Entries from Aconcagua
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
We left the comforts of Mendoza following the windy Mendoza River to Penitentes. The landscape is red, rocky, Martian looking land with bright green trees here and there. Before we arrive we make a mandatory empanada stop so we have the energy to get down to business when we arrive. It's a sea of duffels and gear as we sort through our belongings making a pile that will go straight to basecamp and one that will follow us up the valley on the mules. Excitement is growing bigger as we finish packing. Tomorrow we hit the trail. As for tonight we will enjoy a delicious dinner and our last night sleeping in beds.
Talk to you all next on the trail,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
Not much to write about today. We had a breakfast burrito brunch after a few rounds of coffee. The weather has continued to be warmer then expected with light winds tugging at the tents. We are all in the tents with sleeping bags clipped to the outside to lower the temperatures. While anxious to move to Camp 2, everyone needs this time to continue acclimating. Tomorrow we move camp to 18,000’ and will be in a better position for the next summit window. Currently there is a large lenticular cloud sitting on the summit, several teams moved to high camp yesterday for a summit attempt today, hopefully they are on their descent.
RMI Guide Mike King
Posted by: Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Today starts the beginning of a grand adventure. An adventure to the highest point outside the Himalayas...Aconcagua. The team has shown up in the land of malbecs and carne asada looking fit and well prepared for the next three weeks. After months of anticipation for this moment, all we can do now, is get some well deserved sleep from our lengthy travels. Tomorrow we will continue our travels to Penitentes where we will do the duffel shuffle. Packing and repacking to get our bags ready for the mules will be our main activity for the day, because the following day we hit the dusty trail.
Buenos noches,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
We had an unusually warm night last night, the drainage near our tents was running with water until early morning. With a light wind in camp, we headed for our Camp 2 located at 18,000’. The camp is technically called, Guanacos 3 since it is located on the now closed Guanacos Route. A guanaco is part of the South American camel family consisting of the llama, vicuña and alpaca. The route today takes us into the Ameghino Col with amazing views of the central Andes here in Argentina. The peaks of La Mano and Mercedario standout the most.
Today is a shorter day and since we are back in camp by 2 pm the Team gets to enjoy a casual afternoon in the tents. Tomorrow we have a scheduled rest day to continue our acclimatization. The weather is forecasted to be dry with 20-30 mph range. Everyone is doing well and glad to be moving higher up the mountain.
RMI Guide Mike King
We could not have asked for a better day to pack up and move our camp to 16,400’. With little wind and warm temperatures, the Team did well today. They shaved some time from the carry day, better acclimatization, slightly lighter packs and nicer weather made all the difference. Camp is located between Cerro Ameghino and one of the many rock buttresses that make up Aconcagua. There are great views to the East and often we see lighting in the clouds that develop over the high desert once the sun sets. There is still a lot of mountain left to ascend. Tomorrow we carry some food, fuel and gear to Camp 2 located at 18,000’ and return to Camp 1 for some rest and continued acclimatization. The Team sends it’s love to family and friends following along. We are all ducked into the tents to avoid the sun for a little while.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
I can see the reason one would climb to such heights in order to stare into the beauty of the world around all of you. Continued success Team
Chris’s Dad
Posted by: John Condon on 1/19/2019 at 6:20 pm
The winds have calmed down here at Plaza Argentina. The Team is enjoying a rest day before we move up the mountain tomorrow. This second rest day is necessary for the Team to acclimate properly with the quick ascent to 14,000’. Aside from sorting some gear, working on tents and a few naps, we are all eager to head up to Camp 1. The winds are forecasted to build over the next few days so we will get our camp established at 16,400’ and see what the weather and mountain give us.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Today the Team took off after breakfast for Camp 1 located at 16,400’. We carried food and fuel with a little personal gear up to continue our acclimatization. The route from base camp winds through a series of scree slopes and the Relinchos glacier. This day is typically one of the more difficult stretches on Aconcagua due to the distance, elevation gain and first day with heavy packs above 14,000 feet. The weather began with a strong breeze that would bring gusts of 40 mph at times. The Team got to Camp 1 and put in the cache of food and fuel. With strong gusts of wind sweeping through camp there wasn’t much incentive to hang out. Everyone is back in Plaza Argentina and looking forward to our last rest day here before moving up the mountain. Tomorrow we’ll take it easy.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
The sun hits the tents here at Plaza Argentina around 7:30 am, until then it’s difficult to justify getting out of a warm sleeping bag. The Team experienced a range of sleep and rest last night, and everyone seems to acclimating well. We had breakfast together and then got to work sorting gear and food for the upper mountain. After a quick visit to the doctor’s for the mandatory check up, we went for a walk uphill to stretch our legs and lungs. Plaza Argentina is situated on rock covered glacial moraine. The area is filled with many shades of red, brown and orange rock. The first stretch out of base camp is a good opportunity to see if your mountaineering boots are going to cause any blisters. The terrain is all scree and large talus so the group gets to see how the rigid boots behave when compared to walking in snow. Back down for lunch and people are enjoying some tent time to escape the wind and finish packing.
