Good Fitness niveau

Aconcagua Climb – Your expedition on the highest mountain in America and one of the Seven Summits

Cerro Aconcagua, which at 6,959 meters above sea level is the highest peak on the American continent, rises majestically in the skies of the Andes. It is located entirely in Argentina, just a few kilometers from the Chilean border, and attracts mountaineers from all over the world. Rooted in its volcanic origins, this giant is made up of sedimentary rock, huge scree fields and extensive glaciers. The snow line is close to 4,800 meters and the river of the same name rises from its slopes, flowing into the Pacific Ocean after some 260 kilometers. Since 1983, the area surrounding the mountain has been designated as a nature reserve within the “Parque Provincial Aconcagua” in the province of Mendoza.

The Aconcagua is often considered after an ascent of the Kilimanjaro in Africa. The reason for this is that it is an almost 7000m high mountain with few technical difficulties on the ascent. The mountain is therefore also suitable for mountaineers who have less experience in the technical use of crampons and ice axes. The Aconcagua is also one of the Seven Summits, so the aspiring Seven Summit “collector” can conquer one of the highest peaks on the seven continents.

On January 14, 1897, an expedition led by E. Fitzgerald reached the summit for the first time after several attempts with M. Zurbriggen. One month later, the Italian N. Lanti achieved the same feat during the same expedition. With the exception of the south face, the mountain presents no particular technical difficulties. The greatest challenges come from the sudden changes in weather, with often icy temperatures and strong winds. The beginning of southern spring offers the best weather conditions. In addition to being in good physical condition, first-class equipment against the cold and wind is essential.

Die Aufstiegsroute hängt von den Bedingungen am Berg ab und kann entweder über den “Normalweg” stattfinden, der den Nordgipfel entlang des Nordwesthangs des Berges erreicht, oder der sogenannte “Polenweg”, der 1934 von der polnischen Expedition unter der Leitung von W. Ostrowski eröffnet wurde. Dieser erreicht den Nordgipfel entlang des östlichen Grates in einer eisigen Umgebung und erfordert einen längeren Anmarsch zum Basislager.

The ascent route depends on the conditions on the mountain and can either be via the “normal route”, which reaches the north summit along the north-western slope of the mountain, or the so-called “Polish route”, which was opened in 1934 by the Polish expedition led by W. Ostrowski. This reaches the north summit along the eastern ridge in an icy environment and requires a longer approach to the base camp.

After a flight from Switzerland to Buenos Aires and from there on to Mendoza to take care of the necessary permits, the recruitment of mules and arrieros to transport the luggage to the base camp and possibly the rental of equipment and the purchase of food.

From Mendoza, we drive through the uninhabited valley along the road that connects Chile with Argentina. We reach the village of Puente del Inca (at an altitude of 2,730 meters), the starting point for the Plaza de Mulas base camp along the “normal route”, or Punta de Vacas (at an altitude of 2,800 meters), just before that, the starting point for the Plaza Argentina base camp along the “Polish route”. In both cases, the distance between these places and the base camp – around 40 kilometers and 60 kilometers respectively – is covered in this wild and fascinatingly lonely environment with the help of mules for transporting luggage. The ascent can be made via two routes:

On the “normal route” after a necessary acclimatization in Plaza de Mulas (4,200 metres), with the possibility of climbing Cerro Cuerno (5,462 metres), it is necessary to set up two high camps in order to reach the northern summit (6,959 metres): Camp 1 (5,400 meters) Nido de Condores and Camp 2 (6,100 meters) Plantamura. From here, weather permitting, the summit can be climbed in one day via the “Gran Traverso” and the famous “Canaletta”, a wide snow channel with an incline of 40-45 degrees.

On the “Polish Trail” the acclimatization takes place in Plaza Argentina (4,100 metres) and three high camps are set up before the northern summit is reached: Camp 1 (5,200 meters) Portezuelo Ameghino, Camp 2 (5,850 meters) at the base of the Polish Glacier and Camp 3 (6,400 meters) Petra Bandera. There is also the option of making a traverse from the base of the Polish Glacier to join the “normal route” at Bivacco Plantamura, Libertad and Berlin, where the traditional base camp can be reached for the final summit ascent along the normal route.

Planned schedule of the Aconcagua climb

Important info about your Aconcagua climb