Posts for every team can be found under the drop-down menus at the right of this page. We have organized our expeditions into Denali, International and Mount Everest categories, with further organization by their Team Meeting Date.
Click on the audio dispatch icons to hear phone calls from our climbers and guides, so that you can better enjoy the experience through their words, not ours. Above all, have fun and dream big!
Joe Butler called in after a few day gap in reporting. They have had some difficulty reaching satellites in the narrow valleys through which they have been trekking. All is well and they are having a great time!
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Well, we finally had a complete phone conversation with the guides, after several very broken up attempts on the satellite phone. The entire group is back at Base Camp, luxuriating in the warmth and thick air, and eating pizzas. Jared continued descending because he had symptoms that indicated a possibility of an altitude related illness, and the best medicine for those is descent.
It sounds like summit day was a long, tough day, with lots of hard snow that really taxed the crampon skills of the team. As we learned previously, Fermin, Jim and Dave all reached the top, with Joe arriving just below them after a long, hard push up the difficult Canaleta. The Canaleta is a gully that is full of loose rocks and is strenuous in good conditions. The climbers worked very hard to get above it.
Belinda, Sam and Kim all reached a spot called “The Cave,” located at about 22,000′, right at the base of the Canaleta. They elected to call that their high spot, and Agustin remained descended with the three of them.
It sounds like it was a very hard day of climbing, and everyone is to be congratulated for their extraordinary effort.
They plan to spend the night in Base Camp and will hike out in the morning. The hike out the valley is about 16 miles and takes about 6 hours. It can be pretty straight forward or it can be really challenging with tricky river crossings. We’ll get the full report of their descent after they get to the trailhead.
Great job everyone!!!
We just talked to Fermin from the Plaza de Mulas base camp. We keep getting cut off in our satellite phone calls, but they attempted the summit today on a beautiful day, but with very challenging conditions due to breaking trail in the new snow. Fermin reached the summit with Jim and Dave and it sounds like the rest of the team had to turn around somewhere short of the top. We’ll update details when we hear them.
It sounds like the entire team then descended back to high camp and spent the night at the 20,000′ location. Again, communications were very spotty with the team, due to the intermittent satellite connection. We’ll get an update and hopefully an audio post a bit later, but everyone is doing well and down safe and sound.
Belinda called in to report that the team is resting, hydrating, and eating well, hunkered down at High Camp. High winds prevented a summit attempt today, but the team is hoping for a turn in the weather for a chance to get on top. They plan to give it another shot tomorrow.
Here’s Belinda:
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The team moved up to high camp at about 20,000 feet yesterday. It was tough going, with fairly deep snow and hours of breaking trail. They all made it to camp and established themselves near some bizarre looking rock features, which will serve as a wind break. It was a good thing, as the wind picked up during the night and it is still blowing pretty hard on the crew.
The plan had been to make a summit bid today, but that plan is on hold, barring a dramatic change in the weather. The new plan is to get up early tomorrow morning and hope that the winds have diminished sufficiently for a push for the top. The forecast called for decreasing winds today, so maybe Mother Nature just didn’t get the memo and is a bit behind in what she is supposed to do?
Looking down on high camp in much different conditions than our team is experiencing. Our crew is camped in deep snow, but it is clear enough that they can still enjoy the views.
A 24-hour stomach bug has been working its way through the team, something that isn’t too fun at home, and can be quite miserable high on a windy, snowy mountain. The only climber to be afflicted at high camp was one of our guides, Jared, who has dropped down the west side of the mountain to try to recuperate at a somewhat lower altitude. Our guides Fermin and Agustin are with the rest of the climbers, who are all doing well and excited about making the last push uphill. We’ll keep you all posted as we hear from the team.
Here’s the evening dispatch from our team at Camp 2. They took a day to rest and acclimate while guides Jared and Agustin carried some more equipment up to stock high camp. It was a pretty stormy day, so they were happy to get a day to rest out of the weather. Apparently they had chocolate cake tonight, we look forward to the story of getting chocolate cake at over 18,000ft. They plan to move on up to high camp tomorrow and the weather forecast looks OK for the next few days. Belinda says that everyone is doing great and ready to go!
Listen to her call.
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The team carried some small loads up to high camp today to stock up and get acclimated to the 19,700ft camp prior to moving up there to sleep. They came back down to Camp 2 to spend another night down there at about 18,600 ft. They’ve been getting some of the wind that Aconcagua is famous for, but were able to get the job done today and everyone is doing well. They plan to move up to high camp tomorrow if the weather is decent.
Belinda made the evening call from Camp 2.
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If you speak spanish, you’ll love the dispatch from Agustin tonight. The team moved up and are settled in to Camp 2, and planning to carry loads of gear up to Camp 3 tomorrow. They had a bit of snow and wind, but are doing great. It’s good to hear from our Argentine guides sometimes.
Here’s the call from Agustin.
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Jared called in to report that, despite some inclement weather, the team made a carry (took roughly half their “stuff”) up to the site of Camp 2, at about 18,000′ today. They secured their food, supplies and gear at an area known as Helicopter Camp before descending back down to Camp 1 to spend the night.
This is what climbers call “making a carry.” By carrying food and supplies high, caching it at their next camp, and then returning to sleep at their lower, previous camp, they can both move the quantity of food they need up the mountain and also ease themselves into the altitude of the next camp. Climbers call this process, “climb high and sleep low.” They will do this for their next camp at 20,000′ as well.
The weather looks good for the foreseeable future, so hopefully, the snow that they have been dealing with will not slow them down on the upper mountain.
