It’s a three-day trek taking hikers to Plaza Francia, the reward being a close up look at the amazing Aconcagua´s South Face, 3,000mt vertical wall whit glaciers.
This hike is one of the most scenic in the Andes. In a few days, you will get a lot of fantastic views.
Our guides and full camping facilities will make this a lifetime adventure.
If you are traveling to Mendoza, Argentina and want to see some spectacular scenery in the Andes Mountains, save some days and book now this hike!
Itinerary
Our itinerary presents an ascent that offers an excellent opportunity for a safe and successful visit to Aconcagua South Face. We work bearing in mind the Wilderness Medical Society guidelines, and our itineraries have been tried and tested by more than six thousand climbers over the course of the past 20 years!
PREVIOUS DAY – MENDOZA • 2,494’ | 760m
Our company will inform you our meeting time in your lodging place. We´ll meet our guide team. They will provide you with a complete orientation of the entire climb and a question and answer period. Guides will check your gear and will assist you with any gear rentals or purchases if required.
Meals: Not included Accommodation: Not included
DAY 1 – PENITENTES / CONFLUENCIA • 10,827’ | 3,300m
You will meet our guide in Penitentes. From here, we take a short drive to the entrance of the Park. After completing the permit checks at Horcones Station, you’ll be faced with a short (3 to 4 hours) walk to the campsite Confluencia. The path is straightforward and well defined; following the big valley flanked by impressive scree slopes and folded strata. It is a perfect way start to the trek. You will spend two nights here with full board and hot drinks provided throughout the day.
DAY 2 – CONFLUENCIA / PLAZA FRANCIA • 13,123’ | 4,000m / CONFLUENCIA
Today we hike to Plaza Francia and back to Confluencia. We hike into the Inferior Horcones Valley, which leads to a view of Aconcagua’s immense South Face, raising a sheer 3,000m from the head of the valley. This hike to 4,000m, at Plaza Francia, has all the ingredients for a perfect “acclimatization day.” Over a box lunch, we see the routes of ascent taken by the original French climbers and by Messner.
DAY 3 – CONFLUENCIA / PENITENTES • 8,940’ | 2,725m
After packing our gear, we descend to Horcones, the entrance to the Park, on the last trekking day of the trekking. Transport will meet us to drive us until Penitentes. End of services.
Hiking time: 1-2 hrs. round trip Meals: Breakfast, Box Lunch Accommodation: Not included
ITINERARY DISCLAIMER
While it is our intention to adhere to the route itinerary described below, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable to make alterations. The itinerary can be modifying due to weather conditions or others unpredictable factor of the mountain regions.
Dates & Prices
This adventure takes place every day from November 1 to March 15.
Book to see dates on "Book"
Gear Tips
As a general rule, you should always try to keep the weight of your equipment to a minimum. Bring only the equipment that is necessary.
The key to staying comfortable during this trip is dress layering. To obtain maximum comfort with minimum weight, you need versatile layers that mix and match to create the right amount of insulation, ventilation, and weather protection.
Each item on the list below is required, regardless of the weather forecast, to ensure your safety and well-being, as weather and conditions can change quickly in the mountains.
Provided by WhiteFox Adventures
All group camping equipment, cooking gear and stoves.
All technical equipment that you need for this activity (ropes, crampons, ice axes, helmet, safety systems, etc.).
TRANSPORTATION FROM PENITENTES TO ACONCAGUA TRAILHEAD You will be driven in our vehicles, from Penitentes to the Ranger Station where your permit is reviewed, and you are informed about the Park rules before we start trekking.
Our Guides
We’re proud of the fact that our guide’s team is among the most talented and experienced in the country. They can lead a group on the highest mountain as few can. WhiteFox Adventures’ success was due in massive part to having an exceptional guides team. They have become our friends, and WhiteFox Adventures has become a vehicle for all of us. We believe that if we don’t enjoy the people we work with, our clients won’t either. Teamwork works; together, we develop our climbing itineraries to be safer and more flexible. Every WhiteFox Adventures guide is experienced and familiar with our ethics, standards, and operations, from the technical skills of our guides to our risk management. Apart from the mountain guide, we provide an assistant guide for every six passengers to provide individual attention for a safe and enjoyable adventure.
Lodgings
LODGING AT CONFLUENCIA CAMP You spend two nights in CONFLUENCIA CAMP for proper acclimatization. It is a well-established camp with dining tents, lights, chairs and clean toilet facilities for your use. We have dining tents where you not only eat but also can relax as they are warm from the sun and keep you out of the weather. We provide two-man sleeping tents. Hot showers, Internet service and bunk beds (dormitory style) are available for an extra cost.
Meals
MEALS AT ACONCAGUA PARK From the moment you enter Aconcagua Park, all meals are included, so you should not worry about it. During the expedition, we will provide all meals (B: Breakfast / L: Lunch / PL: Packed-Lunch if you are on the move / D: Dinner). At the basecamp, meals are carefully planned by our professional chefs for you to have a balanced diet and plenty of food during your climb. They will prepare all your meals and provide hot drinks as desired. If you need a special diet, please let us know. It will be a pleasure for us to prepare a special menu for you. This service has an extra cost.
Much more services
GEAR CHECK AND ORIENTATION A thorough orientation will take place on the previous day of your program. We will discuss all details of the trek with ample time for questions and answers. After that, will be followed by a complete gear check. If the rental or retail gear is needed, our guides will assist you.
ASSISTANCE WITH TREKKING PERMIT We will assist you with the paperwork to acquire a trekking permit. On the day of our departure to the mountain, our group will go to Park Headquarters where each climber must pay and sign for their permit.
TREKKING TO PLAZA FRANCIA On the 2nd day of the expedition, you will visit the base of the mythical South Face of the Aconcagua. It’s the most vertical face of the mountain, with glaciers and walls almost 3,000 meters tall. During this trek, you will ascend 700 meters giving your body further acclimatization.
COMMUNICATIONS All our base and approach camps are equipped with a system of communication via radio frequency VHF and, and satellite phone. These keep us permanently connected with our headquarters in Mendoza city and Penitentes as well as with all our expeditions on the mountain. So, we can facilitate those coming off the mountain whether scheduled or unscheduled on time. Should an emergency occur, we are in close contact with Rangers and the helicopter service to move climbers efficiently to additional services off the mountain.
TREKKING CERTIFICATE Once your trekking is over you will receive an Aconcagua trekking certificate.
What’s not included
The following items are not included in this program:
– Wire Transfer Fees for deposit or balance (If Applicable). – Trekking Permit Fee. – Hotel Accommodations (Mendoza & Penitentes). – Airport transfers. (Due to multiple arrival schedules). Taxis are an easy way to get back and forth from the Airport to your hotel. You can also request personal pickups at the airport for an additional cost. – Transportation Mendoza / Penitentes / Mendoza. – Guide Tips. – Some supplemental snacks such as candy bars and drinks which are not mentioned in provided services. – Personal gear. – Gear transportation during the trek. – Other hotels and meals if the trekking finishes early and returns to Mendoza. – All fees incurred for an early departure from the scheduled itinerary (whether private or medical), including additional hotels, meals & transportation (mules, auto or helicopter) a full schedule of departure evacuation fees will be sent in confirmation materials for early departures. – Helicopter evacuation. – Charges incurred as a result of delays beyond the control of WhiteFox Adventures. – Trip cancellation insurance.
Let’s start planning your Patagonian dream!
We will be happy to answer all the inquiries that you may have without any commitment from your part. We are simply here to discuss different possibilities, ideas or dreams related to Patagonia.
