Polish Glacier traverse
Polish Glacier Traverse Route
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Iincluded services
Transportation from the airport to the hotel in Mendoza. Two nights of accommodation in a three-star hotel in the city of Mendoza which includes breakfast (one night prior to and at the end of the expedition). Assistance with obtaining the Climbing Permit. Transportation to Penitentes (round-trip) in private vehicles. Assistance in the preparation of personal bags that will be transported by mules to the base camps. One night of accommodation in the Penitentes Hotel in shared rooms with private bathrooms, including breakfast and dinner. Transportation from Penitentes to Punta de Vacas trailhead. All the necessary food for the expedition (during the approach hike, in base camp and during the ascent). Load mules for the transportation of personal equipment (30kg maximum per person) to the approach camps of Pampa de Lenas and Casa de Piedra and to Argentina Base Camp on the way in, and from Plaza de Mulas to Penitentes on the way out (30kg maximum per person). One camping night in camp Pampa de Lenas and one camping night in Camp Casa de Piedra (both with all food) including two person tents to spend the night. Three days of camping at Plaza Argentina Base Camp including food and sleeping tents. One day of camping at Plaza de Mulas Base Camp including food and sleeping tents. Permanent communication with Mendoza, Plaza Argentina and Plaza de Mulas, and connection with the altitude camps. Baggage storage service in Penitentes while the group is on the mountain. Sleeping tents for the approach and altitude camps. Porters throughout the ascent and descent of the mountain. Professional Mountain Guides accompanying the group from Mendoza and throughout the entire expedition. Two extra days in case of improper weather conditions, including tents and food.
PORTERS
The expeditions include porters to carry the sleeping tents to the altitude camps.
Ascent: From Base Camp (Plaza Argentina) to Camp 1, from Camp 1 to Camp 2, from Camp 2 to Camp 3.
Descent: from Camp 3 to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp.
The proportion is one porter for every 4 people.
Provided equipment for the expedition
First quality sleeping tents: The North Face (VE25 - Mountain), Mountain Hardwear (Trango 2-3), Marmot or similar brands. The mountain guides communicate with FM 2m band radios, and have complete first-aid kits with specific medicine for mountain sickness, digital oximeter, altimeter and ropes. MSR liquid-fuelstove. Pots to melt ice.
Expedition guides
Those leading the expedition are professional mountain guides (EPGAM, AAGM or UIAGM) with many years of experience and multiple summits to Mount Aconcagua. All speak English and Spanish.
Guides to clientes ratio
Expeditions will be led by one mountain guide for every 3 or 4 clients.
Contingency days
Expeditions include two extra days (free of charge) with food included in the altitude camps (Camps 1, 2 or 3) or in Plaza Argentina / Plaza de Mulas Base Camps in case of bad weather.
These days will be used only per guide’s decision (it is the guide who decides, when and where, if is necessary to take these days).
Extra days can be taken only on Aconcagua. If they are not necessary, such days are not replaced by nights in hotel in any other place (ex. in Penitentes or Mendoza, etc.), neither to be changed by another services or refunded.
Nor can these days be used for circumstances beyond our control (ex. bad weather or evacuations) a customer or the entire group returns early or simply because the days were not necessary (ex. completing the itinerary without needing to take the extra days).
Available optional services
Porters to transport personal equipment. Reservations of mountain equipment. Reservations of additional hotel nights in the city of Mendoza (these extra nights should be booked before you arrive to Mendoza).
Special services
Vegetarian meals. Single room, for the hotel nights in Mendoza. Both are available upon request. Please ask for these additional charges and include that information on the application form.
Dates of arrival and departure to/from Mendoza
We need you to arrive in Mendoza the first day of the expedition that has been selected (preferably in the morning) or before, and not after this day.
The departure date from the city of Mendoza should be Day 19 of the expedition that has been selected in the time most convenient for you.
For more information, please see "Dates of Departure Season 2016 / 2017" where you will find day 1 and day 19 of the itinerary for each expedition.
How to arrive in Mendoza
The usual way to Mendoza is by flying to either Buenos Aires (Argentina) or Santiago (Chile) and then a connecting flight or bus to Mendoza. From Buenos Aires there are 2 hours by plane or 13 hours by bus to Mendoza, while from Santiago 50min by plane or 6 hours by bus.
At arrival
On the first day, you will be picked up at the airport of Mendoza City. We recommend you arrive in the morning, because on this day your mountain guide will contact you to check your mountain equipment and, if it is necessary, he will recommend you what items you need to rent or buy. At a time accorded, you will have a short meeting at the hotel, with the guides and the other members of the group.
