Aconcagua
by the Guanacos Route
2 - 21 Jan 2006 (20 days)
4
- 23 Feb 2006 (20 days)
Mules in
the upper Vacas valley with the peaks and glaciers of the Cordillera
de los Pennitentes behind.
An
adventurous exploration of Aconcagua 6,959m. We will make a complete
traverse of the mountain and experience its entire character.
Our route via the Guanacos valley is a wild and pristine alternative
to the heavily traveled routes of the Horcones and Relinchos valleys.
Only recently explored, this route promises you freedom from crowds,
clean trails and camp areas, breath-taking views of the neighboring
peaks and glaciers, and abundant wildlife. In addition, the Guanacos
route also offers the most gradual approach and climb of Aconcagua,
with gently moderate trekking between camps. We believe that an
un-hurried acclimatization will offer a safer and more comfortable
climb, and a rate of success not possible on other routes.
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Day
1 Team members meet at the Hotel Aconcagua in Mendoza,
Argentina.
Following an afternoon meeting with the guides, we will conduct
an individual equipment check. There are numerous gear shops in
Mendoza, and any needed equipment can be rented or purchased there.
We will dine together at one of Mendoza's world-class restaurants.
The Mendoza province is famous for its fine red wines and its
wood-fire cooked beef steaks. Hotel lodging.
Day 2
The required climbing permits are available only in person at
the Mendoza Provincial Parks department. After obtaining our permits,
we will transfer via private mini-bus to the ski-area village
of Pennitentes.
The 3-hour drive to Pennitentes follows the valley of the Rio
Mendoza. In some places a mile wide and in others frighteningly
narrow, this valley is a living lesson in mountain geology and
erosion. This has been part of the route between the Pacific Ocean
and the plains of Argentina for centuries, and we see evidence
of this in ancient roadways and bridges dating from the 18th century,
and the more modern railway line abandoned in the 1980's.
At Hotel Ayelen in Pennitentes, we'll prepare our loads for the
mules that will carry our personal and group gear to Base Camp.
We'll only need to carry with us the bare essentials for the day;
lunch, drinking water, sun protection, our shell jackets, and
an extra clothing layer. Our mule loads will be available to us
each night of the trek, so adjustments can be made on a daily
basis. Hotel lodging.
Day 3 We begin the first day's
trek at Punta Vacas, where 3 rivers ( the Tupungato, the Horcones,
and the Rio Vacas), join to form the Rio Mendoza. Our trek to
Base Camp will follow the rio Vacas to its headwaters, only meters
from its source at the Vacas Glacier.
At Punta Vacas, we'll meet our team of Arrieros (professional
mule drivers). Inn this, and many other parts of the developing
world, managing beasts of burden is still a valuable trade, and
these skilled men make the success of our climb possible.
Our trek to Pampa Lena ( meaning "the meadow with sticks
for fire-wood") usually takes 4-5 hours. Plant life is most
abundant on this first day, and we'll pass through grassy river-bottoms
dotted with numerous wild-flowers.
Day 4 The second day
of our trek begins with a bridge crossing the rio Vacas and continues
up the valley, which becomes quite wide here. Plants become more
scarce, and those found here tend to be more compact and lower
to the ground than those found in the moister, lower elevations.
Just before reaching the second trekking camp, we'll be treated
with a spectacular view of the East Face of Aconcagua, highlighted
by the Polish Glacier. When viewed from this vantage, our Guanacos
route lies just out of view behind the righ-hand sky-line.
The trek today to Casa Piedra (meaning "stone house")
is longer than yesterday's, usually taking 5-6 hours. We generally
arrive in the early afternoon, allowing ample time to prepare
a delicious asado (the traditional Argentine barbeque).
Day 5 Our route today begins
to take on much more of a wilderness flavor as it continues up
the valley of the Rio Vacas. climbers bound for the Polish Glacier
route and its variants will diverge from Case Piedra and follow
the course of the Rellinchos Valley.
Views of the peaks and glaciers of the Cordillera de los Pennitentes
are quite impressive, and wildlife sightings, especially guanacos
and condor, are common here.
The mules carry their loads as far as Plaza Guanacos, our base
Camp at 3,650 Meters and our home for the next few days.
Today's hike to Plaza Guanacos is more demanding than the 2 previous
days, generally taking 7-8 hours and requiring some easy knee-deep
stream crossings.
Day 6 Today
will be an appreciated rest day in Base Camp. A thorough rest
and recovery of over-worked joints and muscles feels wonderful.
More important, though, is a chance for the crucial acclimatization
processes to catch up with our ascent progress.
We'll also use today as a chance to familiarize the team with
the use of our safety and emergency equipment, including the hyperbaric
chamber, oxygen cylinder, and radio and satellite telephone. We'll
also discuss our movement strategies on the mountain, and prepare
our first loads to carry up to camp 1.
Day 7 We
begin our movement up the mountain in "classic expedition
style", meaning we'll carry loads in stages and return to
lower camps for aided acclimatization. Today we'll haul a load
of food, fuel, and climbing equipment to Camp 1at 4,150 Meters.
The climb is on a gentle trail ascending through moraines, and
usually takes 3-4 hours.
After caching our loads, we'll descend back to Plaza Guanacos
for a final night in the comfort of Base Camp.
Day 8
Since our climbing route involves a descent via a different route,
we'll need to prepare all extra equipment for the Arrieros before
we leave Base Camp. This equipment will remain cached at Plaza
Guanacos until we've made the final move to our High Camp, insuring
it's available to us for the duration of the climb.
Camp 1 affords us some of the finest views of the route, with
an eye-level vantage of the peaks and glaciers of the Cordillera
do los Pennitentes to the north, and the Polish Glacier towering
above us to the south. The camp is comfortable, with running streams
for water near camp and shelter from Aconcagua's trade-mark winds.
Days 9-18
We continue moving up the route in expedition style, resting as
necessary, to put ourselves into position for a summit attempt.
Normally, we will make Camp 2 at 4,700 Meters and Camp 3 at 5,300
Meters. Our food and fuel loads become lighter as we move up the
mountain, allowing us to make the final move to Camp 4, Piedras
Blancas 5,850 Meters, in a single push.
From Piedras Blancas, we follow the Normal NW Ridge Route to the
summit. The climbing becomes steep in places, without ever becoming
technical. Proper use of the ice axe and crampons is important
in the most famous portion of the route, the Canaleta, where snow
slopes reach 35 degrees. The remainder of the route is little
more than high-altitude trekking on snow and scree. Our main considerations
are to protect ourselves from cold and wind, and to keep a sustainable
pace.
The climb to the summit from Piedras Blancas usually takes 4-7
hours, and the descent another 3-5 hours.
If we summit on or before day 18, we can sleep an additional night
at Piedras Blancas and descend to Plaza de Mulas on day 19. If
we summit on day 19, we'll take sufficient rest at Piedras Blancas
, then descend to Plaza de Mulas later the same day.
Day
19 We'll prepare our equipment for the Arrieros,
have an early breakfast, and begin our trek back to Pennitentes.
It's a long hike today, usually taking 6-8 hours, but mostly down-hill
and with showers and cold beer waiting for us at the hotel!
We'll spend a final night at the Hotel Ayelen in Pennitentes and
enjoy a celebration dinner together.
Day
20 Our private mini-bus takes us back to Mendoza,
signaling the end of the expedition. It's possible to catch an
afternoon flight, or we can help you arrange a hotel or other
arrangements to extend your visit.
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