Alpamayo: Frank & Team Poised at High Camp
It is hard to sit under Alpamayo's southwest face and not stare for an extended period of time. Our team, along with three other groups moved up to the Col Camp (17,600') today and find ourselves trying to prepare for the ascent tomorrow, but constantly distracted by the beauty of the route. From our tents the route rises nearly 2,000 feet in a vertical line of frozen snow and ice. An alpinist's dream.
Getting to camp today was a job in itself. We climbed up a glacier for 90 minutes to the base of a headwall. It took three pitches of ice to reach the saddle where camp lies. The team performed well, but climbing 60-degree ice at 17,000 feet with 45-pound packs had everyone breathing hard.
Stay tuned for tomorrow. We hope to make an attempt and will call via satellite phone to update everyone with the results.
RMI Guide Eric Frank and the Alpamayo team
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