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Climbing Aconcagua via the Normal Route (20 days)

Aconcagua; normal route
Aconcagua; normal route
Aconcagua; normal route
Aconcagua; normal route

Join a certified mountain guide for this unforgettable 20-day ascent of Aconcagua, in the Andes Mountains of western Argentina. Enjoy great views along the way as we slowly make our way up the tallest mountain outside of Asia!

Group

Andes

19 Days

Jan - Mar, Sep, Dec

High

Intermediate


Highlights

  • Enjoy the stunning scenery of Argentina's Andes.
  • Conquer the tallest mountain in South America.
  • Climb Mt Bonete along the way.

Description

Towering above the rest of the Andes Mountains in western Argentina, Aconcagua is the tallest mountain on the continent.

Rising to 6,980 meters above sea level, the peak holds the distinction of being the tallest mountain outside of Asia.  Over the course of 20 days, we will make our way from the lovely city of Mendoza to the peak's summit and back!

With the assistance of porters, we will slowly move up the mountain from our base camp to our third camp, before spending one long and rewarding day heading up to the summit.

For a detailed itinerary, please see below.

Along the way, we will enjoy some stunning views of the desert landscape in this part of the Andean backcountry, amazing mountain vistas, and get to see some massive ice pinnacles in Penitentes.

Slowly making our way up the mountain, we will have plenty of time to acclimatize as well as see some of the native flora and fauna. We will even get the chance to climb Mt Bonete early on in the trek in order to whet your appetite for the amazing views ahead.

While climbing Aconcagua is not very technical, it requires a high level of physical fitness as well as plenty of stamina and endurance.

The normal route is the most commonly taken one and with plenty of time to acclimatize, we should have a successful trip to the summit!

So what are you waiting for? Book now for this once-in-a-lifetime experience and climb Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in the Americas!

If you like the look of this trip but want to check out a slightly different route up Aconcagua then we think you will also enjoy our 20-day Polish Traverse route option!

Price includes

  • Accommodation included
  • Guiding fee
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Transport during the trip
  • Transportation start and back
  • Porters
  • Luggage transfer
  • Mules and horses
  • Tents

Price details

  • PRICE INCLUDES:
  • Hotel In Mendoza
  • Gear Check And Orientation
  • Assistance With Climbing Permit
  • Transfer Mendoza / Penitentes / Mendoza
  • Meals
  • Lodging In Penitentes
  • Transfer To The Aconcagua Trailhead
  • Mules
  • Confluencia Base Camp
  • Trekking To Plaza Francia
  • Plaza De Mulas Base Camp
  • Trekking In Plaza De Mulas Area And Mt. Bonete Climbing
  • Porters For High Camps
  • Guides
  • Extra Days
  • Communications
  • Equipment & Tents
  • Gifts
  • PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
  • Wire transfer fees for deposit or balance (if applicable)
  • International roundtrip airfare between the home country and Mendoza
  • Excess baggage charges, lost luggage, and airport taxes
  • Climbing permit fee ($850–$1100, depending on the season)
  • Single room supplement (hotels only)
  • Guide tips
  • Private porters hired to carry your personal gear if you choose. They can be confirmed in advance.
  • Some supplemental snacks, such as candy bars and drinks and which are not mentioned in provided services
  • Additional hotels and meals if the expedition finishes early and returns to Mendoza
  • Alcoholic beverages and bottled drinks
  • Airport transfers (due to multiple arrival schedules). Taxis are an easy way to get back and forth from the airport to your hotel. You can also request personal pickups at the airport for an additional cost.
  • All fees incurred for early departure from the scheduled itinerary (whether personal or medical), including additional hotels, meals, and transportation (mules, auto, or helicopter). We will send a full schedule of evacuation and early departure fees in confirmation materials
  • Personal gear (personal clothing)
  • Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond the control of the guides.

Itinerary

Day 1: Mendoza (760 m)

Upon arrival in Mendoza, you will enjoy the comforts of one of the best hotels in the city and then the city, and then begin with an orientation meeting (please note meeting time in your confirmation letter). At this meeting, we will perform a comprehensive gear check, an overview of the entire climb, and answer all questions. Guides will assist you with any gear rentals or purchases, if required. For the evening, you are free to walk the streets of Mendoza and enjoy the many great restaurants in the area (meals not included).

