Aconcagua!!!

After 12 days of hiking and climbing up Mt. Aconcagua, we made it back to the hotel. I have lot of pictures, but the internet is so slow here, I can't up load the pictures. Overall the trip was grueling, yet fun. I never made it to the summit of the mountain (6960 meters), but stop just short of it (6660 meters). Oh well. That's life. On Tuesday, I'll be leaving Argentina and heading to Napa Rui (Easter Island) for 4 days. Perhaps even scuba diving.

Return to Mendoza

It was nice returning to Mendoza. Returning to 80 degree F weather, outdoor cafes, hotel, a bed, roomservice, etc. after 3 weeks on Mt. Aconcagua sleeping in tents, enduring the wind, eating camp food, etc.

Return to Base Camp (Plaza De Mulas)

Pendar

Clemens

Myself, Maurits, and Dae Ho

One our group participant, Raj, twisted his ankle descending from the mountain and had to be helivaced to Mendoza.

View a Plaza De Mulas (Base Camp) as we returned.

La Cueva” (“The Cave”) (6,660m./21,850ft.)

Pendar and myself just 300 meters short of the summit. I couldn't climb the remaining 300 meters. The altitude conquered me.

Dae Ho and Maurits back at Camp 3, after conquering the summit. It wasn't easy. Bow to those that summit.

Camp 3: Camp Colera (6,962m./22,840ft.)

Our guides collected snow and melted it. It was our only source of water at higher altitudes.

Camp 3 located at 6,962 meters was higher than the summit of Kilimanjaro. We spent the night here prior to attempting the summit.

There was a somewhat permeant structure there, for communication and emergencies. 

Nindo De Condores (Rest Day)

Pendar took this video. It provides a great visual/sound effect of the wind crashing into the tent. The wind was really strong this day. It was our rest day, so we basically hung out in the tent all day "acclimatizing".  The next day we hiked to Camp 3.

Camp 2: Nindo De Condores (5,380m./17,650ft.)

Setting up the tents.

Pendar and I hanging out.

Pendar in front of our tent.

Sunset while camped above the clouds. 

Camp 1: Plaza Canada (4,910m./16,108ft.)

Ominous day.

Clemens

Me trying to look chill.

Hello? hello? Anybody home?

Getting my oxidation levels read. Once every evening.

Plaza Canada

Pendar's video.  A panorama of Camp 2 (or Plaza Canada). A very dry, desolate, not very pretty mountain, as you can see.

Cerro Bonete Day Hike (5,100m./16,730ft.)

Looking back down at Base Camp (Plaza De Mulas).

Dae Ho.

Maurits

Looking yonder.

At the Summit (4,370 meters). It was only a day hike to acclimatize. After reaching the summit, we descended to Base Camp (Plaza De Mulas) where we spend the night. 

Plaza De Mulas (Rest Day) (4,370m./14,337ft.)

Mules carried the majority of our gear to Base Camp (Plaza De Mulas).  Definitely, would have taken us a lot longer if we had to carry our gear ourself.

Our dinning and hang out pavilion.

New Year's Eve 2013 at Base Camp (Plaza De Mulas). Second time I spend New Years in South America in the last 5 years. This time it was a bit more sedate. We didn't have much alcohol, plus we had to hike the next day.  Previous New Year's Eve 2008 here.

To Plaza De Mulas (4,370m./14,337ft.)

A bowl of Locro ;  at traditional dish of Argentina.

When I left home these boots were perfectly fine. I wore them to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2001, and I even wore them on weekends leading up to this trip. I'm guessing they dry rotted over the years, but it manifest until I started to ascend Mt. Aconcagua.

Approaching Plaza De Mulas.  We spent the next six nights at this camp "acclimatizing".

Guides assisting me doctor my hiking boots, before they completely deteriorated and fell apart. To descend the mountain, I rented a pair of boot from one of the staff members. 

Plaza Francia (4,200m./13,780ft.)

Early on, resting during on the hike.

Pendar in front of the south face of Aconcagua.

Resting later during the hike.

Again the South Face of Aconcagua behind us. 

Camp Confluencia (3,390m./8,940ft.)

Our guide company. Would definitely recommend them to others interested in hiking Mt. Aconcagua.


Signage.

Kitchen Pavilion.

Path to Confluencia.

View of Confluencia from above.

Pendar and I.