Aconcagua, Argentina

Mount Aconcagua is the place for all your mountaineering fantasies of summiting a giant mountain can become reality. Mount Aconcagua will test your abilities as a climber, challenge your character and make you into a better person and climber. The sights you will see are beyond the images in your dreams, and the feeling you will achieve when the top is reached will be pure ecstasy. The cuts or the bruises will not matter anymore as you breath a sign of relief and rejoice about what you have just achieved.

Mount Aconcagua stands out among the mountain range and it is said that primitive people before us named it "Ackon Cahuak", which means the Stone Sentinel. It was noticed long before our time and respected. It is wise to go with an Aconcagua guide to insure your safety. This mountain stands a towering 22, 840 feet, and it is the tallest in the Americas. It is 4,000 feet higher than any of the neighboring mountains in the Andes.

Climbing Aconcagua is the type of climbing to prepare for future Himalayan climbs. Training needs to be at the forefront when considering this epic climb. For a successful and enjoyable trip, it is wise to keep in mind that training for three months or more is necessary for climbing Aconcagua.

Keep in mind when training that the official climbing season is from November 15 to March 31. If you go early, then your mind can rest during the holidays and eat as much turkey as you want. But the prices are also more expensive. The high season climbing season ranges from one thousand dollars during the high season to three hundred and fifty dollars during the low season. So if budget were an obstacle, then it would be advantageous for climbing Aconcagua during the low season.

There are many Aconcagua guides that make Aconcagua their home, and would be thrilled to take you on a trip. An Aconcagua guide's first order of business is to insure safety for all of their guests. Here are some names of companies: Inka Expeditions, Patagonic Adventures, Aconcagua Expeditions and Alpine Ascents International. They along with some mules will take you to several pits stops along the way as a way to rest and to become acclimated to the altitude. One of these destinations is Plaza de Mulas, which has drinking water and room to set up camp. It is about 14,000 feet high. Another place to see along the way is Horcones Superior, which is unique place to visit and ice climb.

This is an adventurous and challenging climb, but you will return home with one of the most incredible experiences of your life, a sense of great accomplishment and memories you will never forget. At first, you will breath a sigh of relief that you are home, but then you will be telling all your envious friends about your trip. The main thing to remember is to be prepared and be safe. After that the most important thing is to take pictures!