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Aconcagua

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 5:39 pm
by Abdullah
Hi all,

I'm looking forward to doing Aconcagua this year via the normal route. The problem is that the only time I have on me is from Late March up to mid April.

I can't find any company so far that offers tours during this period.

Does anyone know a company that may offer a tour during this period.

Even if they do, is it recommended. How many people can I expect to find on the mountain during my preferred time of climb.

Thanks,

Re: Aconcagua

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 6:31 pm
by rgg
It's a lot safer and easier to adapt to a mountain than to expect the mountain to adapt to your wishes. If you really want to climb Aconcagua, your best option is to change the only time you have. If you can't, I suggest climbing another mountain instead. Oh, and don't forget to check out Aconcagua: Climbing out of season.

Re: Aconcagua

PostPosted: Mon Jan 18, 2016 6:37 pm
by Abdullah
Thank you for your feedback rgg. I agree. My idea was that I plan on doing kilimanjaro during February this year. I had March and April free as well. I figured with Kili serving as a good warm up, it'd be easy to climb Aconcagua. I do find the idea of climbing aconcagua more thrilling than kili. Do you recommend I take up Aconcagua in February-March and cancel kili. My past experience was three years ago in the Karakoram range. I went up to 6000m max.

Re: Aconcagua

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 3:00 pm
by tomas
Hi Abdullah,

The last day you can enter Aconcagua Park with a regular ascent permit is Febraury 29th. Most guides and companies offer their last groups departing around mid-February. After that you should probably go in a private expedition.

For info climbing off season, I recommend you talking to Pablo (http://bit.ly/1ZK1AY5), a guide from Mendoza. I met him last time I went there, and he truly is an Aconcagua specialist.

Cheers

Re: Aconcagua

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 3:47 pm
by rgg
February is definitely better. And I agree with your plan of climbing something a bit lower first, but you can do that in the direct vicinity. Just browse the dozens of Aconcagua trip reports and you'll get some ideas.

Cheers, Rob

Re: Aconcagua

PostPosted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 6:12 pm
by Andrew Rankine
I was on Aconcagua in late season of 2014. From the beginning of March most teams begin taking down camp so that when the mountain shuts around March 15 everything is already gone. My friends said they were the last people on the mountain for the season after summitting on 11 March. I remember the BC doctors having a party and people having to find someone sober to treat a climber with HAPE a few days before that. I wouldn't count on doctors, heli evac, or much of anything after 7 March, and nothing in the second half of March and April. I don't know if you can get mules to Plaza de Mulas that late either. You might contact the company Fernando Grajales or someone similar about this. The first winter storms begin to come, and the snowfall made it very difficult to climb and to stay dry compared to summits in Dec/Jan. If I were you I'd pick another year.

Re: Aconcagua

PostPosted: Mon May 09, 2016 3:35 pm
by john2013
Hi !! did you climb it??