Aconcagua climb via POLISH GLACIER TRAVERSE Route (“Two Faces”)
Explore Aconcagua two faces mountain
(22834 fasl / 6962 masl)
Vacas Valley + Upper Guanacos + Plaza Argentina + Camp 1 & 2 on Polish Route + Traverse to Normal Route + Summit + descent via Normal Route
An alternative and beautiful path. Aconcagua will express its most rustic side, as an adventurous spirit will enlighten the trail with every step.
We will walk across the Vacas Valley up to Plaza Argentina base camp. Then we follow the Polish Glacier route up to Camp 2. Crossing the mythic base of the Polish Glacier we will take the Normal Route, in the last stretch, up to Camp 3. From there we will try the Summit.
The descent follows the normal route, knowing the famous Plaza de Mulas base camp.
This special trail, for special people.
The Best of the Expedition
- A program that gives you the opportunities to succeed.
- The opportunity to visit the Aconcagua on one of its most beautiful and less visited faces.
- The Aconcagua Mountain is the highest mountain in America and is part of The 7 Summits Circuit. This consists of climbing the highest mountains of each continent.
- An excellent chance to test yourself at an altitude of up to 23,000 feet, which is a great stepping stone for climbing the Himalaya mountains of 26,000 feet.
- The opportunity to visit both base camps in Mt. Aconcagua, Plaza Argentina in the Polish Route and Plaza de Mulas in the Normal Route.
- Porters for common gear to altitude camps. Most of the groupal gear (tents, kitchen sets, stoves, ropes and the garbage produced for the group) will be carry to altitude camps for a team of porters. This helps you to save energy to achieve your goal.
Why a Private Expedition?
The main characteristics of this type of expedition is that you choose the date of departure and you share it only with your fellow climbers. Most of the services are included and you have your own guide, which is very important as he will provide you with vital information, security and ensure a harmonized rhythm in your climb.
Important
Going to Mount Aconcagua is one of the most wonderful experiences a person can live. There, one can know oneself and those around deeply. A general but essential advice for those who want to climb this mountain: to be aware that what matters is not the summit, but waiking towards it step by step, without being exposed to danger because preserving our heart healthy is what makes sense to the adventure. And if we reach the summit, it is really amazing. Then, for it to be worthy, the important thing is to start again, step by step, from hill to hill, from year to year, because the mountains, like life, are infinite and generous and they deserve to be shared among friends.
Private group’s expeditions
EARLY BOOKING PRICE*
from USD 3290 to USD 7990*Depending group size & services
Itinerary
Drive airport or bus station / Hotel in Mendoza. Lodging. In the evening there will be an instructive talk about the Aconcagua Mountain and the guides will check your equipment. Time to rent or buy some equipment if you need.
Obtaining of permits. Transfer to Penitentes. Lodging in hotel. Preparation of the loads for the mules. (B, L, D)
Drive to Quebrada de Vacas. Beginning of the trekking to Pampa de Leñas. (B, PL, D)
Trek to Casa de Piedra. (B, PL, D)
Trek to Plaza Argentina base camp. Lodging. (B, PL, D)
Resting day in Plaza Argentina. (B, L, D)
Acclimatization trek and transportationof the material to Camp 1 and return to Plaza Argentina. (B, PL, D)
Resting day in Plaza Argentina. (B, L, D)
Climb to Camp 1. (B, PL, D)
Acclimatization trek. Lunch and return to Camp 1 (B, PL, D)
Climb to Camp 2. (B, PL, D)
Descent from Camp 3 to Plaza de Mulas base camp, in the Normal Route. (B, PL, D)
Transfer from the hotel to the airport. (B)
The above itinerary is intended as a guideline only. Although every effort will be made to adhere to it, changes may be caused due to weather conditions or other unforeseen events. Please be flexible if necessary.
(click to enlarge)
Mount Aconcagua Summit
INCLUDED SERVICES
One of us will be waiting for you at the airport or bus station to drive you to the hotel, allowing you the possibility to enjoy your trip fully. And after the expedition, we will take you back to the airport or bus station.
