The climbers made their first foray up to Camp 1 today, up to over 16,000 feet. Today’s climb was all about acclimatization. They carried some supplies up and cached them at camp, but most importantly they are stimulating the acclimatization process by climbing higher and then coming back to sleep at Base Camp. The route between Base Camp and Camp 1 takes them through some seasonal snowfields that form “Penitentes” of snow, interesting formations common in the Andes in the summer.

The team is doing great and will spend another night in Base Camp before launching up to Camp 1 and continuing up the mountain in the coming days. Here’s pictures from todays climb: