Ameghino Valley

Aconcagua Ameghino Valley Upper Guanacos Traverse (Porter Option Available)

Overview | Full itinerary | Cost Includes

Our Aconcagua Ameghino Valley and Upper Guanacos traverse route, with porter availability, is presently the BEST route on Aconcagua. Our long-time favorite route on Aconcagua, the Guanacos Valley route, is presently closed (the lower part of the route) to expedition access.

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Overview

We will be using our Ameghino route to approach Aconcagua while this closure is in effect. Our Ameghino/Upper Guanacos traverse expedition uses part of a previously established route (a.k.a. Relinchos Valley), which we have named the Ameghino Valley after the striking Ameghino Peak, (19,530’), which surrounds the route. This route joins up with the upper section of our Guanacos route. Our Ameghino route is cleaner and less climbed than the over popular Normal Route of Aconcagua. This route, just as our Guanacos Valley route, has a higher success rate due to a longer approach (than the Normal Route) allowing more time for acclimatization. The Ameghino route is non-technical, and porters are readily available, if needed, at Base Camp – Plaza Argentina, for carries to the higher camps, and for the descent.

Above Camp One of the Ameghino route, we reconnect with the upper portion of our long-time favorite Guanacos route, offering our clients the benefits of both routes. The benefit of the upper portion of the Guanacos route, and the benefit of the less remote Ameghino Base Camp (Plaza Argentina), allowing our expedition parties the comforts of an established base camp, our own chef, access to porters, a medical doctor, and more, none of which are available at the lower Guanacos Base Camp.

Note: The Aconcagua Park Authorities have closed the lower Guanacos Valley until further notice. We hope to see this route reopened. This route closure does NOT affect our Ameghino / Upper Guanacos Traverse Expediton.

Dates of Trips

2024-2025

Nov 30 – Dec 18, 2024
Dec 9 – 27, 2024
Dec 17, 2024 – Jan 4 2025
Dec 27, 2024 – Jan 14 2025
Jan 5 – 23, 2025
Jan 11 – Jan 29, 2025
Jan 18 – Feb 5, 2025
Jan 25 – Feb 12, 2025
Feb 1 – 19, 2025

Rates

$4,900

Booking Deposit: $800

Deposit amounts are insurable through Global Rescue and IMG.

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Waiting List: If an expedition departure you are interested in is full, please contact us to be put on the expedition’s waiting list. In the event of a cancellation, qualified applicants will be able to get that new spot and register.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Group Meets in Mendoza

Group meets in Mendoza, Argentina at the Mendoza Park - Hyatt Hotel. Please be at the hotel by 3 pm. Afternoon or evening team meeting at the hotel, individual equipment check with your guides. For dinner we will have a chance to taste the fine Argentinean cuisine and wine.

Day 2-4 - Drive From Mendoza & Approach to Base Camp

Drive west from Mendoza to the Entrance of the Park at about 8,000’. Our drive winds along the Rio Mendoza deep into the heart of the rugged Andes mountains where we begin our acclimatization process. Approach to Base Camp. Hike up the Vacas and Ameghino Valleys to Base Camp. Mules will carry our gear. Here we begin the route, which was established in 1934 by a Polish Expedition. Even today this eastern approach to the mountain is not as heavily traveled as the Normal Route. After three days of spectacular, colorful, high desert scenery we reach our Base Camp, at 13,800’. The hike to Base Camp is approximately 40 kilometers and gives us the perfect chance to begin our acclimatization.

Day 5 - Rest & Acclimatization

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. This is an excellent method of acclimatization, which is our main focus throughout your expedition.

Day 6 - Carry load to Camp I

Day 7 - Organize for Upper Mountain

Day 8 - Carry load to Camp II

Day 9 - Move to Camp II

Move to Camp II. Be aware that from Base Camp on, there may be changes to the itinerary as needed depending on weather, the group, and acclimatization. Flexibility and adaptation are key to success. For instance, it is possible your guide may elect to have an extra rest day at Base Camp, or a rest day at Camp 1 or even Camp 2, or to even skip Camp 2 in some situations and move straight to Camp 3, depending on the group. This style and tactic is part of our success. We may save a day which can be used later for a rest or a weather day at High Camp. This style creates one of the best upper mountain acclimatization possibilities on Aconcagua.

Day 10 - Move to Camp III

Day 11 - Carry to High camp

Day 12 - Move to High Camp

Day 13-16 - Summit!

Day 17 - Descend Normal Route

Day 18 - Hike out Horcones Valley

Hike out the Horcones Valley with its impressive views of Aconcagua's South Face. Mules carry our gear. We arrive in the afternoon to Penitentes where we may take a quick shower and head on to Mendoza to the comfort of the Mendoza Park Hyatt. If extra weather and acclimatization days are not used on our expedition, you and your team may arrive a day or two earlier to Mendoza. Evening banquet with your team, if too late summit Certificates will be given at breakfast or lunch the next day.

Day 19 - Leisure Day in Mendoza

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)
Mules
All expedition food

All land transportation (except for airport drop off, we leave this as leisure since many people travel afterwards etc, this can be arrange directly at reception at the Hyatt as well)
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 ($700 to $900 depending on season) which you will pay in Mendoza, accompanied by your guide. South Americans pay about half of this amount and Argentinean Citizens about 1/4 of that amount.
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
SAT phone charges
Porter fees (See below)

Hiring Porters (Available on all routes)

Porter fees are not included in any of our trips costs, but porters are available to hire on EVERY route that we offer.

If you plan to hire porters, please let us know and we will be more than happy to arrange it for you. We don't take a fee for arranging porters, you just pay the porters directly.

Porters cost from $160 to $300 per load carry depending on the altitude they carry to. The cost per load increases as you climb the mountain, so a carrying a load from Camp 2 to Camp 3 will be more expensive than carrying the same load from Base Camp to Camp 1.

You will need a maximum of 5 to 6 load carries from Base Camp to High Camp and back down to Base Camp again (~$1,200 USD), if you choose to have a porter for each carry, and move, and for the descent of the mountain.

Porters are available at Base Camps on both sides of Aconcagua: Plaza Argentina for Ameghino Valley/Polish Glacier routes, and Plaza de Mulas for the Normal route which is also used for our 12 Day Climbs. The final number of estimated load carries can be decided when you get to Base Camp but it's best to plan ahead and let us know if you do plan on hiring porters so we can ensure a smooth and easy experience for you!