Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Back to Base
The great climber and author Greg Child once wrote: "Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the top is the answer to the question of why we climb."
Climbing, and the reason we do it, is an elusive thing. There is no straightforward, definitive answer, and I've struggled with it since I began climbing in 1986. I guess to some extent it's relative to each person. For some, it may be the overall challenge. Others are motivated perhaps by a specific summit or group thereof. To each his or her own.
For me, as I labored under a heavy pack today, dragging a laden sled behind me, the question arose as it often does: Why am I doing this? Why am I thousands of miles from my children, my wife, my home and my friends, struggling in tough conditions with aching feet and a sunburned nose? Why?
It was as if the mountain heard my query. As I moved, a gentle breeze brought a layer of Antarctic ice fog up the glacial valley. The sun above was muted, and a giant, iridescent sun-dog formed above me. The frigid snow crunched beneath my feet, and massive walls of rock, snow, and ice rose in every direction. It was absolutely silent, and yet deafening in its majesty.
Yes, this is why I climb. These moments of solitude that are wholly grounding, humbling, and innately inspiring. They rarely come to me on top of a mountain, and are never predictable. But, they always come, they always inspire, and they never cease to make all the pain, cold, suffering, and challenge worth it.
I now sit in my tent at Vinson Basecamp, the sun peeking through a thick fog above. The team is all happy and fulfilled, laughter and conversation filtering around.
It's been a great handful of days on Mount Vinson. Tomorrow, or the next day, Ed, Cindy, David, and Ben will fly off on a Twin Otter, and the rest of us - Peter Seth, Caroline, Kent, and I - will stay on to do some skiing and climbing.
More adventures await.
-Jake Norton
Peter Whittaker calls from Basecamp
Hi All!
The Aconcagua climb is checking in excited to say that we have arrived at our basecamp at Plaza Argentina. The team got an early start so that we could have some help from our mules in crossing the Rio de Vacas, just outside of camp. Over the course of the 3,200' to basecamp, we left tracks for a group of our francophone friends through the rolling hills above the chasm of the Rio Relinchos. The bright white of fresh snow on Ameghino and Aconcagua contrasted with our arid surroundings, and a brilliant blue sky made for spectacular photographs and high spirits.
We arrived in the Plaza Argentina to a bodaciously bountiful reception of salami, cheese, olives, and cake from our outfitter. The crew is resting and beginning to acclimate. On tap for tomorrow: our first rest day of the trip! Everyone is well and sends their best.
Signing off
-The RMI Aconcagua Expedition
_on_top_of_Mount_Vinson,_cold_but_happy._From_left_to_right-_Seth,_David,_Cindy,_Caroline,_Peter,_Ben_Ed_.JPG)
Did I say Antarctica wasn't cold? Well, I was just kidding. Antarctica, especially high up with a stiff wind, is really, really, really cold.
Our day today started reasonably enough, with a bright sun high in the sky and reasonable temperatures for walking. The team moved well out of High Camp along the seemingly endless glacial valley leading toward Vinson's summit.
About 2 hours into the journey, Vinson decided to give us a little test. The wind began to pick up, and suddenly we could all feel the frigid cold biting at any exposed skin and dropping our core temperatures degree by degree. Time to layer up. In moments, we all donned our custom Peak XV Antarctica down jackets and pants, shutting the wind and cold out, at least somewhat.
But, it gets tricky in situations like this. The thick down insulates well, and keeps you warm and toasty. But, you still have to move uphill, and that generates heat. Too much heat, and you start to sweat. Sweat out your baselayers, and you're going to get cold sooner or later. So, climbing in these situations is an exercise in zipper running, hat pulling, and sleeve pushing; it is a constant battle to maintain that thermal equilibrium, right on the line between too cold and too hot.
