Trip Reports

January Aconcagua Team Moved to Camp 1

Kelly called in from 16,400′ today, as the team settles in to life at high altitude.  They packed up their tents, supplies and equipment this morning, shouldered their packs and climbed 3000′ above Base Camp.   The route fist climbed up a rocky moraine (the terminus of an old glacier) before entering into a fairly…

Messages From Aconcagua

Amazing weather and smiles abound here at Plaza Argentina base camp! We had an amazing hike in to this [point, with blue skies every day. In fact this is some of the warmest and nicest conditions many of the porters and guides have seen in a long time. We carried up to Camp 1 two…

Aconcagua Team Acclimating at Base Camp

The Aconcagua team had a day off today to recover and acclimatize before heading up to Camp 1 tomorrow.  Base camp is pretty comfortable, with dining tents and a cook taking care of all of their meals.   They had a nice relaxing day playing cards and eating food.  These days are an important opportunity to…

Jan. Aconcagua Team – Rest Day at BC

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…

January Aconcagua Team Reaches Base Camp

Sam Mangum called in a dispatch from Base Camp.  Her first post was cut off, but she called in a second one, which gives us some more insight into how the expedition is going.  There’s noting a guide service likes to hear more than, “This is the best expedition I’ve ever been on!” Her second…

VINSON TEAM HEADED HOME

It’s been a whirlwind of activity the past few days for the Vinson team. Congrats to Tom and Lloyd; Tom reached the summit of Vinson Massif and Lloyd topped out on the ridge just below the summit. The team headed back to High Camp, then quickly down to Base Camp. They were trying to stay…

Aconcagua Team Moves to Casa Piedra

Michelle called in the team report tonight. It sounds like they enjoyed a delicious dinner of chicken, potatoes and dessert (!!) after their day of moving up the Vacas Valley. It sounds like it was a bit cold in the morning, but it warmed up nicely throughout the day. Casa Piedra camp is named for…

January 14th Team at Pampas de lenas

And they’re off! The team left the comfort of Penitentes and began the journey up the Vacas Valley. The trail winds along the Vacas river for approximately 8 miles, and the team’s first camp, Pampas de lenas, is situated on the banks of the river. Bob called in the team report tonight, so please don’t…