Entries from Expedition Dispatches
This morning we awoke to steady rain in Quito. Despite the conditions and the midnight fireworks disrupting slumber, the team rallied in the lobby of Hotel Mercure excited for our first acclimatization trek up
Rucu Pinchincha (15,700ft). As we loaded up on coffee and croissants the rain began to taper to a drizzle and we embarked on a short taxi ride to the Teleferico, a gondola that carried us high above the city to 13,000 feet. We began our trek towards the summit with a light rain and snow mix and good visibility. We may not have had bluebird skies but we did get the unique experience of undercast clouds wafting in out of the peaks around Quito. The team cruised the rolling alpine meadow ridge that makes up the first half of the climb, showing their prowess at the high elevation by chatting the whole way. We stopped to take a break just before the route changes character and shifts to steeper, rockier traversing leading around the spiny pinnacle to a saddle just before the final ridge scramble. As we entered this more challenging terrain we encountered snow that had managed to accumulate, a rare occurrence on Pinchincha. As we continued the snow deepened to about 6”, increasing the challenge of the already demanding terrain. The team took these obstacles in stride and made it to the saddle just shy of 15,300’ in style. We decided to make this our high point having accomplished our goal of acclimatization and not wanting to risk the decreased friction on the third-class scramble to the summit. The wet snow and muddy ground demanded our attention on the descent, but we made it back to the Teleferico in good time with only a few muddy hands and backsides. After some much deserved rest we’re off to explore the local cuisine of Quito. Tomorrow will take us up Cerro Fuya Fuya for another round of acclimatization then our first big one, Cayambe!
RMI Guide Jordan Cargill
Happy New Year from Argentina. The Team made short work of the hike today, partially due to cloud cover which kept the temperatures and wind low and because they were eager to get our first glimpse of
Aconcagua! We got to see some wildlife on the hike with a fox and some guanacos (Alpacas' smaller cousin) hanging out along the way. True to form, Casa de Piedra is HOT in the midday sun. Team members are busy napping, reading and trying to stay cool for the remainder of the afternoon.
We will have dinner and get to bed so that we can catch an early mule ride across the Vacas River tomorrow morning. One more day to finish our trek to Plaza Argentina. Not a bad way to spend the beginning of another trip around the sun!
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Guess who's back, back again...we are. We finished the
walk out to Penitentes this morning, and are now eating hamburgers, french fries, and salads, believe it or not. After lunch, we're going to load up our bags, and fall asleep on the van ride to Mendoza. Once we get to Mendoza, we're going to eat even more. The summit is great and all, but this is the best part of the trip. Time to gain back all that weight we lost.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
Happy New Year from Quito, Ecuador. I am happy to report the entire
Expedition Skills Seminar team has arrived safely and is ready for a fun evening enjoying local culture and spirits. Our fiesta will come on the heels of a great day which involved a number of interesting and fun activities.
To begin our first official day together we met after breakfast going through a quick team introduction and itinerary overview. At 9 am the streets outside were already filling with eager New Year’s enthusiasts, some dressing in drag and some wearing colorful wigs, but we passed on joining them and loaded onto our tour bus bound for the middle of the world. Once at the equator, we observed fun physical anomalies only present on the actual equatorial line. Much of our group earned their “Egg Master” awards, balancing an egg on a nail, while others tried to shut their eyes and walk the line without tipping over. Why an egg will balance on a nail but a human can’t balance with their eyes closed is beyond me but proves to be the case.
Outside of the museum, the team encountered a group of locals partaking in the local custom of burning large dolls supposedly filled with the year’s bad energy. As it burns you are supposed to make a wish for better things to come, then leap over the burning pile to make that wish come true. Stephanie showed no fear in giving her wish the best chance.
From the equator we traveled south into the old town of Quito where we gained beautiful vistas of this 40 mile long city atop a hill called El Panacillo. Unfortunately, there were no views of our snow capped peaks but we know they are out there. After this we descended into the old town where we toured some traditional shops and streets then finished in the main square of Quito directly across from the presidential palace.
Despite most of the team feeling a bit tired from traveling and jumping straight to 9000', we left time to have a late lunch at a great little micro-brewery trying it’s best to replicated those in the states. Although the IPA needs a bit more hoppiness, the stout proved our favorite.
