Aconcagua Expedition Mountain Guides

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ACONCAGUA GUANACOS VALLEY TRAVERSE EXPEDITION

| Itinerary Below
| Schedule & Rates

Pack Mules
Route Description

Our Guanacos Valley Traverse Route is a relatively untouched approach to Aconcagua with calculated elevation gain between camps, allowing for more efficient acclimatization than other routes. Acclimatization is the key element to summiting the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere and our excellent success rate has been improved by climbing Aconcagua via the Guanacos Valley.

Aconcagua - Guanacos Valley
(photo: Dan Holmes)

Our Guanacos Valley Route was named by Aventuras Patagonicas for the large guanaco herds encountered in this valley, a rare sight in the Aconcagua region. It is the last untouched route on Aconcagua and we are pleased to share this scenic new route with you. Be one of the few people to climb Aconcagua via this route! We have guided on Aconcagua for over 25 years, and in the Guanacos Valley for eleven years. We approach Aconcagua via the pristine Guanacos Valley, meeting up with our long time favorite traverse to the summit, descending via the Normal Route of Aconcagua, circumnavigating the mountain, and exploring several valleys with views of four different spectacular faces of Aconcagua. The Guanacos is a true luxury on Aconcagua, last season only 256 people entered the Guanacos Valley, versus more than 4,000 people on the Normal Route. Out of those 256, 174 were Aventuras Patagonicas clients and guides. We have guided this route almost exclusively since 1997, when we first began guiding Aconcagua via the Guanacos Valley.

Traverse

Guanacos Valley
approach

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,

Carrying a load up the Valley

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. We ascend via the pristine Guanacos Valley and traverse to the Normal Route for the descent.

Note: This year the Aconcagua Park Authorities have closed the lower Guanacos Valley until further notice. We are working hard to get it reopened for the upcoming Aconcagua climbing season. If the closure persists into next season we will be using the Ameghino Valley and Upper Guanacos Valley Route until the Lower Guanacos Valley access issue can be resolved.

We will still concentrate on Guanacos and it will most likely be open again this season.

| Polish Glacier | Normal Route w/ Porters | Ameghino Valley & Guanacos Traverse

Guanacos Valley & Traverse Itinerary

For a more detailed trip overview and itinerary, click here.

DAY 1:	Group meets in Mendoza, Argentina. Equipment check and afternoon briefing at the hotel. For dinner we will have a chance to taste fine Argentinean cuisine and wine.
DAY 2:	Drive West from Mendoza to Penitentes ski area at 8,500 . Our drive winds along the Rio Mendoza deep into the heart of the rugged Andes mountains where we begin our acclimatization in Penitentes. An afternoon hike is recommended, though optional.
DAY 3-4-5:	Approach to Plaza Guanacos Base Camp, mules carrying our gear. This approximately 35 mile approach is essential to our acclimatization. Our first two days we follow the same route as Aventuras Patagonicas old Traverse and Polish Glacier Expeditions. The third day begins our new approach. We continue up the Vacas Valley instead of ascending the Relinchos Valley. The chances of seeing other expeditionson this new exciting route is remote. The chance of seeing numerous wildlife is much more probable. Spectacular glaciers contrasting with a desert backdrop make this approach both surreal and unforgettable. We have an excellent chance of seeing herds of guanacos. When Rodrigo did an exploratory trip to the region he encountered several hundred, counting 80 in one sighting alone! These magnificent mammals are well camouflaged, extremely elusive and a rare sight in the Aconcagua region.
DAY 6:	Plaza Guanaco Base Camp at 13,000 . Rest and acclimatization day at Base Camp. We want everyone to have the best possible chance to make the summit. The most effective way to do this is to take the time to acclimatize to the low oxygen environment. We will incorporate rest days into our schedule and climb in traditional expedition style. We will be carrying loads up to the next camp and returning to sleep below at the previous camp. The next day we will move to the higher camp.
DAY 7:	Carry a load to Camp I at approximately 15,200 . The route goes up the narrow valley between the North side of Cerro Ameghino and Cerro San Francisco. Here we will be able to see Nieve Penitentes, unique snow and ice formations created by the direct sun. Return to Base Camp.
DAY 8:	Leave Base Camp. Move to Camp I.
DAY 9:	Carry a load to Camp II at 16,500 , a pleasant well-protected area with tremendous views of Cerro Mercedario, Cerro Mano and other Andean giants. Return to Camp I.
DAY 10:	Move to Camp II.
DAY 11:	Carry a load to Camp III, below the Polish Glacier at 17,800 .
DAY 12:	Move to Camp III. depending on how group is doing.
DAY 13:	Carry to High Camp, Piedras Blancas (White Rocks) at 19,200.
DAY 14:	Move to High Camp.
DAY 15-16-17:	Summit! Weather permitting. We allow several days for our Summit Day in case of poor weather.
DAY 18:	Descend the Normal Route to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp. This will be quite exciting since we will be descending a different side of the mountain.
DAY 19:	Hike out the Horcones Valley, with its impressive views of Aconcagua s South Face. Spend the night in Penitentes.
DAY 20:	Drive to Mendoza. Enjoy delicious team banquet! Next day fly home or continue traveling in South America.

Note: This itinerary is intended to be a guideline only, weather days and rest days are always a possibility while on a climbing expedition.

COST INCLUDES
Professional Mountain Guides, 2 nights hotel accommodation in Mendoza at the Mendoza Park Hyatt Hotel with breakfast buffet (1 night at the beginning of the expedition and 1 night at the end of the expedition), 2 nights hotel accommodation, breakfasts and dinners in Penitentes, all land transportation, mules, all expedition food, all community gear such as; tents, stoves, state of the art Base Camp, cooking gear, medical kits, satellite phones, radios, gamow bag, pulse-oximeters, etc.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
Round-trip flights to and from Mendoza, Argentina, Aconcagua climbing permit fee (approx $400, which you will pay in Mendoza, accompanied by your guide), meals in Mendoza, personal equipment, passport, personal items and services (laundry, snacks, drinks, tips, etc.), expenses incurred in the case of a rescue or early departure from the expedition, and SAT phone charges.

Aconcagua Expedition Mountain Guides

SUGGESTED READING

Guanacos Valley

ACONCAGUA GUANACOS VALLEY TRAVERSE EXPEDITION

Pack Mules Route Description

Traverse

Guanacos Valley & Traverse Itinerary

Pack Mules
Route Description