It was a tough day moving up to Camp 1 at about 16,400′ today. About 2/3 of their way up, the wind picked up and blew so hard that Eliana, who weighs about 70 lbs less than Neil, was almost blown off her feet! Neil joked about perhaps flying her like a kite to help…
Jack Strickland called in to give us an update on the team. Today, they hiked for about eight miles, gaining a little over 1,200′, along the east bank of the Rio Vacas. I spoke with Laura and Joe earlier and they said that they saw two guanacos (relatives of the llama and alpaca) as they…
Joe called from the team’s first camp on the approach to the mountain. The team made good time this morning, arriving at the Pampas de Lenas camp in about 5 hours. Today’s hike took them alongside the roaring Rio Vacas, tucked deep in a high desert canyon. The terrain is reminiscent to areas in the…
We didn’t hear from the team until this morning, which is not unusual as yesterday was a busy day in which they made a carry of gear up to Camp 1 at 16,400′. The call that came through in the wee hours of the morning was definitely out of the ordinary. Apparently, our lead guide,…
Neil called in from Plaza Argentina with an update. recording
Joe called in via satellite phone to update us on their progress! recording
The team is en route to the small resort of Penitentes today, having completed their team meeting and gear check yesterday. They also completed the rather lengthy process required to obtain climbing permits, so they are ready to move higher and take the next step towards the trailhead. Last night they all went out to…
Drew called this evening to report that he, Neil and Eliana are all at the Plaza Argentina Base Camp, on the east side of Aconcagua. Things are very relaxed around the camp, which will become bustling in the coming weeks. Today was warm and sunny, and they made good time en route up to the…
The team Operation Aconcagua is camped at 10,000 feet at a spot called Casa de Piedra. They finished up Day 2 of their three-day trek to the Plaza Argentina Base Camp on the east side of the mountain. Neil called in an update, and I spoke with Drew about an hour ago as well. Drew…
As the days grow shorter in the northern hemisphere, why not chase the sun and head south?!? A team of climbers from various latitudes in the US are headed to the western edge of Argentina to attempt to climb the highest peak in all of the Americas, Cerro Aconcagua. Rising to almost 7000 meters, this…