High mountain and jungle expeditions in America

For a short tourist stay, French and other European nationals generally do not need a visa for Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador or Mexico. A paid electronic authorisation is required before departure for the United States (ESTA) and Canada (eTA), and a migration form must be completed on arrival in Mexico. These rules depend on nationality, so each participant's own situation should be checked with the relevant consulate before booking.

No vaccination is required for entry into the countries covered by these expeditions when travelling from Europe. Yellow fever vaccination is however recommended for expeditions in the Amazon region, along with routine boosters (tetanus-diphtheria-polio, hepatitis A and B, typhoid). An individual medical consultation remains the best way to adjust this schedule to the chosen itinerary and to each participant's health.

Malaria risk applies to expeditions in the Amazon region, such as the Matses territory crossing, but not to Andean ascents or polar expeditions, where altitude or latitude rules out the presence of the mosquito vector. Suitable chemoprophylaxis should be discussed with a travel doctor well ahead of departure, only for the programmes actually concerned.

Most programmes in this category climb above 5000 m, a threshold at which acute mountain sickness becomes a real risk regardless of physical fitness. Every expedition includes a staged acclimatisation protocol and guides trained to recognise early symptoms. A pre-departure high-altitude medicine consultation (such as an IFREMMONT check-up) is strongly advised above 5500 m.

Insurance covering search and rescue costs in high mountains or remote areas is essential for all of these expeditions, since a helicopter or river evacuation can be extremely costly. The policy must explicitly cover the maximum altitude reached on the chosen programme, as standard cover is often capped at 3500 m or 6000 m depending on the insurer.

The areas covered by these expeditions - the Andes, the Amazon, the Canadian Arctic, Alaska, do not present a particular local safety risk and are regularly visited by organised expeditions. The main risks remain environmental: altitude, weather, isolation and distance from rescue services, which is why each programme has its own dedicated guiding and equipment.

The most frequented summits in this category require a climbing permit issued by the relevant local authority: a provincial permit for Aconcagua, managed by Mendoza province, a National Park Service permit for Denali, and an access authorisation for Ojos del Salado in the border area with Chile. These formalities, whose cost varies by season and nationality, are handled as part of the trip organisation.

The required level varies widely by programme: from moderate high-altitude trekking on the Mexican volcanoes to technical mountaineering on Aconcagua or Denali, alongside cross-country trekking in the Amazon with no glacier travel. Each trip sheet states the level and prior experience expected for that specific programme.

The choice starts with the objective sought: ticking off a Seven Summits peak, getting a first taste of high altitude on a more accessible summit such as Pico de Orizaba, or experiencing an exploration-style expedition in the Amazon or the Arctic. Duration, budget and technical level, refined through the site's filters, then narrow down the selection.

High-altitude experience, with at least one summit above 5000 m already climbed, is generally recommended before taking on Aconcagua, Ojos del Salado or Denali. Mexican volcanoes such as Pico de Orizaba are a common stepping stone before tackling these more demanding objectives.

The window for Andean summits such as Aconcagua or Ojos del Salado falls in the austral summer, from December to March. Denali is climbed in late spring and early boreal summer, from May to July. Amazon expeditions and the Northwest Passage crossing follow their own climate-driven windows, generally outside the rainy season or the ice break-up period.

Three approaches to Aconcagua are offered: the standard route, more frequented and logistically simpler, the traverse, which links two sides of the mountain for a more complete experience, and the Polish Glacier route, more technical and less frequented. The choice depends on the technical level sought and the appetite for isolation.

Expeditions in this category range from roughly two to four weeks. This spread is mainly explained by the acclimatisation time needed at high altitude and by the logistical remoteness of certain areas, such as the Northwest Passage or the Amazon crossing.

Accommodation combines base camps and high-altitude tented camps on the Andean summits and on Denali, local lodges or camps on the Mexican volcanoes, and guided bivouacs led by local or indigenous guides in the Amazon and the Arctic.

Prices in this category range from roughly €5,690 to €14,500, depending on the expedition's duration, technicality and remoteness. This range does not reflect the price of any specific programme, as each trip sheet shows its own price.

The international flight is not included in the prices shown in this category. Air travel to the expedition's departure country remains the participant's responsibility, unless explicitly stated otherwise on the chosen trip sheet.

The filters available on the page : region, duration, level and budget, make it possible to quickly narrow down the selection among all the expeditions offered across the Americas.

Group size ranges from two to fifteen participants depending on the programme, with high-mountain guides leading the technical ascents and local or indigenous guides leading the Amazon expeditions. The guide-to-participant ratio is adjusted to the difficulty and isolation of each itinerary.

Privatising or adapting the programme is possible on several expeditions in this category, particularly those with a wide group-size range such as Aconcagua. This option should be discussed directly with the organising team at the time of booking.

This category combines iconic Seven Summits objectives with rarer expeditions, such as the Matses territory crossing in the Amazon with indigenous guides or the Northwest Passage crossing, offering a wide range between classic mountaineering and exploration.