Included Services
- Transfer Airport / Hotel
- Hotel in Mendoza
- Assistance to buy the Climbing Permits
- Transfer Mendoza / Puente del Inca / Mendoza
- Meals
- Lodging in Puente del Inca
- Assistance for the arrangement of loads to be transported by mules
- Mules
- Transfer to Aconcagua trailhead
- Confluencia Base Camp
- Trekking to Plaza Francia
- Plaza de Mulas Base Camp
- Trekking to the Horcones Glacier and Mt. Bonete Climbing
- Porters
- Our Guides
- Tents
- Extra Days
- Communications
Not Incluided Services
Included Services
Transfer Airport / Hotel
We’ll be waiting for you at the airport to drive you to the hotel, allowing you to enjoy your trip fully.
Hotel in Mendoza
You will stay in a hotel for two nights, both when arriving in Mendoza and when returning from the mountain. The rooms included in our program are double (each passenger will share his/her room with one of his/her expedition partners) and the breakfast and taxes are included in the price.
If you prefer a single room, please do not forget to let us know in your Booking Form. This service has an extra cost.
Assistance to buy the climbing permits
Mount Aconcagua is located in a provincial Park, managed by the Government of Mendoza.
To get into the Park you should get a permit, the price of which will depend on the activity you are going to participate in (climbing, long trek, short trek). This working paper must be done personally, as a government rule. That is why each passenger should go to the Park’s office with his or her own passport.
The guide will assist you with the payment of the permit, and with the working paper.
Transfer Mendoza / Puente del Inca / Mendoza
We will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Puente Del Inca in our own vehicles. We will drive over 180 kilometers, which separate Mendoza City from Puente Del Inca. The scenery throughout this journey is boasted as one of the most spectacular landscapes in the Central Andes.
Meals
Throughout the expeditions you will enjoy all meals (B: breakfast / L: lunch / PL: packed-lunch if you are on the move / D: dinner), carefully planned by professionals to have a balanced diet during those days on the mountain.
Our cooks always prepare every meal, with fixed menu from day nº 3, except at the high altitude camps where our guides will be in charge of cooking.
Those meals mentioned in the itinerary are included.
If you are vegetarian or celiac, or if you need a special diet, please let us know in your Booking Form. It will be a pleasure for us to prepare a special menu for you. This service has an extra cost.
Lodging in Puente Del Inca
Puente Del Inca hotel was built here and it is the only lodging in this strategic zone at five kilometers far from the Aconcagua Park trailhead. You will spend one night in this place at the beginning of the expedition, in rooms for three to six people (according to the number of members in the group) and with a private toilet.
Complete breakfasts and dinners in the restaurant of the hostel are also included.
Assistance for the arrangement of loads to be transported by mules
Our mountain guides will advise you on what to include in your luggage and the way in which it should be arranged on the mules.
Mules
Aymará Adventures & Expeditions owns more than 100 mules which carry people or belongings.
The difference between the mules that carry people and the mules that carry gear is that the ones for people are tamer. These animals pasture during autumn, winter and spring. This means, from the middle of March to the middle of November. Before starting with the summer season, these animals are tested and given medicine by veterinarians. They are treated with caution.
At the beginning of the Aconcagua season, they are transported by lorries to Puente del Inca without shoeing to avoid any injury.
During the season, they are treated with a lot of care and attention. It is important to take into account that after two trips to Plaza de Mulas and one to Plaza Argentina, the mules rest 4 or 5 days, so as to recover from this activity.
The negative aspect of these animals is their untamed character. That is why we have selected a professional team of muleteers, called “arrieros”, who have dedicated their lives to country animals. Experience has taught them how to deal with these animals.
From Puente Del Inca to Confluencia, from this camp to Plaza de Mulas, and on the return to Puente del Inca, your belongings will be carried by mules. Each mule can carry up to a limit of 180 kg, but our mules only carry 60 kg to move comfortably on the mountain. Every client may transport on the mules a maximum of 30 kg on each stage of the approach. We strongly recommend you to bring a strong duffel bag.
Transfer to the Aconcagua trailhead
You will be driven in our own vehicles for 5 kilometers, from our hostel in Puente Del Inca to the first Rangers Station. Here your permit is checked out and you are informed about the park rules.
Confluencia Base Camp
While you are gaining height, your body needs some time to start with the process of acclimatization. Therefore, it is extremely important to stop for two nights at an intermediate level, to help your body to start with this process. During that time, you will camp at the Confluencia camp, which has enough comfort to spend a good deal of time, being fully equipped with wide dinner tents, electrical light, tables and chairs to have meals.
Trekking to Plaza Francia
On the 4th day of the expedition, you will visit the base of the mythical South Face of the Aconcagua Mountain. This is the most vertical face of the mountain, with glaciers and walls almost 3.000 meters tall.
During this trek, you will ascend 700 meters that will give your body a sign that the acclimatization process is starting.
Plaza de Mulas Base Camp
Once you have arrived at Plaza de Mulas, you will spend several nights in our own campsite, fully prepared to make your trip around the magnificent South American Mountain, as comfortable as possible. With tents for eating, another for the kitchen, a third tent for equipment storage and toilets. Here excellent workers, who will prepare delicious meals and provide an excellent service, will attend you. The advantages of our campsite are not only its commodities, but also the direct contact with nature. This will allow you to start preparing your body for the challenging ascent.
Trekking to the Horcones Glacier and Mt. Bonete Climbing
Acclimatization is a dynamic process for which your body needs a minimal activity. This helps to increase the body’s responsiveness to the changes in altitude. Due to this, two important activities will be done: on the 6th day, you will do a short trek in the area of Plaza de Mulas - useful and interesting - and you will have an introduction class about the use of crampons and the followin day, you will climb Mt. Bonete turning to be an important step in the acclimatization process.