You will have all the necessary support to retrieve their luggage as soon as possible. In Acomara-AconcaguaExpeditions we know the importance of the equipment for the success of the expedition and the extra costs which may entail having to rent or purchase again. While the loss of baggage is a responsibility of the airlines, our Customer Support Staff will assist you in Mendoza for the fast recovery of it.
While you are in Mendoza city, you will be lodged in a 5 stars superior Hotel for 2 nights in a double room (the first night of the itinerary and the last night of your itinerary after climbing down from the mountain). Breakfast and taxes are included and will represent no additional cost. Nonetheless, if you wish a different type of room or service, you can adquire it as an additional service.
Mount Aconcagua is located in a provincial Park managed by the Provincial Government of Mendoza. To get into the Park you should get a permit in accordance to the activity that you are going to participate in (climbing, long trek, short trek). This procedure must be done personally, as a government rule. Each climber must go to the Park’s office with their own passport.
If you wish to leave certain personal belongings that you are not going to use during your Aconcagua expedition, you can count on the best security of the hotel of your expedition for leaving your personal effects. You will also be able to leave your possessions in Penitentes/Puente del Inca or in Base Camp.
We will pick you up from your hotel and take you to Penitentes – Puente Del Inca in our own vehicles. We will drive over 180 kilometers, which separate Mendoza City from Penitentes – Puente Del Inca (roundtrip). The scenery on the journey is one of the most spectacular landscapes in the central Andes.
On the expedition you will enjoy all the meals (B: Breakfast / L: Lunch / PL: Packed Lunch if we are on the move / D: Dinner) that are carefully planned by professionals to have a balanced diet during those days on the mountain. The cooks always prepare every meal, with fixed menu from day nº 3, except at the high altitude camps where the guides will be in charge of the cooking. You will enjoy tasty and large portions of very good meals. If you are vegetarian, let us know.
No doubt the Hotel Ayelén is the best place to eat and rest in the area of Penitentes. You will stay comfortably in double rooms with private bathroom, central heating, balcony with mountain views and breakfast buffet. You will also enjoy delicious food and the warmth of the hotel staff. To learn more about the Hotel Ayelén plaease see .
Our mountain guides will advise you on when you have to decide what to include in your luggage and the way that we are going to arrange it on the mules.
These strong animals were the ones that helped the armies that fought for the freedom of South America, to transport their belongings over the mountains. Mules move over mountain with great caution, having the possibility to carry big loads. The negative aspect of these animals is their untamed character. That is why we have selected a professional team of muleteers, called “arrieros”, who have dedicated their lives to the country animals. They know how to deal with these animals, because of their experience.. From Puente Del Inca to Plaza Argentina, making two stops in Pampa de Leñas and Casa de Piedras camps and in the return from Plaza de Mulas, your belongings will be carried by mules. Each mule can carry up to a limit of 60 kg, and every client may transport on the mules a maximum of 30 kg on each stage of the approach. We strongly recommend you to bring a strong duffel bag.
You will be driven by a private transfer over 15 kilometers, from the hotel in Penitentes to the first Rangers Station. Here your permit is checked out and you are informed about the park rules.
While you are gaining height, your body needs some time to start with the process of acclimatization to Aconcagua climb. Therefore, it is extremely important to stop for a night in Pampa de Leñas and the following day continue with the trek to Casa de Piedras. In every stop you will meet the Arrieros, who will give you your gear to spend the night. The guides will help you in the setting of the tents, and will prepare the dinner and breakfast.
Once you have arrived at Plaza Aregntina, you will spend 4 nights in the campsite. It´s fully prepared to make the trip around the magnificent South American mountain as comfortable as possible. There are tents for eating, kitchen, equipment storage. Toilets are available too. An excellent team of people will attend you, preparing delicious meals and providing you an excellent service. The advantages of the campsite are not only its commodities, but also the direct contact with nature.
