Aconcagua: Cifelli & Team Descend to Base Camp, Reflect on the Climb and Challenge
Posted by: Dominic Cifelli, Ben Luedtke
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Elevation: 13,800'
After a beautiful day on the mountain yesterday bookended with exhaustion and adrenaline, we awoke to the reality that Aconcagua can be an incredibly uninviting environment. The 25 feet of snow that feel the previous night was being drifted by intense winds into every corner of our tents, packs, boots and any other unfortunate item we had left out. Any hint of moisture inside our tents had turned to ice and snow making the inside of our tents look like a winter wonderland.
After staying in our sleeping bags as long as possible, we all eventually summoned the courage to peel ourselves out, put on our cold boots, break camp and get out of Cholera as quickly as possible. As soon as we descended over the ridge,conditions improved. The winds calmed some and the fresh snow made for a relatively quick decent to Camp 2.
When we reached Camp 2 we were welcomed by a group of climbers headed up the mountain. After some R & R and good conversation we grabbed our bags and proceeded down to the mountain. We took in the last, beautiful views and bid farewell to the mountains before we cruised down the scree to Camp 1. There the oxygen was more plentiful and our spirits were high. We enjoyed a few laughs in the shade of the Grajales dome, shed some unnecessary layers, ditched our boots and welcomed our sneakers as we readied for the final push to base camp.
Boy was Basecamp a welcome site! We were greeted with the same enthusiasm we had parted with, hugs and congrats all around! We quickly shed our packs and were treated with what may be one of the best meals in recent memory. As we sat in our warm dome, indulging in empanadas, meats and cheeses, cerveza, and a variety of other goodies we reminisced about the adventure we had just experienced. We talked about how a challenge such as Aconcagua is as much mental as it is physical.
This conversation made me think about what brings five people from varying backgrounds together, thousands of miles from home for this common, incredibly challenging goal. We all have our individual reasons, but it’s undeniable we are all individuals that enjoy type 2 fun.
Type 2 fun climbing Aconcagua means embracing an experience that is challenging, uncomfortable, and even miserable in the moment, but immensely rewarding in hindsight. It’s about pushing through biting winds, freezing temperatures, and altitudes none of us are accustomed to that left us feeling breathless and our legs aching. Each step up the mountain tested our physical limits and mental resilience, forcing us to dig deeper than we thought possible. The grueling ascent, from the trek all the way to the summit, with its long days and unpredictable conditions, made us each question why we chose this journey. Yet, it’s the camaraderie with each other, our fellow climbers, the breathtaking views of the Andes, and the profound sense of accomplishment upon reaching the summit (or close to) that make it all worthwhile. Type 2 fun transforms suffering into triumph, and while some of us may swear off such adventures mid-climb (as I do everytime), we’ll likely find ourselves craving the next challenge as soon as it’s over.
So to all of you like minded, type 2 loving, crazy souls who have shared this adventure: thank you for an unforgettable experience.
Now let’s play some Farkle!
RMI Climber Erica Kim
