Marmot 8000-Meter Jacket and Pants For Sale

New Marmot 8000 Meter Pants and Jacket

 

More Encourgement

Good Quote from "To the Summit" Book I have:

"In ration of elevation to effort, Aconcagua may be the world's best mountaineering bargain. The highest mountain outside of Asia has been climbed on skis and mountain bikes. Motorcyclists have rumbled to within 180 vertical feet of the summit..."

There was also another section that had this to say..."with proper acclimatization and an eye out for deteriorating weather, reasonably fit climbers taking the normal route can expect to reach the summit in four to six days" two days walk-in from the roadhead and two to four days of ascent" 

I say that latter quote not to rush into a 6 day trip, but was further comforted by the fact an 8-11 day trip should be good. If we end up with a couple of "weather days" left over, we can enjoy our "extra" time in Chile or Argentina. Looks like most people fly into Santiago, Chile, and then take another flight to Mendoza, Argentina. Again, I think (and know from Kili) that taking it slow is key.

Also while looking at mountaineering in Latin America I came across some other climbs that would be fun. The search started with El Pico de Orizaba (third highest in North America, Highest in Mexico) - see link below.
http://www.summitpost.org/pico-de-orizaba/150192

Some other mountains included:
Ojos del Salado (World's highest Volcano) - http://www.summitpost.org/ojos-del-salado/150299
Chimborazo - http://www.summitpost.org/chimborazo/150349
Cayambe - (Only place with snow on the equator and the surface point on the earth furthest from the center of the Earth) - http://www.summitpost.org/cayambe/150297

Timeline Adjustment?

This Posting is Courtesy of the RMI Expeditions Website

 

Webpage: http://www.rmiguides.com/aconcagua/#description  

So gentlemen, I was glancing (once again quickly) a website of an organization that guides Aconcagua professionally. I noticed their trip is 24 days total, with 14ish days on the mountain. They have shrewdly planned in weather days and as I was mentioning before, they hike high and sleep low. Check out the webpage as there are a lot of good resources there. Also, I am not sure if this adds much time as well; however, up until 20,500' this itinerary follows the Vacas Valley route, not the normal route as we are planning.

RMI Aconcagua Itinerary

Day 1: Depart U.S.A. Travel to Mendoza, Argentina (MDZ) typically takes 18 - 27 hours from the U.S. depending on your departure city, available connections, and flight times.
Day 2: Upon arrival in Mendoza, we are picked up at the airport and transferred to our hotel. After checking into your room, time is available to explore the city and its many beautiful parks, or simply relax by the pool. At 5:00 pm in the hotel lobby we gather for our first team meeting. Overnight in Mendoza.
Day 3: We depart from the hotel and head to the permit office to obtain the climbing permits for our expedition. With our climbing permits secured, we depart Mendoza and head west towards Aconcagua. We drive out of the fertile wine country and into the mountains, reaching Los Penitentes at 9,000'. Los Penitentes is the center of activity for climbers heading up the mountain and it is here that we finalize our preparations for the expedition. Overnight in Los Penitentes. (B, D)
Day 4: We begin the approach to Base Camp at Plaza Argentina. We make our way into the heart of the Andes as we ascend the gentle, winding trail of the Vacas Valley. Team members carry 20 to 25 pounds in their packs; mules carry the remaining personal and group gear. Our first camp is at Pampa de Las Leñas (9,000'). (B, D)
Day 5: We continue towards Base Camp as the Vacas Valley opens up and the surrounding mountains grow taller. We are greeted by impressive views of the Eastern Face of Aconcagua as we reach our second night's camp at Casa de Piedra (10,550'). (B, D)
Day 6: We complete the approach to Base Camp as we follow the Relinchos Valley to Plaza Argentina. Base Camp (13,800') is on a glacial moraine overlooking the river valleys of our approach. We unpack our climbing gear carried by the mules and establish camp. (B, D)

We build flexibility into the following mountain itinerary to take into account considerations such as weather, route conditions, acclimatization and the strength of the climbing team.  This flexibility allows us to move higher when the weather permits and climbers are ready, not just because of the need to adhere to a pre-determined schedule.  Our experienced guides closely monitor climbers’ performance and acclimatization throughout the team’s ascent and may make day-to-day variations in order to better your chances of reaching the summit.

