The crew at the head of the Vacas Valley.

Mountain Trip guide Brian Muller called in with an update on the December 1st Aconcagua team, once again from Plaza Argentina, where they enjoyed a rest and acclimatization day. They spent their day checking in with the Base Camp doctor, relaxing, hydrating, refueling and adapting to the thinner air before heading higher on the mountain.

Today, (Thurday, December 7th) they will begin moving supplies up to Camp One at 16,300′ (4970 m).

Views from Base Camp at nearly 14,000′.

They will load up their personal kits with gear required for the upper mountain and carry it all up to Camp 1. Group gear, food and fuel will already be stocked at Camp One, so their loads will not be in excess of 35 lbs. The trail ascends along the side of a steep gully, next to a dead glacier covered in rocks. Fields of penitents (tall fins of snow formed by wind and solar radiation) line the gully and a 500’ (160 m) high field guards the access to Camp One, making for a picturesque, memorable stretch of climbing.

They will return to Base Camp for tonight for one more night of acclimatization before heading up to Camp One to begin tackling the upper mountain. Since the team has not yet mentioned the weather in their updates, we’re assuming that it has been pretty good, and perhaps even the notorious wind that generally ravages the mountain has given them a bit of a break.

Here’s Brian!