re: #306 Mark Winter

Actually, if you go to Southern Patagonia, early May is too late.. I’d say March/early April would be good. For Northern Patagonia, late April is still fine and for Mendoza, early May is perfect (wine harvest etc.).

Technically the Aconcagua is not really difficult and can be tackled by anyone with a good level of fitness. The main challenges are the weather and the altitude, which means that you should calculate 2 weeks for the climb (with acclimatization). Some people do it in one week though but I don’t recommend it.

The weather is another problem. You go with a group and an experienced guide, and if he tells you “we go back”, you go back… and for good reasons. The Andean storms can kill you, and temperatures can drop to -45C (and that’s without the wind chill factor).

But yes, “ordinary” fit tourists do the trip.

Recap: Aconcagua….High Andean peak, dangerous weather that kills, thin air with less Oxygen, my flabby abs and hanging gut….wait, what was that about wine harvests in Mendoza again?
:-D