Denali or Aconcagua

Hey everyone,

I'm planning on climbing Denali unguided with at least 2 other people in summer 2026 or 2027, and have been trying to determine the path to get there. By the end of this coming summer, I'll have done Helens, Adams, Hood, Baker, and Rainier all unguided.

The question is what to do next. Ideally, I want to climb Denali in summer 2026. I've seen people say to climb Aconcagua first to get the altitude experience. I could probably make that work by using all my good graces at my job. I would then do Denali after that with partially unpaid leave.

How critical is doing Aconcagua first and why is it better to test altitude there? I think it would be great to get the multi-week expedition experience along with the altitude experience. I'm having trouble with it because it feels like a stepping stone to my actual goal of Denali but it would require just as much time commitment as Denali. Also, if I don't have any issues with altitude, it'll feel somewhat of a waste since I could used the time off for Denali instead.

Thank you all for the help on not only this but my previous questions as well. Being from Michigan makes things much harder and the information this sub provides is incredibly important.