Porters
On the Aconcagua Mountain, “the porters” have gradually become more and more important. Their main characteristic is that they are very strong people, they have been on the summit many times and this gives them a better athletic condition than athletes themselves.
In Aymará Expeditions, we believe that their job, (which is carrying the ordinary equipment of expedition: tents, kitchen sets, altitude food, fuel, stoves, ropes and the garbage produced by the group), helps our participants to move in a comfortable way and with more energy to achieve their goal, which is getting to the summit. Therefore, these people are going with you, to help you.
A porter is capable of carrying up to 20 kilos in each trip; this is equivalent to the gear of three passengers.
The porters will help you to carry these things from Plaza de Mulas base camp to Camp 1 “Canada”, from Camp1 to Camp 2 “Nido de Cóndores”, from Camp 2 to Camp 3 “Berlin”, and finally on your return, from camp 3 to Plaza de Mulas.
EACH CLIENT HAS TO CARRY HIS OWN PERSONAL EQUIPMENT (backpacks) but if you wish to hire a porter, let us know. This service has an extra cost.
Our guides
Our mountain guides are qualified professionals of the AAGM (Argentinean Association of Mountain Guides) and the EPGAMT (School of High Mountain and Trekking Guides). The last qualification is the result of 3 years of studying. We believe that to succeed in our expeditions, professionals with experience and the ability to offer security should guide our teams.
The expeditions are led by a mountain guide to every 3 or 4 clients. Their equipment includes: VHF radio, a first‑aid kit, complete with the appropriate drugs for altitude sickness, ropes, an altimeter, and professional clothing and equipment. All this will provide security and comfort.
Tents
Normally, during the summer high‑season, Aconcagua is a mountain with good weather conditions. Yet, if you happen to have a few stormy days, you will be responsive to nature’s whims at high altitudes. Therefore, we will be sure to provide you with the highest quality tents at these high altitude campsites. We use The North Face products, which have proved to work well for our clients over the years.
Usually two climbers will sleep in each tent, but if our guide considers it necessary, a maximum of three climbers may sleep in each tent. Remember that each passenger has to set up the tent with his partner. The guide will help you when necessary.
Extra days
Our expeditions include two extra days in case of contingencies that may prevent the normal development of the itinerary. Aymará takes the responsibility to develop the program as it has been described. However, sometimes conditions are out of our control, and our guides reserve the right to modify the schedule in response to the circumstances and safety of the group. If this situation arises, the client will not receive any sort of severance payment.
Communications
You will see that we keep track of where we are at specific sites along the way. We take advantage of the VHF and BLU radio lines that help us to stay in contact between the high‑altitude campsites, Plaza de Mulas, Confluencia, Puente del Inca and Mendoza. Therefore, we can respond almost inmediately to whatever issue that may arise.
Not Included Services
Climbing Permit
The only way to enter the Aconcagua Park is by getting the permit personally in Mendoza city. If the ticket is not used within the dates established by the Park authorities, the money will not be refunded. The ticket will be invalid for future years.
The entrance fee’s payment supports the maintenance and care of Aconcagua Provincial Park and aids to preserve and protect it. It also supports the maintenance of the medical and park rangers' services.
Drinks and other personal costs not mentioned in the itinerary
Extra expenses like food or drinks separate from those described in the itinerary should be paid by you, as they are not included.
Expenses for giving up the expedition
In order to have better but cheaper services, the expedition is quoted taking into account the whole group. In any case that you give up the scheduled itinerary because of personal problems, mountain sickness, etc, you start taking private and individual services. The extra expenses that you will pay for, if necessary, are: mules from Plaza de Mulas to Puente del Inca (around U$D 180.-), the private transfer from Puente del Inca to Mendoza city, etc. Once you give up the itinerary, the transfer in a regular bus is included.
The night in Mendoza hotel when you return can be taken as soon as you get the city.
There is a possibility that you be evacuated by helicopter, and in that case your belongings willnot travel with you. If you do not wait for your belongings in Puente de Inca, in this case you have to pay not only the mule to carry your equipment down, but also a transportation to take your belongins to Mendoza.
Sleeping bag and personal equipment
Neither the technical nor the mountain equipment are included services, so you would have to buy it or rent it. Take into account our guides if you need assistance.
If you rent equipment, you will be responsible for it. Apart from that, you must give the equipment back to the mountain shop in time.
Personal Insurance
Having a personal insurance is not a fundamental requirement to climb the Mt. Aconcagua. However, we suggest you to contact an insurance company if you wish to take insurance out, taking into account the risks involved in climbing a mountain.
Porters for personal equipment
The porters may help you to transport your belongings from one camp to another, offering you a better result on the mountain. So do not hesitate in letting us know, if you decide to take one. The price will depend on the stretch your equipment will be carried.
Transfer Hotel Airport
The transfer from the hotel to the airport at the end of the expedition, is not included.
Problems with your luggage (Loss or delay during the flight)
If your luggage is lost during your flight, or it arrives later than you do in other flight, you will have to work the problem out with the corresponding airline. Aymará is not responsible for such an event.
In the same way, if your luggage does not arrive in Mendoza in time for the departure date of the expedition group to Puente del Inca, the expedition will be carried out as initially planned, and you will be responsible for those extra expenses caused by this shortcoming.
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Un programa que le da las mayores oportunidades de aclimatación, con la incorporación del ascenso al Cerro Bonete de 5.100 m de altura.