Once you have arrived at Plaza de Mulas, you will spend the night in the campsite, fully prepared with tents for eating, another for the kitchen, a third tent for equipment storage, and toilets. Here excellent workers will prepare delicious meals and provide you an excellent service too.
Our expeditions to Aconcagua include the help of porters in the altitude camps so that our climbers can walk from camp to camp carrying less weight and this being able to concentrate their energies on summit day. Porters appear on stage with the need of people and expeditions that, due to their logistics, need to transport a great quantity of equipment to altitude camps. Our porters are people very well adapted to working in the altitudes of Aconcagua. They have reached the summit many times and theresponse of their body to altitude is considerably faster and better than that of many athletes. Our porters are in charge of carrying tents, team garbage (including toilet garbage that must be transporter by each expedition according to regulations of Aconcagua Park) and they will also carry the first aid kits. Porters transport all these loads from Plaza Argentina Base Camp to Camp1, from Camp 1 to Camp 2, from Camp 2 to Camp 3 and the return from Camp 3 to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp (Normal Route). Each expedition member must transport their personal equipment (backpack, sleeping baf, boots and personal belongings) plus their share of meals and cooking elements. During acclimatization treks, climbers will not have to transport their personal equipment (which will be left behind in the previous camp). The purpose of acclimatization treks are to acclimatize and transport the meals that will be consumed on the following day. Anyway, if you want to hire a porter to transport your backpack and acclimatization trek weight in all expedition days (but summit day) or you want to hire a porter for transporting only your personal backpack, do not doubt in requesting this service to us (such porter services may have additional cost and they will are non-included and optional services).
The guides in charge of the expedition are professionals who have obtained their degree from the AAGM or the EPGAMT (2 and 3 year carreers). We believe that one of the keys for having a successful expedition is to count on people who have the best qualifications and at least 5 years of experience in Aconcagua to provide safety and trek across the paths of nature with conviction and professionalism. Our expeditions are leadered by one high altitude mountain guide per every three climbers from base camp. The guide’s equipments include a VHF radio, first aid kit with the specific medications for altitude sicknesses, ropes, altimeter, digital oxymeter and proffessional clothing and equipments. Medicines will be provided after the aproval of the doctors of Park Aconcagua. All of this is necessary for your safety and well being.
Always looking to give you the best service to facilitate your success, Acomara-AconcaguaExpeditions includes service bed at base camps and the use of self-inflating mattresses Therm-a-rest for the altitude camps resting. This will certainly help with better sleep which results undoubtedly in a better recovery of power during the rest time. To learn more about mattresses please follow this link: www.cascadedesigns.com
Normally, during the summer high-season, Aconcagua is a mountain with good weather conditions. Yet if you happen to have a few days of storms, you will be responsive to nature’s whims at Aconcagua high altitude camps. Therefore, we do not hesitate to provide you with the highest quality bedroom tents for high altitude campsites. We use brands that have proved an excellent performance in Aconcagua over the years like The North Face and Mountain Hardwear. The arrangement is usually 2 climbers per tent. For more information about The North Face VE 25 tents please follow this link: www.thenorthface.com and for Mountain Hardwear Trango tents 3.1 please follow: www.mountainhardwear.com
Once the comfort in base camp Plaza de Mulas is left behind, it starts the hardest stage of the expedition which is the ascent to the different altitude camps towards the desired summit. So, it is essentialthat you save all your strength only for themost important:to focus on the ascent. That is why we pitch the tents for you on the altitude camps, that is to say when the expedition arrives to these camps, the tents will be ready for you to rest, to protect yourself from the cold weather and to wait the refreshing meal the guides will prepare.
The available water for consumption at altitude camps in Aconcagua comes from small reservoirs or from the snow. This water is rarely contaminated with bacteria, but it does have a high content of clayey sediments, which might cause diarrhea or gastrointestinal infections when entering the organism. That is why in all our private expeditions the water for consumption is filtered with the very efficient water microfilters MSR MiniWorks EX, getting rid of the sediments and other strange elements which might exist on the water, getting away the possibility of sickness and deceases.For further information about the filters MSR MiniWorks EX visit www.cascadedesigns.com
There are three extra days that can be used on the mountain in case of bad weather conditions or contingencies which could delay the regular itinery. Since the climbers’ safety is our main priority, the leader guide will be in charge of taking this decision.
