Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Spectacular backdrop of Laguna de Horcones, Parque Provincial Aconcagua
6
Parque Provincial
Aconcagua
Road map
B2. 115 miles (185 km)
W of Mendoza.
@
n
Ranger station,
Horcones, (0261) 156-210118.
&
Permits: Mendoza, (0261) 425-
8751.
Open
8am-6pm daily
(for entry).
&
®
∑
aconcagua.mendoza.gov.ar
easy; prospective summiteers
must be in good physical
condition to deal with oxygen
deficits, not to mention extreme
weather conditions. On other,
more technical routes, the
issue is even more clear-cut:
more than 100 climbers have
died on Aconcagua and a
professional guide is imperative
for non-mountaineers.
Fortunately, Aconcagua has
more to offer than just its
summit. From its visitor center,
only 2 miles (4 km) north of the
highway, day-trippers can take
a short hike to
Laguna de
Horcones
(Horcones Lake) for
spec tacular views. Another
option is to go ahead to
Confluencia, an intermediate
camp for trekking to
Plaza
Francia
and to
Plaza de Mulas
.
In three days, backpackers can
reach Plaza Francia, the 14,763-ft
(4,500-m) base camp for Pared
Sur, Aconcagua's difficult south
face. In a week, they can reach
and return from Plaza de Mulas,
where most mountaineers start
their final climb to the summit.
Here, backpackers should be
prepared for summer gridlock
and competition for campsites.
It is mandatory for hikers to
have permits for every walk
beyond Horcones and to have
an ascent permit to continue
beyond Plaza de Mulas. The
Glaciar Polaco
route, about
9 miles (15 km) east of Los
Penitentes, is longer and slightly
less difficult than the south face.
Unlike many national parks,
Aconcagua has relatively little
to offer other than its spec-
tacular scenery. This is one of
the Andes' most barren sectors,
with little vegetation and few
mammals. Some visitors may
spot the Andean condor,
which came close to extinction
due to hunting, circling on
the thermals.
About 4 miles (7 km) west
of Los Penitentes is
Puente del
Inca
, which takes its name from
a natural bridge over Río
Mendoza. This geological
curiosity, formed by an ancient
petrifying process, was once
visited by Charles Darwin.
Puente del Inca is home to the
Cementerio de los Andinistas
,
an Aconcagua climbers' ceme-
tery. The area has street stalls
selling souvenirs.
One of the country's best-
known parks, Parque Provincial
Aconcagua contains one of
the world's highest summits.
At 22,841 ft (6,962 m),
Cerro
Aconcagua
has been the goal
of many novice mountaineers
as, unlike Mount Everest and
other famous peaks, it enjoys
easy access and requires no
technical climbing skills. By the
traditional northwest route,
the “Roof of the Americas” is
relatively a low-difficulty climb.
This does not mean that it is
T
Puente del Inca
Ruta Nacional 7, Km 175.
0
®
Natural rock formation at Puente del Inca
Organic vineyard in the Mendoza Valley, with the Andes rising beyond