Day 7: Rest and acclimatization at Base Camp. We relax and adjust to the new altitudes while we focus on packing and organizing our gear for the mountain. (B, D)
Day 8: Carry to Camp 1 (16,200’). Our trek ends and the climb begins with our first carry of the expedition. We climb to Camp 1, caching a portion of our supplies and equipment. We descend to Base Camp to sleep. (B, D)
Day 9: Rest and acclimatization at Base Camp. We continue to build upon our acclimatization today with a hike outside of camp. We rest in the afternoon and make the final preparations for our move to Camp 1. (B, D)
Day 10: Move to Camp 1. We leave Base Camp and climb back to Camp 1 with our remaining gear. (B, D)
Day 11: Carry to Camp 2 (Guanacos Camp at 18,000’). Today we get our first view to the north across the expansive scree fields above the Guanacos Valley. The snow covered peaks of the central Andes spread out in the distance. (B, D)
Day 12: Rest and acclimatization at Camp 1. We rest in camp for the day as we prepare our bodies for higher altitudes. (B, D)
Day 13: Move to Camp 2. Shouldering the rest of our gear we climb to Camp 2. (B, D)
Day 14: Carry to Camp 3 (Piedras Blancas at 19,600'). We continue traversing high above the Guanacos Valley to our High Camp and leave a cache of gear before returning to Camp 2. (B, D)
Day 15: Rest and acclimatization at Camp 2. In anticipation of our summit bid, we stay at Camp 2 resting and acclimatizing before moving higher. (B, D)
Day 16: Move to Camp 3. We climb to our High Camp, setting up camp and preparing for our push to the summit. (B, D)
Day 17: Summit Day on Aconcagua! Making an early alpine start, we climb out of camp to join the Ruta Normal. A gradual traverse along the mountain's northwest flank takes us past the abandoned Refugio Independencia and to the base of the Canaleta, a 1,000' long couloir leading to the summit ridge. Upon reaching the top of the Canaleta, a straightforward traverse leads to the summit. After celebrating on the summit, we descend to High Camp for the night. (B, D)
Day 18: Weather Day. This extra day is scheduled into the itinerary in case we encounter poor weather or need additional time for acclimatization. Having this extra day has proven to dramatically improve the team's success. (B, D)
Day 19: Weather Day. Another extra day. (B, D)
Day 20: Descend to Base Camp. We leave High Camp and descend to our Base Camp at Plaza Argentina. (B, D)
Day 21: After we pack up Base Camp and prepare our loads for the mules, we begin our trek out. We descend the Relinchos Valley and continue down the Vacas Valley to Pampa de Las Leñas. We celebrate our last night in the mountains with a traditional Argentine-style BBQ. (B, D)
Day 22: We finish the trek, reaching Los Penitentes early in the afternoon. After packing our gear, we leave Los Penitentes and return to Mendoza. Our final evening in this beautiful city is the perfect place for our team celebration. Overnight in Mendoza. (B)
Day 23: Depart Mendoza for scheduled flights back to the U.S. (B)
Day 24: Arrive home.

The Normal Route

 

I have not done a whole lot of research into our routes; however, it does seem like the best route for our expedition will be the Normal Route. I will list a couple of sites below to begin looking at. It seems, as was the case on Kilimanjaro, that slowly (aka Pole, Pole in Swahili) will be our best bet. I am in no rush to push to the summit. I want plenty of acclimatization days and safety will be our number one objective, after much prayer of course =) I just glanced a quick posting on summit post and it seemed their expedition was 8 days. I read something before that was 12 days, so I am more apt to go with 10-12 days, again no rushing due to summit fever.

I also came across this quote when I was briefly looking at descriptions of the routes: " In general no short-shafted ice axe or ropes are needed. For practical purposes climbers use only ski poles and crampons." So we are not looking at having to achieve the highest mountaineering certifications and sink thousands of dollars into gear, that's a plus. I would like to have ropes and crampons with and be sure the group knows how to use them. Again another quote: " This route is the most chosen by climbers as it does not present any technical difficulty; this means that the climbers don´t require a previous climbing experience on rocks or ice. It may be hiked, just by walking. You may have to use crampons and fixed ropes for your security, depending on the conditions of the route." As I am sure with many mountains and routes, the route can change drastically due to weather and surface conditions. So I would feel much more comfortable having the gear and not needing it, than getting up there and saying,  mmm... it would have been smart to bring that. 

There has been a couple of questions regarding beginning elevation. It appears that the ranger station, where the group is "check out" by the rangers is about 9678'. Look like the first day is a rather easy hike to 11,122' or Camp Confluencia. I would imagine we would want to spend at least a day getting acclimated there and keep to the hike high, sleep low mentality.

Link One: http://www.aconcaguaexpeditions.com/ingles/3/vianormal.htm 

Link Two: http://www.summitpost.org/aconcagua-via-normal-route/170841

The Adventures Begin...

Welcome Gentlemen to my first and only blog. I figured this would be the best environment to discuss and plan our Aconcagua trip and subsequent climbs before and likely after our Chilean expedition. 

I wanted to recap some of the ideas that were shared via email over the past year or so regarding the trip...

• We do not have a set date for the expedition, I am about to renew my passport in May, so maybe before this passport expires, so roughly the next 10 years.

•  It was also suggested, and I agree, that there be annual hiking trips leading up to the Aconcagua expedition. These are not grand trips, but rather maybe a day or two (three) to Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, etc.

• Lacey (my wife) is planning on doing a hotel or similar in Santiago (or close large city in Chile) during the expedition, so current (or future for some) wives can come along with our kids or no kids and have a restful, fun trip as well. 

• It was also suggested that we do a lot of research into the climb and hire a well respected, reputable local guide(s) from Chile, rather than going with an American company and paying $5000 each. 

• Keep in mind this is not a technical peak. In fact it has been recorded of people mountain biking within a couple hundred feet of the summit. With that said, we should not forget this peak is 22,834' tall and is the highest peak outside of the Himalaya in Asia.

This will be an awesome adventure and I look forward to joining you gentlemen!

Please feel free to follow and post even if you think you might not go, or even think "it's not possible." Right now, I am in a place that it is not possible, but I am still planning on going, so come along with us.

Please feel free to post your thoughts and comments below.

Be Blessed By Our Creator Who Breathed these majestic peaks into being.

Adventurously Expectant,
David, the mountain lover