UKC

Hello,
since quite a bit of time i dream of going to climb in Patagonia. Since i will have time to do so in the future i am now at the point to really start making concrete plans. Unfortunately not only time is important but also money. So has anyone been there for a 1,5 - 2 month trip and can give a ROUGH estimation of what to expect regarding the costs. Of course i know that there are be a lot of individual factors so an exact calculation now is impossible. I just try to gather general information.
(costs for accomodation, food, transport there, etc)
Every tip or experience shared is greatly appreciated

Cheers

In reply to T.enClimb:

It depends a lot. If you plan on staying in El Chalten, a hostel is 15 euros per night. The flights are 1000e for the international to BA and 300e for the domestic from BA to Calafate.

About 1000e is more than enough for a month. If skip the hostel you can get by with 500e if you're spartan.

In reply to adnix:

OK thanks a lot !

In reply to T.enClimb: We spent 3 months in Patagonia a couple of years ago, travelling from Santiago to Ushuaia and climbing in several places for a few weeks at a time, including Bariloche and El Chalten. Our budget was canadian$30/day each (2 of us travelling), I'll let you do the maths.

We were close to or under this, camping most of the time and hostels maybe 25-30% of the time. Only very occasional meals out. The main expense was busses so if you're planning on staying in one place it will be cheaper. IRIC the campsite in El Chalten was roughly $5/night/pp. You can leave things there when you're off in the hills for no charge, though you do have to take your tent down. Food in El Chalten is expensive and relatively limited (and needs a visit to at least 5 different shops to get what you need!).

Bus costs vary massively based on which service you want. We hitched a bit which was fine.

The park entry fee for Torres del Paine is expensive, maybe $50ish? Climbing there is a total hassle too, many expensive permits are required which are hard to get. That's one reason why El Chalten is more popular - no permits, no entry fee and easier access.

In reply to T.enClimb: Colin Haley has been going to the Patagonia area for a few seasons according to his blog posts, and is pretty up there as it goes for Patagonian climbing standards. Maybe worth sending an email his way to see what he has to say.

In reply to T.enClimb: I'll be there this december/january and i'm looking for climbing partners. I am not Colin Haley, or have his talent, however

In reply to T.enClimb:
That sounds very good ! I will for sure text Colin to see what his opinion is.
Thanks everyone !!

In reply to T.enClimb: I lived in Ushuaia for 7 years, and I did quite a bit of climbing and mountaineering along the Andes, so send me a message if you want some more specific info.

The costs sound about right at US$1000 a month if you're keeping it cheap staying in hostels and cooking. Although in Argentina you should take dollars and change money on the black market (dolar blue). You will get about 50% more pesos than the ATM.

Most rock climbing areas have a guide book that you obtain from book shops or Andean clubs. Also the andeshandbook website has mountaineering info and routes.