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HISTORY
& ROUTES
ACONCAGUA HISTORY
AND ROUTES
Cerro Aconcagua, 22,834 (6,959 meters) has the distinction of
being the highest mountain in both the Western and Southern
Hemispheres, making it also the highest mountain in the world
outside of Asia. Its name is native in origin and may come from the
Inca word Ackon Cahuak which means Stone Sentinel . This spectacular
mountain is located in the heart of the Chilean-Argentine Central
Andes, at a latitude of 32 degrees 40 minutes South.
Aconcagua was first climbed in1897, up the Northwest side of
the mountain by Swiss Mountain Guide Matthias Zurbriggen. This route
has become the most popular way to climb the mountain, and is known
as the Ruta Normal or Normal Route. The extreme altitude, severe
winds, and cold temperatures make an ascent by this, or any other
route on this mountain, very challenging. In 1934, a second route
was pioneered up the east side of the mountain, by a Polish team.
The Polish approached the mountain up the Vacas and Relinchos
Valleys to Plaza Argentina, and summited via what is known today as
the Polish Glacier.
Our Polish Glacier and
Guanacos Valley and Traverse Expeditions
will follow the 1934 Polish Expedition Route for the first two days.
We continue our approach of Aconcagua via the remote and less
traveled Vacas and Guanacos Valleys. From our Base Camp at Plaza
Guanacos (13,000 ), we ascend gentle slopes all the way to Camp I ,
II and III. The Polish and Guanacos Routes continue along the same
route all the way to our High Camp at19,200 . From here our
Polish Glacier Expedition will climb the
Glacier reaching the Summit via the Polish Glacier and our
Guanacos Valley and Traverse Expedition
will traverse to the North side of the mountain, connecting with the
standard Normal Route to the Summit.
NEW!!
GUANACOS VALLEY and Traverse ACONCAGUA EXPEDITIONThis route
is a newly discovered, non-technical route, which Aventuras
Patagonicas explored in February of1997. We are the first guiding
company to ever guide this route. This is a much less traveled side
of Aconcagua with gradual elevation gain between camps allowing for
easier acclimatization than other routes. Acclimatization is the key
element to summiting the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere. Our
excellent success rate has been improved by climbing Aconcagua via
the Guanacos Valley. We named this route the "Guanacos Route".
During the exploration of this valley, we encountered large herds of
wild guanaco which is related to the alpaca and the llama, a rare
sight in the Aconcagua region. This route offers very few trails,
few people, and a true sense of adventure. It is the last untouched
route on Aconcagua and we are proud to share this route with you!
TRAVERSE
Our Traverse has been popular among our clients. Climbing Aconcagua
via a non-technical route and descending the shorter Normal Route
gives you the entire spectrum of the mountain, traveling three
different valleys, the Vacas, Guanacos and Horcones, passing four
distinct faces of this tremendous mountain. On all of these
expeditions mules take our gear to Base Camp (Plaza Guanacos) on the
east side of the mountain. After the Summit, we descend the north
side via the Normal Route to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp. Mules then
carry our gear from Plaza de Mulas back to Penitentes while we hike
out to civilization with a light pack. All of our routes ascend
Aconcagua via the pristine Guanacos Valley, except for our Normal
Route with porter expedition. All Routes descend via the Normal
Route.
The Guanacos Valley and
Traverse Route are not technically
difficult, although high altitude, cold temperatures and strong
winds can make these climbs very challenging. Participants must be
in excellent physical condition, able to carry a heavy pack, and
have basic mountaineering skills. People signing up for the
Polish Glacier Route should have previous
high altitude experience, and be very familiar with the use of ice
axe, crampons, and belaying techniques. Many expeditions attempt the
Polish Glacier Route, although it is rarely successfully climbed.
The climb is non-technical to the base of the Polish Glacier, at
19,200 , but from 19,200 on, the climbing changes dramatically. Due
to steep snow and ice climbing at high altitude, and a very long
day, we only consider taking our stronger clients, who are properly
acclimatized, for this technical route to the summit. We have
specialized in the Polish Glacier Route, having successfully guided
it many times. Our key for success has been honesty on the
difficulty of the climb. The route has been getting harder every
year. We have noticed changes over the past 10 years which may be
attributed to global warming. We have found more bare ice on the
glacier making it more technical than in the past. This last season
we encountered penitentes at the base of the glacier which have
created an obstacle, making the first few hours of climbing the
Polish much harder and more laborious. We have recently been guiding
only the steeper Polish Glacier Direct route, versus the regular
Polish Glacier route, thus avoiding several traverses on icy slopes.
Our description of this fine and spectacular route is not intended
to intimidate, but to be realistic. If you sign up for the Polish
Glacier Route, we make the final decision at 19,200 whether you have
acclimatized and are strong enough for the attempt. Traversing to
the North side and tackling the Summit via the Normal Route, as we
have done in the past, is always a great option.
Rodrigo Mujica |
