Franke (4850 masl), Vallecitos

Proposal

The classic mountain school

Cordón del Plata is the high mountain "school" of Mendoza and of Argentines in general. One of the few relatively "alpine" landscapes in the country; Where altitude, really big mountains, ice and verticality are combined. It is a midpoint between the great distances and smooth deserts of the high mountains of the Northwest and the concentrated and upright masses of granite of Patagonia. Much could be written about geological, historical or romantic aspects about these beautiful mountains, where so many mountaineers of different generations have lots of memories, dreams and first achievements. The Cordón del Plata does not belong to the border range or Principal Range, where Aconcagua is, nor to the old Precordillera, but is between the two, constituting together with the Tigre Range the so-called Frontal Range. It is geologically the newest, and for this reason its mountains are the most slender in the Central Andes.

This proposal is for 4 days to try one of the summits of more than 4000 meters, Franke - Lomas Blanca

ITINERARY

Day 1 Meeting in Mendoza, in front of the bus terminal. 10 a.m. Transfer by charter vehicle to Vallecitos (2850 masl), about 80 km from the city. In Vallecitos we will prepare the equipment and we will make the first stretch, about 3 hours, to the Las Veguitas camp, at 3200 masl. Camp setup.

Day 2: On this day we will ascend to our camp, to Veguitas Superior. 4 hours of walking. Set up of the camp. Rest. Dinner and overnight.

Day 3: Very early. Ascent to Cerro Franke. An extensive and exhausting day to try to reach the summit of this representative hill of the Cordón del Plata, with great views from its top. He gets off and sleeps in the camp.

Day 4: Breaking camp and descent to the shelters. Return to Mendoza and lunch in Potrerillos. End of the program and our services

Elevation Profile

Included Services

Advice prior to the trip through photos, maps.
Transfer Mendoza-Vallecitos-Mendoza
3 nights in a wild camp.
Professional mountain guides
tents
All meals from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 4 (breakfast, energy, lunch, snack, dinner)
permanent advice

Services NOT included

Bus or air to Mendoza round trip.
Expenses for leaving the program

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it a very difficult program?

It does not have technical difficulty but it does have some physics with height. The program is designed for those who want to do a more demanding mountain and for the Training group that is preparing for greater objectives.

Do I need to be trained?

For any mountain activity it is necessary to have a certain previous physical preparation, although it is not decisive.

Where do you spend the night?

The overnight is in tents.

What is the weather or temperature?

Although the time of year is summer, in mountainous and/or rugged areas temperatures tend to drop at night and very early.

Are rest stops made?

The stops occur with a frequency and graduation according to the intensity. There are stops for lunch, snack, and rest.

How much does the backpack weigh?

Approximately 10 to 12 Kg, the day of the summit less.

What do we eat?

In all our expeditions we offer the meal service IN FULL BOARD PLAN.

March lunches (cold meals): Milanese and tomato sandwiches, cold cut sandwiches, chopped, salads, tapas, etc.

Dinner: Vegetable stews-bacon-red chorizo, Chicken and vegetable casseroles, Pasta with various sauces or stew, Roast meat (Chivito), Chaw Fan, Chicken with rice in the casserole....

Breakfasts and snacks: Tea, Coffee, Cappuccino, Cooked Mate, Mate, Powdered milk; bread, cookies, jam, honey, dulce de leche; cereals, fruit.

It is necessary to complete the personal/medical file to clarify if someone does not eat some type of food.

Difficulty Graduation System

Click on each indicator to see details

40%

Backpack (M)

Backpack: Weight / Duration of the Day.

Clic para detalles

60%

Physical (F)

Physical demand

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40%

Technical (T)

Technician: Difficulty in the Field / Equipment.

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40%

Psycho (P)

Psychological Strength

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60%

Height (A)

Height Exposure

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How to interpret these values?

Each aspect is evaluated from 20% to 100%, where:

20-40%: Basic or beginner level
60%: Intermediate level
80-100%: Advanced or expert level

Recommended for intermediate level

Previous experience and good physical condition required.

Required equipment

GENERAL EQUIPMENT

Special backpack for trekking (65 to 85 litres)
Warm sleeping bag (minimum –10 degrees comfort) (eg 700gms or 1 Kg of feather or good synthetic)
Insulating mat (10 to 15mm)
Trekking sticks.
Water-resistant plastic bags to store all the clothes inside the backpack.

CLOTHING

Stockings
Underwear
1 pair of trekking boots (in conditions).
Long trekking pants (NO JEAN).
1 long inner pants or leggings.
2 dry fit synthetic short-sleeved shirts.
1 long-sleeved shirt.
2 coats (fleece jumper, or wool pullover).
1 sun hat (with flaps).
1 scarf to cover the neck from the sun.
Fleece collar
Warm hat

HANDS

Thin first layer gloves.
Warm fleece gloves.
Third layer gloves (waterproof). They can be mittens or ski type.

THIRD LAYER (windproof and waterproof)

Waterproof-windproof jacket (ultrex or gore tex or similar).
Feather coat jacket.
Trouser cover (ultrex or gore tex or similar) – According to conditions. Consult.
Leggings – According to conditions

PERSONAL ELEMENTS