Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
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yedi
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Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
A friend and I were talking the other day about mountains that we may want to attempt in the future, looking to expand our horizons from the PNW volcanoes. Eventually, our conversation turned to what it costs to make these attempts, and I don't think either of us had a really good way to estimate. I've heard that Aconcagua costs roughly $3500-$4000, but I have no idea if that is accurate. I figured I would throw this question out to the board, since I know a fair number of people here have put together their own trips to some big mountains recently. I'm curious to know what it cost you (excluding gear - just actual trip costs and perishables), if you don't mind sharing. I'm most interested in Aconcagua and Denali, but I'd also be interested in hearing about any other trips that folks have taken (Mexico or Ecuador, Mont Blanc, etc.)
Re: Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
That's about the going price for a guided trip from a local company. That doesn't include airfare, gear, etc.I've heard that Aconcagua costs roughly $3500-$4000, but I have no idea if that is accurate.
Are you talking guided or unguided?
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yedi
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Re: Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
I'm thinking unguided. Just curious what people have spent for total cost (airfare, permits, food, in-country transportation, mules, etc.) going it alone.Scott P wrote:Are you talking guided or unguided?
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moon stalker
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Re: Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
Below are rough costs (translate - from memory, but I'm a numbers person so they're pretty close).
Ecuador - plane ticket was 900. In-country costs 1000 for 2 weeks. This included gifts since we went before xmas and 300 for a guide on Cayambe. Other peaks were unguided. We went cheap and used buses for transportation.
Mexico - plane ticket just barely over 400. In-country costs 1000 - this was a CMC trip so it cost more than if it had been individual. We used paid transport, so that increased the price as well. Price included most meals. 1 week.
Denali - all together about 2000. 700 was the plane to/from AK (initial ticket was 400 but 300 fare difference to alter itinerary, and I got off cheap, some of my teammates paid 500 to change it). The glacier plane was 585. Transportation to/from Talk was just under 100. Weather forecaster plus sat phone about 100. Food was a big expense - about 400 to 500. We didn't have a hotel in Anc, stayed at one our teammates aunts house.
Hope this helps.
Ecuador - plane ticket was 900. In-country costs 1000 for 2 weeks. This included gifts since we went before xmas and 300 for a guide on Cayambe. Other peaks were unguided. We went cheap and used buses for transportation.
Mexico - plane ticket just barely over 400. In-country costs 1000 - this was a CMC trip so it cost more than if it had been individual. We used paid transport, so that increased the price as well. Price included most meals. 1 week.
Denali - all together about 2000. 700 was the plane to/from AK (initial ticket was 400 but 300 fare difference to alter itinerary, and I got off cheap, some of my teammates paid 500 to change it). The glacier plane was 585. Transportation to/from Talk was just under 100. Weather forecaster plus sat phone about 100. Food was a big expense - about 400 to 500. We didn't have a hotel in Anc, stayed at one our teammates aunts house.
Hope this helps.
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fleetmack
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Re: Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
Think I spent around $5K for the entire trip for Kilimanjaro, and that included:
+Guided 6 day Machame Route
+3 day Safari
+5 days in Zanzibar
+All airfare
+All non-hiking-night hotels (4 star place in Zanzibar)
+All food, drinks, and tips
Kili alone with guide, tips, air, etc. would probably be right around $3000-3500
+Guided 6 day Machame Route
+3 day Safari
+5 days in Zanzibar
+All airfare
+All non-hiking-night hotels (4 star place in Zanzibar)
+All food, drinks, and tips
Kili alone with guide, tips, air, etc. would probably be right around $3000-3500
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herdbull
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Re: Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
Just did the trip this past Dec/Jan. so everything is pretty fresh in my mind and current.
My entire trip with airfare ($1800), high season permit ($600ish with blu dollar street rate & mule discount), mules only with INKA no guide or porter ($360), 8 days lodging in Mendoza ($100), reciprocity fee for AR ($160), 3 full nights room and board with INKA on the mtn ($305), plus gifts, new 120L bag to get gear home, all food for 8 days in Mendoza, bus & taxi fares, random clothes for around town when bags didn't show in Mendoza......lets see....uhhmmmm... about 90 bazzillion bottles of water while in Mendoza because it was triple digits everyday...... the whole trip door to door including everything was around $3800. And I even brought home a couple hundred pesos as souvenirs.
You can do this trip pretty cheap considering the experience you will get get/have. If you want to talk specifics some time give me a shout. I'd love to talk about it, Mendoza, the whole thing.
