Aconcagua Summit Challenge Details
Nov 26, 2021 to Dec 31, 2022
At 22,841 ft, Aconcagua is the second tallest of the Seven Summits and the highest peak in the Americas - it is, in fact, the tallest mountain anywhere outside the Himalayas! In this challenge you will test your mountain fitness and learn what it takes to climb this giant Andean peak, while contributing to a great cause.
The Aconcagua Virtual Summit challenge is based on the actual climbing route, known as the "Normal Route". It includes 5 milestones (or segments) that you must complete in order to reach the summit. You will earn a digital badge for each milestone and, if you reach the summit, you will earn an Aconcagua summit pin. For the Aconcagua Virtual Summit challenge, you’ll go at your own pace while we guide you along the way. Simply report your activity after each hike to see your progress as you reach this epic summit. All in all, you’ll be covering a total of 17,400ft of gross elevation gain over the course of a minimum of 35 miles (though chances are you’ll need more miles to cover the required amount of vertical gain)!
As you get out and get moving to tackle this virtual climb, you’ll learn about Aconcagua and what it’s actually like to participate in a climbing expedition on this Andean giant. You’ll hear climbing and adventure stories from Sunny Stroeer, who regularly guides all-female teams on Aconcagua on behalf of AWExpeditions. Sunny has also set two women’s speed records on this mountain. If you’re curious, you can read more about Sunny here.
Here's what you can expect:
Milestone 1. Welcome to Aconcagua: Approach to Confluencia
So you’ve decided to climb Aconcagua and here you are, at the end of the pavement about to enter the Aconcagua Provincial Park through the Horcones Trailhead at 9,692ft. This is the easy, warmup part of any Aconcagua climbing expedition: all you’ve got to do is to get yourself to the first approach camp which is aptly named “Confluencia” (The Confluence) for its location at the confluence of two glacial streams. To reach Confluencia at 11,234ft above sea level you have to cover 1,868ft in vertical ascent. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and climb that mountain (or stairs!)! More details...
Milestone 2. Spectacular: Acclimatization Climb to Plaza Francia
You’ve made it to Confluencia! That’s fantastic news — it means you have officially completed the easiest segment of Aconcagua’s Normal Route. The reward is an acclimatization hike to the lower Horcones Glacier and Plaza Francia, which offers you unobstructed views of Aconcagua’s imposing Pared Sur (South Face). To reach Plaza Francia, you have to cover 3,263ft of total ascent. Start climbing: there’s a mountain waiting for you. More details...
Milestone 3. Mountain Reality: Playa Ancha to Plaza de Mulas
How did you like Plaza Francia? Hopefully you enjoyed stretching your legs and getting used to the vertical challenge, because this next segment is where the actual hard work starts on Aconcagua. Your next task is to reach Plaza de Mulas (Square of the Mules), Aconcagua’s fabled basecamp at 14,379ft above sea level. To get there, you need to climb 3,681ft. More details...
Milestone 4. Into Thin Air: The Ascent to Nido de Condores.
Congratulations on reaching Plaza de Mulas! You are now officially leaving behind the realm of trekking and entering the world of mountaineering. Above basecamp, the terrain changes radically: you are now covering minimal distances but very steep terrain with heavy loads. Your next task is to reach Camp Nido de Condores at 18,251ft above sea level, which requires an ascent of 3,970ft. More details...
Milestone 5. Rarefied: The Summit Ascent
This is it: you have reached Nido, and are now within reach of Aconagua’s summit at 22,841ft! The summit is a very hard and slow 4,603ft of ascent above Nido de Condores. Not many climbers attempt to summit from Nido (most choose to move up one more camp first in order to shorten their summit push by a few hours) but it is possible — so what are you waiting for? Let’s do this! More details...
