The winds finally settled out last night for the first time in days and you could hear the heavy sounds of breathing and snoring coming from the other tents again. We woke to a pristine morning in the Andes and enjoyed being able to sit comfortably outside for breakfast. Shortly thereafter though our focus turned to business as our agenda for the day had us climbing to Camp II (18,000ft). The team was moving well and we forewent putting crampons on for the traverse up a snowy bowl feature. The lack of wind finally allowed the icy surface to thaw allowing us easy passage. Once past the col between Aconcagua and Ameghino we were treated yet again with the expansive view of the Northern Andes only this time we kept going! The route flattens out for a moment as we contour onto the North side of the mountain, before ascending again, and traversing another glacial valley to our destination, Camp II. The winds at camp for the moment are light and variable but we expect them to increase over the next 24 hours. The team is all doing well and readjusting to thinner air. Tomorrow we further the acclimatization process by pushing a bit higher to 19,000ft and returning to Camp II to recover. RMI Guide Steve Gately

On The Map