My entire trip with airfare ($1800), high season permit ($600ish with blu dollar street rate & mule discount), mules only with INKA no guide or porter ($360), 8 days lodging in Mendoza ($100), reciprocity fee for AR ($160), 3 full nights room and board with INKA on the mtn ($305), plus gifts, new 120L bag to get gear home, all food for 8 days in Mendoza, bus & taxi fares, random clothes for around town when bags didn't show in Mendoza......lets see....uhhmmmm... about 90 bazzillion bottles of water while in Mendoza because it was triple digits everyday...... the whole trip door to door including everything was around $3800. And I even brought home a couple hundred pesos as souvenirs.
You can do this trip pretty cheap considering the experience you will get get/have. If you want to talk specifics some time give me a shout. I'd love to talk about it, Mendoza, the whole thing.
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Re: Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
Wow that is excellent info: good for convincing wife of feasibility of Aconcagua.herdbull wrote:Just did the trip this past Dec/Jan. so everything is pretty fresh in my mind and current.
My entire trip with airfare ($1800), high season permit ($600ish with blu dollar street rate & mule discount), mules only with INKA no guide or porter ($360), 8 days lodging in Mendoza ($100), reciprocity fee for AR ($160), 3 full nights room and board with INKA on the mtn ($305), plus gifts, new 120L bag to get gear home, all food for 8 days in Mendoza, bus & taxi fares, random clothes for around town when bags didn't show in Mendoza......lets see....uhhmmmm... about 90 bazzillion bottles of water while in Mendoza because it was triple digits everyday...... the whole trip door to door including everything was around $3800. And I even brought home a couple hundred pesos as souvenirs.
You can do this trip pretty cheap considering the experience you will get get/have. If you want to talk specifics some time give me a shout. I'd love to talk about it, Mendoza, the whole thing.
A man has got to know his limitations.-Dr. Jonathan Hemlock or Harry Callahan or something F' it: http://youtu.be/lpzqQst-Sg8
'Life is too short to ski groomers'
"That man's only desire was to stand, once only, on the summit of that glorious wedge of rock...I think anyone who loves the mountains as much as that can claim to be a mountaineer, too."-Hermann Buhl, Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage
'Life is too short to ski groomers'
"That man's only desire was to stand, once only, on the summit of that glorious wedge of rock...I think anyone who loves the mountains as much as that can claim to be a mountaineer, too."-Hermann Buhl, Nanga Parbat Pilgrimage
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Kevo
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Re: Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
A friend and I climbed Denali for about $1.5k per person in 2011.
-RT Flights DEN-ANC were $350+ some extra bag costs (~$100 per person RT)
-We had a friend in Anchorage drive us to Talkeetna (gas money $30 PP)
-Even including fuel, we didn't spend any more on food than we would have living at home in Colorado
-Permit was $150ish per person
-Flight to basecamp was $550
-We each probably spent $300 on gear that we didn't already have. Not sure if this should be included or not, since we still have and still use said gear.
-Hostel accommodation in Talkeetna was not expensive on either end of the climb, and at least two nights was included with our basecamp flights.
-Our air service (Sheldon) lent us bikes for getting around town.
Total= $1480
Most people can't believe how cheap flights are from Denver to Anchorage at that time of year. Denali is very double and not that expensive so long as you don't need a guide.
-RT Flights DEN-ANC were $350+ some extra bag costs (~$100 per person RT)
-We had a friend in Anchorage drive us to Talkeetna (gas money $30 PP)
-Even including fuel, we didn't spend any more on food than we would have living at home in Colorado
-Permit was $150ish per person
-Flight to basecamp was $550
-We each probably spent $300 on gear that we didn't already have. Not sure if this should be included or not, since we still have and still use said gear.
-Hostel accommodation in Talkeetna was not expensive on either end of the climb, and at least two nights was included with our basecamp flights.
-Our air service (Sheldon) lent us bikes for getting around town.
Total= $1480
Most people can't believe how cheap flights are from Denver to Anchorage at that time of year. Denali is very double and not that expensive so long as you don't need a guide.
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shredthegnar10
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Re: Expedition Costs? (Aconcagua, Denali, etc.)
Aconcagua cost around $3100 for me (I went in Jan '13). My group hired mules through Inka Expediciones (I highly recommend them, they were great), along with private transportation to Los Penitentes (I think that was about $250, split 3 ways, and we took the bus back to Mendoza after our climb). We didn't purchase meals at base camp or anything like that from them. I was a graduate student at the time so I was pretty frugal with my money though -- I didn't buy lots of souvenirs or anything, just a few bottles of Malbec (which ended up costing the equivalent of like $10/ea, but they were really good).
Most things worth doing are difficult, dangerous, expensive, or all three.
