The team left the beautiful city of Mendoza this morning and headed for the Andes.  They stopped by the Aconcagua National Park office in Mendoza to pick up their climbing permits, and began the 3-4 hr drive up to a ski lodge in the Andes called “Penitentes” where they will spend the night before starting the trek to base camp tomorrow.   At Penitentes they will try to “mule proof” their gear before giving their bags of gear and food to the mule drivers for the trek to base camp.  The first 3 days of the trip they’ll be traveling light with just day packs while the mules haul the big loads.

Everyone is happy to be on their way and excited to get up into the Andes.

Here’s the team picking up permits in Mendoza:

The Team Picking at the Aconcagua Park Offices in Mendoza