Aconcagua Normal Route
The Classic Route – Climbed & loved for 40+ years! (Porter Option Available)
Overview | Full itinerary | Cost Includes
The Normal Route, as its name suggest, is the most common route used to reach the summit, and also the most approachable for climbers of all skill levels. Some climbers hire porters to assist with their climb on this route although it remains completely optional to do so. Choose your own adventure!
Apply NowOverview
Although our Amegino Valley Route remains the most pristine and scenic route on the mountain, we know that some clients prefer the slighter shorter length of the approach hike to Base Camp for the Normal Route. This is why we offer the Normal Route with mules carrrying loads to Base Camp (the same process as for the Ameghino Valley/Polish Glacier route) and the option to hire porters to carry loads from Base Camp to High Camp, as needed.
While the Normal Route does suffer from some overuse, we also understand that the Ameghino Valley Route can seem a little long for some people. If you are not bothered by keeping company with large number of fellow climbers and enjoy the social aspect of Base Camp (meeting climbers of all nationalities!) then our Normal Route expedition is just the one for you! By hiring porters (see below) on any of our routes, including the Normal Route, you have the opportunity to drastically reduce your load and avoid carrying 45 to 50 pounds. We have designed this trip so that at Base Camp you can decide how often you will need a porter, and so on. You can use a porter for every carry, on alternate days, or simply experiment as you go!
Dates of Trips
2025 – 2026
Nov 29 – Dec 15, 2025Dec 9 – 25, 2025
Dec 17, 2025 – Jan 2, 2026
Dec 27, 2025 – Jan 12, 2026
Jan 4 – 20, 2026
Jan 10 – Jan, 26, 2026
Jan 17 – Feb 2, 2026
Jan 24 – Feb 9, 2026
Jan 31 – 16, 2026
Feb 7- 23, 2026
Rates
$6,500
Price Increase By August 31st, 2025: $6,800
Booking Deposit: $1,000
Deposit amounts are insurable through Global Rescue and IMG.
Apply NowWaiting List: If an expedition departure you are interested in is full, please contact us to be put on the expedition’s waiting list. In the event of a cancellation, qualified applicants will be able to get that new spot and register.
Patagonicas Guided Trips on Aconcagua
from Rodrigo Mujica
Itinerary
DAY 1 Collapse
DAY 1
Group meets in Mendoza, Argentina. Equipment check and afternoon briefing at the hotel. For dinner we will have a chance to taste fine Argentinean cuisine and wine
DAY 2 Expand
DAY 2
We will begin our approach to Base Camp. This 25 mile approach gives us the chance to begin our acclimatization. We follow the Horcones Valley, and camp our first night in Confluencia, at 10,900′. Mules carry our gear.
DAY 3 Expand
DAY 3
Hike to the base of the majestic South Face of Aconcagua, at 13,000′, toward Plaza Francia. Return to Confluencia to spend our 2nd night, before heading to Base Camp the next day. This hike will facilitate our acclimatization process.
DAY 4 Expand
DAY 4
After 3 days of hiking through colorful desert landscape we reach our Base Camp, Plaza de Mulas, at 13,800′.
DAY 5 Expand
DAY 5
Rest and acclimatization day at Base Camp. We want everyone to have the best possible chance to make the summit. The most effective way to do this is to take the time to acclimatize to the low oxygen environment. We will incorporate rest days into our schedule and climb in traditional expedition style. We will be carrying loads up to our next camp, and returning to sleep below at the previous camp. The next day we will move to the higher camp.This day (Day 6) we will practice snow and ice techniques on the Nieve Penitentes, unique snow and ice formations created by direct sunlight.
DAY 6 Expand
DAY 6
Carry a load to Camp I, Plaza Canada, at 16,170′ . Return to Base Camp.
DAY 7 Expand
DAY 7
Leave Base Camp. Move to Camp I. Beautiful campsite with impressive views of the north side of Aconcagua and alpine Cerro Cuerno.
DAY 8 Expand
DAY 8
Carry a load to Camp II, Nido de Condores, at 17,820′.
DAY 9 Expand
DAY 9
Leave Camp I. Move to Camp II.
Day 10 Expand
DAY 10
Carry a load to Camp III / High Camp below the Polish Glacier, at 19,200′.
Day 11 Expand
DAY 11
Move to Camp III. This unique spot will be our High Camp where we will spend at least 2 nights. Here we are surrounded by interesting rock formations only a day from the summit.
Day 12-14 Expand
Day 12-14
Summit! Weather permitting. We allow a window for our Summit Day in case of poor weather and depending on how group is acclimatizing.
Day 15 Expand
Day 15
Descent from High Camp to Base Camp.
Day 16 Expand
Day 16
Hike out the Horcones Valley with its impressive views of Aconcagua’s South Face. Mules carry our gear. We arrive in the afternoon to Penitentes where we may take a quick shower and head on to Mendoza to the comfort of the Mendoza Park Hyatt. If extra weather and acclimatization days are not used on our expedition, you and your team may arrive a day or two earlier to Mendoza. Evening banquet with your team, if too late summit Certificates will be given at breakfast or lunch the next day.
Next Day Expand
Next Day
Leisure day in Mendoza, possibly fly home this afternoon or continue traveling in South America.
Cost Includes
- Professional Mountain Guides
- 2 nights hotel accommodation in Mendoza at theMendoza Park Hyatt Hotelwith breakfast buffet (1 night at the beginning of the expedition and 1 night at the end of the expedition)
- 1 night hotel accommodation with breakfast and dinner in Penitentes, on the way to the mountain
- Mules
- All expedition food (4 full days at base camp included – normally more than enough), any extra days at base camp will have a fee per person
- All land transportation (except for airport drop off, we leave this as leisure since many people travel afterwards etc, this can be arrange directly at reception at the Hyatt as well)
- All community gear such as: tents, stoves, state of the art Base Camp, cooking gear, medical kits, satellite phones, radios, gamow bag, pulse-oximeters, etc.
You are responsible for
- Round-trip flights to and from Mendoza, Argentina
- Aconcagua climbing permit fee ($950 to $1,050 depending on season) We will get permits for you before your arrival. South Americans pay about half of this amount and Argentinean Citizens about 1/4 of that amount.
- Meals in Mendoza
- Personal equipment
- Flight out of Base Camp to trailhead, cost is about USD $2,000 for 3 people ($670 each)
- Passport
- Personal items and services (laundry, snacks, drinks, tips, etc.)
- Expenses incurred in the case of a rescue or early departure from the expedition
- SAT phone charges
- Porter Fees (See below)
Hiring porters (available on all routes)
Porter fees are not included in any of our trips costs, but porters are available to hire on EVERY route that we offer.
If you plan to hire porters, please let us know and we will be more than happy to arrange it for you. We don’t take a fee for arranging porters, you just pay the porters directly.
Porters cost from $185 to $400 per load carry depending on the altitude they carry to. The cost per load increases as you climb the mountain, so a carrying a load from Camp 2 to Camp 3 will be more expensive than carrying the same load from Base Camp to Camp 1.
You will need a maximum of 5 to 6 load carries from Base Camp to High Camp and back down to Base Camp again (~$1,500 USD), if you choose to have a porter for each carry, and move, and for the descent of the mountain.
Porters are available at Base Camps on both sides of Aconcagua: Plaza Argentina for Ameghino Valley/Polish Glacier routes, and Plaza de Mulas for the Normal route which is also used for our 12 Day Climbs. The final number of estimated load carries can be decided when you get to Base Camp but it’s best to plan ahead and let us know if you do plan on hiring porters so we can ensure a smooth and easy experience for you!