Day 2: Mendoza - Penitentes (2,725 m)

After registration with Aconcagua Provincial Park, we will drive to Penitentes to start our acclimatization. We will have lunch in Uspallata and continue our journey. Upon reaching Penitentes, we will check in to our quaint hotel at the base of the mountain. In the afternoon we will prepare loads for the mules at our depot at Los Puquios for the following day. (B, L, D)

Day 3: Penitentes - Confluencia (3,300 m)

After breakfast we will take a short drive to the entrance of the park in a private van. Permits will be presented as we start our 3.5-hour trek to Confluencia Camp (3,300 m). We have light backpacks and
will walk on a well-worn, picturesque trail. Upon arrival at Confluencia, AMG staff will greet the climbing group with refreshments and a tour of camp. After a good rest, we will set up our tents and take some time to explore the surrounding area and view the beautiful rock formations. You will spend
two nights in Confluencia with full meals and hot drinks provided throughout the day. It is a lovely camp and our staff will be there to assist you. (B, PL, D)

Day 4: Confluencia - Plaza Francia (4,000 m) - Confluencia

Today we trek to Plaza Francia and back to Confluencia. At Plaza Francia, we will eat lunch and be able to view the spectacular South Face of Aconcagua while further acclimating. The South Face of Aconcagua is famous for its difficult ascents where many of the best climbers in the world have come to test their skills. After exploring the area, we descend back to Confluencia Camp for the night. Six to seven hours (B, PL, D)

Day 5: Confluencia - Plaza de Mulas (4,260 m)

We make our way to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp (seven to nine-hour trek). Guides ensure we walk at a moderate pace so everyone arrives feeling well. The trek follows the Horcones Superior River and then rises up onto a lateral moraine next to the Horcones Glacier. Upon arrival, team members can relax in the dining tent with hot drinks and snacks. Our Base Camp is a full-service camp with full meals and Wi-Fi. Hot showers are available upon request. Seven to nine hours. (B, PL, D)

Day 6: Plaza de Mulas

We make our way to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp (seven to nine-hour trek). Guides ensure we walk at a moderate pace so everyone arrives feeling well. The trek follows the Horcones Superior River and then rises up onto a lateral moraine next to the Horcones Glacier. Upon arrival, team members can relax in the dining tent with hot drinks and snacks. Our Base Camp is a full-service camp with full meals and Wi-Fi. Hot showers are available upon request. Seven to nine hours. (B, PL, D)

Day 7: Plaza de Mulas - Mt Bonete (5,100 m) - Plaza de Mulas

This is an exciting day as we climb Mt. Bonete, 5,100 m. For many climbers, this will be their first summit over 5,000 m. From the top, we have great vistas of Aconcagua and the surrounding mountains. The climb of Mt. Bonete also gives us essential acclimatization necessary to climb Aconcagua. Following our climb, we return to Plaza de Mulas and enjoy a nice evening in Base Camp. Six to seven hours. (B, PL, D)

Day 8: Plaza de Mulas - Camp 1 "Canada" (4,910 m) - Plaza de Mulas

Acclimatization trek to Camp 1, known as “Camp Canadá.” Team members will carry food, fuel, and other supplies to be used in our camps higher on the mountain. We will begin by walking through a field of Penitentes, with two to five-foot tall pinnacles of ice, and then follow switchbacks that lead us steadily up to Camp Canadá. Once we reach camp, we will cache our gear, have a packed lunch and then return to Base Camp. Three to four hours. (B, PL, D)

Day 9: Plaza de Mulas

Rest and acclimatization day. Everyone will make sure that their equipment is ready and we are well-rested to make the move to a camp higher up the mountain. (B, L, D)

Day 10: Plaza de Mulas - Camp 1 "Canada"

This morning we move to Camp Canadá. Team members will carry personal gear and additional supplies. Porter staff will carry sleeping tents. Once at Canadá, the group will enjoy lunch and set up tents. Three to four hours. (B, PL, D)

Day 11: Camp 1 - Camp 2 "Nido de Condores" (5,250 m)

Today we move from Camp Canada to our Camp 2 “Nido de Cóndores,” where we spend three nights resting and acclimatizing. On this day, each climber will be responsible for carrying personal equipment only. Porter staff will carry expedition equipment, food, and sleeping tents. After reaching Nido de Cóndores, we set up tents with the guides and move our sleeping gear inside, then settle down for the night. Guides will serve you dinner in your tents. Three to four hours. (B, PL, D)

Day 12: Camp 2 Nido de Cóndores

Today is a rest day and an opportunity to further acclimatize and enjoy the comfort of our camp. Resting on this day will improve your performance on summit day and greatly increase your chances for successfully reaching the summit. AMG is the only company that offers this rest day instead of moving higher up the mountain. (B, L, D)

