douc wrote:Just wondering if anyone has used coleman propane down south nad if it is available, where to purchase them? The small green cylinders I'm thinking of. I found it to work fine at 18,000ft., so I'm not looking to switch over for this climb. Thanks...Douc

Where is "down south" and which is "this climb"?

Gas canisters are available in the gear shops in central Mendoza and also at the base camps.
Orviz is a very good shop where you can find gas and basically anything you need for any kind of climbing.
http://www.orviz.com/english/sale.htm
El Refugio is another good one, in the center of the city.
http://www.aconcagua6962.com.ar/

You should be able to get cylinders from any of the mule service companies out at Penitentes. You can always email Jim Nylander at Xperience Aconcagua or Inka Expeditions, Rudy Parra, etc.

if coleman uses the same bottles as Primus and MSR, no problem. If they have their own system like Camping Gaz, then you will probably run into problems

Hey douc, I just checked the Coleman site on their exponent stoves and it looks like they can use anyones iso/propane cartridges. Another neat thing, their site actually shows using the canisters upside down like we saw in Steve House's recent video.

http://www.coleman.com/coleman/colemanc ... SS%20Stove

The small green cylinders I'm thinking of.

I believe know what kind you are talking about (those are the ones we always used when I was a guide for the boyscouts in the early 1990's), but I doubt you could find those anywhere in South America (though I assume Mendoza has a better selection than the places in South America I have been). They are even hard to find in parts of the USA.

I assume your stove is an older model of the one below?

http://coleman.com/coleman/colemancom/d ... oryid=2010

douc wrote:Hey Brad, by the way, I was checking out the Aconcagua site which had the Mendoza application form online. Looks pretty simple like you pay it and go, but I saw blanks for insurance company #'s, guide info, and mule service. Now, I'm pretty sure I can make it solo. Are they going to bring something up saying I need a guide and mule service, insurance?

Hey Douc:

As far as I know you don't need a mule service, guide or insurance to climb Aconcagua. The form at the Ministry was a little different than the one on-line so fill it out there when you pay. Insurance helps in case you get into trouble as I believe the rescue helicopter coverage is limited to the standard route and only to bring climbers to the park entrance. You'll bear the cost of the trip to the hospital in Mendoza and any medical costs. Insurance is not that expensive but the choice is yours. If you use a mule service they usually bring your trash out for you and they must sign the back of your permit before you leave or you could be fined up to $200 USD. Even though they are the most expensive part of the climb, besides airfare, most climbers use a mule service to carry the bulk of their gear in as it's a 40 kilometer walk to Plaza Argentina. If you want to try and save money see if you can tag-along with some other climbers to share the cost.

Brad Marshall wrote:

douc wrote:Hey Brad, by the way, I was checking out the Aconcagua site which had the Mendoza application form online. Looks pretty simple like you pay it and go, but I saw blanks for insurance company #'s, guide info, and mule service. Now, I'm pretty sure I can make it solo. Are they going to bring something up saying I need a guide and mule service, insurance?

Hey Douc:

As far as I know you don't need a mule service, guide or insurance to climb Aconcagua. The form at the Ministry was a little different than the one on-line so fill it out there when you pay. Insurance helps in case you get into trouble as I believe the rescue helicopter coverage is limited to the standard route and only to bring climbers to the park entrance. You'll bear the cost of the trip to the hospital in Mendoza and any medical costs. Insurance is not that expensive but the choice is yours. If you use a mule service they usually bring your trash out for you and they must sign the back of your permit before you leave or you could be fined up to $200 USD. Even though they are the most expensive part of the climb, besides airfare, most climbers use a mule service to carry the bulk of their gear in as it's a 40 kilometer walk to Plaza Argentina. If you want to try and save money see if you can tag-along with some other climbers to share the cost.

You can do it on your own. But be sure to work out what to do with your poop bag. Your mule provider checks it in when you return to base camp. It is numbered. They dispose of the bags at base camp. Burn them it think. But someone will have to sign that you handed it it in or you will be fined. If you hire a mule provider and he does not make sure you hand it in he is on the hook. A long winded way of saying be sure you have your garbage etc. issues covered before you head off or it can get complicated and expensive. Cheers Bill