The expedition take advantage of satellite phones, VHF and BLU radio lines that help to stay in contact between the high-altitude campsites, Plaza de Mulas, Confluencia, Puente del Inca and Mendoza. Therefore, almost instantaneously answer to whatever issue that may arise.
The last place torecharge the batteries of electronic devices before ascending towards the altitude camps is the base camp Plaza Argentina. From there, there is no way to get electricity, unless solar energy is used to generate it. So, all our private expeditions have mini portable solar panels which serve to generate electricity to recharge all kind of electronic devices, such as cameras, smartphones, Ipad´s, Ipod´s, satellite phones, tablets, etc. The last thing we want is not to have enough electricity to take the summit picture.
At the end of the expedition, the whole group will share a dinner in one of the restaurants in Mendoza in order to celebrate the new friendships.
We will extend you a certificate signed by the Guide of the expedition and the Ceo of Acomara-AconcaguaExpeditions certifying that you have participated in the expedition to Mount Aconcagua (or reached the summit if that happened).
Your safety and health is our priority. If you need to be evacuated from Aconcagua for medical reasons or you finish your expedition with any kind of medical condition, our team will provide you personal bilingual support for all medical activities you need to do after returning from the Aconcagua like assisting you if you need additional medical attention, medical studies like lung x-rays, shopping medicine, hospital admission, etc. The expenses arising from hospital admission, medical studies, doctor’s fees, ambulances, medicines, etc. are not included.
In addition, you will be able to use our optional service of full bilingual assistance for your time in Mendoza until you fully recover. The objective is that you feel completely accompanied and content until you fully recover your physical health and you are able to return to your home country.
After you return from your expedition to Aconcagua and your services for the expedition finish, our customer support team will continue to assist you with everything you need in Mendoza City.
NOT INCLUDED SERVICES
The only way to enter the Mt Aconcagua two faces Park is by getting the permit personally in Mendoza city. If the ticket is not used within the dates established by the Park authorities, the money will not be returned. The ticket will be invalid in the future years. The entrance fee’s payment support the maintenance and care of Mount Aconcagua two faces Provincial Park and aid to preserve and protect it. It also supports the maintenance of the medical, the park rangers and the rescue service (helicopter).
The itinerary includes group services in order to provide more and better services at a low price. When you abandon the itinerary of your expedition for any reason (like personal reasons, health, etc) you begin to use private services. If you abandon the itinerary, the company covers the transportation from Puente del Inca to Mendoza City by bus line free of charge. The second hotel night in Mendoza city included in your expedtion can be used at this moment. If you need extra hotel nights, private transfer or other services originated by the abandondment of the expedition, they shall be considered additional services not included in the price of the expedition. You can find more information in our pdf file you can download in the footer.
Your personal equipment is not included in the expedition. You can bring it from your country or you the option of either purchasing or hiring all gear needed for your expedition once you are in Mendoza. We will help you with this.The list of this recommended gearis shown further on this page.
Having a personal insurance is not a fundamental requirement to climb the Mount Aconcagua. However, we suggest that you to contact an insurance company if you wish to get one, taking into account the risk in the mountain.
The porters may help you to transport your belongings from a camp to another one offering you a better result on the mountain. So do not hesitate in letting us know, if you decide to take one. The price will depend on the stretch that your equipment will be carried.
Extra expenses as food or drinks separate from those described in the itinerary, satellite phonecalls, transference fees,and other services not specified as included.
