Entries from Aconcagua

After a well deserved snooze in the Grajales Dome at base camp, the team started the day with our typical Grajales breakfast - cheesy bread, eggs, and a new edition, palta! We said our goodbyes to our incredible base camp staff, and began our trek down from the mountain.

Around noon, we bid farewell to Aconcagua proper and entered the Vacas Valley. Guide Jack stopped us for a lunch break at a small spring adjacent to our final river crossing.

Finally, after sixteen miles of undulating hills,  sticker plants, and rocks of all shapes and sizes, we arrived at our final camp of the trip. We were greeted by familiar Grajales staff faces, jugo, and apples! The team rallied for a delicious dinner in the Grajales dome, and is now setting up sleep systems for one last night in the mountains. Bittersweet feelings all around, yet we know this mountain has held so much for us and will be here for those of us yearning to return. 

Climber Anne Bradford 

In the land of mountains, where peaks touch the sky,

We started the day, with a breakfast to try.

At Camp 1, the feast was a wondrous delight,

Eggs and bacon, oh my, a savory morning sight!

Ben burst into song, with a voice so bold,

He rapped like Eminem, stories untold!

We cheered and we clapped, with joy in our eyes,

What a way to start the day, with a musical surprise!

We packed up our gear, and set off with zest,

A 6-hour hike ahead, to Camp 2, we did our best.

Ten miles of trails, winding and steep,

But the scenery was breathtaking, our spirits did leap!

At last we arrived, at Camp 2's friendly door,

Where staff greeted us warmly, with treats galore!

Fruit and charcuterie, a mountain delight,

We savored each bite, in the warm sun's light.

But the best part of the day, the most wonderful sight,

Was seeing Aconcagua, our goal, shining so bright!

From afar, we gazed, with hearts full of cheer,

Our destination, so grand, drawing us near!

To William, Alina, and Julia, three silly little friends,

I hope you're having adventures that never end!

May your days be filled with laughter and glee,

And may your dreams be big, like the mountain we see!

RMI Climber James Loudin

THE WIND FELT PERSONAL 

The tent slapping against my face is not my favorite way to wake up. Alas that is how the team's final night at high camp was spent. I personally continued to feign sleep until finally enough rays of sunshine peaked over the horizon that it was reasonable to start rousing everyone from their summit climb exhausted slumbers. Needless to say, most of the team was already awake due to similar wind induced tent slapping. They say it takes a village to raise a child, well they should also say it takes five climbers to take down a tent in high winds. Well teamwork made the dreamwork and soon we were headed downhill towards Camp 2 with our packs over encumbered with everything that had originally taken us two trips and a porter to get there. Camp 2 was a warm, windless paradise at what now felt like a very refreshing 18,000 feet. Sadly, we still had a long way to go to get to base camp. Thankfully, gravity assists on the downhill and the air only got thicker as we descended. Soon we arrived to an enthusiastic welcome home at Plaza Argentina with the various amenities we loved, namely fresh fruit and cerveza! The rest of the afternoon was spent reorganizing, showering, packing, eating, and celebrating our safe return. A rotating cast of our favorite base camp people stopped by for a drink and a laugh. A perfect final night enjoying the incredible hospitality of base camp. After a restless night at 19,600 and then descending nearly 6,000 feet - a well-deserved sleep will be had by all tonight. 

Cheers, 

RMI Guide Jack Delaney and the Sleepy Sies 

You’re back! Let me tell you about our day. 

We woke up early after a night of fun. We finished our packing, ate a fabulous breakfast, and hit the road. Vamonos! Not to the playa. To start our trek amidst some of the biggest mountains in the world. 

Today we walked eight miles, along a roaring river, in the blazing sun. Hoods up, sweat dripping, mouths like cotton. Overwhelmingly beautiful and entirely humbling, we made our way to Trek Camp 1. 

We were greeted at camp with fresh, juicy watermelon, lemonade, and beautiful smiles. We milled around for a bit and soaked up the place while we waited for dinner. The grill was fired up, and by early evening, we were chowing on endless meats and grilled vegetables. Such luxury! 

Of course, we ended the day with an exciting and strategic game of Farkle. Laughter, followed by big yawns, and then off to bed. Another good day awaits! 

And per special request, a very Happy Birthday to Michael & Daniel! 

RMI Guide Hannah Blum

Hello? Can anybody hear me? Maybe not, but hopefully, you are willing to read this out loud. Our climbers are counting on YOU to keep eyes and ears on our adventure as we attempt to climb the Stone Sentinel, AKA Cerro Aconcagua, here in Argentina. But don't stress, we haven't started our walkabout just yet.

Today was a day of preparations. Pack your duffle, unpack your duffle, eat some food, drink some wine, go grocery shopping, and pack your duffels again. As we complete these final preparations, we are getting more and more excited to be part of this journey and see what the mountainside really has to offer. We know it will be fun, and we know it will be challenging, and we're gonna look good doing it.

Cheers to Mendoza for being such a gracious host, but tomorrow, the real reasons we are here begin. Climbing Aconcagua begins with a three day trek to Basecamp at Plaza Argentina, so gather your loved ones for some upcoming and intense storytelling. We look forward to starting the trip and sharing it with you all every step of the way (all puns intended).

Until tomorrow, Buenas Noches.

RMI Guides Ben and Hannah & Team

Hello to our friends and family!

