Mount Aconcagua Climbing Itinerary
Brief Itinerary
Day 01 - Arrive at Mendoza (760m/2,495ft). Rest and overnight in the hotel
Day 02 – Drive from Mendoza to Los Penitentes (2700m/8,860ft). Rest and overnight in the hotel
Day 03 - Drive from Penitentes to Horcones. Trek from Horcones to Confluencia (3390m/11,120ft)
Day 04 - Confluencia – Acclimatization - Plaza Francia (4000m/13,125ft)
Day 05 - Trek from Confluencia to Plaza de Mulas (4300m/14,110ft)
Day 06 - Plaza de Mulas – Acclimatization and Rest day
Day 07 - Carry equipment and food from Plaza de Mulas to Camp 1 (5050m/16,570ft)
Day 08 - Plaza de Mulas – Rest Day
Day 09 - Trek from base camp to Camp 1 (5050m/16,570ft).
Day 10 - Trek from Camp 1 to Camp 2 (5550m/18,210ft)
Day 11 - Camp 2 - Acclimatization and rest day
Day 12 - Trek from Camp 2 to Camp 3 (5,970m/19,585ft)
Day 13 - Summit day – Mount Aconcagua 6962m/22,840ft)
Days 14 and 15 - Contingency day for Summit
Day 16 - Return to Mount Aconcagua Basecamp
Day 17 - Trek from Aconcagua basecamp to Penitentes. Drive back to Mendoza.
Day 18 – Depart from Mendoza
Detailed Itinerary
Day 01 - Arrive at Mendoza (760m/2,495ft). Rest and overnight in the hotel
Our expedition starts in Mendoza, Argentina. A representative of Protrek Adventure will be waiting for you at the airport. We will stay at the hotel in the city. A group meeting will follow and you will be introduced to your guides and team members. Overnight in the hotel. (Transportation: Airport – Hotel in Mendoza)
Day 02 – Drive from Mendoza to Los Penitentes (2700m/8,860ft). Rest and overnight in the hotel
After you obtain individual park entrance and ascent permits, assisted by your guide, we meet at our commercial office to finalize all the arrangements of the expedition. Later we travel to Villa de Penitentes, where we stay at a hotel in the mountain. There we get the equipment ready for transportation to the base camp by mule. Overnight in the hotel. (Transportation: Mendoza – Penitentes)
Day 03 - Drive from Penitentes to Horcones. Trek from Horcones to Confluencia (3390m/11,120ft)
We drive you to Horcones Park, where we get our first view of the mountain. We will get our permits checked at the Ranger station. Then, we head off to Confluencia by walking 4 or 5 hours. Overnight in tents. (Transportation: Penitentes – Horcones)
Day 04 - Confluencia – Acclimatization - Plaza Francia (4000m/13,125ft)
We’ve included this day in order to acclimatize better and give you more chances to summit. We’ll trek for about 5 hours until we arrive at Plaza Francia viewpoint, where we can see the impressive Aconcagua South Wall. This is one of the nicest points of the expedition.
Day 05 - Trek from Confluencia to Plaza de Mulas (4300m/14,110ft)
After 8-9 hours hiking across “Playa Ancha” and climbing up through a very steep path, we reach Plaza de Mulas, the biggest base camp in Aconcagua Park. By the end of the day, most of us will feel the altitude.
Day 06 - Plaza de Mulas – Acclimatization and Rest day
The first day in Base Camp is always a rest day and a good occasion to take a bath and explore the local terrain.
Day 07 - Carry equipment and food from Plaza de Mulas to Camp 1 (5050m/16,570ft)
This is a challenging day where we gain 1.000 m. with a heavy load on easy terrain. Then we’ll return to Base Camp. It’s important to take advantage of the comfort and lower altitude at Base Camp.
Day 08 - Plaza de Mulas – Rest Day
This is a day we mainly use to recover energy, to rest, to hydrate ourselves, and for abundant meals.
Day 09 - Trek from base camp to Camp 1 (5050m/16,570ft).
The following morning, we definite start the ascent to Aconcagua. We move to Camp 1, called “Plaza Canada”. Until now, we were working on getting optimal acclimatization. We want everyone to have the best possible chance to do the summit.
Day 10 - Trek from Camp 1 to Camp 2 (5550m/18,210ft)
Camp 2, called “Nido de Condores” (meaning Condor Nest), is located in a high pass at 5.400 m. and provides a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains.
Day 11 - Camp 2 - Acclimatization and rest day
This day is dedicated to improving the acclimatization to altitude. The guide may propose different activities according to the condition of the group. We take the opportunity to rest and give our bodies more opportunities to acclimatize.
Day 12 - Trek from Camp 2 to Camp 3 (5,970m/19,585ft)
We start a 4-hour walk to Camp 3, located on the North Ridge. We will prepare our tents, eat and rest, to be ready to get the summit.
Day 13 - Summit day – Mount Aconcagua 6962m/22,840ft)
It is the most demanding day of the expedition. We climb the North Ridge to Independencia Refuge at approximately 6.500 m. We ascend through the “Portezuelo del Viento”, climb “La Canaleta”, and the “Filo del Guanaco”, which leads us to the summit. The prize is waiting for us, a 360° view, and the experience of overcoming, that you only finally understand once you reach it. At the end of this experience, we descend to Camp 3.
Days 14 and 15 - Contingency day for Summit
We have two extra days set aside on our itinerary to attempt the summit. These extra days are built in to provide the best possible conditions for each participant to the summit.
Day 16 - Return to Mount Aconcagua Basecamp
Return from Camp 3 to Base Camp. We’ll enjoy a great dinner to celebrate the experience.
Day 17 - Trek from Aconcagua basecamp to Penitentes. Drive back to Mendoza
We have breakfast and then start the descent from Plaza de Mulas to Penitentes. There is a private transport waiting for us to take us to the hotel in Mendoza City. Overnight in the hotel. (Transportation: Horcones – Penitentes – Mendoza)
Day 18 – Depart from Mendoza
We have breakfast at the hotel. Check Out and end of services
Mount Aconcagua
Region - Argentina
Duration - 17 Days
Max Altitude - 6,961m/22,841 ft
Grade - Challenging
Best Season - Nov - Feb
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents of the Earth – Mount Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, Carstensz Pyramid. Climbing to the summit of all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first achieved on 30 April 1985 by Richard Bass.
Mount Aconcagua Climb – While probably the most technically straight-forward of the Seven Summits, Aconcagua is a challenge to the strongest mountaineers' fitness and stamina. Mt. Aconcagua summit is the highest mountain in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres, 6,961 m / 22,841 ft, the tallest peak on Earth outside of the Himalayas, and the second of the Seven Summits, after Mt Everest.
The Normal route starts with an acclimatization trekking to Plaza Francia Viewpoint, and then we made the approach to Plaza de Mulas, a 40 km trek. It takes us three days to get to Plaza de Mulas. This guarantees very good acclimatization before start the climbing of Aconcagua. Our suggested program includes two days of double equipment porting and security. When the last stage begins, we go higher and higher until we reach the summit. In the Aconcagua, sometimes the presence of a white wind makes the ascent difficult, this is what we use the security days for thus increasing the chances of reaching the summit.