Private Aconcagua Expedition — 17 Days

A private product separates the make-up of your own team from that of an open group. You know in advance who takes the decisions inside the group, how many guides work on the summit cycle and which additional services are included. That suits a family, a club, a corporate team or friends with comparable preparation.

The route does not become individual in the sense of moving freely through the national park. The permit, the way the camps operate, the rules for transporting loads, trail conditions and weather decisions all remain binding. The guide may change the plan, stop the gain in altitude or turn an individual participant around, regardless of the group being closed.

For a mixed team the decisive question is not the average level of fitness but the weakest link. Before quoting we collect, for each participant, the altitude record, the maximum sleeping altitude, the dates of previous climbs, the state of health and the training history. Where necessary we propose more guides, an additional day or a different format.

The price of a private expedition cannot be derived by multiplying an open-group price. It is driven by the fixed costs of transport, camps and guides, by the size of the team, the season, the number of porters and the single rooms requested. The commercial offer shows the price per person and the total for the group, the currency in which it is fixed, and any supplements.

Before requesting a quote for a closed group

• Compare the separate 7-, 12- and 17-day trips and choose the right acclimatisation schedule first;
• Review the physical preparation the route demands;
• Check the conditions in the Normal Route camps;
• Understand how mules and high-altitude porters differ, and where each of them works.

Working that way, the guiding team and the additional services can be sized against your real team rather than against an abstract idea of a private format.

The premium and private formats both use the proven 17-day Normal Route sequence. Service is strengthened around the route, but no acclimatisation stage is cut out.

Day 1. Arrival in Mendoza.

Meeting, transfer to the hotel, and a check of equipment and documents. Night in Mendoza.

Day 2. Mendoza — Penitentes — Laguna Horcones — Confluencia, 3300 m.

The main loads are handed over to the mules, then transfer to the national park entrance and the walk in to Confluencia. The walk normally takes about two to three hours. Night in camp.

Day 3. Acclimatisation walk to Plaza de Francia, 4200 m.

An out-and-back walk with views of the South Face, returning to Confluencia. Normally about four to five hours.

Day 4. Confluencia — Plaza de Mulas, 4350 m.

A long day through Playa Ancha, usually about eight to nine hours. Settling into base camp.

Day 5. Rest day at Plaza de Mulas.

Recovery and a short acclimatisation walk according to the guide's plan.

Day 6. Plaza de Mulas — Plaza Canadá, 5000 m.

The first move to a high camp. Night in tents.

Day 7. Plaza Canadá — Nido de Cóndores, 5600 m.

The first high-altitude rotation continues. Night in tents.

Day 8. Carry to Cólera, 6000 m, and descent to Plaza de Mulas.

The first rotation is completed and the group returns to base camp to recover.

Day 9. Rest day at Plaza de Mulas.

Recovery, eating, monitoring of condition and preparation for the second rotation.

Day 10. Plaza de Mulas — Nido de Cóndores, 5600 m.

The second high-altitude rotation begins. Night in tents.

Day 11. Nido de Cóndores — Cólera, 6000 m.

The move to the top camp and preparation for an early start.

Day 12. Summit attempt on Aconcagua, 6962 m.

An early start, the summit attempt and the descent to Cólera. Whether we continue depends on the weather, the state of the route and the condition of the team.

Day 13. First reserve day.

The reserve is used at the guides' discretion and does not mean a guaranteed additional attempt.

Day 14. Second reserve day.

An additional weather and operational window.

Day 15. Descent to Plaza de Mulas.

Return to base camp and recovery.

Day 16. Plaza de Mulas — Laguna Horcones — Mendoza.

Walk out of the park, transfer and a night in a hotel in Mendoza.

Day 17. Transfer to the airport.

End of the trip. Additional nights and any continuation of the trip are quoted separately.

• A closed group from two participants
• Mountain Guide expedition leader throughout the trip, for groups of three participants or more
• Local mountain guides at 1:3 on summit day
• Airport — hotel — airport transfers
• Two nights in a 4-star hotel in Mendoza, twin accommodation with breakfast
• Transfer Mendoza — Puente del Inca — Mendoza
• Assistance with the permit formalities
• Mules to Plaza de Mulas and back, up to 30 kg of personal baggage
• Two nights in Confluencia with full board
• Five nights at Plaza de Mulas
• Food and fuel for the high camps
• Group first-aid kit

• International flights
• Climbing permit, charged separately at the park rate in force at the time of the climb; the amount depends on nationality, route category and season
• Medical insurance, rescue operations and evacuation
• The expedition leader for a group of two, where not included as a separate line in the quote
• Porters above base camp
• Personal equipment and equipment hire
• Single rooms and accommodation upgrades
• Additional days, transfers and meals outside the trip
• Costs arising from weather, illness, delays and changes to the route
• Personal expenses and tips

Quotes start from two participants. Tell us the window of dates you want and how long you can travel for. We check the official season, permits, transport, camps, mules and guides, and then propose specific dates.

You can add guides, porters, reserve days, single occupancy or premium camp services. No change counts as agreed until it appears in the written specification.

• A valid passport
• An Aconcagua National Park permit, issued and paid for before you enter the route
• Medical insurance covering mountaineering, search and rescue, and evacuation from the maximum altitude of the trip
• A visa, if one is required for your nationality and your flight routing
• Air tickets and any documents needed for transit
• A form covering your health, fitness and previous altitude experience
• Digital copies of your documents, stored offline

Entry rules, the permit procedure and the park's requirements are checked again before the trip.

Private dates are chosen within the official summer season. Strong wind, frost, snow and a sudden change in the forecast are possible in any month of the season. The two reserve days are kept in the base itinerary.

Choosing your own dates does not mean choosing the weather. The decision to set out and to keep going is taken on the actual conditions, and the reserve may be used for waiting, for descending or for recovery.

The base covers two nights in a 4-star hotel in Mendoza, two nights at Confluencia on full board and five nights at Plaza de Mulas. Above base camp you use tents, expedition food and fuel as set out in the itinerary.

Single rooms, glamping, a special menu and extra nights are confirmed separately. Tell us about dietary restrictions and allergies before we quote.

A closed group does not automatically get its own town-standard infrastructure in the mountains. Showers, Wi-Fi, charging, signal and private spaces depend on the camp and are included only when confirmed.

In the high camps you are self-sufficient. Each participant prepares their own kit, power bank, batteries, head torch and toiletries, whatever services have been booked.

High-altitude clothing and footwear

• High-altitude boots compatible with crampons
• Base layers, insulating layers and high-altitude down clothing
• Waterproof shell jacket and trousers
• Thin gloves with warm mittens to go over them
• Hat, balaclava or other face protection
• High-altitude category sunglasses, plus spare glasses or goggles

Camp and movement

• Sleeping bag in the right temperature range
• Rucksack and duffel bag within the agreed carrying limits
• Crampons, ice axe, helmet and harness, as listed by your guide
• Trekking poles and a head torch with spare batteries
• Vacuum flask, your own water containers and dry bags
• Power bank and your own toiletries

Check the full equipment list for Aconcagua. Hire, portering and the supply of individual items are set out in your own specification.