PHOTOS: Life at Aconcagua’s Confluencia, a Sustainable Geodesic Base Camp in the Argentine Andes

Located about half way up the <a title="Life at Aconcagua's Confluencia, a Sustainable Geodesic Base in Between the Argentine Andes" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconcagua" target="_blank">Aconcagua</a> -- the highest mountain in Occident -- sits a magical makeshift camping site that finds itself amidst the colorful <a title="Life at Aconcagua's Confluencia, a Sustainable Geodesic Base in Between the Argentine Andes" href="http://inhabitat.com/inca-bridge-a-golden-mineral-arch-forms-a-natural-bridge-at-the-foot-of-mount-aconcagua/" target="_blank">Andes</a> mountains. Named 'Confluencia', due to its location at the convergence of two glacial rivers, the camp pops each year between the months of November and March, and then leaves the mountains without a trace. This spectacular destination finds visitors from all over the world descending upon the mountain each year, and we recently had a chance to visit the enchanting spot and set up camp. Click ahead for the exclusive images and story, and discover how life high up in the mountains can be low-impact, serene and extremely beautiful.

A four-hour bus journey from Mendoza will leave you at the stone-entrance of the Aconcagua National Park.

After four-hour trek through small paths along Rio Horcones you will reach the Confluencia base.

The first thing to do is to check-in, so they know at the entrance that you had made it. Then a visit the doctor for a quick health check is a must.

The Park Ranger's shelter is built from T-Plak, a long lasting, weatherproof material made from recycled Tetra-Brick cartons, and has a corrugated iron roof with solar panels resting on it.

The site has around five companies that offer different services like guided trekking tours, fantastic meals, and rentals.

The domes can take different shapes and are built on site and wrapped in plastic sheeting. It is not the most sustainable material, but its extremely durable, weather-proof and designed for reuse.

The sun powers Confluencia through 12 V solar panels.

Some domes have reused wooden pallets or even floating wooden floors.

Confluencia is a small and very friendly group of people that work on site for four months.

A solar-powered fridge is eco-friendly and works much better than a thermic one, which is buried in the ground.

Useful bottom-pierced recycled aluminum cans for drying cutlery and a visit from a cheeky Patagonian Sierra finch, dubbed 'boquenses' for sharing Boca's football team colors.

Food at Inca is deluxe -- from fresh watermelon, homemade pizzas, roasted vegs and even porridge and scrambled eggs for breakfast.

The domes have transparent windows for natural light and astonishing views to the landscape.

Or if you are looking for is some serenity, maybe this bench is your spot.

Mules bring the food up and the rubbish down. They work hard, but get plenty of rest after working a day and during the year.

Confluencia's water comes through a long PVC pipe from a glacier up the mountain, proving drinkable cold water suitable cooking and cleaning.

The toilets are a bit of a hassle to reach during cold dark nights, and a peek from the inside shows how difficult it is to escape the beauty.

Local plants are sweet and tough, and you can find Jurassic period ammonites fossils inside the stones scattered around.

Each visitor to the Aconcagua National Park is given a plastic bag to bring its own rubbish back down to preserve the site.

Living at 3400 meters in between the Andes is a fantastic and unique experience, but reaching the 6962 meters to the top is a very difficult yet wonderful, dream to achieve.