Tomorrow we gear up for our first acclimation hike. Stay tuned to see if a few in the group break their previous altitude high points. Late night or not, I have high hopes…..
Happy New Year once more. Salud.
RMI Guide Adam Knoff
Happy New Years from
Pampa de Las Lenas! Today was the first day of the trek to Aconcagua Basecamp and we had a sunny day with a consistent 'breeze' that kept it cool and at times made walking a little difficult. Our trek follows the Vacas River which looks like it's filled with delicious chocolate milk and I don't even drink milk. The team enjoyed the five-hour hike and arrived in good spirits until the light rain set in. I learned long ago from a mentor that it never....keeps raining at Lenas Camp. True to form some group members put on rain gear and set up tents and the rain stopped almost immediately. We all met up with the descending RMI crew and celebrated the New Year's with the best steak asado dinner ever prepared on the Planet...since man learned to cook with fire. . . Yeah it's that good! The group is nestled in their tents thinking of the coming weeks and how good that steak was. We will get an early start tomorrow, bask in the remaining portions of shade offered on this climb while we hike to Casa de Piedra. Thanks for following along.
RMI Guide Mike King
We are all in Mendoza...the last 2 bags arrived late this evening and the Team is turned in and getting their last night of artificial air conditioning before heading out tomorrow. We will head to Los Penitentes to pack for the mules and sleep around 8,000'. Everyone is excited to begin the trek and escape the 100 degree weather here in town. Will be sending updates on our trip each day. Leave comments for your friends and loved ones in the blog comments, the moral support from back home goes a long way.
RMI Guides Mike King, Jess Matthews and Nick Scott
Our first Aconcagua team along with their guides reached the Summit of Aconcagua at 22,841' earlier today!
RMI Guide JM Gorum called in to happily report that the team reached the top, and have safely returned to camp. The team had absolutely perfect weather on their summit day, and everyone climbed well! The team is resting and refueling at camp. They will descend to Basecamp tomorrow where thicker air awaits!
Congratulations Team!
The team is all doing exceptionally well here at our new home at
18,000' on Aconcagua. The weather has been a bit unsettled, with scattered snow flurries and winds battering our tents throughout the day. This less than stellar weather has been a great excuse to hang out and rest to the best of our abilities, which is perfect because this will be our last rest day of the trip. Our plan is to make our summit attempt and hit a weather window in just a few days.
We have done our time up high, and everyone is excited for the opportunity to show their stuff. For now, we're eating mac and cheese in the tents, and finishing off this relaxing day in style. Once we leave here, we will be on the go until we get back to Mendoza, so we're savoring the bit of down time that we have left. We'll check in from Camp 3 tomorrow.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
On The Map
The team is settling in after a lovely dinner here at 18,000 ft. Everyone did an excellent job getting out of camp this morning, and we were the first ones to hit the trail. It turned out to be a good thing, because the circus was hot on our heals. We were the first team to arrive at
Camp Two, which guaranteed us some choice tent spots at this often crowded locale.
We arrived a little before 1 pm, and have just been relaxing, eating, and drinking since we got here. It's a pretty simple life. This camp stays in the sun for a few hours longer than Camp One, so we're all doing our best to photosynthesize before summit day. We will rest tomorrow, and finalize our summit plans based on what the weather gives us. We are within striking distance now, and everyone is excited. Bye for now.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
On The Map
Merry Christmas from all of the team members here at
Aconcagua Camp 1! There's not too much to report today. The team did an excellent job resting (they're pros), and everyone is more than ready to move uphill tomorrow. It was a beautiful day in camp, with a deep, dark blue sky that some attributed to our altitude, and therefore our proximity to outer space. I don't buy it, but we'll do our best to test that hypothesis tomorrow, as we move even higher. To Camp Two we go.
RMI Guide JM Gorum
Rogan , all the best for 2018.
We got your back and we are extremely proud of you.
Go Rogan !!
Posted by: Rukesh on 1/2/2018 at 6:44 am
Happy 2018!! Miss you Craig Clark!
Hope you’re all enjoying the adventure and are staying safe! High of 20 in Denver, that Argentinian heat sounds pretty good!
Posted by: Carol Clark on 1/1/2018 at 1:59 pm
View All Comments