Argentina

Aconcagua (22,835 feet)
The highest mountain in South America a "Seven Summits" peak, and the highest peak outside the Himalaya. A world class mountain attracting climbers from around the globe Aconcagua offers the most varied climbing of any mountain this size anywhere. The Normal route ascends a rocky climbers path all the way to the summit, no other route on earth offers a more straightforward climb to a peak of this magnitude. The South Face routes offer some of the most dangerous and technically difficult climbing on earth. Many of these routes, including the great Reinhold Messner's namesake route, remain unrepeated to this day.

We offer two options: The Polish Glacier Direct for strong climbers with previous high altitude climbing AND previous climbing experience with Atlanta Alpine, and the False Polish route.

The Polish Glacier route located on the Eastern side offers a fantastic challenge to experienced climbers wanting to test themselves on moderately technical high altitude terrain. Much more difficult than the normal route yet lacking the extreme nature and hazards encountered on the South face the Polish Glacier may well be the finest route on the mountain.

The second option is the False Polish route. The False Polish uses the same approach, base camp(Plaza Argentina), Camp 1, Camp 2 then traverses to join the Normal route at the White Rocks camp at 20,500ft. Making for a shorter summit day than the 3000 feet of steep snow and ice on the Polish Direct, the False Polish is a fantastic climb for those seeking to experience the more scenic and remote eastern side of the mountain but do not possess the skills required to ascend the Polish Direct.

The approach to Aconcagua base camp is an adventure in itself. Two full days of hiking with several river crossings in the remote Vacas River Valley lead to the Relinchos Valley and the first veiws of Aconcagua followed by another full days hike up to Base Camp at 13,600ft. The 23 mile approach hike is supported by mule teams that carry the majority of our gear, team members carry only a light pack with basic provisions. Each night we rendezvous with our mule teams at predetermined camps along the trail. Once Base camp is reached we then make carries to a series of camps higher and higher on the mountain. From camp 2 we make a summit climb of 20,300ft Ameghino. The summit of Ameghino offers breathtaking views of Aconcagua and the remote Argentine countryside. We then go to high camp on the Polish or Normal routes depending on itinerary. From high camps a long and exhausting ascent to the roof of South America is made. The summit offers unsurpassed views of the high Andes. In every direction huge snowcapped peaks pierce the sky, looking west one can see out over Chile to the Pacific ocean.

The climbs listed above offer various levels of difficulty with Orizaba being the easiest and Aconcagua's Polish Direct being the most difficult. Except for the Polish Direct option none of these climbs require previous climbing experience. Excellent physical conditioning, a strong will and the ability to function as part of a team are some of the requirements for a safe and successful expedition. All team members will share in the responsibilities and work loads. Atlanta Alpine believes that this work ethic fosters a strong team bond, creates an environment where team members learn from the more experienced guides, and yields a far greater feeling of accomplishment than the "we do everything for you" approach employed by many of the larger guide services.

Detailed itineraries, conditioning guidelines, packing lists, and references are available on request.

Itineraries are subject to change based on weather, route conditions, and team strength.

Atlanta Alpine Guides will make every effort to keep members informed and allow them to participate in much of the decision making process, however, SAFETY is our number one priority when climbing. Atlanta Alpine reserves the right to remove team members or turn team members back from a climb that are judged by guides to be physically or mentally unfit, who through action or inaction cause a dangerous situation, or through their actions or behavior undermine team strength or safety. Decisions regarding safety are made for everyones benefit, they are not negotiable and are to be followed immediately and without question.

Group discounts are available. Please contact us for more information.