Argentina - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 101

summer. Only the most experienced
attempt the climb without a professional
guide. Taking into account
acclimatization time, it should take at
least thirteen days to reach the summit.
There are three possible routes - south,
west or east - with the least difficult
being the western route, leaving from
the Plaza de Mulas (4230m). For route
details and advice on what to take, see
W

meals ar e included in the price. Dorms AR$140 , doubles
AR$450
La Vieja Estación Puente del Inca T 0261 452 1103. A
hostel with large dorm rooms and communal bathrooms.
The restaurant and bar will war m the c ockles, and a variety
of excursions is offered. Dorms AR$65

1

EATING AND DRINKING
Make the most of hostel kitchens, and bring plenty of
food supplies, as refuelling opportunities are few and far
between once inside the park itself. During ski season, the
resort hotels of Penitentes offer decent, if unspectacular,
food, while snacks and hot drinks can be found at Puente
del Inca's outdoor market.

aconcagua.mendoza.gov.ar. Easier
day hikes are also possible in the park as
well as multi-day treks to base camps and
mountain refugios .
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
By bus Expresso Uspallata operates four buses daily
from Mendoza to the base camps at Los Horcones and
Punta de Vacas.

SAN RAFAEL AND AROUND
In the heart of wine country, the laidback
city of SAN RAFAEL , 230km south of the
provincial capital, likes to think of itself
as a smaller, friendlier version of
Mendoza; its wide, flat streets are filled
with cyclists and its leafy plazas are
squeaky clean. The city itself offers few
distractions, and boredom will probably
set in once you've become acquainted
with the main square, Plaza San Martín ,
and visited the Museo de Historia Natural
(daily 8am-1pm & 2.30-7pm; AR$2),
on Isla Diamante, 6km south of the
centre, where the pre-Columbian displays
include ceramics from Ecuador and a
mummified child dating from 40 AD.

ACCOMMODAT ION
For accommodation at or near the base camps, there are
options at Puente del Inca (where many people spend a
couple of days acclimatizing), Las Cuevas and Los Penitentes.
Hostel Campo Base Penitentes Los Penitentes
T 0261 425 5511, W penitentes.com.ar. This lively, 28-bed
hostel, with well-equipped kitchen, is a jumping-off point
for organized ski trips in the winter and Aconcagua climbs
in the summer. Br eakfast an d dinner included (prices halve
Oct-May). Dorms AR$125
Refugio Plaza de Mulas T 0261 421 4330, W refugio
plazademulas.com.ar. It is possible to overnight here on
day two of the mountain trail. Hot showers and cooked

CLIMBING ACONCAGUA
To trek or climb in the Parque Provincial Aconcagua between mid-Nov and mid-March,
you need to obtain a permit (bring your passport) from the Dirección de Recursos Naturales
Renovables (Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat & Sun 9am-1pm; T 0261 425 8751), at San Martín 1143,
2nd floor, in Mendoza. Foreign trekkers pay between US$95 and US$725 between December
and March (depending on the date and length of trek). The rest of the year snow cover makes
the climb extremely dangerous; the fee at this time is around US$1000 and climbers must
apply for a special permit (for update see website W cerroaconcagua.com/aconcagua
/permisos-de-ingreso.asp).

Aymara 9 de Julio 1023 T 0261 420 2064, W aymara
.com.ar.
Campo Base Peatonal Sarmiento 229 T 0261 425
5511, W campobase.com.ar.
Fernando Grajales Expeditions T 0261 428 3157,
W grajales.net.
Inka Expediciones Juan B Justo 242 T 0261 425
0871, W aconcagua.org.ar.

TOUR OPERATORS
Owing to the mountain's unpredictable weather (storms
claim lives every year), climbers are advised to go on
organized trips with experienced local guides. The
following are Mendoza-based operators that specialize
in Aconcagua trips. Fernando Grajales Expeditions and
Aconcagua Trek can make the arrangements for mule hire.
Aconcagua Trek Barcala 484 T 0261 429 5007,
W aconcaguatrek.com.