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. At this point in the trip, most of our energy was fueled by anticipation and adrenaline. The remaining distance to the summit was short—only 2…
Category: Seven Summits
Aconcagua Day 12: Move to Camp 3
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…
Aconcagua Day 11: Rest at Camp 2
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…
Aconcagua Day 10: Move to Camp 2
DAY 10 – Carry Move to Camp 2 Inka’s proposed itinerary would’ve had us carrying 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…
Aconcagua Day 9: Move to Camp 1
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…
Aconcagua Day 8: Another Day of Rest and Recovery
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…
Aconcagua Day 7: Carry to Camp 1
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…
Aconcagua Day 6: Rest Day at Plaza Argentina Base Camp
DAY 6 – Rest Day at Plaza Argentina Base Camp 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…
Aconcagua Day 4: Trek to Casa de Piedra
DAY 4 – Trek to Casa de Piedra DAY 4 was another pretty chill day. Our guides were really good at helping us conserve energy by always slowing us down. The pace was so laid-back. By the way, this 360° Traverse is waaaay more interesting than the standard route–more on that later. Here’s looking back…
Aconcagua Day 3: Trek To Pampa de Leñas
DAY 3 – Trek to Pampa de Leñas This adventure finally got real on Day 3 with the trek from Punta de Vacas to Pampa de Leñas. The 360° Traverse route starts by following along Rio de las Vacas (Vacas River). The terrain along this trail in February is very hot and dry–much like hiking…