Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
302
PARQUE PROVINCIAL ACONCAGUA
Just after Puente del Inca, you will come to the entrance of
Aconcagua Provincial Park.
At 6,960m (22,829 ft.), Cerr o Aconcagua is the “R oof of the Americas ”—the highest
peak not just in South America, but also in the entire Western Hemisphere. From RN 7,
you can see the summit on clear days. F or a gr eat look at it, get out of the car at the
parking lot on the nor th side of the highway and hike the 15 minutes to Laguna Los
Horcones (there is another stellar view from Km 34 on the road btw. Uspallata and Vil-
lavicencio). F irst climbed in 1897, it is a challenging, although not o verly technical,
climb, where your body battles the str esses of high altitude in an extr eme environment.
Only highly experienced climbers should ev en think about this as a goal—it r equires
fitness, strength, and endurance, as well as a certified local guide. Most people take over
2 weeks to climb, giving themselves at least 1 w eek to acclimatize to the altitude befor e
pushing for the top. The south face, which gets little sun, is the most tr eacherous climb.
The normal r oute is along the w est side. The main climbing season is in J anuary and
February, when dozens of expeditions fr om around the world conv erge to tackle one of
the prized Seven Summits. The rest of the year, the park is virtually deserted.
The pr ovincial par k includes 71,000 hectar es (175,441 acr es) of stunning high-
mountain country tucked on the eastern side of the border between Chile and Argentina.
To enter the par k, however, you must first obtain a permit fr om the par k's “attention
center,” called E dificio C uba (
&
261/425-2031;
www.aconcagua.mendoza.gov.ar),
inside Mendoza's Parque San Martín. The location where you can buy permits changes
periodically, so check with Mendoza's tourism office for additional details. Permits for 2,
7, and 20 days ar e available. With one of the shor ter-duration permits, you can hike to
the base camps without climbing to the summit.Those hoping to reach the top must buy
a 20-day permit, which costs $500 (£339; including emergency medical insurance) in
high season. The top guiding company in the par k is
Fernando Grajales Expediciones
(
&
800/516-6962
or 261/15-500-7718 [cell]; www .grajales.net), which offers 3-day
hikes as well as 19-day summit attempts. Another recommended outfitter is
Aconcagua
Trek
(
&
261/431-2000;
www.rudyparra.com). Also try
Aymara Adventures & Expedi-
tions
(
&
261/420-2064;
www.aymara.com.ar), which has horseback-riding trips in the
provincial park.
After visiting the par k, if y ou have time to go a bit far ther and still make it back to
Mendoza before too late, continue on to the official bor der point. A t 4,000m (13,120
ft.) above sea level, it's a wild and woolly place. The famous towering bronze monument
Cristo Redentor was er ected by the neighboring nations in 1902 after they r
10
esolved a
territorial dispute. Then return to Mendoza via Potrerillos on the RN 7.
