Our guide Aaron Diamond called in a post from Camp 1 this afternoon.  The team carried supplies up to the site of Camp 2, located at 18,000′.  It sounds like the weather has changed a bit, with Aaron reporting snow and wind at the 16,500′ Camp 1.

Camp 1 is located at the bottom of a large bowl and the trail to Camp 2 wraps its way up from right to left, as it climbs up through the bowl.  The team ascended into a saddle between Aconcagua and neighboring Cerro Ameghino.  This saddle is somewhat of a valley, which gives name to the route the team is climbing, “The Ameghino Valley Route.”  The valley is fairly broad, and has some bright yellow mineral deposits at several spots along its bottom.  The team followed the valley for a while, before climbing up onto Aconcagua to arrive at their next camp.

Today’s hike helped the team acclimatize to the new altitude of Camp 2, and it also enabled them to move some of the quantity of supplies necessary for a 2+ week expedition.  This system is often called, “carrying high and sleeping low,” and it is a proven technique for climbing big, cold mountains.

Here’s Aaron: