Our first Aconcagua team of the climbing season arrived at the Plaza Argentina Base Camp today, but unfortunately, the satellite phone connection was very poor and Jack Strickland’s message was largely unintelligible. They crossed the chilly Vacas River early in the morning and then hiked up the tributary Relinchos Valley. After some steep side hill traversing, the valley opened up at a point where it was mostly carved by a large glacier that has mostly disappeared.
As the valley broadened, they crossed the Relinchos and made their way up for several more hours, all the time with huge views of their objective. Eventually, they dropped into a tributary river basin that is largely dry, and made their way through a moraine (rocky pile, left by the old glacier) and wove their way through the rocks to arrive at camp.
They will spend the next 36 hours or so in the comfort of camp, where we have arranged for a dining tent, replete with chairs and a dining table. Hot meals are severed up throughout the day as they finish sorting their kit for the next portion of the trip – the ascent of Aconcagua!
Here is a bit of Jack’s message:
