Amidst blustery winds, our Aconcagua team packed up and hiked 3000′ up to their next camp, located below a very large basin at an elevation of about 16,400′ (5000m).  Lorenz called with an update and from the sound of his voice, it was a bittersweet departure.  Base Camp is a pretty comfortable place, with good food, chairs to sit on, and the company of the Base Camp staff.  Now, things are about to get “real alpine!”

Camp 1 does not have a lot of shelter from the wind, although the team has utilized, and improved upon, some rock walls that help cut the wind from buffeting their tents too badly.  There is often fresh water available, but with the extremely cold temperatures the team has encountered, the creek near camp is iced over.  The forecast is for high temperatures near 19 degrees F (-7C), which is not common for this camp.

Here is Lorenz:

recording