Has anyone done Aconcagua solo and could provide some insight? I'm thinking about an attempt in Dec/Jan 2009/10.

Is this discouraged or even allowed? I haven't seen any post recently about solo attempts

Certainly there are esclated risks associated with a solo high altitude attempt without partners to monitor health issues, help with gear, camps, ect.

Thoughts?

Yes. Nov 2007.
Take it really slowly. If staying over Nido, go to Colera, but there is really no need to do so (one two hours difference). In December lots of people climbing, so you're not going to be so "solo".
There are strong rumors they want to make it mandatory to climb Aco with a guide, so try to do it this year.
Any specific info, ask.

What's that about the guide?

I wanne do aco jan/feb 2011 will i be too late to do it unguided?

Andinistaloco and Muddeer are two SP members who have climbed the Polish Traverse route solo. Walt's TR is here http://www.summitpost.org/trip-report/1 ... ghino.html

Yes, it is certainly allowed. I climbed solo in Feb. 2004.
Its like climbing with a partner, only nobody to say "WHAT???"
when you try to shout something over the wind. I agree that
it is very crowded there, so you are not really alone. Feb. is
less crowded, but still plenty of climbers on the mtn.
Have fun!
PB

Yes, as my brother said above, solo is fine, and yes as someone else said, it might cost a bit more, but you can probably find someone to share a mule with, at least on the way out. Learn to monitor yourself , that way you don't need a partner for that (in my opinion). I have done quite a bit of solo, on a mountain like aconcagua, where there are so many people and rangers and everything, it is unlikely to many will pass you up and let you die if you get in trouble (but no guarentees). Solo becomes more risky in the "wilderness". I would definately go for it!

With all due respect, I think it should be noted, that many of us received a PM last March, from the relatives of someone who'd gone up Aconcagua solo. To the best of my knowledge, he still hasn't appeared. As I've noted on other threads and other mountains, you could walk up and walk back down and wonder what was the big deal. If there's bad weather, it could be a nightmare like you can't believe. The good thing is, you're talking Dec/Jan. Exactamente. I went in Feb and that, IMO, is too late. That said, can and has been done by many. The base camp is getting taken down, the nights are colder. There's just an all-around thinner margin of error. A solo shot like this, you'll want a full-blown base camp with restaurants, SAT Phone and internet.

John Duffield wrote:With all due respect, I think it should be noted, that many of us received a PM last March, from the relatives of someone who'd gone up Aconcagua solo. To the best of my knowledge, he still hasn't appeared.

If you are referring to Pierre Emeric Benteyn he attempted to solo the Polish Route this past January and, unfortunately, has not been heard from him since.

Having been on Aconcagua two years ago and getting hammered with incessant winds, cold and afternoon storms, I would never recommend to even a veteran climber to attempt a big mountain like this solo. Yes, you might luck out and get up to the top and back down without incident, but the margin for error when solo is reduced to, in my opinion, an unacceptable level. Remember that you are not talking about a day-hike or even a 4-day in and out deal. You're talking about many days, high elevation, the need for acclimatization, variable weather and the usual unforseen occurences. No, I wouldn't recommend it

All valid concerns. I guess it just comes down to your experience level and your ability to handle yourself without a support system. With two people you can get into trouble too, with two people the weather can go to hell, you will never eliminate all the risks of climbing, if that is your goal, don't go. Others will say be sensible, but sensibility is different for different people, and you know what, that's OK. I don't see a lot of experience on the OP's page, if he doesn't have much experience, well, it probably wouldn't be advisable to go solo. You need experience and you need to be VERY FIT to go solo in my opinion, and you need to know when to give up on the summit, so think about that.

You know I just noticed a while back that the person who started this thread hasn't responded

We seem to get a good bit of that. Flakes ask questions, but never respond to replies and probably don't even look at them. Often, when this happens, if you look at their profile there's nothing there. Some people are givers and some people are just takers.

Whoa...all the advice is appreciated and I have been tracking it carefully and weighing it with my potential plans.

Douce and others, thank you. Your answers have been helpful.

Didn't mean it personally; sorry if I offended. We do get a lot of questions though from people who never check back, never say thank you, and never contribute to SummitPost - usually they show empty profiles and a very recent join date. We're all different, and I don't consider anyone real SPers or not. Again, I apologize. Not meaning you, but I do get
tired of people who are just takers and never givers.

Going solo is my favorite style. I have never soloed a big mountain, but I have soloed hundreds of peaks in the Sierra, including ones many might consider difficult such as Thunderbolt or Mt King. These are the things that I feel are important concerning going solo in the mountains: Be in top shape physically; be an excellent navigator; know your limits and do not exceed them; practise soloing easy stuff first. On a peak like Aconcagua, you will probably not be "solo", and may even hook up with others. If you are very fit and really good at navigating I say "go for it". I wanted to visit Aconcagua at one time and never did, although I did make one trip to the Andes and visited the top of 21,555' Cerro Tupungato which is similar in difficulty. Edit: The SP page gives 21,490 as the elev for Tupungato, but I obtained a topo map (their equivalent to the USGS map series) in Chile which gave the summit elevation as 6570 meters or 21,555'. (Just in case someone says "hey, you are overstating the elevation for Tupungato!")

The 2009/2010 climbing permit fees range from $330-500 depending upon the season.

I haven't read that guides are now required.