Parque Provincial Aconcagua

Sunrise outside of Mendoza.

Morning light on the Andes.

Morning over a vineyard.

Heading west.

The first taste of the cool geology ahead.

The first break in the canyon where you realize that we've climbed into the mountains.

I spy a little herd of horses.

Where the bus dropped us off.

Welcome to Aconcagua Provincial Park.

The start of the hike at 2950 m, or 9678 ft.  Aconcagua (6962 m or 22841 ft) is peeking behind the hill in the background.

Horcones Lake.

Reflection of Aconcagua on Horcones Lake.

Looking back over Horcones Lake.

Flowers and Aconcagua.

Bluebird day couldn't have been better.

Looking back.

Common thorny plant.

Yours truly, excited for the day with Aconcagua.

Mules.

Heading up to camp.

Crossing the dirty Río Horcones.

Sure glad I wasn't carrying their packs.

Confluencia, my destination.

Cerro Tolosa,  5432 m or 17821 ft.

Ranger hut at Confluencia.

3400 m or 11155 ft.

Various expedition camps at Confluencia.

Dirty dirty feet.  The dark dirt stuck to the sunscreen on my legs and made them look a thousand shades darker.

Me with Cerro Tolosa.

Cerro Tolosa.

Cool striation in the rocks in the background.

Back down.

Cerro Tolosa.

Cerro Tolosa.

More mules and a group of hikers in the background.

The Río Horcones.  Suddenly goes underground (but it comes back later).

Green (and see, there's the river again).

I spy the bridge crossing the river.

Aconcagua.

Happy girl :)

Jumping for joy (but having a case of bad timing).

Back to Horcones Lake.

Back to the trailhead.

Puente del Inca.

Market at Puente del Inca.

Stickers on a shop window at Puente del Inca.

Apple and peanut butter treat on the bus.

More cool geology on the way back.

This shot belongs in an old western movie.

Late afternoon sun.

Vineyards again, but this time in the afternoon.

All photography copyright Kendall DeLyser.