Córdoba, Argentina

Climbing Cerro Champaquí from the lodge door

Next departure: Friday, 11 December 2026

See dates and rates

Almost everything written in English about Cerro Champaquí describes the Villa Alpina or Los Molles routes. This is the other way up: the west face, from the Quebrada del Tigre, on a trail that starts at the door of the lodge. Up and down in one day — no camping on the mountain.

A group with backpacks walking down a slope of grass and rock, facing a golden sunset over the valley.

Scheduled departures

Upcoming departures

Pick a date and look through the full programme with per-person rates by room type. If it works for you, message us on WhatsApp and we will hold your place.

On scheduled departures you do not need a group of your own: the climb is already arranged and you book a room. The programmes are in Spanish, with rates in Argentine pesos plus VAT; we are happy to go through them with you in English.

The programme

Day by day

You arrive the day before the summit, walk up from the door and sleep back at the house that same night. No refuge, no transfer to a trailhead, no expedition pack to carry.

There are two programmes, of two or three nights. Both have the summit on day two; what changes is day three.

Day 1

Arrive at the house

Check-in 12:00 · walk to the tabaquillo forest in the afternoon

You arrive at midday at La Abundancia, a mountain house from 1897 at the foot of Champaquí. You settle into your en-suite room and sit down to lunch: home cooking, like every meal of the stay.

In the afternoon we walk with the guide to the tabaquillo forest, to stretch your legs after the journey and get to know the ground you will cover the next day.

In the evening, dinner and the briefing: the guide goes through the route, checks everyone's gear and answers questions. Then an early night in a proper bed.

12:00
Check-in
13:30
Lunch
16:00
Guided walk to the tabaquillo forest
21:00
Dinner and climb briefing

Day 2

The summit, and back to your bed

~11 h walking · +1,400 m · summit at 2,790 m

At 6:30 am, after breakfast, you walk out of the door. We cross the footbridge over the stream and start up the Cuesta de las Cabras, the old herders' path, which climbs through La Abundancia's land to the ridge. You go with certified guides who know this gorge and climb it all year round.

Up top the landscape changes completely: high grasslands and granite boulders all the way to the summit of Champaquí, the highest point in Córdoba. Lunch is a picnic on the mountain, packed by the kitchen at the house.

In the late afternoon we walk back down to La Abundancia. No refuge, no bunk, no sleeping bag: a hot shower, a good dinner and your own room are waiting.

6:30
Leave for the summit
13:00
Picnic on the mountain
19:00
Back at La Abundancia
21:00
Dinner

Day 3

Leave rested, or stay one more day

Two nights: check-out 10:00 · Three nights: the day is yours

On the two-night programme, breakfast is unhurried and check-out is at 10.

On the three-night programme, the day is for doing nothing: the stream and its swimming holes, the spring-fed pool, the gardens, the reserve's trails, a siesta. You can add an optional massage, booked and paid separately, to recover after the mountain. Dinner at the house again, and you head home the next day.

Two nights

8:30
Breakfast
10:00
Check-out

Three nights

8:30–10:30
Breakfast
13:30
Lunch
All day
Stream, pool, trails and optional massage
21:00
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast and check-out at 10:00

Two nights

3 days · 2 nights

Arrive at midday, walk the tabaquillo forest in the afternoon to get a feel for the ground, and have the route briefing over dinner. Summit day is next. You leave mid-morning on the third day.

Three nights

4 days · 3 nights

Same start, same summit on day two, plus one more night so you are not driving home on stiff legs. The third day is free: the stream, the spring-fed pool and the reserve's trails.

See dates and rates

The route

The west face, by the Cuesta de las Cabras

The trail leaves from the door of the lodge and climbs the Cuesta de las Cabras, an old herding path inside the estancia. You leave at 6:30 am, summit around midday and sleep back at the lodge the same night. Always with a certified local guide.

La Abundancia is a 1,200-hectare private nature reserve in the Quebrada del Tigre, San Javier, in the Traslasierra valley of Córdoba province. The house dates from 1897 and has 11 en-suite rooms.

The actual route, recorded by GPS: from the lodge to the ridge by the Cuesta de las Cabras, entirely inside the estancia, and the final stretch to the summit. Captions are in Spanish: “salida desde La Abundancia” is the start at the lodge; “en el filo termina la estancia” marks where the estancia ends, on the ridge.

Groups

On your own date

A group taking the whole house can climb on its own date, subject to availability. Minimums then apply: 10 people for Sunday-to-Wednesday nights, 15 for Thursday to Saturday. For those days, La Abundancia is yours alone.

Ask for a group quote

Questions

Frequently asked

When is the next scheduled climb?

The next summit day is Saturday, 12 December 2026. Departures run between October and April.

How high is Cerro Champaquí?

2,790 metres (9,153 ft). It is the highest summit in the province of Córdoba, Argentina.

How long does the climb take?

About 11 hours of walking round trip, with 1,400 metres of ascent. You leave at 6:30 am and are back at the lodge by about 7 pm, picnic and rest stops included — no camping on the mountain.

How many days do I need?

Two nights is the minimum: arrive, walk the tabaquillo forest, summit the next day, leave on the third. Three nights keeps the summit on day two and adds a free day after it, to rest before travelling home.

Do I need technical climbing experience?

No. There is no scrambling or climbing involved and no technical gear. You do need good general fitness and previous long mountain days: the difficulty comes from the sustained ascent and the length of the day.

Can I hike it without a guide?

No. The summit is always done with a certified local guide, and our guides are from the house. There is no mobile signal in the gorge, so an unaccompanied hiker cannot be reached if something goes wrong.

What is included?

En-suite room, all meals, a packed lunch for summit day, the guided ascent, the guided walk to the tabaquillo forest, access to the reserve's trails, and transfer coordination from the airport or bus terminal. Drinks and the cost of transfers are not included.

How much does it cost?

Each scheduled departure has its own programme as a PDF, with per-person rates by room type for two or three nights. The PDF is in Spanish and the rates are in Argentine pesos, plus VAT. Your place is confirmed with a 20% deposit. Message us and we will send the quote in English.

When is the best time to go?

October to April, which is when we schedule departures. Winter ascents are possible but expect strong wind, sub-zero temperatures at the summit and, more importantly, fewer daylight hours for an eleven-hour walk.

How is this different from the Villa Alpina route?

Villa Alpina is the best-known route and climbs the east face over two or three days, staying at mountain posts. From La Abundancia you climb the west face by the Cuesta de las Cabras in a single day, and sleep at the lodge with all meals included.

Booking

How to book your place

  1. 1Pick a date and look through the programme and rates.
  2. 2Message us on WhatsApp with how many of you are coming, which room you prefer and whether you are staying two or three nights.
  3. 3We send you the quote. Your place is confirmed with a 20% deposit.
Book on WhatsAppSee the dates

Enquiries in English are welcome by WhatsApp (+54 9 3544 309716) or at info@laabundancia.com.ar. The rest of the site is in Spanish. Versión en español.