An archive report on one specific expedition, published on 3 December 2013. The weather of a single trip is not a forecast for future seasons.
Our Aconcagua expedition has finished successfully: part of the team reached the summit of South America on 30 November. That day they were among the first teams of the season to top out.
The weather was good for most of the expedition. Only about three days were windy, and there was almost no heavy snowfall. Even so, there was plenty of fresh clean snow in the camps for water. We did not use a single reserve day, so once the route was over we had almost a week of free time in Mendoza.
From there we headed for Patagonia, and three weeks later we were due back on Aconcagua with a new group.
What the November 2013 expedition recorded
What Aconcagua in November actually meant
For this expedition November worked out well: the team met acceptable conditions, some of the members reached the summit, and the planned reserve was never needed. That is a fact about one trip. It does not mean that the end of November delivers light winds, little snow and an open weather window every year.
The start of the season is particularly easy to misread. Reports of the first summits create a sense of predictability, yet high on the mountain it is not only the date and the temperature in Mendoza that count. You have to allow for the wind on the upper mountain, the state of the route, how much snow there is, the pace of the team’s acclimatisation and the ability to sit out a bad spell safely.
Why the reserve days went unused
On this expedition the reserve survived because of the actual weather and the way the group moved. That does not make the reserve unnecessary. Its job is to give the leader room to make a decision when wind, snow, the condition of the members or the speed of movement disrupts the original schedule.
Reserve days cannot be converted in advance into promised rest days in Mendoza. In one season they really may be left over after the mountain; in another they will be needed to wait for a window or to rearrange the movement between camps. On the current 17-day Aconcagua programme you should go by the published sequence and by the leader’s decisions, not by the outcome of the 2013 expedition.
Wind and snow at the start of the season
Aconcagua is known for its wind, but the strength and duration of that wind follow no simple calendar rule. On this archived trip there were about three windy days, with no extremes described, and almost no heavy snowfall. In another year the same calendar dates can bring quite different conditions.
Snow affects both movement and daily life in camp. The report notes that there was enough of it for water, but that observation cannot be transferred to another team. Water, fuel and camp routines are planned around the real conditions of each particular expedition.
How to read this report today
How to choose your dates now
Start not with the promise of a “best month” but with a suitable programme length and your own high-altitude experience. For most people going to almost 7000 m for the first time, cutting days creates more risk than benefit. The short options only make sense if you arrive with suitable, recent acclimatisation.
The difference between the formats is explained in the article “Aconcagua in 7, 12 or 17 days”. A detailed piece on the season has been published separately: weather and the climbing season on Aconcagua.
Preparation matters more than luck with the calendar
Good weather does not compensate for poor fitness, a lack of altitude experience or unsuitable equipment. Before the trip you need to check how you handle altitude, whether you can keep moving with a pack several days in a row, and how used you are to working in cold and wind.
Before booking, read up on preparing for the climb, acclimatisation and altitude safety and equipment for Aconcagua.
What an early departure gives you, besides the date
An expedition at the start of the season can give you the feeling of a mountain that is still empty, and the chance to be among the first teams up, but that is not a guaranteed service. How many people are around, the state of the camps and the running of the infrastructure all depend on the particular dates and operators. Being the first summit of the season is the result of how a team moves, not a separate item on the price list.
An early departure also calls for extra care in checking your equipment and supplies. You cannot count on forgotten high-altitude boots, insulation or other key items being easy to find locally in your size. The kit is assembled and tested in advance, whatever month you set off.
The first summit of the season and your own chances
The phrase “among the first teams of the season” describes the order in which things happened; it says nothing about the next group’s chances. Another team will have its own fitness, its own response to altitude, its own speed, illnesses, logistics and weather window. An honest assessment means looking at the whole route and at your own readiness.
Even a strong climber cannot use training hours to offset wind that makes a summit attempt unsafe. And conversely, a good window is no help to someone who has not recovered, has acclimatised badly or cannot keep up the pace.
Why free days in Mendoza cannot be planned in advance
In 2013 almost a week was left after the mountain, and the team used it to rest and to carry on travelling. When you buy your flights you cannot treat that scenario as a given. The reserve has to remain a reserve until the expedition is over.
If days do free up, Mendoza is certainly a comfortable place to recover, but any extra plans are best kept flexible. The main purpose of the schedule is to give you a safe chance at the high-altitude section, not to guarantee sightseeing afterwards.
How to read this report before booking
Use the post as an example of one possible scenario: the team reached its summit attempt, met suitable conditions and did not spend its reserve. Then deliberately test the opposite scenario – what happens with strong wind, snowfall, delayed baggage or slower acclimatisation.
If your programme and your budget only survive perfect weather and perfect speed, you have chosen the wrong product. Good planning allows for things going differently before you even fly.
What has changed since 2013
Since this post was published, the cost of the permit and the way it is issued, the logistics offering, the camp services and the programme prices have all changed. That is why an archive report is not used to cost a trip. All the current formats are collected on the Aconcagua hub, and the services for independent teams on the pages for up to 4 days full board, up to 7 days full board and B2B logistics.
The main conclusion of this archive report
The November 2013 summit proves only that one particular team was able to take its chance. For a future climber the right conclusion is a different one: build in a reserve, prepare for wind and cold, choose the duration to match your experience, and leave the decision to go for the summit to the actual conditions on the mountain.
Editorial review: 17 August 2026. The November 2013 weather is not used as a forecast for any future season.