Aconcagua Normal Route
The Classic Route - Climbed & loved for 40+ years! (Porter Option Available)
Overview | Full itinerary | Cost Includes
The Normal Route, as its name suggest, is the most common route used to reach the summit, and also the most approachable for climbers of all skill levels. Some climbers hire porters to assist with their climb on this route although it remains completely optional to do so. Choose your own adventure!
Overview
Although our Amegino Valley Route remains the most pristine and scenic route on the mountain, we know that some clients prefer the slighter shorter length of the approach hike to Base Camp for the Normal Route. This is why we offer the Normal Route with mules carrrying loads to Base Camp (the same process as for the Ameghino Valley/Polish Glacier route) and the option to hire porters to carry loads from Base Camp to High Camp, as needed.
While the Normal Route does suffer from some overuse, we also understand that the Ameghino Valley Route can seem a little long for some people. If you are not bothered by keeping company with large number of fellow climbers and enjoy the social aspect of Base Camp (meeting climbers of all nationalities!) then our Normal Route expedition is just the one for you! By hiring porters (see below) on any of our routes, including the Normal Route, you have the opportunity to drastically reduce your load and avoid carrying 45 to 50 pounds. We have designed this trip so that at Base Camp you can decide how often you will need a porter, and so on. You can use a porter for every carry, on alternate days, or simply experiment as you go!
Dates of Trips
2024 – 2025
Nov 30th - Dec 16, 2024
Dec 9 - 25, 2024
Dec 17, 2024 - Jan 2, 2025
Dec 27, 2024 – Jan 12, 2025
Jan 5 – 21, 2025
Jan 11 – Jan, 27, 2025
Jan 18 – Feb 3, 2025
Jan 25 – Feb 10, 2025
Feb 1 – 17, 2025
2024 – 2025
Nov 29 – Dec 15, 2025
Dec 9 – 25, 2025
Dec 17, 2025 – Jan 2, 2026
Dec 27, 2025 – Jan 12, 2026
Jan 4 – 20, 2026
Jan 10 – Jan, 26, 2026
Jan 17 – Feb 2, 2026
Jan 24 – Feb 9, 2026
Jan 31 – 16, 2026
Feb 7- 23, 2026
Rates
$5,300
Discounted Price: $4,900 expires March 1st, 2025
Booking Deposit: $800
Deposit amounts are insurable through Global Rescue and IMG.
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, Argentina. Equipment check and afternoon briefing at the hotel. For dinner we will have a chance to taste fine Argentinean cuisine and wine
Cost Includes
- Professional Mountain Guides
- 2 nights hotel accommodation in Mendoza at theMendoza Park Hyatt Hotelwith breakfast buffet (1 night at the beginning of the expedition and 1 night at the end of the expedition)
- 1 night hotel accommodation with breakfast and dinner in Penitentes, on the way to the mountain
- Mules
- All expedition food (4 full days at base camp included - normally more than enough), any extra days at base camp will have a fee per person
- 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!
