ACONCAGUA BASE CAMP HIKE

You don’t need to be a mountaineer to stand at the foot of the highest peak in the Americas. The Confluencia day hike takes you to the first camp on Aconcagua’s classic climbing route — through one of the most dramatic high-altitude landscapes in the Andes — and gets you back to Mendoza the same evening. No ropes, no crampons, no multi-day commitment required.

Departing Mendoza in the early morning, you’ll make the two-hour drive up into the park before hitting the trail at Horcones. The route follows the Horcones River valley, gradually gaining elevation as the landscape strips away to raw scree, glacial meltwater, and the imposing southern wall of Aconcagua growing larger with every step.

At Confluencia (3,400 m), you’ll stop for a box lunch and take in a view that very few travelers ever reach. Your certified high-mountain guide will share the story of the mountain and the climbers who camp here before pushing for the summit — then you’ll descend back to the park entrance in the afternoon.

Plaza de Mulas is the largest base camp on Aconcagua and the staging point for every climber attempting the normal summit route. At 4,350 meters, it sits above most of the world’s highest peaks — and getting there is a full expedition in itself.

Over seven days you’ll move progressively through the park: acclimatization at Los Penitentes, then Confluencia, Plaza Francia, and finally the long push up the Cuesta Brava to Plaza de Mulas. For those ready, day six adds an ascent of Cerro Bonete (5,000 m) with unobstructed views of Aconcagua’s western wall and summit route.

This is SAK’s most ambitious Aconcagua program — built for trekkers who want to push their altitude limits without a summit permit. Our guides have deep knowledge of the park’s conditions and weather, and will manage every decision on the mountain so you can focus entirely on the experience.