At 22,840 ft., Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in the Americas, and the highest mountain in the world outside of Asia. Located along the Chilean/Argentinean border, the ascent to the summit offers stunning views of the Andes mountain range. The "stone sentinel" rises approximately 4,000 ft. above its neighboring peaks and truly dominates the rugged Andean landscape. Aconcagua is part of the Parque Provincial Aconcagua which protects over 71,000 hectares of mountainous terrain.

The Americas' consumate high altitude climb is an awesome experience and magnificent challenge for mountaineers. Lodged deep in the canon of classic climbs, Aconcagua is a stepping stone for Himalayan peaks drawing climbers from all levels, as the ascent requires little prior technical climbing experience. Mike Boisvert, Expedition Leader, attempted to climb this peak in 1999 and climbed as far 19,200 feet.

Participants will be paired up with a gay buddy who will make arrangements between themselves with sharing a tent, stove, meals; however GO will provide advice to assist all buddies. GO will then form the Gay Outdoors Aconcagua Expedition from these buddies to share team expenses such as ground transportation, mules and base camp.

To increase their chances of success, the team will ascend using four camps versus three, the highest camp being Camp IV at 20,600 feet for their final summit bid.

The expedition will last 25 days with a number of extra days built in. This allows the team to wait out bad weather, acclimatize properly and should they have early success, enjoy life in the charming city of Mendoza.

Their approach to the summit of Aconcagua is highly unique. They will ascend via the less traveled and more aesthetically pleasing Vacas Valley route. The beautiful ascent offers a rare climbing opportunity as they encounter fewer climbers and spend quiet evenings in the rich mountain wilderness. During the 3-day trek to base camp their gear is carried by mules.

At base camp, they can make their stay as comfortable as the team wants depending on how much the group wants to spend.

If you are interested they recommend you read "Aconcagua, a climbing guide" that can be purchased at Amazon.com. It costs only $11.97 and you can purchase it by clicking on this link: Aconcagua, A Climbing Guide

They also recommend that you purchase a video as well that gives you a real sense what this expedition is all about. It costs $18.95 and be purchased by clicking on this link: http://www.adventure-video.com/aconcagua-1.html

If you are considering becoming a member of this expedition and want input into the planning you can be on their e-mail list. Contact Mike at gocenter@adelphia.net

Also check out these websites for more information:
www.aconcagua.com, www.aconcagua.net and www.mt-aconcagua.com