Aconcagua Polish Traverse Route 2023/2024

Day 01 Arrival in Mendoza (760 m / 2,493 ft). Our driver will pick you up at the airport and drive you to your hotel. After checking into your room, you can relax or explore the many sidewalk cafes of the city. The trip guide will contact you to explain the schedule for the coming days.

Day 02 Mendoza. Team meeting, gear check, gear rental, climbing permit procedures. Your guide will help you getting through the bureaucracy. The gear check is important!

Day 03 Transfer in private vehicles from Mendoza to Penitentes, where the group will spend the night in a lodge (2.580 m / 8,465 ft). This small mountain village is where we have our warehouse and where loads for our mules are prepared. / 3 hrs drive

Day 04 Penitentes – Punta de Vacas (trailhead) – Pampa de Leñas camp (2.950 m/ 9,678 ft). After breakfast, we will take a short ride in the van to Punta de Vacas. Here we get our climbing permits stamped at the rangers’ check point and begin the approach to base camp. After a 4-hour hike along Río de las Vacas we arrive at our first camp, Pampa de Leñas, where we enjoy a genuine asado criollo (Gaucho BBQ). For the entire hike in to Base Camp (BC) you will be carrying only a day pack with some essentials, as the mules take care of the heavy duties. / 4 hrs

Day 05 Pampa de Leñas – Casa de Piedra (3.240 m/10,630 ft.) Hike to Casa de Piedra, our second trekking camp. There is a great view of the Polish Glacier and the Eastern face of Aconcagua from the trail. / 6 hrs

Day 06 Casa de Piedra – Plaza Argentina Base Camp (4190m/13,746 ft.). We follow the trail up the Relinchos Valley to Plaza Argentina. Our BC chef greets us with a good dinner in a comfy dining tent. A proper reward after the hardest day of the approach.). / 6-7 hs

Day 07 Plaza Argentina. Rest day at Base Camp. Sleeping, reading in the dining tent or trying the yoga mats in our heated domo; whatever you do, get hydrated!

Day 08 Plaza Argentina – Camp 1 – Plaza Argentina (4.800m/ 15,748 ft). With the trek to BC and the first stage of acclimatization completed, the climb itself begins with this gear carry to Camp 1. After caching equipment, food and gas we return to Base Camp. / 5 hrs

Day 09 Plaza Argentina. Rest day at Base Camp.

Day 10 Plaza Argentina – Camp 1 (4.800m/ 15,748 ft). The team leaves BC behind and moves to Camp 1 with the remaining gear. Our porters will carry the tents and other common gear, the climbers carry their own gear and their share of the common gear if needed. (Expect to carry around 15-20 kg in total in your pack). / 4-5 hrs

Day 11 Camp 1 – Camp 2 – Camp 1 (5350m/ 18,143 ft). Gear carry to Camp 2, called the Chopper Camp, towards the Guanacos Valley side (North). Astonishing view of Mt. Mercedario and other peaks of the Ramada massif. Return to C1. / 4-5 hrs

Day 12 Rest day at Camp 1 (4.800m/ 15,748 ft).

Day 13 Camp 1 – Camp 2 (5.486m / 18,000 ft). Move to camp 2. / 5 hrs

Day 14 Camp 2 – Cólera (high camp) (5.970 m / 19,586 ft). We move to our high camp, from where we will attempt the summit. / 4-5 hrs

Day 15 Summit day! (6.962m – 22,841 ft). We leave early to get the most of the (long) day. You will be carrying a very light backpack (water, snacks, some clothing, camera). / 8-12 hrs

Day 16 Extra weather day. In order to increase the probability of success of the expedition for all our clients, we have factored in two additional summit days in case of bad weather.

Day 17 Extra weather day.

Day 18 Camp 3 – Plaza de Mulas Base Camp (4.350 m / 14,271 ft). We complete the Aconcagua traverse by descending the Northwestern face of Aconcagua (Normal Route), towards the lively BC of the Normal Route. Celebration dinner in dining tents with tables and chairs.

Day 19 Plaza de Mulas – Horcones – Penitentes. The hike out takes approximately 6-7 hours. Most of the gear is loaded onto the mules, so you walk light. From the trailhead, at Horcones our van drives us to Mendoza, after picking up the gear at Penitentes. Hotel check-in (not included), end of the program. / 6-7 hrs + 3-4 hrs

⇒ANDES VERTICAL EXPEDITION CLIMBING GEAR DOWNLOAD HERE

Having the right equipment on your expedition will make almost as much difference to your safety, comfort, and enjoyment as any physical training you do. It is essential that you take the time to acquire the correct gear; don’t wait until the last minute to find out your local shop doesn’t have your size. This equipment is expensive, but you can often find great sales online and at your local gear store.

The purpose of this gear list is to help guide your purchases. Often salespeople in your local shop do not have first-hand knowledge of high-altitude climbing, so be sure to balance their advice with what you read here. And do not hesitate to call us for more information on any of these items. We have strived to create a list heavy on detail, but there are always further questions!

During your expedition in Aconcagua, you will encounter a very wide range of temperatures and weather conditions. At one end of this range is the pleasantly warm and beautiful City of Mendoza, while at the other end of the spectrum is found the cold and often windy weather on the summit of Aconcagua. The equipment you bring must function well in a wide variety of conditions. Your clothing should be warm, lightweight, dry quickly, and allow good freedom of movement. Adhere to the layering principle: several
thin layers of insulation (rather than one thick one).

While you are required to bring everything on this list, there are numerous options, brands, and versions of each piece of equipment, unless otherwise noted. Using our current suggested brand list we encourage you to shop around, do research, even borrow, and use your experience with our list to find the best gear for you.

Finally, a note on our recommendations: these are products which our guides have used extensively and been happy with. Purchasing the specific items listed below will ensure you have the right tool for the job, but there are other options on the market.

INCLUDED SERVICES

• Hotel accommodation in Mendoza as indicated in the itinerary, based on double occupancy. Climbers descending early will incur extra hotel fees.

• 1 night of lodging in Penitentes (dinner and breakfast included).

• Full board during the expedition (all the meals while in the Park, meals in Mendoza not included).

• Fully certified, English-speaking guides.

• All shared gear for the expedition (sleeping tents, stoves and cooking gear, radio, etc).

• Complete base camp services (dining tents, bathrooms, meals, storage).

• Loads transportation by mule, to and from base camp.

• Free internet at BC (limitations apply)

• All transfers in licensed, private shuttles.

• Permanent VHF radio communication.

• All guides provided with professional first aids kits and pulse oximeters for daily updates of acclimatization progress.

• Assistance with climbing permit procedure.

• Satellite coverage and tracking during the trip, through an InReach device.

• One porter for every four climbers, to carry 20 kg of common gear.

WHAT´S NOT INCLUDED

• Aconcagua entrance fee

• Personal porters.

• Any cost incurred by the climber if she or he leaves the trip early (such as mules, transfers, guide, etc). We strongly recommend all participants buy trip cancellation insurance.

• Meals in Mendoza.

• Drinks in Mendoza and Penitentes.

• Personal gear, medication, ground or air evacuations, room services, laundry, beverages, phone communications and items of personal nature, insurance liability, hospitalization or medication of any kind; any other service not mentioned in this condition sheet.