Dave Montesanti called in to give us an update on the Donner Party, err… on Mountain Trip’s December 2019 Aconcagua Expedition. It’s good to keep a sense of humor whilst on an expedition, and, judging on today’s dispatch – I reckon the team has a surplus of humor!
They awoke fairly early today and hiked another eight miles up the arid Vacas Valley. They gained about 500 meters today, and the valley changed from a deep “V-shape” to a broad “U-shape,” indicative of the glacier that carved it. As they got close to their camp, the steep walls of the valley broke to the west, framing the next 2.5 miles of elevation ahead of them. The Relinchos Valley drains into the Vacas from the west, and it’s deep V-shape afforded the team a stunning view of Aconcagua.
Tomorrow, they will hike up the Relinchos, gaining about 3,000′ over close to seven miles. Amidst a jumbled moraine of boulders, Plaza Argentina, the bustling basecamp on this side of the mountain, awaits.
Here’s Dave!
