Morning came quickly, and before long we were re-sorting our bags for the 15-mile trek out. Just as our guides had instructed us on Day 2, we returned to the same distribution of gear — for one last time: One bag for our high altitude gear, which would be loaded on a mule One bag…
Category: Epic Treks
Aconcagua Day 14: Descend to Plaza de Mulas
No one was in any hurry to get up and out after yesterday’s long summit day. We had breakfast, packed our high-altitude gear for the last time, and began the 4-mile descent to Plaza de Mulas Base Camp. As we headed down the Normal Route, I spotted the Berlin Refuge off to my left —…
Aconcagua Day 13: Summit Day!
Camp began to stir around 4am in the cold darkness of early morning. Some of us managed to catch a few zzzz’s, but nothing great. Most of our energy was fueled by anticipation and adrenaline at this point in the trip. The remaining distance to the summit was short—only 2 miles—but it would take us…
Aconcagua Day 12: Move to Camp 3
The day started as usual–cheese quesadillas, a cup of hot chocolate, and salami with assorted cheeses for breakfast. Afterwards, we loaded up and began the arduous climb to Camp 3. Spirits were high! Elevation gain kicked in right out of Camp 2, with 1,500 more feet to climb over the next mile and a half….
Aconcagua Day 11: Rest at Camp 2
Gotta love a good day of rest–especially after the past two days! Sleep is not getting any better, food is slowly diminishing, and the air is definitely thinning. It starts to add up, each contributing to the level of difficulty here. But today was breezy with the bright sun warming our tents like a little…
Aconcagua Day 10: Move to Camp 2
Inka’s proposed itinerary had us doing a carry to Camp 2 on Day 10. However, weather watchers were seeing a better window on Tuesday — one day ahead of schedule. That prompted a decision to move to Camp 2 instead, which meant all gear up in a single push. Doing so would place us in…
Aconcagua Day 9: Move to Camp 1
We moved to Camp 1 at 16,400 feet today, bringing the rest of the gear and food needed for the next 5 days. It was a repeat of the 2nd toughest day we did on Wednesday (Day 7), so I guess it was another tough day. It’s only onward and upward from here–no turning back…
Aconcagua Day 8: Another Day of Rest and Recovery
Part of the process of “carrying” is to help acclimate to the elevation — climb high, sleep low. Do that a few times and your body adjusts. We were also constantly being reminded to drink water; 3-4 liters per day on the lower section and now 6-7 liters per day at these higher elevations. I…
Aconcagua Day 7: Carry to Camp 1
With no further mule support, our job now was to move as much gear to Camp 1 as physically possible. For some who hired a porter, that meant a lighter load. For others who didn’t, it meant carrying a pack weighing anywhere between 15-17 kilos (33-37 lbs) for 2.5 miles and 2,500 feet of elevation….
Aconcagua Day 6: Rest Day at Plaza Argentina
Restaurant-style food, hot showers, yoga tent, foosball, internet cafe, wi-fi… I shoulda brought a shaver! Do I dare call this glamping?? (From left to right: kitchen tent, dining tent, foosball arena, yoga tent) No, this might not be your typical expedition experience, but I didn’t care. Inka Expediciones really has this dialed in. I was…