Aconcagua Approach Camps
Areas in which to rest and to help facilitate proper acclimatisation. These camps are convenient in order to encourage a slow approach to the base camps to keep problems of altitude sickness at bay. Good camping conditions are the norm throughout.
Around Quebrada de Horcones
Horcones (2850m): A little used tent camp which is a convenient place for preparing expedition equipment. Not regularly used as there are other shelters close by which are more ideal. Mostly suited to trekking tourists who want an overnight stay after leaving Mendoza city before starting their walk the following morning.
Confluencia (3300m): Named after the joining of the Upper and Lower Horcones River, this is a popular stop off place on the way to Plaza de Mulas. It offers a sheltered campsite, set in a valley with the river running alongside. There are good facilities here with a basic restaurant, drinking water and park rangers, meaning the camp can get busy at times. Temperatures could be as warm as 27ºC here during the day, dropping to only 6ºC at night. From Horcones it will take approximately 4 hours to reach Confluencia. We have state of the art geodesic domes in place here for our clients comfort.
Ibañez Shelter (3400m): A basic camp located between Confluencia and Plaza de Mulas which is used to break up the journey between the two camps. Decent camping areas and drinking water available.
In the Vacas River Ravine
Punta de Vacas (2600m): This is essentially an army base which caters for long distance trucks. There are no shops or hotels here. It is a start out point for Plaza Argentina and is located 7km southeast of Los Penitentes. Few use Punta de Vacas as their first camp due to the close proximity of Pampa de Leñas.
Pampa de Leñas (2800m): The campsite is nestled under high cliffs which make it sheltered and peaceful. Follow a well marked route along the Vacas River and through the ravine to get here. Drinking water available.
Casa de Piedra (3200m): Found 32km from Pampa de Leñas, in front of Quebrada de los Relinchos. There is a rough stone structure – which gives the campsite its name – built into an enormous isolated rock on the eastern bank. The shelter is difficult to locate since it is sometimes snow covered and it has been made to blend in with its surroundings. On arrival here, there is a fantastic view of Aconcagua from the Polish Glacier side.
Aconcagua Base Camps
These areas are used to acclimatise before ascending and for sheltering park visitors from the winds and avalanches. They are supplied with drinking water and are also the base for park rangers and medical services. It is important to note that all of Aconcagua’s base camps are situated over 4000m in altitude. This already, is higher than the majority of all European peaks and gives you some idea of what a feat climbing this mountain is. Starting the ascent at a height similar to the summit of Mont Blanc (4810m) is not to be done without full and thorough preparation.
Plaza de Mulas Base Camp
The base camp (4260m) of the Normal Route is called Plaza de Mulas and there are two campsites:
Lower Plaza de Mulas: Used only by military personnel.
New Plaza de Mulas: The one used by climbers, located to the north in the next glacial moraine.
The area is surrounded by large rocks which shelter the tents from the elements. This is the most visited camp in the park and also the most popular which is why it houses a restaurant and even a hotel with full toilet and shower facilities as well as an international telephone link and internet connection. Plaza de Mulas is easily accessible since there is a well-trodden path which was created by migrating cattle and previous mountain climbers. The route to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp from Puente del Inca (2700m) is about 36km and it is recommended to take two days to do this stretch of the climb, staying overnight at Confluencia Camp (3300m) at the end of the first day. Plaza de Mulas is an excellent place for the necessary acclimatisation before continuing on with the ascent, and there is a doctor’s tent here for climbers to measure their saturated oxygen level free of charge. In the locality of Plaza de Mulas are several other 5000m plus peaks and the impressive Horcones Superior glacier is nearby too.
Plaza Francia Base Camp
Located at 4100m, this is the starting point for the ascent to the South Wall. Here it is possible to set up camp easily near streams that come down the spurs. The landscape is quite bare here but it is not normally windy. One danger that must be taken into account is the possibility of falling rocks. Tents must not be pitched anywhere where this might occur. Starting from Puente del Inca (2700m), it is 26km to Plaza Francia. There is a well-made route the whole way as these paths have been used many times before. To achieve better acclimatisation, it is a good idea to become familiar with the surrounding area by practice climbing the walls of the large nearby pinnacles. To get to Plaza Francia it is not necessary to cross the river like to get to Plaza de Mulas but to walk up the left path of the ravine instead.