In the morning of the second day, the group will be picked up at the hotel to go for the climbing permit and after that, towards Penitentes.
Services not included
Tickets to and from Mendoza. Aconcagua Climbing Permit. Extras in Mendoza, Penitentes and in approach, base or altitude camps. Porters. Drinks apart from those provided with food. Dishes (plates, silverware, jugs) for the high altitude camps. Food apart from that specified in the program. Abandon of itinerary expenses. Transfer from the hotel to the airport at the end of the expedition. Personal equipment. Personal insurance. Additional hotel nights if for reasons beyond our control (for example inclement weather, sickness, or something not already mentioned) the group or some members of the group return early, or if for whatever other reason (ex. delay in the arrival of equipment caused by airlines), a group member(s) needing extra nights of accommodation. Any expenses incurred in case of delay or lost of luggage by the airline on which you arrive to Mendoza City. In this situation you must deal with the airline the arrival of you baggage and or take care of any expenses that may require (the group will continue with the regular itinerary of this expedition). Any other service that you don't find detailed within the Included Services.
Abandon of itinerary expenses
They are all of the incurred expenses in the case that for some reason, outside of our control, the client abandons the established itinerary, among others: extra hotel nights (the programs include a certain amount of nights in a hotel in the city of Mendoza and in Penitentes and camping nights at Plaza Argentina and Plaza de Mulas base camps); extra mules (the expedition includes 30kg per person during the approach and another 30 kg during the return to Horcones); transportation from the mountain to Mendoza (the expedition includes transportation for the group but not for individuals); Expenses incurred in the case of rescue and/or evacuations.
Requirements to be a part of the group
Excellent physical preparation and health, appropriate personal equipment, experience in mountaineering, camping and mental preparation for the expedition which includes endurance, perseverance and patience.
We suggest that those planning to undertake this expedition have previous experience in an expedition of at least 5,500 meters (approx. 18000 feet).
The expedition
The expeditions are the product of many years of intensive work on Mount Aconcagua. Our detailed itinerary has proven successful time after time. The professionalism of the mountain guides plus a well supported climb, give you an excellent opportunity to reach the summit of the highest mountain in America.
A three-day hike will bring us to base camp, covering the Valle de Horcones (Horcones Valley) first and Valle de Relinchos (Relinchos Valley) later. We will remain for one night in the Pampa de Leñas approach camp and another night in the Casa de Piedra camp to ease your bodily adaptation to the altitude before reaching Plaza Argentina.
We will stay in the Plaza Argentina base camp for the next three days to acclimatize ourselves appropriately and rest as necessary to embark on our ascent.
On the mountain we will set up three altitude camps.
We will stay in Camp 1 for three days and in Camp 2 for two days to acclimatize ourselves to the new heights. Your body will be given the opportunity to adapt to the new altitude. Camp 3 will be used to reach the summit, and we will be staying there the least time possible in order to avoid the altitude related issues.
To help with this gradual adaptation to the altitude, we will practice using our equipment and working in teams. As a group, we will be transferring equipment and supplies up to the higher camps, so that we will have a well-stocked camp when we arrive, and hike down to sleep in the lower camps.
The guides, in a proportion of one to every three or four clients, will be in charge of leading the expedition and will have the group's safety as their first priority. They are also in charge of cooking, as well as providing a constant supply of hot water.
The expeditions also include two contingency days in case the guides determine that the conditions are not safe enough to move forward.
Camp Pampa de Leñas and Camp Casa de Piedra
During the approach to Plaza Argentina base camp, the mules will stop in these approach camps, bringing the necessary equipment to set up camp. You will be provided with sleeping tents.
Base Camp Plaza Argentina
Includes bilingual staff (Spanish-English). Camp equipped with electric energy, tables, chairs, and dishes. The camp comes equipped with its own bathroom. VHF radio communication with Mendoza, Penitentes and Plaza de Mulas and groups for internal communication inside Aconcagua Park (with our posts, Park Rangers and Rescue Patrol). Satellite telephone service and e-mail accessibility (the costs for this service will be charged to the users and are not included in the expedition)
Aconcagua Expediciones E.V.yT. Leg. 13626 - Presidente Roberto Ortiz 1539 - Godoy Cruz, Mendoza - Argentina
Phone: (++54-9-261) 641-0112 (Outside Argentina) - 156410112 (From Argentina)
E-mail: info@aconcaguaadventures.com - Website: www.aconcaguaadventures.com - www.climbingaconcagua.com
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