Watch the video “Equipment Guide to climb Aconcagua”
Feet:
– 2 pairs of synthetic inner socks
– 4 pairs of thick socks for cold (ski type)
– 1 pair of comfortable trekking boots
– 1 pair of gaiters
Legs:
– 1 pair of fine synthetic pants
– 1 pair of thick shelter pants
– 1 pair of rainproof pants
– 1 pair of comfortable long pants (trekking type)
Body:
– 2 synthetic underwear shirts
– 1 turtleneck of synthetic material
– 1 fleece jacket of alike
– 1 shelter jacket (down or synthetical)
– 1 rainproof jacket
Head:
– Sun cap or hat
– Shelter hat (wool or fleece)
– Light ski mask
– A good pair of sunglasses with UV filter and nose and side protection
– A pair of ski goggles
– A handkerchief for the neck
Hands:
– 2 pairs of light inner gloves
– 2 pairs of rainproof gloves for shelter (mitten type)
– Wet toals
Expedition material:
– Book or anything that helps to be entertained in the tent
– 1 Sunscreen
– Water bottles for three liters in total
– 6 pairs of hand warmers
– Sleeping mattress for high mountain
– Personal care elements
– Front lamp with extra batteries
– An stainless steel thermo of one litter or half a litter
– Personal crockery (Bowl, cup, fork and spoon)
– A synthetic or duvet sleeping bag for – 35 º C
Technical equipment:
– 1 comfortable backpack of 80 liters
– 1 Pair of double or triple boots for high mountain (suitable for 23000 feet – 7000 meters and – 40ºC temperature)
– Semi-automatic crampons
– 1 pair of telescopic poles
– 1 helmet
The expedition can be hired with the EAP option, which consists in a previous two or three days stay in Puente del Inca or El Plata valley and guided trekkings around the area (up to 4000/5000 masl), to ensure further the process of acclimatization (wich is very important to get the summit). If EAP is of interest, please consult us for more information.
Technical difficulty: climbing Aconcagua via Polish Glacier Traverse route does not present any technical difficulty. Even though in this expedition you take some part of the Polish Glacier, you do not require a previous climbing experience on rocks or ice.
Physical difficulty: the process of acclimatization is really important in order to succeed in getting the summit. As this is a factor on any of our expeditions, the only pre requirement would be to follow a program of training that is adapted to the activity that you are going to make. The rest of the program is planned in order to make you enjoy and know one of the most beautiful traverse in the Aconcagua mountain.
Other types of difficulties: the biggest problem that you may face on your expedition are the effects of the altitude on your body. These can be overcome with a previous and correct acclimatization to Aconcagua climb, which is a factor on any of our programs. Another difficulty are the low temperatures on the mountain, the effects of which are reduced with a high-quality clothing and equipment.
To confirm the reservations, Acomara – AconcaguaExpeditions asks for a downpayment, we accept credit cards or banking transfers. To ensure the security of your information all credit cards transactions are handled by PayPal (your credit card information will never be required). The balance must be paid in Mendoza, before starting the expedition.
Guaranteed Satisfaction and Cancellation Policy (Refunds)
In case you have to cancel or postpone your expedition for any reason, our policy is to protect your money.
If you book with us, you may have a Flexible Booking, that in case you are not able to join your expedition for any reason, allows you to cancel the services you have booked, even if you cancel the previous day of your arrival (writen confirmation by email is required for all cancellations). Only in case you cancel your services under these conditions, you will have an Available Credit (from 100% to 30% of your prepayment, depending on the anticipation of your writen cancellation, from 90 days to 1 day prior to the 1st day of your program). Your Available Credit may be used for different services offered by Acomara in the following 5 seasons (100% transferable free of charge, it may be used by you or by any other person you want to transfer your credit to) or you may also request a REFUND (only 35% of your available credit, refunds will be made in the next 15 days after written request and they will exclusively be paid to the client’s paypal account, Acomara will pay paypal fees of all Refunds). At the moment of usage of credit, the current prices of the season when the new reservation is made will be taken as valid. In case your expedition doesn’t reach the summit, you may have 35% OFF to try again to reach the summit in one of our Open Expeditions by the Normal Route to be used in the following season in a specific departure date set by Acomara or 20% discount in any of our Open Expeditions of the following season (discounts will be applied from regular prices, subject to availability). Additional services may have special booking conditions.