RMI Expeditions BlogRSS

Posts from 01/2009

Aconcagua Team Back at Basecamp

Posted by: | January 31, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800 ft.

Hey gang this is Billy calling from Basecamp. We rolled in yesterday evening. Everyone is really tired and a little banged up. Just letting you know that we are all good. We are walking out to Papa de Lenas today. And hopefully we will check in with a dispatch later this evening or tomorrow when we hit the road.
See you soon.

---

Summit Day on Aconcagua

Posted by: | January 29, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 22,841 ft.

The group is safely back at Camp 3 (high camp) after a successful summit attempt today. The weather was clear and overall they had a good, albeit long, day. They will spend tonight at Camp 3 and start their descent to Basecamp tomorrow after a good night’s rest.

---

RMI Team Reaches Camp 3 on Aconcagua

Posted by: | January 28, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 19,200 ft.

We made the move today to Camp 3 and everyone is doing well. We have adjusted our schedule due to some weather that is expected to move in this weekend and are going to take advantage of these clear days. Our plan is to make the summit attempt tonight. Send us your good thoughts! We will check in tomorrow when we are back at camp.

---

RMI Team Reaches Camp 2 on Aconcagua

Posted by: | January 27, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 19,200 ft.

Here we are, situated nicely at Camp 2 (19,200 ft) after a long move from Camp 1. Tomorrow will be another rest day that should allow our bodies to make some final adjustments before we take a crack at the summit. The team is in good spirits and is looking forward for our chance to stand on top!

Should be soon!

---

Final Rest Day at Camp 1

Posted by: | January 26, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 16,200 ft.

Saying hello from our final day at Camp 1. Currently we’re resting up for a big push up to Camp 2 tomorrow. The team is acclimatizing well and getting stronger by the day. We’re really starting to feel like we’re getting up there. Wish us luck as we push higher and begin staging for our summit bid later this week!

---

RMI Team Moves to Camp 1 on Aconcagua

Posted by: | January 24, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 16,200 ft.

Hello everybody!

Billy and Jake here with a dispatch from lovely Camp 1 on Aconcagua. Last night we were visited in camp by both a hawk and a fox; hopefully these are good omens for the rest of our climb. We spent most of today lounging around camp enjoying the sunshine. Tomorrow’s plans call for a carry up to Camp 2 up above 19,000’! Should be a tough day but we expect everyone to do well. Thanks to all the friends and family who’ve been following along.

---

Carry to Aconcagua Camp 1

Posted by: | January 22, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 16,200 ft.

Our group is back at Basecamp after a carry to Camp 1 today where we cached some gear. We enjoyed a rest day yesterday after arriving at Basecamp (13,800’). Everyone is doing well and using this time to acclimate, rest and prepare for our move to Camp 1 (16,200’) tomorrow. We will check in again soon.

---

RMI Team Arrives at Aconcagua Basecamp

Posted by: | January 20, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800 ft.

Hey gang!

Billy and Jake here checking in from the beautiful but dusty Aconcagua basecamp. Our crew rolled in today; climbing strong and feeling great. On our way up today we bumped into the other descending RMI crew and it was good to see some familiar (if not famous) faces. Our walk in from the road has been a long and hot one but the team is in great spirits nonetheless. Tomorrow’s plans call for a well deserved rest day.

Everyone on the team would like to send their love to friends and family!

---

Summit Day on Aconcagua

Posted by: | January 19, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 22,841 ft.

Last night at high camp, it just didn’t seem like we would get a chance to make the top of Aconcagua… it was snowing and socked in when I sent yesterday’s dispatch. But then, just before darkness came on, the snow stopped and the clouds dropped. During the night there were occasional waves of intense wind that could be heard coming from miles away, but these were short bursts and sure enough, at 4 AM the stars were out and the wind was gone. Our stoves were cooking by 4:15 and we were walking out of camp by headlamp at around 5:15 AM, bound for the summit.

We had crampons on all the way and were lucky to be on snow for about 95% of our journey. Peter mentioned that he’d done the same climb without once touching snow, just loose rock, so we were happy with the conditions. It wasn’t terribly cold and once we found sunshine things were quite pleasant. We lost that sunshine when we began the long, long traverse to the base of the Canaleta. There were perhaps a hundred other climbers going for the top today, but we ended up nearly in the lead by half-way up the steep and direct Canaleta. This broad gulley is about 800 vertical feet… easy at sea level, I’m sure, but beginning at 22,000 ft makes it somewhat challenging. We were challenged, but all did well, the extra nights at high camp had worked in our favor for acclimatization.

We popped out on the summit at noon and enjoyed a sunny and wonderful hour up there. We were victorious and thrilled with the new views… but several of us cried like babies as we remembered our friend Fede and his tragic passing on the summit of Aconcagua all too recently. We left the top at 1 PM and walked quickly into a snowstorm. Not a vicious snowstorm, there was little wind, but a socked-in, steady snowfall. It only took us two hours to make it back to high camp and so we knocked the tents down and set out walking for basecamp. We were anxious to get down and rejoin the rest of our team who’d descended yesterday.

In Basecamp by about 6:30, we had a fine reunion dinner and made plans for our walk down-valley begining tomorrow.

An improbable summit became a treasured moment with great friends close to 23,000 ft above sea level. All are safe, all are down the hard part of the mountain.

---

Video: RMI Team Approaches Aconcagua Summit

Posted by: | January 19, 2009
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 22,000 ft.

---

More Entries