Entries from Aconcagua

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. In an en route update for everyone. It seems that we are experiencing some minor mechanical issues with one of our engines. This is nothing to be worried about but as a precaution they would like us to make a diversionary landing. RMI has informed us that the new aircraft will be able to continue from Camp 2 to the summit without any other issues. Unfortunately Nick will have to stay behind with the original aircraft. We have been told that it should be a minor fix and that he will see you in Basecamp for the flight back to the original starting point. Hopefully all will go well and the Summit window will stay open long enough for the four of you to accomplish what you set out to do. Otherwise Yev will be crying for years. Best wishes for the next two days and may the mountain be kind to everyone up there. 

RMI Climber Nick Hanson

The Fellowship of Climbers, bound by their quest to conquer Mount Doom (i.e. Aconcagua), set forth from Camp 1. Sauron (i.e. Ben), the dark lord of the mountain, led the way, his all-seeing eye detecting all possible overhead hazard.

Gollum (i.e. Yev) crept alongside, whispering "precious summit, we wants it, we needs it." Hannah, Jim, and Nick followed, their hearts steeled for the trials ahead.

As they ascended, the winds howled and the scree tumbled. Yet the Fellowship pressed on, driven by their quest to reach the unattainable summit of Mount Doom. At last, they reached Camp 2, weary but undaunted. The vastness of the mountain loomed ahead, but they stood ready to face its windy challenges."

RMI Climber James Loudin

Aconcagua dispatch 2.10.25

After a night of witnessing a spectacular Andean thunderstorm, we awoke this morning to a beautiful cloak of snow on the ground, ~5cm of white magic. We rustled out of our sleeping bags to a warm breakfast, then prepared our packs to carry a load of supplies to Camp 2. Up up and away, we reached our destination at 18,000', in the early afternoon.  We didn't spend long up high -just long enough to cache our supplies - before we flew back downhill to the warmth and comfort of Camp 1. We had a lazy afternoon in the sun filled with eating, sleeping, & hydrating.

Dinner rolled around just in time to fill our empty bellies, then off to bed we went. Serenaded by the roar of the nearby river, we drifted off to sleep. Much needed rest for the big days ahead.
RMI Guide Hannah Blum & Team

Sunday, February 9, 2025, Day 10.

It was a bright and beautiful morning. We sat in silence, slurping our coffee, and enjoying the last bites of our final basecamp breakfast. Our last for the foreseeable future. We embraced our basecamp staff members with smiles on our faces and set out to begin our official climb on Cerro Aconcagua. "¡Buenas Suerte!" they said, as we waved goodbye. "¡Hasta luego!" we said, as we know we will get to see them again.

As we journeyed up the trail to Camp 1, we could still feel the cool breeze from the early morning freeze. It wasn't long, however, before the high altitude sun warmed us. It was another tough day getting to our destination, but we arrived in high spirits and indulged in some much needed rest. We again witnessed a stormy spectacle as we ate tasty bites for dinner. Now we're settled into the warmth of our sleeping bags, excited to see what all the hooplah is about at Camp 2 tomorrow before returning to Camp 1 for another night.

RMI Guide Ben Luedtke & Team

Greetings from base camp at Plaza Argentina!

Today we had a much-needed rest and logistics day after yesterday's heavy carry to Camp One. Strategic packing, a scenic acclimatization hike, a medical clearance visit, and a tactical nap were all on the agenda for today. The day closed with an unexpected thunderstorm that soaked base camp but provided much-needed relief from the high altitude glare of the sun.

As we prepare for the higher mountain, there is a palpable sense of excitement. If we make it to the top, Aconcagua will be a personal altitude record for all but one of us. Wish us luck!

P.S. No large language models were harmed during the creation of this post :)

RMI Climber Yev "Freyverissimo" Freyvert

Goooooood afternoon ladies and gentlemen, from the flight deck we would like to welcome you aboard Aconcagua 2025.

We are finishing up our final preparation before we push back from the gate. Ben and Hannah are two of RMI's finest guides and they are here primarily for your safety so please listen to their briefings even if you're a frequent climber. The climb will take approximately 10 days and hopefully reach an altitude of 22800 ft. Otherwise sit back and enjoy the trip as best as you can and we will get back to the weather and arrival information closer to our destination.

This morning's departure time was delayed for about 30 minutes due to unexpected issues but after a discussion with Maintenance, we are cleared for departure. This then began our 7hr round trip to Mountain Camp 1 to drop a large load of supplies for our climb. After 5hrs on the Mountain Stair master we started our return trip to rest and recharge at Basecamp. We had some unfortunate news today when we were told that Jim E. would not be able to continue with us due to a medical issue. We all hope for the best for him. He will be missed by our other Jim and all of us of course.

Enjoy.

RMI Climber Nick Hanson

Rest: A period of time when you relax, sleep, or do nothing after being active.

Although this sounds nice, it's not all sunshine and rainbows doing nothing at almost 14,000 feet.  Fortunately for us, we did get to sleep in this morning, but we also got to go on a short climb along the first leg of our route to Camp 1. Active rest days are important. We take the time we need to rest our bodies and our minds, but it helps a lot to also keep those muscles busy with small activities. Mindfully, we also packed our large backpacks for our first big carry day tomorrow. It may be heavy, but we're feeling ready. We are excited to start our second half of the trip: the climb.

Per request, a huge congratulations to Daniel and Sydney on the new baby! 

RMI Guides Ben Luedtke, Hannah Blum, & Team

Buen Dia!

We woke up to our final breakfast on the mountain, one more time we put our hiking shoes back on and bid farewell to Jimmy and Daniela - the amazing Grajales team at our last camp.

The wind stayed at our backs as we descended the final 8 miles of the Vacas Valley. Today, the conversation was flowing - more air, full bellies! We saw lots of lizards and butterflies and even a couple mice scurrying across the trail. Signs of life reminding us we are no longer at high altitude.

With ample amounts of dust and dirt embedded in our clothes, we made it to Punta de Vacas. The place we started 2 weeks ago. We took one final group picture and headed to Penitentes to grab our duffel bags.

Before we knew it, we were on the van headed back to Mendoza! But not without a stop for empanadas along the way.

What an end to an amazing trip! We’re all safely back in the comforts of the Diplomatic Hotel - hot showers, pool time, rest and recuperation is on the agenda before we all fly back home.

Thank you for following along!

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

Today, we had an early start, however we weren’t sleepy on the trail for very long. 

We crossed the river on foot five minutes away from our last trekking camp. The frigid waters came up to our knees as we crossed. Yikes! All this before sunrise.  We quickly dried our feet and legs, and put on warmer foot wear to make our way up to Aconcagua. Six hours of hiking later, climbing 3,300 feet over seven miles, we walked into base camp.

We’re finally here!  A few days to acclimate, and we should head up to Camp 1.

RMI Climber James Esrey

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