Tomorrow we will carry food, fuel and some personal gear to Camp 1. We hope to have light winds and blue skies as the Team continues to acclimate by doing some work at higher altitude while still sleeping here at Aconcagua Base Camp. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guides Mike King & Nick Scott
Good luck and safe adventuring to all!
Posted by: Renee Sherwood on 1/18/2019 at 4:58 pm
Good luck Steve Sherwood and have fun! We’ll keep posted via the blog.
Posted by: Doug Sherwood on 1/18/2019 at 2:10 pm
We got an early start this morning with a few members crossing the cold Vacas River on foot and few other opting for a mule ride. The days hike brought us up the Relinchos River valley with a decent elevation gain during the first two hours. Since we missed the view of Aconcagua yesterday due to clouds and stormy weather the Team was taken back by the size of the mountain and it’s fresh coat of snow.
We strolled down the braided mule paths, walking slowly to allow our bodies to adjust to the change in altitude. This trip has been one of 180 degree different weather patterns. Today was our hottest day of the trek as we were swarmed by horse flies. Now that we are at Aconcagua Base Camp at 13,800’ the Team is setting up their tents and taking some down time after three days of walking. Not much on the agenda except a delicious dinner and enjoying the sunset from our home for the next four nights. Tomorrow will be a rest day so the Team can continue acclimatizing and have a chance to sort gear and food to get carried up to Camp 1. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Posted by: JM Gorum, Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 9,000'
Today was about steak. Glorious, salty, fatty steak. We spent most of our day walking back through the Vacas Valley. We got snowed on. We saw some lightning. We heard some thunder (go on the YouTube and look up “Jim Cantore thunder snow.” That was basically us). All of those things were great, but do not capture the true essence of the day. All of that walking, over all of those rocks, across all of those rivers was done to accomplish one goal: to get to Pampa de Leñas, so we could eat our weight in carne asado.
We sit at a picnic table, we’re covered in dirt, and we eat with our hands. We eat next to climbers who are walking in to Aconcagua Base Camp. They are still clean, and not yet hungry. They watch in amazement as we devour our food as fast as it is brought to the table. We watch in amazement as they politely pass their bread around. We laugh at them because they don’t know what we know.
This is our last night in the mountains, our last night to eat with our hands, and to sleep on the ground. Tomorrow at dinner we will wear collared shirts, and say please and thank you. One might start to wipe food from his face with the back of his hand, remember where he is, and reach for a napkin instead. The conveniences of society will be welcomed, but we’re all a little wilder now, and what we’ve learned in the mountains won’t be forgotten.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
Happy to hear you all are safe and sound! I’m sure a hot shower with lots of soap is much needed, and will be amazing! Enjoy the steak and wine!
Posted by: Shannon Smith on 1/15/2019 at 4:45 pm
Fingers crossed for cooperating weather! Good luck team!
Posted by: Renee Sherwood on 1/22/2019 at 4:51 pm
Hey team—Keep up the good work. You rock! (pun intended)
Posted by: Randy Salo on 1/22/2019 at 12:18 pm
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