Introduction

Altitude 6,959m (22,830ft) / 23 Days / Grade 1C INTRODUCTION Aconcagua is the highest mountain in both the western and southern hemispheres – the If you wish to discuss any sole remaining quadrant being given over to the Himalaya. It's also the second highest aspect of the expedition, of the illustrious Seven Summits. Of the highest points on each of the world’s continents, please contact us by only Everest gives a higher vantage point. However, despite all the impressive statistics, telephone: you can summit Aconcagua without any previous roped-climbing experience – but you will need previous experience of high altitude trekking or mountaineering and will need +44 (0) 114 276 3322 to add lots of hill-walking/hiking closer to home too before you head off to Argentina. Alternatively, please email Aconcagua lies entirely within Argentina, although close to the border with Chile, the us via our website: spine of the Andes dividing the continent between these nations. The usual approach to www.jagged-globe.co.uk Aconcagua is from the south following the valley of the Rio Horcones. This circles the western flank of the mountain and arrives at the Plaza de Mulas base camp at 4,365m. We visit the South Face on the way. Our route to the summit starts from Plaza de Mulas, where we spend several nights and days as we acclimatise. To improve 1 acclimatisation, and for the fun of it, we climb a satellite of Aconcagua, Bonete Peak (5,004m). The “normal route” from the Horcones Valley gives the most trusted means of reaching the top. Jagged Globe has been using this route since our first ascent in 1992 – we have climbed it several times every year since and there is always someone in the office who can talk to you about the mountain based on their own, first-hand experience (most recently, Tom Briggs was on the mountain during the 2017-18 season). The mountain by the normal route from Horcones is technically easy but you mustn’t be complacent. The mountain will make physical demands of you beyond anything you can imagine (unless you have climbed higher than Aconcagua before, that is). Ascending this route is very mentally and physically challenging due to the scale of the mountain, its considerable altitude and the infamously unpredictable weather. Many mountaineers fail to reach the top, because their determination wilts under the relentless pressure of simply existing on the mountain side, let alone of climbing it. Here, at Jagged Globe, we have amassed a huge amount of experience of Aconcagua and refined our itinerary for your benefit. We will give you the best advice before you go and the best chance of summit success whilst you are there. We hope too, you’ll enjoy the climb from the moment you meet your team mates en route to the mountain, till you part from them as firm friends after an awe-inspiring, life-enriching mountaineering experience of Himalayan proportions. Summit of Aconcagua, January 2020. Photo: Ade Hawkins 2 A guanaco carcass found high on the mountain suggests Incas may have attempted to climb Aconcagua. As to whether they reached the summit, sadly there’s no firm evidence. German mountaineer, geologist and explorer Paul Gussfeldt made the first recorded attempt in 1883. He reached 6,000m following the North Ridge. In 1897, renowned alpinist and Swiss guide Matthias Zurbriggen added Aconcagua to his list of first ascents around the world. He was the first to use the Horcones Valley approach, before tackling the northern flank. Like many mountaineers before, you'll follow in Zurbriggen’s footsteps. Harder routes were added over the years. The first winter ascent was made in 1915. The team was unable to reach the very top because of a snow cornice. The 1934 Polish Andes Expedition was the first to summit Aconcagua by a different route: Ruta del Glaciar de los Polacos (the Polish Glacier Route) lies on the East Face. In 1951, Foerster, Krahl and Meier repeated Gussfeldt's route and joined it up with the Horcones route at around 6,200m. The South-West ridge was first climbed in 1953 by Swiss couple Frederic and Dorly Marmillod. In 1954, French climbers were the first to scale the steep, massive South Face. In 1966, the Ruta de los Argentinos was put up to the right of the French route. The Central Couloir between the two was climbed the same year. 1974 saw Reinhold Messner solo a direct finish to the French route. Another variation was added by the Japanese in 1981. In 2003, celebrated Slovenian mountaineers Tomaz Humar and Ales Kozelji climbed a new line on the South Face. This 2,500m route took five days and included sections of M6 climbing - overhanging mixed climbing with difficult dry tooling. On Day 5 of your expedition to the mountain, you will visit Plaza Francia to see the awe-inspiring South Face. The trek to this high-point of 4,000-metres is a key part of your acclimatisation programme, before you continue to base camp. Plaza Francia and the South East Face of Aconcagua. Photo: Alex Langdon 3 You'll waste no time in travelling to Aconcagua Provincial Park, stopping off for just one night in Mendoza on the way there. Then, you’ll slow down a bit, to spend three nights at our acclimatisation camp at nearly 3,400m before the long and otherwise punishing walk to base camp. Once in base camp, you will climb to 5,004m and to the top of Bonete Peak. This builds more acclimatisation but is intended to be a fun day out and an ice- breaker in giving your team a first summit. We take acclimatisation seriously and there are other climbing, skills and rest days in the programme to ensure that you sleep well, feel good at altitude and are as confident as possible before the summit climb. We want you to get to the top, and to enjoy it at the same time. So, as well as steady acclimatisation, you'll have a 3-day window for your summit attempt. This allows your team to dance around the weather a little and to fine-tune your personal preparations for what will be, surely, the hardest day you’ve ever had in the mountains. Summit day typically takes 10 to 14 hours from Colera Camp at 5,800m for the round trip. Crampons are typically required, though sometimes these are not needed until around 6,300m. After several hours of increasingly tough climbing, as you gain altitude, a long traverse leads across an open scree slope to put you at the bottom of the toughest part of the climb, at a feature called ‘The Cave’. Now, all you reserves of physical and mental toughness are going to be called upon. The Canaleta is a large scree-filled gully leading to the summit ridge; it is the steepest part of the day. But, once through it, you hit the ridge, turn-left and quickly make a final few steps up a short spur to reach the rocky top. You'll be exhausted but elated now as you survey the view from this, the highest mountain in the Americas. It is a spectacular vantage point giving views in all directions across the Andes and over a vast arid landscape far below. Camp 1. Photo: Matt Parkes 4 Since our early, very successful expeditions to the mountain in the nineties, we have added 2 days to the climbing programme. These make acclimatisation better, so you are more prepared for every “next day” on the trip. The first of these extra days is spent at Confluencia, just short of 3,400m (Day 6). Most other organisations press on spending just one day here. We did the same for many years but even the modest altitude here gives everyone a physiological punch. For a few, moving on too soon is like a boxer staggering to his feet before the count is over – easily unbalanced again by the merest jab. Instead, we allow you to go to the corner, get towelled-down, have a pep talk and then, like Rocky, return, invigorated and steady for the next round of the contest. In remaining at Confluencia for an extra day, we follow a similar routine for Jagged Globe teams going to Everest. Here we spend 3 nights at 3,300m in Namche Bazaar before moving on. Our success rate on Everest is typically 90% to 100% so it makes sense to mimic our approach there on Aconcagua. Avoiding an initial bruising by altitude, no matter how slight, whilst enhancing the depth of acclimatisation very early on, reduces the chances of altitude sickness spoiling the trip as your climb progresses. The second added day is the ascent of Bonete Peak (Day 9). We’ve had it in the programme for over a decade now. Its ascent is always enjoyed as a good day out. This is especially so after a rest day following the rigours of the long walk into base camp just 2 days before. Spending a continuous 6 nights in base camp, Bonete forms part of a well-structured, unbroken acclimatisation package that takes you as high as Camp 2 (5,559m). For 3 days in the middle, you will drive yourself to higher and higher altitudes before dropping back to sleep among the warmer and thicker air of base camp. To mark the end of the base camp acclimatisation phase, you’ll have another rest day. Then you’re heading for the top, gaining height through each of the mountain camps.

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