Camp 2 on Aconcagua in good weather
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Kim called in, but unfortunately her transmission was cut short by the vagaries of satellites passing behind the steep ridges surrounding the team at their camp. They are nestled in at 16,600′ (+/-) and doing well. They had to break trail through chin deep snow as they climbed up, but everyone is doing well, and Jared has huge feet to break trail so those behind him are quite happy.
Here’s Kim:
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Dave Artusi called in an update from the Plaza de Mulas Base Camp, with some help from Belinda and Sam, which unfortunately got a bit garbled… The camp is in a deep, narrow valley, and communication with the satellites is somewhat sporadic, but it is sure nice to hear familiar voices, even if we don’t get their entire message!
It has snowed about 16 inches in the past couple of days. The team spent yesterday drying out their clothes and gear, and will launch up the mountain on Tuesday. It takes about 4-5 hours to hike up to the site of their camp 1, which is located at about 16,400′. They climb up through a narrow valley, which opens up as they get higher and eventually becomes a large bowl of sorts where it meets Aconcagua proper. It will take them about a week to reach the summit, which is only about two vertical miles above Base camp!
Here is the crew:
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Sam had the evening dispatch duties tonight and called in from base camp after carrying loads of gear up to Camp 1 earlier today. They descended back to base camp for dinner and will take another day to acclimatize tomorrow before moving into Camp 1 at about 16,400 ft/5000 m. It sounds like the weather was interesting today with snow, rain, and hail, but everybody did great and they made it up to the next Camp.
Here’s Sam with the evening call:
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The team had a well deserved day of rest and acclimatizing today at the Plaza Argentina base camp. They slept in and enjoyed the little luxuries of base camp, including a dining tent and cook who prepares some pretty great food at this high altitude base. Here’s Jared with the call:
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All is well and the team made the long trek into base camp today. The morning started with a river crossing on mules, and after a 7 hr hike they settled in to the comforts of base camp. They have a dining tent and a cook preparing meals for them at BC, so they shouldn’t suffer too much for the next few days. Tomorrow they’ll take a day to acclimatize and recover before carrying loads up the hill on Sunday.
Listen to the update and some hello’s from Plaza Argentina Base Camp!
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Jared, lead guide, called in to report that the team arrived safe and sound at the Pampas de Lenas camp (9,000 ft). The team began their day hiking up the mouth of the Vacas Valley and wound their way through a desert landscape, following the Vacas river, to reach their first campsite. For dinner the team feasted on asado, a yummy barbeque style dinner of mixed meat products, an Argentine specialty. Tomorrow the team will continue up valley, following the Vacas river, until they reach Casa de Piedra.
Here’s Jared:
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Yesterday was a flurry of activity! The team packed up their camp at the 20,000′ White Rocks high camp and made the long descent down to the hustle and bustle of the mountain’s biggest base Camp. Plaza de Mulas is located at just over 14,000′ on the west side of the mountain. Our team approached the mountain from the southeast, climbed up from the east and has descended to the west, making a traverse of the peak. It is a small town, with restaurants, taverns, and internet cafes. hundreds of mules come and go and the Provincial Park Service has a strong presence as well.
When our team learned that there is also a helicopter pad, from where climbers can elect to launch and take the short, 15 minute flight out the Horcones River Valley, they jumped at the opportunity. This is an optional service, but it saves about 16 miles off your knees, and so the majority of the team flew down the valley and met a van we had sent to pick them up at the trailhead. They made the drive down to Mendoza in time for dinner and are now all rested, showered, and are enjoying the thick air of the “muy tranquilo” city.
Congratulations to all the climbers!!!
The team, taking a break while en route to the summit!
Most of the team on the top of Aconcagua! You can tell by the light layers that they are wearing that the temperatures were quite warm and there was virtually no wind. Joe and Jack arrived on top a few minutes after this photo was taken at 2:40 pm on the 9th of January.
This morning we have an ecstatic report from the December 23rd team. They are busy breaking down camp in preparation for the 6,000 ft descent to Plaza de Mulas, where they will find a hot meal and some much deserved rest. Good work, guys!
Here’s a report from each member of the team:
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Joe Butler called little bit ago to let us all know that the entire team is nestled back in their tents at High Camp. They had a great day, but it is a big, tough day and they were a bit too cozy in their tents to leave us an audio post this evening.
Joe said they would call in a group post tomorrow morning, so stay tuned!
Great job everyone! You were all on top of the Americas today!
Joe Butler just called from the summit of Aconcagua. The entire team made it to the top on a beautiful morning. The clouds have started to roll in and some of the group have started their descent. Joe and Jack Hill are the last on top, lingering to take in the views and enjoy their success.
The team will call when they are all back in camp, and I expect the phone will be passed around so we’ll hear lots of excited voices.
CONGRATULATIONS to all the climbers!!
Joe Butler called in from the team’s 20,000′ high camp to tell us that they are gearing up and about to head out of the tents to make a bid for the summit of Aconcagua!
The night sounds perfect, the weather looks favorable and everyone feels really good, so let’s keep our fingers crossed as the team makes their way up the almost 1000m to the summit. They should call from the top, so stay tuned!!!
A Mountain Trip Aconcagua team camped at the White Rocks high camp, looking up at the route to the summit
At about 21,500′, the team will pass the remnants of a “refugio,” or hut, that is testament to the ferocity of the winds on the upper mountain.
One of the last challenges for the team is the long gully that leads to the summit ridge. Known as the “Canaleta,” this gully is strenuous and somewhat notorious amongst Aconcagua climbers. Here a Mountain Trip team crosses the top of the gully, just 20 minutes or so from the summit.
Here’s Joe!
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