UKC

Hi all,

I'm planning to climb the Aconcagua in February next year. I want to do it more or less solo. (It’s too crowded to call it a solo attempt but you get the idea.) Does anyone have experience doing this? I’ve found quite a bit information on the internet but more information is always welcome! I want to do some acclimatisation in the Alps before leaving.

My planning for just the climb so far is:

Day1 : Mendoza (fixing permits and stuff)
Day 2: Mendoza (fixing permits and stuff)
Day 3: bus to los penitents and fix a mule
Day 4: hike to camp confluencia
Day 5: hike to basecamp set up camp
Day 6: acclimatisation hike up to camp Canada
Day 7: rest prepare gear and acclimatize some more
Day 8: bring a load to camp Canada
Day 9: move to camp Canada
Day 10: bring load up to camp Nido
Day 11: bring more load up to camp Nido
Day 12: move to camp Nido
Day 13: rest and prepare loads to camp Berlin
Day 14: acclimatize to camp Berlin and drop loads
Day 15: move to camp berlin and get ready for summit day
Day 16 summit day and descent to camp berlin
Day 17: descent to base camp
Day 18: prepare to leave base camp
Day 19: leave base camp

This planning doesn’t consider bad weather days but I will buy the full 20 day climbing permit.

In reply to rhoppen:
I've done it twice, once 'solo', in this DIY fashion.

I'd recommend sorting your mule beforehand, unless your Spanish is very good. The mule guys don't really go from Penitentes, they go from their properties nearby (you'll pass them in the bus). You can organise mules at Grajales office in town. When you arrive at Penitentes you can take them to a place where they'll be transported to the mules.

I'd spend two nights at Confluencia on the way in, many do. You can pay Grajales for just a tent site and meals, meaning you can still carry just sleeping bag and day gear for the walk in. Your bags will arrive at BC a day ahead of you. I've never used Camp Canada. I've just spent more time at BC then, after a carry to Nido, more time at Nido.

Personally I'd allow more rest days and weather days and less moving up and down. You need time, not exercise.

In reply to Damo:

Thanks!

What's your experience with Grajales?

In reply to rhoppen:
I thought they were fine. Last time I was there (2010) maybe Inka had a bigger setup but they seemed pretty equal in facilities etc. They have an office in town, where you went in, asked about mules, they ushered you up the back and a nice lady explained how it worked, asked what you needed, told you where to take your bags the next day in Penitentes and took your money - all sorted.

I just used them to sort the mules, two nights at Confluencia, and the mandatory BC toilet/storage tent etc that you need. I got the public bus from Mendoza to Penitentes, cooked my own food at BC and carried my own gear. I really don't know what they're like above BC.

My personal opinion is that many of the Argentine 'guides' are a bit hit and miss - they don't really want to be there after they've summited a couple of times so will spend as little time on the mountain as possible to be back down with their friends drinking mate and listening to music in the BC.

We stored two duffels in the BC storage tent and that was fine, and the mule pickup from BC back to Penitentes worked fine too. You just needed to have the bags ready and leave them when you left (by 8am) and they pass you somewhere down the valley in a cloud of dust, to be ready to pick up later that afternoon.

In reply to Damo:

I just want to use them to get my mules sorted and the mandatory things. I will do the rest on my own.
Thanks again for your detailed and quick response!

In reply to rhoppen:

I did the climb in Jan 2011 with a group of Argentine friends. I would recommend doing some more aclimatization at nearby Vallecitos on the way from Mendoza. It has a great selection of hikes to summits ranging from around 3500m to 5958m on Cerro del Plata. After spending a couple of weeks here we did Aconcagua in 10 days which included a bad weather day at Camp Colora. I think that extra day at Colora helped aclimatize a bit more and made the summit a little easier.

Re the mules, we had spoken to a firm beforehand who advised meeting them at a bar in Penitentes. They took our gear but said we didn't have any sacks or baskets to package the stuff together for tying onto the mules. The guy said that we should have brought our own "packaging ", but in the end he provided this. Bit wierd..... Just check that this is included. I'm sure it is. The mule company that you choose will also provide you with a camping spot, their portaloo, and eating tent in their area at Plaza de Mulas.

The weather conditions were pretty good except for a 50cm snow storm at the El Salto high camp in Vallecitos and a very windy bad weather day at Camp Colora the day before attempting the summit. Make sure you have those double boots for the cold mornings and a strong tent.

In reply to argybargy:

Yep. Aconcagua can get serious above Nido C1. Both times I've summited it's been around -20C in the dark hours when I've climbed (0200-0700) so you want good boots and jacket. The one time I camped high, near Berlin, the wind in the night lifted our tent up in the air and damaged it through all the thrashing around. You need to make sure your tent can be anchored with rocks through loops and similar things, not just pegs (we had both).

The route is a total cruise until the weather turns bad up high then it's a deadly serious place - too easy to get lost in all that easy terrain, not steep enough to get down fast, super windy, very cold and so many of the other people on the route are inexperienced, barely acclimatised and right at their limits.

I also pre-acclimatised at Vallecitos for a few days. It's great - an $80 taxi ride from downtown to 3400m or so and nice easy walking to higher up, some nice peaks above.

In reply to rhoppen:


In my quite long experience (up high, though not on Aconcagua) you haven't allocated enough rest days or - more importantly - enough days for acclimatization, and suggest you add more days for both. Acclimatization is serious as everyone knows and giving it enough time will greatly improve 1. the quality of your trip, 2. your chances of success, and - again most importantly - 3. your safety.

Lots of luck and have a great trip.

In reply to rhoppen:

I made a solo attempt a few years back but injured my knee carrying too much weight up to Berlin, didn't get very far above White Rocks in the end. I would say your day preparing to leave at the end could be better used for acclimatisation earlier on. Canada to Nido is pretty easy, you should be able to do it in one carry and then move up. Spend more time at Nido resting and don't overdo it on the way up to Berlin. Watch out for freak winds at Nido, put rocks inside the tent as well as tying it down.

Even though you are never really alone on Aconcagua, you need to be confident at altitude and watch for signs of AMS. A Swiss guide soloing at the same time as me died at Nido due to HAPE.