In short: Vallecitos is a high mountain valley inside the Cordón del Plata provincial park, about 80 km from the city of Mendoza, Argentina. It holds the closest ski area to the city, now closed, a cluster of mountain huts at 2,900 m (9,514 ft), and the start of the routes to summits ranging from 3,000 up to 5,968 metres. Cerro Vallecitos, at 5,468 m, is only one of them.
Most of the confusion about Vallecitos comes down to the name. Vallecitos is a place and it is also a peak, and they are not the same thing. The place is the valley where the huts are and where every climb in the Cordón del Plata begins. The peak is a 5,468 metre summit you climb from there on a seven day expedition.
This guide sorts the two out: what Vallecitos is, how to get there, what the huts are like, what you can do and which peaks you climb. For dates and prices on the Cerro Vallecitos expedition, see the expedition page.
What is Vallecitos and where is it?
Vallecitos is a mountain valley in Mendoza province, Argentina, inside the Cordón del Plata provincial park, across the Tupungato and Luján de Cuyo departments. It sits about 80 km from the city of Mendoza, a little over an hour's drive.
The Cordón del Plata is part of the Frontal Cordillera of the Andes and holds summits from 3,000 up to nearly 6,000 metres. It is a glaciated range: Argentina's National Glacier Inventory, produced by IANIGLA-CONICET, surveys it as a distinct sector within the Mendoza river basin. Vallecitos is the way in to all of it, the point where the road ends and the mountain starts.
That closeness to a city is what makes it unusual. There are very few places where you can have breakfast in a city of half a million people and sleep that same night at 2,900 metres, at the foot of a peak of almost 6,000.
How do you get to Vallecitos from Mendoza?
By car from the city of Mendoza in a little over an hour, around 80 km. The last stretch is unpaved mountain road, which in winter can need chains or be closed by snow. There is no regular public transport.
Leave early and check the state of the road the same day, particularly between June and September. The route gains height fast: you go from 700 metres in the city to 2,900 at the huts in a little over sixty kilometres, and you notice that rate of ascent as soon as you get out of the car.
On our expeditions transfers from Mendoza are included, so neither the vehicle nor the road is your problem.
What are the huts at Vallecitos like?
There are several mountain huts in Vallecitos, most of them around 2,900 m, inside the Cordón del Plata provincial park. The best known are Mausy, UNC, Ski Montaña, San Bernardo and La Roca, and there are a few more. They generally have bunks with mattresses in shared rooms, shared bathrooms and hot showers. You bring your own sleeping bag.
This is not one isolated refuge but a small cluster. Each has its own history, capacity and services, and between them they are the base for almost everything that happens in the valley. We work with the Refugio Mausy, where we spend the first night of every trip in the Cordón del Plata.
For a three day climb like Adolfo Calle and Stepanek, the huts let you take two summits above 4,000 metres while sleeping under a roof every night, with no tent or camping gear to carry. For the longer expeditions they are just the first step.
Nights at 2,900 metres run much colder than people expect, so look at the comfort rating on your sleeping bag rather than the extreme rating on the label.
Can you ski at Vallecitos?
What is left at Vallecitos is the remains of the closest ski area to the city of Mendoza, at around 3,000 m inside the park. It mattered in its day, but it has not reopened as a ski resort since 2007. People still come up after a snowfall for ski touring and sledding. There are no working lifts and no marked or maintained pistes.
This is why the name Vallecitos keeps turning up alongside skiing in searches. Worth knowing before you drive up: what is there now is the mountain and the snow, not a functioning ski area.
We do not run skiing. We work the valley in its other role, as a base camp for the climbs in the Cordón del Plata through the southern summer.
Which peaks do you climb from Vallecitos?
The whole ladder of the Cordón del Plata: from 3,000 metre summits done in a day, through 4,000 metre peaks climbed in three, up to Cerro El Plata at 5,968 m, the high point of the range.
That ordered progression is what makes the valley a school for high altitude mountaineering. You can start with a 4,000 metre objective and come back years later for one of almost 6,000, always to the same valley and the same familiar logistics.
| Summit | Height | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Cerro del Medio | 4,170 m | A first altitude expedition |
| Stepanek | 4,194 m | Combined with Adolfo Calle |
| Cerro Adolfo Calle | 4,272 m | Three days from the huts |
| Cerro Vallecitos | 5,468 m | A first 5,000er, seven days |
| Cerro El Plata | 5,968 m | The high point of the range, seven days |
The table lists the objectives we run. The valley also holds smaller summits, around 3,000 metres, that are done in a day.
If you already have some experience, Cerro del Medio is the step not to skip. If you have altitude behind you, the most demanding objective in the park is the Cerro El Plata expedition: same valley, seven days, almost six thousand metres and a good deal more strain.
