Following Inka’s proposed itinerary, our first “official” day involved meeting the guides and having them check our gear at the hotel. We then visited with the front office staff to pay our balances before heading out to rent whatever we were missing from one of the few mountaineering shops nearby.
This expedition was led by Ariel Perinetti and Nicolas Sotelo, both experienced guides from Mendoza.
Our team members were Philippe, Isabelle and Jerome from France, Pieter and Maarten from Belgium, George from Australia, and Alex from Scotland. I was the only one from the United States. Aside from the Belgium brothers, none of us had met before — yet everyone got along quite nicely from the start.
Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better group to climb Aconcagua with. Despite there being no placement process or skill-matching exercise by Inka’s front office, we found ourselves in remarkably similar circumstances — first big expedition, no ego trips, no record-setting expectations — just the same vibe, same level of experience, and a shared interest in seeing what this mountain had to teach us.
In the inevitable gamble of going guided, I won big in Argentina.
Gear Check
After introductions and a quick overview of the day, we moved right into checking our gear as the first order of business. Each of us did this in our respective hotel rooms, with Ariel verifying my equipment.
Everything checked out — including a stash of Planters peanuts, Larabars and Chomps beef sticks.
Where To Rent Gear in Mendoza
There were a few things I didn’t bring with me on the plane. Sharp items like an ice axe and trekking poles were left behind on purpose, knowing they could be rented in Mendoza for a reasonable price.
Others in our group needed more, so we stopped by El Refugio Aconcagua to rent what was missing. This store is located right off the northwest corner of Plaza Independencia (marked G1 on this map) — but note that, like many other shops in Mendoza, it closes in the afternoon between lunch and dinner.
Piré Aconcagua, another mountain shop about a half mile west of the Inka office, carried essentials too (see G2 marked on this map). This is where I picked up a few small items, like utensils and a plastic cup.
Inka also recommended, Orviz Tienda de Montaña, located about a quarter mile east of their office (G3 on the map below). I didn’t stop in myself, but one of our teammates had to run in and rent something last-minute as we were heading out of town.
I also recall seeing a gear store somewhere along Paseo Sarmiento, the pedestrian mall just west of Plaza Independencia highlighted above — near the Figo restaurante if I recall.
First Team Dinner
It was a hectic day of tying up loose ends and making sure everything was in order. Wrapping it up at El Faro Bistro (F2), we watched the sun set behind the mountains of Mendoza from their rooftop balcony.
It was a nice chance to get to know each other better, since we’d be spending the next 18 days together!
