Hello! And thank you for following the Mountain Trip January 7th Aconcagua expedition. After spending seven nights at Camp 2 at 18,000′, Duncan and I were able to move up to High Camp on the 25th. The next morning we woke to light winds and cold temps. At 4:45 AM we left High Camp and summited less than six hours later with an amazing view of the Andies. We felt really good about our decision making, especially in light of the fact that many teams pushed their summit dates ahead of the storm in hopes of not getting stuck on the mountain, but unfortunately all of them had to go home without reaching the summit. Duncan has participated in a few expeditions and he knew that trying to go fast does not always pay off. In the end, we were rewarded for our patience.  We were able to enjoy an early morning summit, alone,  and make it all the way down to base camp the same day.
Flying out of Plaza de Mulas (Base Camp) by helicopter is always a special treat, and getting back to Mendoza to enjoy a great lunch and make Duncan’s original flight  home was a big bonus. It was great to make a new friend and climbing partner. This was an especially fun trip with someone willing to do what it takes to reach the summit!

See you in the mountains, Jacob

Here are some cool photos: Duncan, steps from the summit:

Duncan at Plaza de Mulas, tired and ready to hop on the heli.