How high is Cerro Vallecitos and how hard is it?
Cerro Vallecitos is 5,468 m (17,940 ft) and the difficulty is physical and altitude related, not technical. No climbing, no ice, no roped sections. There is weight in the pack, long hours on the move and the real demand of working above 5,000 metres.
That is why it is a first 5,000er for many Argentine climbers. It is genuine high altitude, with far more manageable logistics than Aconcagua and a city an hour away.
The filter is not technique but fitness and previous time at altitude. Come with at least one trip above 4,000 metres behind you. If you have never been that high, add an intermediate objective first. Our 30, 60 and 90 day training plan will get you in shape for it.
How does acclimatisation work, day by day?
It is gradual and it takes all seven days: you gain height slowly, carry gear and food up to a higher camp and come back down to sleep. Climbing high and sleeping low is what gives the body time to produce the physiological response it needs.
The rest day before the summit is where the altitude settles, and skipping it is one of the most common reasons people end up overcooked. We would rather arrive with one day less in hand than ask the body for something it has not absorbed yet.
| Day | Stage | Approx. height | What happens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mendoza to Refugio Mausy | 2,900 m | Gear check, first night at altitude |
| 2 | Climb to Veguitas Superior | 3,400 m | Height gained on foot |
| 3 | Carry to El Salto | 4,200 m | Gear and food go up, you come down to sleep |
| 4 | Move to high camp | At altitude | You settle in up high |
| 5 | Rest and active hydration | No movement | The body absorbs the altitude |
| 6 | Summit attempt | 5,468 m | Long day, out and back |
| 7 | Descent and return to Mendoza | Downhill | End of the expedition |
Up high we watch closely for signs of acute mountain sickness: a headache that will not shift, nausea, dizziness or confusion. At that point you stop, you do not push through. Whoever goes down in time gets to come back and try again, and the summit is always optional. If you want to understand the process, it helps to read about the phases of acclimatisation and about preventing altitude sickness.
When is the best time to go to Vallecitos?
For the climbs, the southern summer, November to March: temperatures are workable and the snow cover allows the activity. In winter the cold, the snow and the wind raise the demand considerably.
Even at the height of summer the mountain hits hard. Snow throws the sun back at you and nights at altitude are very cold, so gear matters as much as fitness: rigid boots, poles, mountain gloves, a good insulating layer and high factor sunscreen.
Specific dates for each expedition are on the calendar. We work with small groups, so places are limited.
Frequently asked questions about Vallecitos
Where is Vallecitos, Mendoza?
On the slopes of the Cordón del Plata, between the Tupungato and Luján de Cuyo departments, about 80 km from the city of Mendoza and a little over an hour's drive. It is a mountain valley, not a town.
How high is Cerro Vallecitos?
5,468 metres above sea level, or 17,940 feet. It is one of the summits of the Cordón del Plata and often someone's first 5,000er, though it is not the highest in the range. That is Cerro El Plata, at 5,968 m.
How do you get to Vallecitos?
By car from the city of Mendoza, a little over an hour. The final stretch is unpaved mountain road and in winter it can require chains or be closed by snow. There is no regular public transport to the valley.
Are there huts at Vallecitos?
Yes, several. They sit around 2,900 m inside the Cordón del Plata provincial park and generally have bunks with mattresses in shared rooms, shared bathrooms and hot showers. You bring your own sleeping bag.
What are the huts at Vallecitos called?
The best known are Mausy, UNC, Ski Montaña, San Bernardo and La Roca, and there are two or three more in the valley. All sit around 2,900 m and work as a base for the climbs in the Cordón del Plata. Our expeditions stay at Refugio Mausy.
Can you ski at Vallecitos?
Yes, but there is no working ski area. It operated until 2007 and was the closest to the city of Mendoza. The structures are still standing but out of service, and people use the mountain for ski touring, sledding and other winter activities.
How many days is the Cerro Vallecitos expedition?
Seven days. That time is used to acclimatise gradually, with load carries, one night in a hut and the rest in high altitude tents, plus a rest day before the summit attempt.
Do you need technical climbing experience?
No. Cerro Vallecitos has no climbing and no roped sections. The demand is physical and altitude related. You do need good fitness and at least one previous trip above 4,000 metres.
Vallecitos or Cerro El Plata?
Vallecitos if this would be your first expedition above 5,000 metres: it is the more approachable of the two. Cerro El Plata, at 5,968 m, is the natural next step, with more altitude and more of a physical challenge.
How much does the Cerro Vallecitos expedition cost?
Current prices, open dates and everything included are on the Cerro Vallecitos expedition page, updated for every departure.
Still have questions before booking? Message us on WhatsApp at +54 9 3512 11-3842 and we will get back to you.