Introduction: Aconcagua provincial park
The Andes are the longest continental mountain range in the world with 7000km length, 200 to 700km width and an average height of 4000m. While lots of great trekking in the Andes are in Patagonia, the highest summit of the mountain range is Aconcagua and is located between Mendoza and Santiago de Chile.
Aconcagua summit stands at 6960m, while it’s the highest mountain out of Asia, it is only the 190 highest mountain on earth (189 mountains are higher than it, all in Asia). Yet Aconcagua is one of the seven Summits of the seven continents.
Mount Aconcagua along with Horcones Lagoon, Plaza de Mulas and Plaza Francia are all part of the Aconcagua provincial park.
Various treks are available in it:
- 1-day visit to Horcones Lagoon (3000m)
- 1-day trip to Confluencia (base camp 3400m)
- 3-days trek to Plaza Francia (4000m)
- 5-days trek to Plaza de Mulas (4260m)
- 7-days trek to Mount Bonette (5100m)
- 18-days to summit (6960m)
We will here talk about the 1-day trip to Confluencia from Mendoza and return. (January). Leaving at 5:55am and retuning at 8:45pm.
Table of Contents
Getting to Aconcagua provincial park
To get to Confluencia, you first need to reach the Aconcagua provincial park. To do so, you can either rent a car which will take 2h30 (approx.) or take a bus which will take 4h (approx.)
To get there by bus, you first need to buy your ticket in Mendoza or online. To buy it in Mendoza, you can ether go to the bus terminal or to Andesmar sales point as the only buses doing this line nowadays are Andesmar. The cost for one ticket is 244 pesos one way.
There is a daily departure from Mendoza terminal 5:55am (that’s the only time that allow you a go/return in a single day).
While buying your ticket, you can simply tell that you want to get to Aconcagua provincial park or Cerro Las Leñas (L heras).
You will need to buy your ticket at least 24h in advance but we would recommend getting it 2 or 3 days in advance. We got ours 3 days in advance and ended up with the seat in front of the bus on the upper deck which gave us an amazing landscape along the way.
The bus is comfortable, it is a CAMA/SEMI-CAMA double decker bus with AC and WC.
The bus is not direct and therefor will make stops along the way. Ours was always full, along the way we picked up people that ended up standing, and while making breaks in terminals along the road, lots of locals would get out and other in.
We arrived right on time at 9:45am. You will notice a few barracks, a sign and a cross on the right side. It is the stop next after Puente del Inca.
Aconcagua provincial park
Registration
When you exit the bus, you will first need to cross the road and get to the ticket and registration office.
There you will buy your ticket; the cost is base on what you will be doing. One ticket for Confluencia is 1500 pesos. The ticket office there will ask you your passport but a picture of it will be enough. It was for us and other people doing the trek this day.
At this point, you will get some instructions. You need to bring with you water, food, snacks, hiking boots, hat, suncream and so on…
Also, the latest timing to get down is to leave Confluencia at 4pm. The park is open from 8am to 6pm. As you must check-out, you must be back at the entrance by 6pm.
Hike to Horcones lagoon
Once you ticket in hand, some sun cream applied and a WC break taken, you can start working along the road for 1km or so in order to reach the beginning of the trail. The first part of the trail will lead you to Horcones lagoon.
You can’t miss it and you can’t get lost; the trail is well marked with signs and from beginning till end you will see Aconcagua (the mountain with snow on it) in front of you. Always go toward it.
This first part is easy, there is a nice path and no difficulties at all. The landscape is gorgeous all along.
This trail ends once you reach the bridge.
Hike to Confluencia
Once you reached the bridge, the real hike starts. There it becomes a bit harder. It is still accessible for everyone but tougher as the path become steeper and is now made of dirt/sand making it hard at some point.
But with a few breaks and pause, you can do it without issue.
What makes it also a bit harder is that this part of the trail is really windy and will all the sand around it sometimes is hard to move forward. You can even see a glimpse of a tornado forming with the sand.
Confluencia
Confluencia is the base camp to all trekking and climbing. Once you arrive there you first need to register. The rangers on site will also tell you that there is fresh water and public toilet available here for free. And that a bit further there is a small viewpoint (5min from camp).
Also, what we saw there was a shop/restaurant where you can get food, water, cigarette and other stuffs but we didn’t see anyone in the store. There was maybe 10 people in the camp at this time.
When we did it, there wasn’t many people along the trail. We came across maybe 8 people going down by groups 2 and we were maybe 10 to get to Confluencia. Most of the people stay around the lagoon.
We left the ticket office at 9h55 and arrive at Confluencia at 12:30pm.
We then ate our lunch (Sandwich made the night before) and hiked to viewpoint. After what, we hanged around with 2 Canadian sisters and a French couple that where also doing the trek.
Hike back
As the 6 of us had the bus at 4:30pm, we made the road back together chatting along the trail. We left around 1:45pm and arrived at 4:10pm. We didn’t rush it and were even slow as we were a group of 6 chatting all along the way. It could be done faster.
Once back at the entrance, we check-out from the trail, cross the road and waited the bus.
Getting back to Mendoza from Aconcagua provincial park
While we bought our ticket to get there, we also bought the ticket to return. There is a bus from the park at 4:30pm and another one from Puente del Inca at 8:30pm.
We opted for the 4:30pm as it was from the park directly and after hiking up and down, it would be enough.
In the end we ended up walking around 24km this day.
It was the same bus as the way there and we arrived back at Mendoza at 8:45pm.
We also had made sandwiches for dinner and this ended up being amazing, after the trek we were hungry 😊
Conclusion of Aconcagua provincial park
Almost 8h of bus for 5h on site, totally worth it. It was an amazing day and a great hike.
“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
Where to stay in Mendoza
- Budget: Lagares Hostel
- Mid-Range: Altos de Mendoza Suite
- Luxurious: Diplomatic Hotel
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