Rapid Ascent of the Aconcagua 360 Route

57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.

We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides and the communities they’re travelling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Argentina, please refer to the websites of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Argentina’s Ministry of Health.

Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!

What you get in this adventure:

• • Experienced ACMG/IFMGA certified local rock-climbing guides with extensive knowledge of the area
  • 14 days of alpine rock climbing
  • Double occupancy lodging while in town
  • Group technical gear
  • Group camping equipment
  • Gear and equipment transportation and porters
  • Pre-climb logistics and planning
  • The tent rental fee
  • Meals on the mountain
  • Scheduled transportation to the locations in the itinerary

What’s not included:

• • Accommodations not mentioned in the itinerary
  • In-town meals
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Transportation
  • Insurance
  • The Aconcagua National Park permit fee (about $980 per person)

This adventure is for qualified advanced climbers. You will need an excellent level of fitness and stamina for big mountain climbing. Climbers should have prior experience at altitudes of roped climbing, cramponing, and ice axe skills at 18,000’/5500 meters and must acclimatize well to altitudes over 18,000’. They also must have completed an advanced ice climbing course and have completed multiple ice climbs. Be prepared for multiple days of strenuous climbing and backpacking.

To develop the necessary level of fitness needed to climb Aconcagua, climbers must adapt a challenging, consistent exercise regime months in advance.

Note: Guides may decide not to take climbers up route if their skill level or fitness are deemed inappropriate during the climb.

This 14-day expedition is only for qualified climbers. The route is a technical and physically demanding climb that incorporates all the logistics of climbing a big mountain. You will gain experience of technical climbing at high altitudes that will enable you to move on to even bigger objectives, but you must already have completed an advanced ice climbing course and have completed multiple ice climbs.

If you’re new to alpine climbing, there are plenty of options to prepare you for an expedition like this. Mount Superior in the Wasatch Mountains makes for a great training ground to get the experience to move on to an expedition of this level.

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

• • Fleece or wool hat/beanie
  • Neck gaiter or balaclava
  • Face mask
  • Sunglasses or a visor hat
  • Goggles
  • Headlamp
  • Liner gloves
  • Lightweight and midweight gloves
  • Big mountain mittens
  • Hardshell jacket with hood (Gore-Tex or equivalent)
  • Lightweight wind shell
  • Down or synthetic jacket with hood
  • Long-sleeved base layer
  • Hardshell jacket
  • Lightweight top (moisture resistant T-shirt)
  • Long base layer pants (tights work well in the summer)
  • Hardshell pants
  • Softshell pants (wind-proof or wind-resistant)
  • Base layer bottoms (fitted and quick drying)
  • Quick-dry shorts
  • Underwear
  • Mountaineering boots that work with crampons
  • Rock shoes
  • Down booties for the tent
  • Leg gaiters (ankle to mid calf height works best in summer)
  • Liner socks and wool/warm socks
  • 2 Duffle Bags – durable, waterproof, and big (between
  • 90L and 120L)
  • Internal frame pack that is between 50 and 60 liters
  • Daypack – lightweight (10-20 liters)
  • Sleeping bag
  • Foam or inflatable sleeping pad
  • Water bottle or hydration pack
  • 2 wide-mouth Nalgene bottles
  • Bowl, mug, and spork
  • Food you can eat on-the-go
  • Ice axe (can be rented)
  • Crampons (can be rented)
  • Trekking poles
  • Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, blister kit, toilet paper, etc.)
  • Pee bottle — optional
  • Camera — optional
  • External battery packs for phones and other electronics — optional
  • Leatherman/ Swiss Army Knife — optional

If you have your own gear, feel free to bring it. If not, your guide can provide a harness, helmet and crampons. Contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• • Helmet
  • Harness with a locking carabiner, belay device and chalk bag
  • Ropes
  • Climbing hardware (quickdraws, cam devices, stoppers, etc.)

Group sizes and prices:

• • For the group alpine climbing adventure, client to guide ratio is 4:1 and cost is per person. Costs per person doesn’t decrease as the group grows.

If you are traveling with a bigger group, let us know and we will make arrangements.

Min. age requirements:

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.

If your group has climbers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

Registration for an adventure with your guide requires a 30% deposit. The balance of program fees will generally be due 120 days prior to the starting date of the program. It is your responsibility to adhere to the fee payment schedule. Late payment will result in cancellation of program reservations and forfeiture of all fees paid.

Your guides require that you purchase trip insurance to protect your activity purchase against unforeseeable circumstances. In case you need to cancel the trip, the following cancellation policy applies:

• If you choose to cancel more than 30 days prior to the start of the trip, you will receive a credit for the full cost of your trip.
• If you choose to cancel between 14 days and 30 days from the start of the trip, you are entitled to a credit in the amount of 70% of the full cost of your trip.
• Cancellations made within two weeks of the start of the trip will not be eligible for a credit.
• If the Hypoxico system has already been delivered and/or used, you are responsible for the rental and return shipping costs.

If your guide cancels a trip prior to its start for low enrolment, you will get a full refund or credit your payments.

If your guide cancels a trip prior to its start due to political instability, natural disasters, COVID-19, or other reasons not including low enrolment, you guide will credit all but non-recoverable costs to a future trip.

If your guide cancels a trip after its start due to political instability, natural disasters, COVID-19, or other reasons, there are no refunds or credits. Trip Insurance is essential for these rare but possible situations.

Changes to a trip itinerary made by the guides (including a change of mountain to be climbed, trekking route to be taken, or summit attempt aborted) for any reason do not constitute a cancellation, and no refunds or credits will be made in this case.

Alpenglow strives to keep “non-recoverable costs” as low as possible. As an example, they were able to keep these non-recoverable costs to just 10% of trip cost when we were forced to cancel their Everest expedition in 2020 due to COVID-19, just 40 days before departure. In general, the non-recoverable portion of your payment increases the closer you get to the date of departure.

To get to Aconcagua, Argentina, most people fly into Mendoza International Airport. Flights generally arrive late in the evening. This is where your adventure begins!

Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet — either at the guide’s shop or nearby markets/coffee shops. You’ll spend the day exploring the town, applying for our climbing permits and preparing for the climb!