Aconcagua Private and Custom Climbs
Having your own private guide climbing with you can be an indispensable advantage and allow you to customize your itinerary and program to fit your schedule.
A personal guide will give you unprecedented personal attention, total autonomy and control over your trip. As both your climbing companion and your private coach, they can help you through every element of the expedition, give you valuable feedback, increase safety and make your climbing experience more enjoyable overall.
We will traverse the mountain by ascending the Vacas and Relinchos Valleys, utilizing three camps to work our way into summit position, before descending the opposite side of the mountain to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp and completing our expedition by trekking out to Penitentes (or a helicopter exit) and returning to Mendoza.
Whether you’re a less experienced climber or have climbed at altitude many times before, our private climbs give you the most flexibility and arguably the best chance of standing on top of Aconcagua.
Argentinian Lead Guided Expedition Options
1 climber (one guide) $16,995 USD/person
2 climbers (one guide): $12,995 USD/person
3 climbers (two guides): $9,995 USD/person
4 or more climbers (two guides): $7,995 USD/person
International Lead Guided Expedition Options
1 climber (one guide): $24,995
2 climbers (one guide): $15,995 USD/person
3 climbers (one guide and Argentinian assistant guide): $13,995 USD/person
4 climbers (one guide and Argentinian assistant guide): $10,995 USD/person
5 climbers (one guide and Argentinian assistant guide): $9,995 USD/person
Contact our office for Executive private pricing.
All prices are in US Dollars.
CTSS requires clients to buy trip insurance for all expeditions. Please see our page on trip insurance and cancellation policy for more information.
All payments once submitted are non-refundable and non-transferable. If balances are not received by specified dates, the client forfeits their place on the program and any prior fees paid.
CTSS can work with our private climbers to create an ideal climb itinerary meeting their specific needs. Please contact us for more information.
The itinerary below is only an example and rough estimate, and it will be determined by weather and acclimatization. This is adventure travel, meaning things rarely go as planned and this schedule will likely change. Climbers need to be adaptable and positive.
We always recommend climbers arrive in Mendoza one day early to avoid travel delays or issues with lost baggage. Added expenses (e.g., hotel, food, or sightseeing) from this extra day are the client’s responsibility.
Daily meal inclusions are indicated in parentheses.
- Day 1: Meet in Mendoza (- / - / -)
- Day 2: Gear checks, team meeting, team dinner (B / - / D)
- Day 3: Permits and travel to Puente del Inca (B / - / -)
- Day 4: Mule-assisted day hike to first camp, Pampa de Leñas (B / - / D)
- Day 5: Mule-assisted day hike to second camp, Casa de Piedra (B / - / D)
- Day 6: Mule-assisted hike to Plaza Argentina Base Camp (B / - / D)
- Day 7: Rest and acclimatization day at base camp (B / - / D)
- Day 8: Load carry to Camp 1 and return to base camp (B / - / D)
- Day 9: Rest in base camp (B / - / D)
- Day 10: Move to Camp 1 with gear (B / - / D)
- Day 11: Carry to Camp 2 and return to Camp 1 (B / - / D)
- Day 12: Move to Camp 2 with gear (B / - / D)
- Day 13: Rest day in Camp 2 (B / - / D)
- Day 14: Move to Camp 3 (B / - / D)
- Day 15: 1st potential summit day (B / - / D)
- Day 16: Descend to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp, completing the traverse (B / - / D)
- Day 17: Trek out from base camp to park entrance and drive to Mendoza, arriving late (B / - / -)
- Day 18: Fly home or spend a day in Mendoza to relax, celebrate, and get together for dinner as a team (B / - / -)
- Day 19: Contingency day
- Day 20: Contingency day
CTSS can work to develop a customized price to include or exclude more amenities for our private and custom climbers. Our standard private 1:1 Aconcagua climb provides:
Included:
- Professional mountain guides
- Reliable, professional mule support from the best local outfitters
- One or two nights lodging (depending on your program) in Mendoza on arrival, one night lodging at Penitentes and one night lodging in Mendoza upon our return (Accommodation on unused contingency days are your responsibility.)
- All group transportation while on the expedition. If you depart early then the added expenses for transport, lodging, rescue, and evacuation is your own responsibility.
- Breakfast daily and all expedition (on-mountain) food is covered including breakfast, dinner, snacks, and hot drinks. Lunch and in-town restaurant meals are your own expense.
- All group gear, including four-season tents, cooking gear, group duffels, stoves, and first aid equipment, etc.
- Satellite phone used to update the CTSS blog and available to clientele at $3/min
Excluded:
- All porters
- Mountain climbing permit fee ($700-$1,000 depending on season)
- All in town restaurant meals (breakfast is provided), Penitentes dinner, and mountain lunch food
- Transportation to and from the airport upon arrival/departure
- Flight costs to and from Mendoza
- All personal climbing gear is the responsibility of the client
- In the event of a rescue, evacuation, or early departure from the group, any rescue expenses incurred or excess expenses above and beyond our normal trip costs including transport, hotels, evacuation, flight changes, and gear shipping are the responsibility of the client.
- Unused contingency day hotel nights in Mendoza
- Guide and porter tips (customary but optional)
- Costs incurred as a result of events beyond the control of CTSS above and beyond the normal expedition costs
- Required trip insurance policy (for trip cancellation, interruption, rescue & evacuation, medical treatment, repatriation, etc.)
Porters on Aconcagua
Porters on Aconcagua operate differently from most mountains. Rather than being attached directly to a particular expedition or climber, porters work for the on-mountain logistics companies and can carry loads for several people, or expeditions, day to day or even on the same day.
Porters live at base camp and ascend up to our camps whenever needed, carry their load to the next camp, and return back to base camp the same day. You will be amazed at how fast they move and how hard they work!
A standard porter load is strictly 20kg and charged at a flat rate up to 20kg (i.e. if you only have 17kg you’ll still be charged the 20kg rate). If you have additional weight to be carried you will be charged a pro-rated amount for all extra kilograms.
Personal porters are not included in our private and custom climbs. If you would like a porter to assist in carrying your gear we highly recommend purchasing our Porter Add-On. Your guides can usually arrange a porter for the next day at any point along the trip above base camp via radio, as long as there are porters available for the last-minute carry. During peak season porters can be very busy so it is best to prepurchase the porter add-on in advance to lock in your porters and guarantee their availability.