Catedral Buenos Aires Bike Tour: Recoleta and…

Aconcagua Expedition

22 days (Mendoza)

Destinations visited: Argentina, Mendoza

Grading:

Intermediate Mountaineering Expedition

Grading Definitions

Discovery & Cruising

These are our least demanding trips. These journeys of discovery and cruises involve little or no extended activity and are suitable for people with a basic level of fitness and good health. The itinerary may take place in remote areas (with basic facilities) and may involve long travel days on various types of transport. Sightseeing may be conducted on foot and all participants should be capable of carrying their own luggage from vehicle to hotel rooms. These adventures do not go above 2500m and rarely involve camping.
Suggested preparation: Once or twice a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour, for at least 2 -3 months prior to departure.

Adventure Touring

Suggested preparation: Two or three times a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour or more, for at least 3 months prior to departure.

Introductory

These trips involve trekking or walking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to five or six hours a day at a slow but steady pace and should never be misinterpreted to mean they are easy trips. These trips do not spend time at altitudes above 4000m and are usually a week in duration. You will need a reasonable level of fitness and good health.
Suggested preparation: 30 minutes of aerobic type exercise, (either cycling or jogging) three times a week for three months leading up to your trek. For trekking, hill walking with a daypack in variable weather conditions is also recommended. For a cycling adventure, road cycling twice a week for three months prior to departure is recommended.

Introductory to Moderate

These trips involve a combination of what is described in our INTRODUCTORY and MODERATE levels. The emphasis is on introductory activity with several moderate stages

Moderate

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health.
Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Moderate to Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health. Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling or rafting in remote areas in variable weather conditions for up to 8 to 10 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include spending successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 6000m. These trips may often be over three weeks in duration. You will need an excellent level of fitness, be prepared to carry a daypack weighing up to 8kgs (and in some cases a full pack) and be completely comfortable in adverse weather conditions.
Suggested preparation: One hour of aerobic type exercise, four to five times a week for three to six months prior to departure. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or on/off road cycling is also recommended.

Entry Mtn/Exploratory Treks

These adventures are classed as expeditions. They involve either extreme trekking and or basic mountaineering. Expect remote and poorly defined trails in variable weather conditions for up to 12 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include a number of demanding high pass crossings and evacuation may be difficult from remote areas. Suitable for first time mountaineers wishing to take the step from trekking into the realm of mountaineering. Prior experience trekking at altitude is preferable but not essential and you should be comfortable in adverse weather conditions. Prior technical mountaineering experience is not necessary. Terrain will involve low angle snow slopes. Ropes may be used during treks for glacier travel and steeper sections of ice and snow. When mountaineering, basic mountaineering instruction is given by our mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Intermediate Mtn Expedition

Participants should be competent and self sufficient in the outdoors and have experience in multi day trekking at altitude. Prior experience on an entry level mountaineering expedition is highly recommended. The terrain will involve low to moderate angle snow slopes and traveling on crevassed glaciers. Experience using ice axe and crampons is preferred but not essential.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Advanced Mtn Expedition

These are our most challenging expeditions. Clients must have prior mountaineering experience. Most are participatory expeditions & involve load carrying, setting up of camps, cooking and campcraft. Altitude is generally greater than 6500m. Some of these expeditions also involve “technical” climbing and are for experienced alpine climbers / mountaineers only. Technical expeditions involve steep climbing at high altitude (including rock climbing). Participation on one of these expeditions is subject to acceptance by one of our high altitude mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

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Climb Cerro Aconcagua, at 6960m, the highest peak in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the 7 summits

Cerro Aconcagua (6960m) is particularly impressive, rising 1000m above its neighbours and visible from the Pacific coast 100 kilometers away. Our itinerary allows optimum time for fitness and acclimatisation before attempting the 'normal route'. While the technical climbing challenges are not formidable, the combination of altitude, frequent changes of weather and the need to complete up to 12 hours of sustained climbing on summit day ensures that few ascents are straightforward. Our mountaineering guide Angel, who has climbed and led over 60 expeditions on Aconcagua, ensures your best chances of success, while the assistant guide will also provide insightful mountaineering tuition along the way. Our guides have also become well known for their great culinary prowess and story telling attributes.

Highlights

Attempt the summit of South America's highest mountain
Fully supported expedition including services above base camp
Climb one of the 7 summits

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Mendoza

On arrival please make your own way to the Aconcagua Hotel - San Lorenzo 545, Mendoza. In the evening there will be a briefing at 6pm with group leaders where we will finalise gear hire. Later we will dine at one of Mendoza's many outdoor restaurants. The Argentines like to eat late - 11 or 12pm is quite normal.

Day 2 Drive to Puente del Inca

In the morning we will finalise obtain our climbing permits and leave for the mountains, stopping en-route for lunch at Uspallata. Our final destination is Penitentes, a skiing village 180 kilometres from Mendoza. We will take a quick detour to view the natural bridge and hot springs at Puente del Inca. It is also perhaps timely at this point to visit the climbers' cemetery, a reminder that the mountains should be treated with respect. We stay in a comfortable mountain refuge in the Penitentes, which is around 2700m high, and so a small altitude headache is always possible. Don't panic! It just means that your body is working to get used to the new conditions.

Day 3 Commence trekking to Pampa de Lena

A relaxed start today. All the gear goes to Base Camp on mule back and we spend the morning finalising the mule loads. After lunch we are driven to Punta de Vacas 15 kms down the road where the walking track starts. We are carrying only gear needed for the day. We follow the river moving gradually up the scenically stunning valley until we reach our campsite at Pampa de Lena, where we will spend our first nights camping.

