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IMG Aconcagua Climb Itinerary
Most people normally rendezvous in Santiago. After arriving in Santiago, Chile you will fly to Mendoza, Argentina. Everyone needs to be on the morning Lan Chile flight. You will be met by private transportation, go to get our required permit and then have the afternoon to sort personal gear and relax.
Mules will be hired to carry group gear and food to base camp and members will carry only moderate loads to base camp. The approach takes three days. From here, we'll use standard McKinley tactics of climbing high and sleeping low in our attempt on Aconcagua. Several rest days are included. Following the climb, we'll travel back to Mendoza where we'll enjoy a celebratory team dinner, get some rest and be ready to fly for home the next day.
| Day | Itinerary |
| Depart the United States. | |
| Arrive in Santiago, fly to Mendoza, secure the permit and spend the rest of the day enjoying Mendoza and working a bit on individual gear. Hotel night included. | |
| Early departure for Los Penitentes. Day spent packing loads, resting and generally getting ready to start our approach. | |
| Drive to Punta del Vacas and begin approach march. | |
| Continue approach march. | |
| Reach base camp in the Guanacos Valley (13,000'). | |
| Rest day at base camp. | |
| Carry to Camp 1 (14,500'). | |
| Move to Camp 1. | |
| Carry to Camp II(17,800ft) via the Ameghino col and traverse to the Guanacos Helicopter camp (Guanacos route). | |
| Move to Camp II/Helicopter Camp(17,800ft). | |
| Carry to Camp III/High Camp(Piedras Blancas) at 19,500ft on the Guanacos route. | |
| Rest/acclimatization day at CampII(17,800ft) | |
| Move to High Camp(Piedras Blancas) at 19,500ft. | |
| First Potential summit day. Spend night at High Camp after summit. | |
| Contingency Summit Day | |
| Contingency Summit Day | |
| Descend to Plaza de Mulas base camp(Normal Route) from High Camp | |
| Hike out from Plaza de Mulas base camp to Penitentes | |
| Drive from Penitentes to Mendoza and go out for a Celebration Dinner | |
| Fly from Mendoza, Argentina | |
| Arrive home | |
Please Note: This is a probable but tentative Itinerary. Our exact schedule above Camp 2 will be determined on the trip itself. Depending on factors including weather and group, we may well put in a Camp 3 located at approx. 20,000'. | |
Guides and guiding companies are not all the same. The differences lie with the people and their attitudes. Being positive and passionate about their work and the success of their clients is what distinguishes one outfit from another. It was my personal experience, and what I heard from the others in my group, that sets IMG apart. They made it their business to pay attention to the small things that not only makes for a good trip, but can make the difference between success and failure. Most important, they were positive and fun to be with. Team work and team spirit was the priority.