With that obstacle added to our climb, we kept moving, everyone doing well and chugging right along. Before long, the route made a sharp right-hand turn, and began climbing steeply toward the summit ridge. And, now, Vinson decided to show us what she could do. The temperature had dropped as we ascended, to about -30 degrees C on the summit ridge, and then the wind really picked up. We estimate about 30 miles per hour fairly consistently...In other words, enough wind and cold to make it the coldest day I've ever experienced on any mountain, anywhere. And, Ed Viesturs, who's got a handful of cold mountains under his belt, agreed that it was the coldest summit day in his memory. That's cold.
We were close now, though, and kept pushing onward, trying to check cheeks, noses, ears, etc., for frostnip - which can come on quickly in such conditions. Along with the wind, Vinson's final curveball was the largely-moderate terrain of the lower mountain finally transitioned to a steeper, more exposed ridge for the final push. But, it was manageable, and soon we were all celebrating and shivering on top of Antarctica.
I've been fortunate enough to travel to some unique places and mountains over the years, but must admit that Antarctica, and Mount Vinson, is one of the most spectacular. To gaze out from the summit at the jagged peaks of the Ellsworth Mountains, which eventually yield and give way to a vast sea of glacier, is simply beyond words.
We spent a few minutes on top, taking pictures, congratulating one another, and of course pulling out the 1966 Alaska Flag for it's final foray on the summit of Vinson. And, then, it was time to go. It's too easy to linger on such summits, and in the abusive cold and wind, we needed to get down fast. Everyone moved well downhill, and we're all now in our tents, enjoying the warmth of a sunny tent and a full belly. Sleep will come quickly tonight, and will be well earned by all.
Tomorrow...well, there's still work to be done. All our gear needs to somehow make its way from High Camp down the fixed lines and all the way to Vinson Basecamp. We'll sleep well, and work hard tomorrow.
And, yes, in case I ever forget, Antarctica is COLD!!
-Jake Norton
Hey everyone, Peter here and just checking in. We are back down at high camp. We had a very windy summit. I'm not sure if our call got out. We tried to communicate from on top. It was very cold, very windy. But we had a great successful climb today with everyone reaching the summit and we even took some time to get some great production. There should be some stills heading your way now. Some images from our climb today. Super cold. Super windy. But we're all very happy to be back down at high camp where there's just a slight breeze. And it's about 8:30 right now, the sun is still very high in the sky. Tomorrow we will break camp and see if we can make it back to base camp. We had an awesome summit day. It was beautiful. It definitely pressed us. And we're all going to sleep tonight pretty darn happy. So, that's it for now and we’ll talk soon.
Peter Whittaker checking in from high camp after summit
Hey everybody this is Peter Whittaker up on top with the whole First Ascent/RMI team. We are on top of Mt. Vinson it’s 5 p.m. It’s about 31, 32 below zero and the wind is blowing about 18 - 20 knots. It’s beautiful up here clear, low clouds and bitter, bitter cold.
We are going to try and push a picture out tonight when we get back to high camp and you’ll see we are all frosted up. But we are happy, we are on top. Give a yell you guys…
We’ve done it. A beautiful day, a little brisk and we are going to put the phone away and head on out of here.
Alright that’s the word from on top of the bottom of the world.
We’ll shoot a call later on maybe from camp.
First Ascent, RMI and Eddie Bauer over and out.
Greetings from Casa de Piedra, at 10,600' in the Vacas valley.
We woke this morning to clear blue skies and cool temperatures after yesterday's rain. The cloudless day lifted our spirits and dried our gear as we had a delicious breakfast of eggs with cheese & peppers, fresh oranges, and hot chocolate. We packed our gear for the mules and loaded up our day packs for the trek from Leñas to Casa de Piedra, and headed up the valley.
The sunny skies kept us warm as we passed guanacos and liebres (Argentine jackrabbits), and the team strolled into camp feeling strong and excited for the challenges ahead. While the wind has picked up since our arrival, we're anticipating another beautiful day tomorrow on our way to Basecamp at 13,800'. It will be an early night tonight and an early morning tomorrow, but the stoke is high and we feel good about what lies ahead. We'll check in tomorrow - until then, keep sending the positive vibes!
Cheers,
Garrett and the RMI Aconcagua Expedition
It never seems like much until you have it on your back.
