Entries from Expedition Dispatches
It was the walk the never seemed to end. Today we began our walk
down valley. Combining two days of walking on the way in into one for the way out makes for a long day. This time however we have a light at the end of the tunnel. As we walk, we dream of showers, beds, and the carne asada dinner that awaits us. The showers and beds await us for tomorrow. Tonight we don't set up any tents but instead sleep under the star filled sky. Tomorrow is our last day in the valley. We have finally reached the end.
Goodnight,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
We spent the day walking along the Perro's River from Dickson to
Perro's Camp. It is named Perros, Spanish for dog, because legend has it that when ranchers used to live here and cross the rivers on horseback, some dogs would get swept away in the river. The story goes that the dogs formed a pack of wild dogs that still roams this land and if you listen closely you can hear barking at night. The river flows through the oldest forests in the park that have large trees because when the glacier move through this valley it churned up the soil leaving it loose and easier for deep root systems to form.
It was enjoyable to hike under their lush green canopy as sun was filtered through. Also, great to have a day with no wind. It gave our sun and wind chapped cheeks a rest. But our cheeks are rosy now after some wine and cheese snacks and sitting around laughing at our wildlife biologist's stories of botflys. This group has so much fun learning each other's backgrounds and sharing tales. We even had to come up with a system to determine the exaggeration level. But that's for another blog. Now we are settling in preparing for John Gardner pass tomorrow. A little intimidating with its steep ascent and decent and many miles but I'm sure this group will do well and come out smiling.
RMI Guide Christina Dale
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
We have been going up and up this mountain for the last three weeks and now we get to make our way down. We left
High Camp this morning with our eyes set on Base Camp. A place where there are chairs and tables, wifi, showers, and delicious food...all the incentive you need to keep your tired feet moving. After dropping nearly 6,000' in elevation, the air feels thicker. The team did a great job getting down and deserved some celebratory drinks. It definitely feels good to be down. As for tomorrow, we continue our downward trend to our very first camp on day one, Lenas where we will fill our bellies with a traditional carne asada feast. Our bellies are already growling.
Adios,
RMI Guides Hannah Smith, Avery Parrinello and team
We all felt like this was a long approach to the trail head, what with the flying for two days and a bus ride the next, but well worth it. We finally hit the trail at noon today and were instantly swept into the beauty of the
Patagonian landscape. Happily walking and talking we passed through forests of lenga trees, in the beach family, and through the golden grass lands. All the lakes and streams here are a different shade of turquoise based on which glaciers feed them.
After pulling into Seron Camp we had wine and cheese for appetizers, a stroll by the river, and an amazing dinner of salmon. All a little travel weary, we'll get good sleep tonight and be ready for more tomorrow. Everyone is doing really well and send their best to those following!
RMI Guide Christina Dale
The big day finally arrived. We woke at a reasonable time, fired the stoves, and began sorting through the required items we would bring on summit day. As we left camp you could see the pyramid shadow of
Aconcagua as the sun rose and created a beautiful view. Thus began our 12 hour day. There were hard stretches and harder stretches, but the team gritted their teeth and persevered. They gave it everything they had and came out on top. We couldn't have asked for better weather the entire day. After taking our summit photos and relaxing a little bit we made our way back down to camp. As promised, everyone ate dinner because if you don't eat your dinner you will not feel good tomorrow morning. Now it's time to let our bodies relax and recuperate for another big day tomorrow as we make our way back down to Base Camp.
Thanks for all the well wishes,
RMI Guides Hannah Smith and Team
We left Camp 2 for our final camp,
Camp 3 also known as Colera Camp. It was a tough day moving after resting for two days, but with some good ole pressure breathing and some tunes, the team arrived. Tomorrow is the big day, the day we have all been waiting for...summit day. The weather looks to be in our favor, so there is nothing stopping us now. All we have to do now is rest up and get mentally prepared for a long day tomorrow. Hopefully the next time you hear from us is on the summit.
Wish us luck,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
On The Map
Today was our last slow day. Our last day of naps and leisurely mornings. Our last day at 18,000' camp. Tomorrow we head uphill. Uphill to our
High Camp at 19,600' where we will set off for the summit. We spent the day today charging our devices, eating as much food as we could so we dont have to carry it down, and starring uphill at the mountain. Keep your fingers crossed and good wishes that the weather holds for the next 72hrs.
Happy Superbowl Sunday,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
On The Map
Should we stay or should we go now? Today we started our rest day by waking up to a winter wonderland. The red rocks of camp now had a dusting of snow covering them, making it feel a lot like Christmas. The morning was leisurely with multiple cups of coffee and Avery's specialty, high altitude pancakes. Afterward came an afternoon of many naps and the struggle to not go crazy from boredom. Self entertainment is an important part of expedition life, especially when its snowing outside and you find yourself tent bound. As the day continued, we got the updated forecast and after much consideration, we are going to take another rest day at
Camp 2. Given the forecasted winds, it is looking like Tuesday instead of Monday is our better bet for summiting. This just means we will get more practice at tent life.
Good night,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and team
On The Map
The sun rose and crawled across the camp warming the tents as it hit them. Once the sun's rays fell onto ours, we woke to begin our day. Today we carried to
Camp 3, our high camp. The morning started clear and sunny, but soon clouds started to build to the east. The clouds were dark and ready to release some precipitation. Mother nature taunted us with some flurries but luckily kept the clouds at bay and allowed us to make our journey to Camp 3 in the sun. At 19,600' the air is thin and everything is exhausting, but the team handled it like pros. Their performance today gives confidence for a good summit push in a few days. But before we go for the summit we are gonna rest tomorrow at Camp 2. Tomorrow will be our last relaxing day for when we leave here it will be go go go.
Keep on keeping on,
RMI Guide Hannah Smith and Team
Hello everyone.
We spent yesterday touring
Tarangire National Park which is home to many elephants, in fact, it has more per square kilometer than any place on Earth and it didn’t disappoint. There was one point when there was around 150 elephants within just a few hundred feet of us.
There were plenty of other animals as usual, and we got close to a few big giraffes, which was pretty cool.
We ended our day at a remote and off grid camp within the National Park and surrounded by wildlife. The camp has screened in rooms that allow the night sounds and smells of Africa in.
It's been a memorable experience for everyone and great friendships forged. But finally it's time to return home to our families.
RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew!
Good night all….it’s been fun to follow your journey!! Congratulations and welcome back to civilization!
Posted by: Dr. J on 2/7/2019 at 8:07 pm
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