Day 13: Camp 2 - Camp 3 "Colera" (6,000 m) - Camp 2

Carry to High Camp, “Camp Cólera.” All climbers will carry expedition food, fuel and some camp equipment that we will need in Cólera and for our summit attempt. This will be a short hike, but we will move slowly to acclimatize and prepare for summit day. Once at Cólera, you will have lunch and then return to Nido de Cóndores. Four hours (B, PL, D)

Day 14: Camp 3 ''Colera'' - Summit (6,962 m)

Climb from Cólera to the summit and return to Camp 3. The Great Day! We will wake up early in the morning and dress for our summit attempt. Guides will serve hot drinks and a quick breakfast. They will let us know what time to leave our tents so we all rise together and start moving toward the summit. This keeps us warm and moving together as a team. The climb is gradual as we follow switchbacks for two hours until we reach a small A-frame hut called “Independencia.” From here we will traverse across the North Face of Aconcagua until we reach the Canaleta, a low-angle gully that leads us up towards the summit ridge. As we ascend the Canaleta, we can look down on the surrounding mountains, which begin to drop away as we go higher. A few hundred meters below the summit, the route traverses east and leads us directly to the summit! A cross proudly stands on top to mark the summit. There is plenty of room for everybody to take personal and group photos. It is a time for celebration! Time of day and the weather often determine the amount of time we spend on the summit. After we’ve all taken photos are absorbed the views, we will begin our descent back to Cólera Camp. eight to twelve hours.

Day 15: Colera - Plaza de Mulas

We head down to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp. We will take our time moving downhill with our climbing equipment and personal gear. Porters will carry sleeping tents and human waste. Once in Plaza de Mulas, the group will have the rest of the day free to celebrate our climbing experience and enjoy a great meal. Four hours. (B, PL, D)

Day 16: Plaza de Mulas - Horcones

We descend to Horcones, the entrance to the Park, on the last trekking day of the expedition. Your belongings will be carried by mules so you will only take a light backpack with a jacket and your packed lunch. Transfer to Mendoza City. Lodge in the hotel. That evening guides and climbers often get together for dinner to celebrate their climb. Six to seven hours. (B, PL) (Mendoza dinner not included)

Day 17: Mendoza

Breakfast. End of services. (B)

Day 18: Extra day for weather

Day 19: Extra day for weather

 

Details

More info

Please contact us for a complete equipment list.

Meeting point

Mendoza, Argentina

Equipment you will need to bring

Crampons

Ice axe

Harness

Water bottle

Backpack

Helmet

Sunglasses

Belay device

Please contact us for a complete equipment list.


About the guide

Guide profile image

Aconcagua

1.0

(1)

Tour Operator

We are a team of highly experienced and certified guides. We have been leading expeditions in Aconcagua for many years. Mountaineering is our way of life and our goal is to offer the highest standard of service to each of our clients. We want to provide you with the best opportunity to experience a high-mountain environment, helping you reach the highest summit in the Americas in a safe and enjoyable way.

Several of our lead guides have ascended Aconcagua over 30 times. We guarantee our guides are well-trained and have a deep knowledge of the mountain. They all are certified by AAGM (Argentinean Association of Mountain Guides), and the EPGAMT (School of High Mountain and Trekking Guides) — the two highest certifications in Argentina.

Safety is our main concern and we pride ourselves on our excellent safety record. Climbing mountains has inherent risks, but through careful planning we greatly reduce these risks and lead people into extraordinary environments and life changing experiences.

Climbing Aconcagua is a certainly a big challenge. Through our many years of guiding clients from all over the world to the Aconcagua summit, we have developed an excellent program that achieves this goal better than any other company. We provide an outstanding logistical service and each year we improve our services using the latest technology and innovations in the outdoor industry. We also make sure to provide clear and accurate descriptions of our service and refund policies to our clients.

Aconcagua Mountain Guides Works for the environment and natural resources protection. We transport all waste and trash from the mountain either by mules or helicopter out of the park for disposal, and we take great care of our animals, giving them plenty of rest between camps.

Contact us and let’s start planning your expedition. We look forward to experiencing Aconcagua with you!

Languages

English

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What people are saying about this trip

Sebastian

4

I will write you a longer mail why the trip was a disaster and why AMG was the reason for it. Best regards Sebastian Arnstedt


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