Plaza Argentina Base Camp
Situated at 4200m altitude, Plaza Argentina is a very good place to camp. It is used for climbing the Polish Glacier Route. There is no infrastructure here and the camp is divided into plots among the different service providers but it has a basic restaurant, good medical services and a permanent park ranger. The main downside to this camp is that it is situated on a large exposed plain which takes a regular battering from the gusty winds. On the plus side it has plenty of drinking water available. The approach from Punta de Vacas (2980m) is approximately 60km long. It is advisable to allow three days for this approach, staying overnight at Leñas Shelter at the end of day one and at the Casa de Piedra Shelter at the end of day two before leading to Plaza Argentina on the third day.
Plaza Guanacos
This camp, which was the last to be set up, is 3900m high. It was established in 1995 due to the increasing demand of alternative routes. It is situated 70km from Punta de Vacas (2980m) at the bottom of the Río Vacas valley. Although it has plenty of drinking water the camp does not provide any other services and there is no park ranger here. Both the camp itself and the routes leading off from here are little visited, and due to its far-away location, the expeditions and/or service providers who want to visit it must comply with a series of agreed regulations that have been laid out by the Provincial Park. An extra permit must also be obtained as the Quebrada Vieja Alta (High Old Valley) where the camp is situated is specially protected.
Aconcagua High Altitude Camps
For summit attempts on Aconcagua, these camps are located high up the mountain in places which offer good natural protection from the harsh elements and drinking water for climbers.
High Camps along the Normal Route
There are numerous options for this route of ascent and the choice of which camp and the length stayed there will depend upon weather conditions and the physical and mental state of the climbers up to this point. Plaza Canada (4930m), Cambio de Pendiente (5200m) or Nido de Cóndores (5350m) are the usual locations for Camp 1 to be set up. Few climbers bypass Nido, which now has a resident Park Ranger who has significant authority. He is required to check on each climber’s condition and assess their fitness to continue onwards. He can order climbers to descend if he suspects they are in a poor state of health or if they do not have the correct gear for the altitude.
Camp 2 is normally in the area known as Berlín where there are three small shelters: Plantamura, Libertad and Berlín (5770m), the latter of which can get cramped. Berlín experiences some truly spectacular sunsets which are well worth a look. Other possibilities for Camp 2 are Piedras Blancas (6095m), Piedras Negras (6250m) or rarely Independencia (6500m) where there is a ruined wooden hut. The location choice of this second camp will depend on where Camp 1 was. Spending a rest day at one of the second camps is not to be recommended. The air is thin, the likelihood of bad weather is greater and it will be difficult to sleep or eat much. The shelters at these camps are not always available, as they suffer through regular use and are often closed for cleaning. Additionally, some camps only have room for a few tents so climbers should always consult with park rangers before starting the ascent so they don’t miss out.
High Camps along the Polish Traverse Route
This route can go by Plaza Argentina or by Plaza de Mulas. Although the second route is shorter and has better services, the first one is less used and more beautiful. If the route that leaves from Plaza Argentina is chosen, Camp 1 is usually set up at 4850m in the first rock spur, and Camp 2 at 5605m among large rocks situated to the right of the inferior tongue of the glacier. These two initial high camps have not been given names but there is a final camp at 6095m which is called Rocas Blancas (or Piedras Blancas). This is an exposed site clustered around white rocks which give the camp its name. There is no water here.
If the ascent is through Plaza de Mulas, the first camp is Nido de Cóndores (5350m). Then, taking the Berlín route just before the first zigzag to the right, the journey continues to the east finding Camp 2 mentioned above. This second camp is the most popular after Plaza Argentina but it is open to the elements with little protection from the wind and sun. Fresh water is available from a small river but it is icy cold. Interestingly, above this campsite there is a shallow grave to an Argentinian who died here in 1983. However, the grave was perhaps dug out too shallow, as parts of the man’s clothes can be seen poking through the frozen ground.
