David VanWinkle called in from Base Camp, where the team took a rest day today, allowing their bodies to acclimatize to the big jump in altitude from their previous camp (Casa de Piedra), 3000′ below. They prepped their equipment and supplies for tomorrow’s planned hike to Camp 1, at over 16,000′. We call tomorrow’s hike a “carry” or a “carry day.” This refers to the group carrying loads of equipment, food and supplies up to their next camp. They will deposit it in a secure location and then drop back down to BC to sleep. This process of climbing high and sleeping low is a proven one and really helps climbers establish a basis of acclimatization.
By all accounts, the team is having a great time and seems to have “gelled” quite well. The three-day hike to Plaza Argentina, the site of their BC, is a good warm up for the much more rigorous days to come. After tomorrow’s planned carry up to Camp 1, they plan to take another rest and acclimatization day at BC, to further build their platform of acclimatization before launching up the mountain proper.
Here’s David:
