POLISH GLACIER NEW!
This year we will approach our Polish Glacier Expedition via the Guanacos Valley and Traverse the mountain as well! 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. We have specialized in the Polish Glacier Route, having successfully guided it many times. The line we choose will depend on conditions. If a lot of penitentes (snow pinnacles formed by direct sunlight) are encountered in the lower section of the glacier we will start by climbing through the scree and rock on the right hand side. The steeper Polish Glacier direct route has been the choice route in recent years. Although steeper, it is safer and easier due to fewer icy and exposed traverses than on the old Polish route. On this spectacular, steep snow and ice climb we will use several running belays. In steeper icy sections we will climb pitches instead of using running belays, belaying and regrouping at every anchor. A long day of climbing will take us to the Summit Ridge at 22,000' after the last steep pitch; a 55-60 degree narrow gully with the entire Glacier below at our feet. The final ridge is very long and gentle. After summiting, we descend quickly down the Normal Route, where at Independencia (20,790') we traverse east back to our High Camp at 19,200'.

NORMAL ROUTE with PORTERS NEW!
Our newest expedition, via the Normal Route, with Porters, is a variation of our original Aventuras Patagonicas expedition offered over a decade ago. Although our Guanacos Valley Route, to date, remains the most pristine route on the mountain, we have received many requests for a shorter route on Aconcagua, with the option of porter assist. To satisfy these requests we have designed a new alternative of ascending the Normal Route of Aconcagua, (mules carrry loads to Base Camp, as usual), and porters carry loads from Base Camp to High Camp, as needed.

ACONCAGUA VACAS AND RELINCHOS VALLEY . NEW!
We were pioneers guiding this route in the 80’s, then it became a bit crowded and we decided to switch to our Favorite Guanacos Valley route, however this year due to a significant increase on permit fee we have chosen this route again as a cheaper option, we still believe the Guanacos Valley is the best alternative on the mountain, however the Relinchos is also one of the greatest non-technical ways of climbing Aconcagua. The Aconcagua Vacas and Relinchos valley expedition, ascends the Vacas and Relinchos Valleys Route. At the base of the Polish Glacier we traverse the mountain. Upon summiting, we descend the Normal Route, offering a wide spectrum of the entire mountain by traveling through three different river valleys; the Vacas, Relinchos and Horcones, experiencing the entire mountain, and past the four tremendous main faces of Aconcagua.