Aconcagua Expedition: Wedel & Team Move to High Camp
“The wind you really got to dread is the one that howls inside your head…” -Muni, but perhaps adapted from somewhere else.
Hello hi there,
Today we climbed again to Camp 3 — Colera — at 19,600 feet.
Another windy, cold day. At this point it almost feels… expected. Normal, even. We wake up, we zip the tents carefully so they don’t become kites, we layer up, we check each other’s hoods and buckles, and we move.
We are dialed now. Dialed with our breaks. Dialed with our systems. Dialed with how to open a snack without sending it to Chile. We don’t rush. We don’t waste energy. We just keep taking the next step.
The stretch from Camp 2 to Camp 3 is one of my favorites on this mountain. Aconcagua reigning to our left — massive and unmoved. The Andes rolling out to our right in layers of red, gold, and shadow. Brutal and beautiful, side by side, as they so often are up here.
Colera is a stark place. The wind doesn’t whisper here — it announces itself. This is where the normal route meets the false Polish Traverse (the route we took up), the lines of climbers converging under the same summit skyline. The camp is tucked into large white rocks that jut upward like a jagged crown. We nestle ourselves into their protection as best we can.
Life at nearly 20,000 feet is not casual. Every movement costs something. Simple tasks feel consequential. But the team is steady. Eating. Drinking. Checking in. Doing the small things well.
Tonight we crawled into our tents early to let our bodies rest. Tomorrow is a big question mark. We’ve done everything we can to put ourselves in position.
Now we wait to see what the mountain says.
RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Aconcagua team
Comments (1)
We love MUNIER!! Also I have seen that exact expression on his face a million times! So thrilled with the progress and excited for what’s next!
Posted by: Erika on