We talked about this as a team yesterday before we went to bed “the possibility exists that we could make it to the top!” But if we knew for sure then my job (as a guide) would be so boring and mountains wouldn’t be that fun for anyone to climb.

You don’t come here because you know you are going to succeed. You come to the mountains because you are open to both - success and failure.

Today some of the team stood on the summit of this beautiful and brutal mountain and some of us turned around. But each one of us was pushed in a different way and most definitely beyond limits we had previously set for ourselves. We endured strong, cold winds from start to finish, learned something about ourselves along the way and are all safely back in our tents at campo 3. I’ll call that a successful day - summit or not.

After such a tough climb, most everyone is snoozing in their tents. Going to 22,841 feet really takes it out of you.

Jack and I will wake everyone up soon for their favorite meal ever, FREEZE DRY (hopefully the last one of this trip) and then we’ll all head straight back to bed to sleep better than we’ve ever slept at 19,600 feet.

Big, big winds are moving in so we’ll get an early start tomorrow on our descent to base camp.

I’m so proud of each person on this team and the courage they had to try something so hard.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

Hola!!

We made it to Campo 3! Got our tents set up (no easy feat at 19,600ft) and just finished a delicious freeze dry dinner - it’s just after 5:00pm and we’re headed to bed soon for an early summit start!

We’ve been so inspired by all the amazing people we have met on this mountain — who day in and day out have inspired us with their insane work ethic and positivity. Who always greet us on the trail with a smile and a word of encouragement. By far, the best part about climbing Aconcagua are the people we have met along the way. 

Anne and I were talking about this on the trail today as one of our favorite porters and climbers, Greggo, came sailing down from Camp 3 to help carry some of our tents back up. We remarked how after months on this mountain guiding, climbing, cooking, carrying loads, he always shows up with such joy and big smiles. 

We decided we want to channel that energy to tomorrow when the going gets tough, when we want to quit or when we are fed up with the cumulative suffering, instead we will remember the positivity and kindness of the Argentinians who have shared their mountain with us and carry that strength with us to a hopeful summit.

Here we go!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the team 

Good evening from beautiful Guanacos camp!

The sun is setting and it’s a radiant orange and pink sky surrounding our tents. This is our third night here and we are feeling good. Today we carried a load of gear up, up, up to Camp 3 - new altitude record for the whole team at 19,600 feet! The saying of the day was “stress the system, rest the system.” We stressed our bodies moving up to that altitude in the hopes that it will help us on summit day. But before our headaches were too bad, we started downhill back to Camp 2. We got back in the early afternoon and then it was time to rest the system.

We prepared for our summit push with a big talk about what to expect, what to carry, tips and tricks to stay warm and so much more. We know some anxiety is normal as there are so many unknowns as we head uphill but preparing as much as we can helps.  Jack also led us in some improv games where we laughed and joked and that helped too!

Tomorrow we head to Camp 3 with a hopeful summit on the horizon.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the "Skittles" team 

The team is thriving here at Camp 2, acclimatizing at just over 18,000 feet. Spirits are high, and everyone’s feeling strong as we continue to prepare for the next steps on our journey. This altitude is no joke, it can feel like you have the flu or a fever, but with proper rest and acclimation, the team is handling it like pros.

This morning kicked off on a high note—literally and figuratively—with an incredible breakfast courtesy of guides Jess and Jack. They whipped up breakfast burritos that had everyone’s appetite soaring, proving once again that good food can work wonders at altitude.

Of course, camp life always has its quirks, and we have experienced cases of mountain “loud streaming.” For those unfamiliar, this is when someone in a nearby tent decides to play music or watch a movie at full volume without headphones, sharing their entertainment with the entire camp. While it added an unexpected movie soundtrack to our attempts to sleep, we’ve all taken it in stride and had a few laughs about it.

Aside from the impromptu movie soundtracks, the team is doing great. We’ve spent the day packing gear for tomorrow’s carry to Camp 3. The plan is to haul supplies up, then return to Camp 2 to sleep and rest. The next few days are critical as we move higher and prepare for the summit push.

The weather outlook is promising—clear skies and manageable winds—so we’re all excited to get rolling. With strong morale and solid progress, we’re ready for what’s ahead. Stay tuned as we move closer to the top!

RMI Climber Elburz Sorkhabi

Hello friends and family!

The team made a strong move today, climbing from Camp 1 to Camp 2 in great form. It was a challenging push, but everyone handled the route with grit and determination. Now, at over 18000 ft, we’re resting at Camp 2, which will be home for a little while as we wait for the right weather window to move up to Camp 3 and prepare for our summit push.

Camp 2 is buzzing with activity. Climbers from different expeditions are coming and going, creating a lively atmosphere. Despite the hustle and bustle, we’ve managed to carve out a little corner of the camp for ourselves. We made the best (and flattest) tent platforms possible by “reading the green” - I’ll be honest, that’s a new term for me but not for all the golfers in the group!

Of course, space is tight up here, which makes our usual card and dice games a bit of a challenge. Finding a flat spot where things don’t roll away is harder than you’d think! But we’re getting creative and working on a setup that’ll keep the fun going as we rest.

The team is doing great—strong, motivated, and full of positive energy. For now, it’s all about resting, fueling up, and staying sharp. The summit is getting closer, and we’re ready for the next step when the mountain says it’s time. Stay tuned for more updates from Guanacos Camp.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Team