I thought I had pared down my kit pretty well, bringing only what was essential to fill my belly, keep me warm, allow me to take pictures, edit them, and transmit them back home. It really didn't seem like a lot. But, when that "little bit" got on my back this morning, my body told me otherwise. I'm pretty sure everyone on our team was in the same boat.
With heavy packs, we huffed up the fixed lines once more. Yesterday we had some nice cloud cover keeping us cool, and today, although the sun was back to its blazing self, the temperatures were significantly cooler. Overheating was not too much of an issue.
We all moved uphill well today, keeping a plodding pace that was not too fast, not too slow, but would get us there in good time, with gas still in the proverbial tank. The old tortoise and the hare idea.
It paid off, with everyone arriving under clear skies with a gentle wind at High Camp, 12,250 feet.
It's one of the most stunning camps I've ever been to, with enchanting vistas in every direction. Shinn stands mightily off to the side, the jagged summit of Mount Epperly rising just behind it. Go just a bit out of camp, and the world drops off some 3000 feet to Low Camp, and the massive expanse of Antarctic white spreads like an ocean as far as the eye can see. And, of course, just above us looms the summit of Vinson, still some 4.5 miles off.
It's off to bed early tonight to catch a few zzz's in between shivers - the forecast calls for temperatures around -30 Celsius tonight. Then, once the sunlight hits the tents and makes life bearable, we'll suit up and begin moving uphill.
With luck, by midday tomorrow we'll be on top of the bottom of the world. It was 45 years ago that Eddie Bauer helped get the first people to the summit of Vinson, and it'll be quite a thrill to return there, with Eddie Bauer and the flag Bill Long unfurled so long ago.
Send us good thoughts, and hope the weather gods are kind to us.
Namaste,
Jake Norton
Peter Whittaker from High Camp
Posted by: Ed Viesturs, Peter Whittaker
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Vinson Massif
Elevation: 12,400'
_Vinson_(Zoom).png)
Good morning, good morning. It is January 9th, and this is Peter checking in, we're just finishing up a great breakfast of Cream-of-Wheat and a hot drink. The sun just hit our camp, and we’re packing up and getting ready to make the move up to high camp. It was cold last night, cold this morning, but we have a little bit of sun right now. Weather looks good. And I'm gonna walk out and let my tentmate say a few words, Ed Viesturs.
Morning everybody, it’s beautiful day. We are loading up the camp here and we’re gonna make that ascent back up to high camp another 3,500 feet higher, and weather looks good and the forecast is pretty descent and we hope to go to the summit of Vinson tomorrow, Monday the 10th so be sure to check in tomorrow, follow the progress and we hope to be hootin’ and hollerin’ from the top of the bottom of the world. Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker signing out.
Peter Whittaker and Ed Viesturs talk about their move to high camp
Hi there,
This is Gabi and the RMI Aconcagua team checking in from Pampa de Leñas (9,200').
We had a great hike today. We started at Punta de Vacas (7,900') and walked for almost five hours. It was an 8.7 mile hike and the group did a great job keeping a nice and steady pace. During the hike we experienced moments of sunny and cloudy skies, and some showers. Right after we arrived in camp, it started to rain steady for one hour, something that's pretty unusual around here. This weather was predicted by the forecast and the good news is that it is predicting a sunny day for tomorrow. Perfect for our hike up to Casa de Piedra (Rock house).
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Hi all! RMI's Aconcagua expedition checking in.
We left Mendoza yesterday and drove through the foothills of the Andes to reach our final staging area at Los Penitentes. The bright green of the vineyards gave way to steep rocky faces as we wound up the valley of the Mendoza river. We were finally rewarded with fleeting views of Tupengato, the 6500 meter volcano on the Chilean border.
We spent yesterday packing for the mules, some loads to go straight to Aconcagua Basecamp, and some to follow us on our approach. We woke this morning excited to get our climb underway! We will load the shuttle for the trail head soon, and our climb will begin officially. We'll be in touch soon.
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