Andes hiking experience in Vallecitos, near Mendoza

Joaquin experienced a health issue - my Excellent Guide was Vanina. She did a great job of adjusting to the snowing winter and recent snow fall to adapt our trip. Her attention to detail - and my thoughts - were very much appreciated. I saw a beautiful part of Argentina and I owe her for these experiences & memories. Many thanks.

Highly recommended!!! Joaquín and Venina were fantastic and fun guides! On the first day we went out to approx 3200m for acclimatization and enjoyed a delicious meal next to the tent with fantastic views. On the second day we went up to the summit. We felt save and in great company during the whole trip. Communication before and after was easy, fast and helpful e.g. for renting some equipment. Would definitely do it again!

Joaquin was an amazing tour guide! He was polite, on time, and gave us an amazing experience. He is not only a great guide but amazing person, we love talking to him and learning about Argentina and consider him a friend. We are so appreciative and this hike was the highlight of our trip.

Overall, this was a fantastic hike. You get some astonishing views and can take different routes according to your fitness level and interest. Personally, I enjoyed our quick stay at the high camp where we got to meet several people who were acclimatising for their ascends to the higher peaks. Also, we really enjoyed the time with Joaquin. Thanks to his fun personality and intersting conversations (also fluent in English which helped in my case) the time together went by way too quickly. Even before the beginning of the trip he gave us a lot of proactive advise when we wanted to choose a route that suited our demands and later he helped us with finding places to get some extra gear. During the trip and thanks to Joaquins deep knowledge of the region, he was able to adapt the route we were taking when my friend suffered from some altitude sickness. Also, a big plus was the great food that we had during the trip, including some (fantastic!) homemade carrot mayo and the asado we prepared on the first evening which was the best meal we had in Argentina.

I would highly recommend this trip to anyone. Joaquin is an excellent guide, and will not only take you to you destination, but also teach you a lot about the geography and history around Aconcagua and the area around. The view of Aconcagua is better by the entrance to the park, but the trip up to Confluencia is worth the trouble if you are staying in Mendoza (or nearby, I travelled from Chile just for this hike). Depending on your fitness level, Joaquin can find a hike that will suit you and give you an experience of the Andes mountains that you wont get anywhere else.