food to pick up along the way.
Days 19 – 21: Contingency Days
These are spare days which are included in case of any bad weather.
Day 22: Trek Out and the End of BBE Services
On your twenty second day, you will walk out from Base Camp to the trailhead at Horcones. The walk, which took days to accomplish on the way in, will take about 6 to 7 hours. At the trailhead, you will travel by private bus back to Mendoza, arriving in time for a late dinner, but you will be rewarded with a hot shower, drinks, and a delicious meal at the hotel. Time to celebrate!
Day 22 late or 23: Departures from Mendoza Airport
It is time to head home following your big success!
Note: This itinerary is intended to be a guideline only, weather days and necessary extra rest days are always a possibility whilst on a climbing expedition.
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