FAQs

We can arrange or plan a regional flight from Santiago (Chile) to Mendoza or a domestic flight Buenos Aires-Mendoza. ANother option is to send a minibus to pick you up from the airport in Santiago (Chile) and drive you to the Hotel in Mendoza. Contact Us for prices.

Doctors and rangers have the authority to stop your ascent or request your immediate evacuation when they consider that your safety is compromised.
For additional information about park regulations click here: www.aconcagua.mendoza.gov.ar

The permit to enter the Park is carried out by the government of Mendoza . The transaction is done once, personally and not transferable, meaning everybody must present themselves at the Natural Resources Board with their passport and sign the permit there, in presence of a government public official. The permit fee depends on the date one enters the Park. We recommend you to check the Park’s official website where you’ll find the updated prices www.aconcagua.mendoza.gov.ar

The permit is obtained the second day in our expeditions, before going to Penitentes. We transport you to the Park office and assist you in the procedures.

Aconcagua is usually a mountain with a good climate. However, snow storms and strong winds can show up at any time. The official ascension season starts on Nov 15 th to March 15 th . Our expeditions start in middle November and last first days of March. Towards the end of November and the first days of December, it is usually colder, the days are shorter and the winds are stronger towards the end of February. But you must be prepared for a storm. I was in a strong snow storm in February once, but usually the sun shines most of the summer and the winds are not dangerous under normal conditions.

Aconcagua is higher, farther, stronger, longer and colder than the Kilimanjaro. It is not necessary to be experimented in ascension or mountaineering to form a part of our guided expeditions through the normal Route of the Aconcagua . However, we recommend you carry out some kind of conditioning. Anyone who is healthy and mentally prepared, can participate of our expeditions. A good physical preparation and training increase the possibilities of reaching the summit.
The participants must endure low temperatures from -25° to -30°C. This is a positive experience, a good starting point and training. Many that have climbed the Kilimanjaro have been successful at the Aconcagua.

The Normal route is technically easy. The difficulty is the height, many times you can feel headaches and lack of hunger. Besides, your body must work with less oxygen than normal. This is why we are so careful during acclimatization. The approaching towards Plaza de Mulas is a long path of approximately 40 km. We are also used to acclimatization trekking to Plaza Francia, Base Camp of the Southern Wall. It takes us three days to reach Plaza de Mulas. After that, there are three other camps, before reaching the summit. Our suggested program is of a double equipment carrying days and safety days. Once the last stage begins, we ascend camp to camp and finally to the top. The Aconcagua presents the famous white wind that, sometimes, difficult the ascension and this is why we have these safety days, increasing our chances of making it to the peak.

The normal route to the Aconcagua is not a technical climb. You generally do not require the use of ropes. However, sometimes and depending on the snow conditions, we use crampons. You do not need rock or ice climbing abilities. The expedition guide will give you some instructions on how to use the crampons, at Base Camp. On summit day, the hardest section is the ascent. There is a path of snow of approximately 300 m, before reaching the base of the Canaleta. Sometimes the snow is frozen (ice) and the crampons are crucial for crossing. The walk in snow must be very cautious, but is not a reason not to join the expedition.
The guides evaluate the group abilities and the snow conditions and, if necessary, will use ropes, only for safety. Only 1 or 2 of 10 expeditions need the assistance of ropes.

The Polish Glacier has two routes: the polish route and another, direct one that is more technical, but through both it is advisable to take ice tools.
The Polish route has an inclination of 45° and the exit, a bottle neck of 60 to 65°. There is a distance of approximately 1500 m and does not admit errors or drops, the conditions on a good year are of hard snow and crystal ice.

If you want to know the difference between the two routes, there are not very many. Both are non-technical, ther are high altitude trekking routes. On some stretches you might have to cross snow or ice, this is why we recommend ice axes and crampons.
The approach to Valle de Vacas (three days to arrive and two to return) is the longest approach to Horcones. The Valle de Vacas program Is of 19 days, while the Normal Route is of 17 days.
The Normal Route is the most common and frequented of all the routes. During the in-season, you might see more than 500 people at Base Camp. The Valle de Vacas is the less frequented by climbers.

On the approaching phases and at Base Camp we drink water from streams, at high altitude camps, the guides melt snow for the group.

We have restrooms at each base camp.

Our guided expedition packages include mules that transport your equipment to Base Camp (30 kg maximum, per person). During the approach, you must transport your daily backpack. We also provide carriers that transport the tents from Base Camp to High Altitude Camps, on our open expeditions through the Normal Route . The climbers are supposed to transport their own personal equipment and part of the group food (approximately 15 to 20 kg). Besides, you can rent carrier services to transport your personal equipment. INKA disposes of this service at Base Camp.

In case you need a personal carrier, it is necessary to reserve in advance. The prices are per carrier for equipment transportation. The prices are the same for the descent. The carriers load up to 20 kg each. All of them return to Base Camp. The payment is after each stretch. The fees are cumulative.
Contact our sales department to give you more information about prices.

Tips are not obligatory in Argentina . They are just signs of approval for our staff and the work they carry out, a compliment for the service. All of the INKA staff are well payed. As a reference you can estimate that an expedition leaves from U$S 30 to U$S 50 a day each carrier or cook and from U$S 70 to U$S 150 each guide or guide assistant.

