Aconcagua - the highest mountain in the Americas.

[Christian P.]

I guess at 7000 feet shorter than the Everest, the Aconcagua does not get as much attention.

It is however quite a challenge that 4 guys from Quebec are about to tackle.

Anyone here has done it, or hike close to it?

http://aconcaguaquebec.com/ac/objectif.html

 

[Sirocco]

Not 1st hand, but my boss has done it with 3 of his mates and no assistance. They moved their own tents and food.

He has done Kili and Mt Blanc so 3 of the 7 (as Mt Blanc was before the 90's)

G

 

[Rallyroo]

The highest I've gotten to is the top of Mt Whitney (winter ascent) which is just a mere 4421 m (14505 ft) in elevation. That's still 2541 m (8336 ft) shy of Aconcagua.

 

[ssssnake529]

By the regular route, it's a non-technical slog.

 

[Christian P.]

By the regular route, it's a non-technical slog.

good to hear, I may be able to do it then!

 

[ssssnake529]

good to hear, I may be able to do it then!

Still, be careful. Just because it's non-technical (in a steepness sense) doesn't mean it's to be taken lightly. Weather, and the effects of high altitude are still dangerous. Too many people die on "tourist peaks" because they don't take this into account. (Not saying that you didn't already know that, just wanted to make it clear that even a non-technical slog can turn into an epic.)

 

[haven]

Any peak above 18,000 feet in elevation is considered an extreme risk for altitude sickness. Aconcagua is 22,800 feet tall. Here's a photo of the "normal" route
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Aconcagua_route_1a.jpg

The good news is that Aconcagua is only 112 km (about 70 miles) west of Mendoza, Argentina, in the heart of Argentina's wine growing region. It's a popular tourist destination, and would make a great place to recover after the summit attempt. Mendoza has regular commercial airline service from Buenos Aires and Santiago.

 

[Ozrockrat]

I have a buddy in Chile who has climbed it. PM me your contact details and I will forward them onto him. He does speak good English.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Climbed it about 10 years ago but didn't quite make the summit as we hit a bad streak of weather and bailed. A lot of people say that Aconcaqua's normal route is a slog but weather can change things fast and it's not always so. I would suggest another mountain such as Tupungato which is close by, almost as high, and hardly anyone attempts. Aconcaqua has too many people for my likes. Tupungato is a bit more difficult but well worth the trouble. The first picture is climbing Aconcaqua and the second is climbing Tupungato. The Tupungato picture is at base camp.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

And here's a couple of pictures of base camp at Aconcaqua which only shows a small portion of the tent city that exists during climbing season.

 

[grahamfitter]

Not 1st hand, but my boss has done it with 3 of his mates and no assistance. They moved their own tents and food.

He has done Kili and Mt Blanc so 3 of the 7 (as Mt Blanc was before the 90's)

G

Weird question but is your boss a geologist named Mac?

If so I decided spending almost 3 weeks on a mountain didn't sound like much fun so I flew in afterwards and we traveled around South America. They didn't have much fun climbing but most of that was because they took kerosene instead of petrol for the MSR stove and couldn't keep it lit at altitude. I did climb Mt Blanc with them but not Kili.

As you were...

 

[TVoverlander]

Regarding climbing Aconcagua -

I summitted Aconcagua in Feb of 2011 - I traversed the mountain starting from the Vacas Valley and descending the Normal Route. (Horcones Valley) I traveled alone, carrying my own gear but did end up using the services of the "porters" who will take extra gear down the mountain for you, at a per kilo price. To say I "soloed" the mountain would not be a true statement even if I camped alone as there were several commercial expeditions that traveled the same route.

As one person mentioned, this mountain is often understated and should not be taken for granted. While I was on the mountain in Feb of 2011, several major snow storms hit the mountain, making travel and the temps a bit more challenging. Three people lost their lives during this storm period for either pushing it too far (To beat the storm) or altitude - most likely both.

I've climbed throughout the world and am quite new to the Overlanding community, to me, combining both climbing/exploring with the Overlanding experience is a great way to see and travel the world.

Stay safe

tvoverlander

 

[2025 deleted member]

What elevation were the base camps?