Day 4 Trek to Casa de Piedra. Walk approx 5-8hrs.

A fairly early start is required as the days walk is reasonably long. Our first excitement is to cross the river Vacas on the newly constructed bridge. The walk is again gradually up all day, but the valley gets wider and more impressive, and we may see guanaco and condor. A picnic lunch on the way. Approximately 5 minutes before our campsite, we will enjoy our first sight of Aconcagua, your guide will show point out our intended route

Day 5 Trek to Base Camp (Plaza Argentina) Walk approx. 7-9hrs.

Today is our final approach walk. We need to cross the river again and it is now shallow enough for us to go on foot but be warned - the water is freezing. We thaw out quickly though and beginning the final approach to Base Camp up the much narrower valley of the Relinchos river. Aconcagua is ever present, looming in front of us - the scenery and geographical formations are fantastic. We gain 1000 metres today as Plaza Argentina is located on the glacier at the source of the Relinchos River at 4200 metres.

Day 6 Acclimatisation

A good day to laze around, you will very much feel like lying around reading, writing, listening to music. This is all part of acclimatisation and is essential for your wellbeing. We will also organise Base Camp and prepare the loads of food to be carried up to Camp 1 the following day.

Day 7 Load carry to Camp I

Our plan for the day is to carry a load to Camp 1. Already you will be feeling much better at this altitude than on the day you arrived. The trek is an interesting one, constantly on the covered glacier with the east face of Aconcagua now very close. We go up about 800 metres, which will take around 6 hours and have lunch at Camp 1. Return to Base Camp (1-2 hours).

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Day 8 Rest day

Sleep in, prepare your pack for the climb and eat a lot, we normally enjoy a huge brunch, having pancakes, spring rolls, eggs, fruits, and salads. Chocolate and fried rum cakes are commonly served at tea time.

Day 9 Return to Camp 1, overnight.

We move up with personal gear and tents and stay at Camp 1. Going high and sleeping low helps the process of acclimatisation.

Day 10 Load carry to Camp II

A big day, we take a load up to Camp 2, 800m higher than Camp 1. The best strategy is to move at a slow but steady pace. The mountain views are now breathtaking, and you really feel you are getting high. Returning to Camp 1 doesn't take very long straight downhill. (6 to 10 hours return)

Day 11 Rest / Acclimitisation day

Today is set aside as a rest day while we acclimitise.

Day 12 Climb to Camp II and overnight

A long and difficult day, we must break camp and move up to Camp ll. Once we arrive we will need to establish ourselves for the upcoming days.

Days 13-17 Summit attempt

During this period we will make our summit attempt. As you probably appreciate there is no set way to climb a mountain. There are many factors involved which include your own personal rate of acclimatisation and wellbeing, weather and snow conditions. Your guides will assess all these factors and make decisions regarding timing and route as best suits this particular expedition. Any attempt will be made under optimum conditions but it should be realised that the weather on Aconcagua is particularly volatile and decisions may need to be taken on the spur of the moment. If conditions suit we will go to Camp 3 at Piedra Blanca (5900 m) which is a three to five hours traverse from Camp 2. Or we may find it better to go to the summit straight from Camp2. The Summit bid - after breakfast and tea are served to you in your tents, we leave at around 4 or 5 am. It is very important that you should be ready on the dot, as standing outside in subzero temperature waiting for someone is not recommended. It is a very long way and the summit sometimes disappears in afternoon clouds so that is why it is necessary to leave early. By walking slowly and steadily, we eventually reach the Canaleta, which is the last obstacle between you and the summit...it will take mental and physical strength to get there.(10 to 15 hours walking - carrying only lunch and water)

Day 18 Descend to Base camp

We return from High camp to Base Camp in one day, loaded up with everything so our packs are heavy but we have gravity on our side! A porter will help us in carrying the tents.

Day 19 Rest day

Holiday! That's really what it feels like after you have done your very best.

Day 20 Pack up and walk to Pampa de Lena.

After an early start we commence the long day's hike, as we farewell the mountain as she slips from view. Pampa de Lenas, and vegetation will be a delight as we trek across bluming Acerillos (a type of bush) and birds play around campsite.

Day 21 Walk out to road head and return to Mendoza

Walking feels wonderful in the soft warm air and you will enjoy the plants and flowers underfoot. We arrive at Punta de Vacas early in the afternoon where transport will be waiting to drive us back to Mendoza. You will be feeling tired but trim and terrific and will really enjoy our last dinner together.

Day 22 Depart Mendoza

Trip concludes today after breakfast.

Additional Information

Inclusions

21 breakfasts, 19 lunches and 18 dinners
expert English speaking mountain guide and group medical kit
good quality accommodation in Mendoza
mountain refuge accommodation
group camping equipment - including tents and cooking equipment
trekking services - expedition guides and assistants, and porterage by pack animals

Summary

22 day trip
18 days mountaineering
3 nights hotel
18 nights refuge/camp

Group Size Min

Group Size Max

Accommodation Summary

Equipment Required

Specialist gear required include walking boots and day pack (a comprehensive gear list is provided in the pre-departure information provided on booking).

What You Carry

In your daypack you will need to carry extra warm clothing (depending on the altitude, location and weather), a rainjacket, water bottle, film and camera gear, valuables and personal items such as sunscreen, lip-eze etc. Porters and mules carry all group gear and your trek pack.

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