We dispose of hyperbaric chambers at Base Camp. Also oxygen for emergencies and a complete first aid kit. All our guides are well trained for treating mountain sicknesses and medicine for inhospitable areas. They take Diamox, Hydrocortisone, Nifedipine, Glucose, Lactose, hydration salts, pain killers, paracetamol. They are all equipped with oxymeters, to daily read the oxygen saturation in blood, for each client. We use pulse oxymeters to daily monitor your acclimatization, checking your oxygen saturation level in your blood. The procedure is harmless and is done in seconds. This process offers and enormous amount of information on your acclimatization. We consider this essential for the clients safety. Besides this, our guides are equipped with 2 m transistor radios, through which they can communicate from any part of the mountain. Our HF radios at Base Camp communicate 24 hours a day with other Base Camps, with the Regional Center in Penitentes, with the Central Offices in Mendoza , with the Park Rangers and the Rescue Patrol. We also have satellite telephones and an e-mail service at the Plaza de Mulas Base Camp.
At the Plaza de Mulas and Plaza Argentina BC there is a medical service doctor available if you need one. All this is complemented with a standard evacuation process on both routes, Horcones and Vacas, to one of the best hospitals in Mendoza . The action course involves the use of the Park helicopter to Penitentes, where the patients are transported by vehicle, to Mendoza . INKA Expeditions is in permanent contact with the hospital to assure the patient is well attended by the medical group.

We do not recommend this. If you climb slowly, taking your time on the approaching, going to the higher camps and then going back down to sleep, you should not have any problems. We do not recommend taking any unnecessary medications.

Due to our guides experience, the service coordination and the effective programs we have designed, we have the highest percentages registered at the Aconcagua.
The last season our guides reached the summit with all expeditions, except for a few members that had to abandon due to their own health reasons or physical state. We offer a logistic backup of more than 30 expeditions during the last season. The official average percentage for the 2003/2004 season was between 30 to 40% of the total climbers in general that tried climbing the Aconcagua . But, more than 80% of our clients made it to the top, during the same period of time. During the more of 20 seasons we have been in activity, we have guided more than 300 to the peak. We can say we are the most experimented company guiding the Aconcagua.

We strongly recommend the double mountain plastic boots. You can rent them in Mendoza . This is a safety issue, because it is usual to find a temperature of -25°C on summit day. It is not a good idea to risk your feet and your safety. With leather or trekking boots, you can suffer freezing and loose all chances to make it to the top.

This depends on the climatic conditions the week before ascension. You can reach the summit only using ski poles, but sometimes there are stretches of hard ice on summit day, impossible to cross without ice axes and crampons. You can rent either in Mendoza.

The sleeping bag must have an expedition quality of at least -18°C (0°F). A 1kg down good quality sleeping bag is the best.

During the expedition we offer a full pension diet that include breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Breakfasts: tea, coffee, milk, chocolate milk, juices, toast, butter, marmalade, cereal, oatmeal, eggs, cakes and cookies.
Lunches: pasta, grains, meats, vegetables, fresh fruits and salads.
Dinners: soups, broth, grains, cereal, vegetables and fresh fruits, desserts.
Walking meals: Sandwiches, sweets, chocolates, nougats, fresh and dry fruits.
High altitude meals: dehydrated meals, pastas, mashed potatoes, fish, canned meats and vegetables, cheese, cold cuts, noodles, dehydrated soups.
Beverages: wine, fruit juices, tea, water.

We always ask if you require a special diet. Our expert cooks prepare almost all special meals.

At high altitude camps the guide cooks for the clients, this is why we only offer meals at high altitude camps for the clients that hire our guides.

A van drives you to Penitentes, with the help of our guides and load staff divide the loads in two groups:
Group 1 – High altitude equipment: this is the equipment we use from Plaza de Mulas to theSummit. For example: ice axes and crampons.
Group 2 – Approaching equipment: this equipment is used at nights with the expeditionary. For example: sleeping bags, double plastic boots, etc..

At Confluence you meet up with your marching equipment, but not with your high altitude equipment. This goes straight from Penitentes to Plaza de Mulas, meaning you meet up with your high altitude equipment once you arrive to Plaza de Mulas.

We have not decided yet who will guide your expedition but you do not have to worry about it. All our guides are highly experimented professionals. All of them are licensed at the Mountain Guide School and were personally selected by me (Sebastián Tetilla, main guide) to be staff members of INKA Expeditions. We decide who will guide your expedition 30 days before departure. At INKA we have different guides:
a) Carriers: Guide School students, than have been selected by a Senior Guide of the INKA staff, who is also an instructor at the school. They start as carriers for the company and are taught our work method for at least 2 seasons (at least 10 expeditions).
b) Assistant Guide: When the guides have recently graduated, they start working for INKA, with more responsibility as Guide Assistants. They always work with a Senior Guide, than instructs and prepares them in their development to future professionals. During this stage, they learn all the INKA secrets and practice leadership with a real group. Meanwhile, they study languages, high altitude medicine, etc.. They work through this stage at least 2 seasons or until the Senior Guide decides they are ready, when they take their own decision and enough experience to be a Junior Guide.
c) Junior Guide: With enough experience to lead low risk groups, trekking tours and small expeditions (1 to 2 members) through the Normal Route. During this stage, the Junior guide must have reached the summit at least 4 times through 2 different routes. They work through this stage until there is a vacancy for Senior Guide on our staff or until they have enough qualifications (UIAGM, AMGA, NOLS, 10 Aconcagua summits, medicine doctorate, Mountain Instructor Guide or Mountain Instructor).
d) Senior Guide: It is the highest category. There is a Senior Guide leading every expedition to the summit of the Aconcagua with three members or more. They are responsible of numerous groups, of routes that are not the Normal Route, of technical routes, of courses, of new projects and international expeditions.