Entries from Aconcagua
We took a well deserved rest day today at
Plaza Argentina. Though most woke early, everyone opted to stay in their sleeping bags until the sun hit the tents. Our long morning continued with a scrambled egg breakfast and some joke and story telling over coffee. We roused ourselves in the late morning to head to the camp doctor's building for our obligatory medical check. We are happy to report that everyone is as healthy as they look and we are all clear to keep climbing!
It wasn't all fun and games, as we all had to sort through the duffels that the mules have been carrying to organize our gear for our carry to Camp 1 tomorrow. Unfortunately, Base Camp is the end of the road for the mules, and from here on up we take over their job.
An afternoon siesta led into another delicious dinner, which led to a spectacular sunset that turned the whole sky a variety of red and purple shades. A large thunderhead that has been hanging to the east provided a canvas for the painting, and dusk is just now beginning to overtake the brilliant hues. We are lucky to be in such a beautiful place.
We'll let you know how the carry goes tomorrow. Hasta mañana,
RMI Guides Pete, Alex, Juan, and team
On The Map
Pulse ox pressure breathing contest in the tent today... We are still here at
Camp 2 taking our last rest before the circus begins tomorrow. We're enjoying good weather, which is a bit unnerving, resting on a perfect day... But the good forecast is supposed to hold for several days and this rest and acclimatization will make us that much stronger and safer on our summit push. We'll continue to check in as we can along the way but things are sure to be hectic as we're hoping to move to high camp at Plaza Cólera, summit, descend to Base Camp, and then head for the road without a break in the action over the next 5 days. Wish us luck...
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
On The Map
We are settled in to our camp for the next several days in a situation that in mountain terms is very plush. We woke up early this morning to get our bags packed for the arryaros, and then prepared to cross the Vacas river. Some opted to brave the chilly temps, cold water, and multiple channels, rolling up their pant legs and wading right in. Others took the unique opportunity to ride a mule across. We all learned something new from our Norwegian teammate, who showed up with ultralight waders and cruised across without getting the least bit damp.
The sun was shining again today, but the increasing altitude and another welcome breeze kept things mostly comfortable. We saw more Guanacos today (the team no longer believes us when we tell them it's pretty rare), this time either playing or arguing with a game of king of the hill. As we came through the top of the Relinchos valley, we got our first really unobstructed views of Aconcagua and its sister peak Amegino. A dining tent, lemonade, and an assortment of peanuts, crackers, cheese, and olives greeted us when we walked into
Plaza Argentina. With tents up, it was time for the afternoon siesta before a delicious chicken dinner prepared by Anita, the wonderful base camp cook. We're off to bed shortly, and after a lot of miles and hours the last three days, everyone is looking forward to a rest day tomorrow.
We send our best to everyone back home,
RMI Guides Pete, Juan, Alex, and crew
On The Map
Wulp... Here we are settled in to camp up here at
Aconcagua Camp 2 at over 18,000ft enjoying beautifully clear skies and a nice gentle breeze.
Haas and
Katrina are outside whipping up a tasty meal and hanging out with the team enjoying the afternoon. Not much else to report... The team is in great spirits and hoping for this great weather to hold!
Til tomorrow,
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
On The Map
Today was another perfect day in the Vacas Valley. Several of us slept out last night under a stunning Milky Way while the southern cross worked its way across the horizon. We woke to clear skies, and cool temps, and motivated to get the miles ahead of us under way. We kept a breeze with us most of the way, but nonetheless, after two days in the strong southern sun, everyone is a little bit crispier. About an hour before camp, we came over a rise to see a family of 9 guanacos (a wild relative of the llama) grazing along the trail ahead. Normally very shy, they were about as curious towards us as we were towards them and we were able to snap a bunch of photos. It's pretty rare to get to see them, and especially so close, so we felt really lucky. We arrived in the mid afternoon, so there was plenty of time for a siesta before we filled our bellies, with pasta tonight. Everyone was a bit relieved for the break from huge portions of steak.
Tomorrow we climb through the Relinchos valley to base camp at
Plaza Argentina. We'll check in from there. Hopefully this gorgeous weather continues to hold for us.
