Cerro Plata Expedition – December 2023 Summit Dec 16th
Follow the adventure of our latest Cerro Plata Expedition, straight from the heart of the Cordon del Plata range! 🇦🇷 At 6,000 meters, Cerro Plata is one of the best high-altitude training peaks in the Andes, and this season’s team brought energy, humor, and heart all the way to the summit.
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🗓️ Day-by-Day Cerro Plata Climb Log
🗓️ December 9, 2023 – Acclimatization Begins
We’ve arrived in Vallecitos, our starting point for the climb. From here, we can already see Cerro Vallecitos (5,400m) towering in the distance. The team is excited — and yes, Fábio did bring a saw just in case, inspired by the movie “127 Hours” (don’t worry, we’re all fine 😄). Dalmo and Wendel hit new personal altitude records at 3,050m! Tomorrow, we begin the trek to 3,800m.
🗓️ December 10 – Piedra Grande Camp (3,800m)
We’ve set up camp next to a massive boulder from Mount Franke, as big as a house. The views at sunset were incredible — a sea of clouds blanketed the valley. Everyone is acclimating well.
🗓️ December 11 – Salto Camp (4,300m)
Base camp is established at Salto, where we’ll stay for two nights. Great water source here, and we’ve set up a kitchen tent to improve hydration and meals — key to our Cerro Plata summit attempt, planned for the 16th.
🗓️ December 12 – Load Carry to 4,600m
Rest day, kind of! We made a load carry to 4,600m to prepare for our push. Weather is looking good with just a few clouds.
🗓️ December 13 – First Snow! ❄️
Heavy snowfall at camp today! Wendel and Dalmo saw snow for the first time ever. Everyone’s handling the altitude well — the load carry was a solid test. Summit still on track for the 16th.
🗓️ December 14 – Final Prep Before Summit Push
We’re up at 5 a.m. each day — usually to Fábio’s stories about Pato Branco (which somehow last until 11 a.m. 😅). We reached 4,800m for acclimatization. Conditions are excellent. Tomorrow, we begin the summit push.
🗓️ December 16 – SUMMIT DAY! 🏔️
Success! At 11:00 a.m., Florian, Wendel, and I (Maximo) reached the summit of Cerro Plata. At 12:45 p.m., Paula, Alexandre, Fábio, and Edu joined us at the top. Clear skies, great energy, unforgettable views.
🗓️ December 16 (evening)
We’re safe and already descending toward Mendoza. No need to cut off Fábio’s arm, but we’re definitely considering cutting his tongue after so many stories 😂.
🌄 Why Climb Cerro Plata?
If you’re training for bigger peaks or just want an epic introduction to high-altitude mountaineering in the Andes, Cerro Plata is the perfect choice. This guided expedition offered incredible scenery, great team spirit, and essential acclimatization experience — and the summit views were worth every step.
🧗♂️ Join Us for the Next Cerro Plata Expedition
Ready to climb Cerro Plata? Whether you’re preparing for something bigger or looking for a serious but beautiful challenge, our guided expeditions with Andes Specialists deliver.
Thanks for following our journey, and congrats to the entire team for an unforgettable expedition!
– Maximo Kausch
AndesSpecialists.com