Hasta luego,
RMI Guides Pete, Alex, Juan, and team
On The Map
Aaah, the
rest day. El equipo de dos Guillermos is sun bathing, snacking on turkey jerky and guacamole, and letting our minds and legs recover from the carry yesterday. The team is in great spirits today, and since we have some extra time, we thought we'd have every climber give their own little shout out! Here it goes:
Glen: Mi carino. Te quiero. Abrozos y besos.
Lindsay: I'm feeling great and miss you all! Guess which limerick was mine?
Gerald: Missing me yet lol. Missing you! Charlotte, good luck Saturday.
Lucy: I miss you all and love you all so much. Walker, have you heard?!
Floyd: Feelin' great. Working hard at resting and sitting still. Tanya, hope you're feeling better. Miss you all and see you soon!
Corell: Feeling fine, weather is nice. Miss you all! Hope the hunting trip was good and the Eagle Scout manual is progressing. Thurston, remember to study! Love to everyone.
RMI Guide
Billy Nugent & Team
We had a fantastic walk in yesterday to get the trip started finally! Though everyone agreed it was very hot, a breeze for most of the way kept it much more comfortable than it could have been. We had a leisurely start from Penitentes, and we were comfortably settled into camp by late afternoon. As the shadows lengthened, JJ's team marched triumphantly into camp, and we shared another delicious asado with them and swapped stories. Tomorrow, it's onward, following the dusty mule trail, to
Casa de Piedras. The group is doing a great job, and it looks as though it will be another warm sunny day tomorrow, just the way we like it.
Ciao,
RMI Guides Pete Van Deventer, Alex Barber, Juan, and Team
Windy today... After an all-things-considered-decent night last evening at Camp 1 we woke this morning to clear skies and calm winds. Perfect, we thought, for a push up to
Camp 2 to drop off another cache of supplies. The team made good time and dispatched the uphill portion of the carry in three stretches moving smoothly and in good style. The wind beat us up a little bit but in the end it was nothing but a nuisance as we passed through Ameghino Col. We saw some of our first views of other big peaks in the range as we passed underneath the toe of the Polish Glacier. The mountain is VERY dry right now and we've heard that getting snow for water up at high camp is problematic, at least there's still a good flow of water coming through the stream at Camp 2. We are all back down at Camp 1 safe and sound, looking forward to a rest/acclimatization day tomorrow!
Ciao, for now.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
On The Map
It's been a really busy 36 hours, getting everyone here, buying food, securing permits, traveling to Penitentes, and packing our gear for the mules, but we have gotten it all done! The bags are packed and we are ready to hit the dusty trail tomorrow and start up
Aconcagua! In all of that bustling around, we still found time for our first of several delicious steak and wine dinners in Mendoza. This can be the most stressful part of the trip, making sure that everyone arrives, and with all of their bags. Tomorrow we move into the rhythm of the mountains, things slow down, and we take a deep breath. We'll be in touch tomorrow from Pampa de Lenas, where we hope to see
JJ and his team as they make their way out from a successful trip. We're hoping ours is as well.
Ciao for now.
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer,
Alex Barber, and team
Hola del Campo Uno. For those of you who don't "habla español" El Campo Uno is spanish for... The Campo Uno. Our team enjoyed a relaxed morning getting packed up and out of
Aconcagua Basecamp despite how eager we were to get this climb underway. We enjoyed perfect weather on our move up and even got to spend some time with
JJ and the other RMI crew descending after yesterday's successful summit bid at one of our breaks along the trail. We could hear JJ coming down the trail but couldn't see him until he was right upon us. His full camouflage outfit (including camo expedition backpack) is perfectly at home in the mountain environment. Our team is moving extremely well in large part due to great fitness but also great rest-stepping and footwork. They made short work of the move and even had the energy to write a limerick along the way. Here it is for your reading pleasure:
Climbing this mountain is rough, but our team is tougher than tough. Through wind, ice, and sand on the peak we'll all stand because we've all got the right stuff!
All for now...
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
On The Map
I hope you are doing well Kjetil. The photos look great. Jim
Posted by: Jim on 1/25/2015 at 3:00 pm
Satellite Communicator suddenly updated and shows 16,302.49 ft @ 1155 on 25 Jan..we’re routing for you, Keep it up!!!
Posted by: Carlo on 1/25/2015 at 2:29 pm
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