RMI Expeditions Blog
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
They call our camp tonight "Planet Dickson" because it feels otherworldly. It is a small peninsula of land that sticks out into the emerald waters of
Lake Dickson which are dotted by small icebergs. With no roads to here and horses grazing all around it is paradise. You can skip perfectly flat rocks off its shores or pick the rather bitter Calafate berries around its green lawns.
We had a long day on the trail so everyone was happy to see the hut this afternoon. The trail gave us an authentic experience of Patagonia's weather and "Patagonia flat" terrain. The weather here goes from light rain, to hot sun, to gusting winds, to dark skies, to hot sun again in 10 minutes. It is a moody teenager. "Patagonia flat" is how the locals refer to terrain that goes up and down a lot. Tomorrow will bring some more hills and views of hanging glaciers. The team is doing great and in awe of each view.
RMI Guide Christina Dale
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
RMI Guide Hannah Smith checked in from the
summit of Aconcagua. She reported that the team did a great job climbing to 22,841' feet. The weather is great and everyone is doing well.
We expect to hear from the team again later today when they are back at camp.
Congratulations to the team!
On The Map
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
How often do you get to lounge in the warm sun on a boat as you zip across the
Straights of Magellan? We went out to see the penguins and sea lions today and couldn't stop taking pictures. Not a cloud in sight on this hot summer day so we mirrored the sea lions and laid out in the sun. The penguins make everyone smile as they waddle around awkwardly on land and smoothly dart through the water.
This afternoon we made it to Puerto Natales where we tasted the Calafate beer which has a sweet almost blueberry flavor. Legend has it if you eat some Calafate berries you will return, and if you eat a lot then you will just stay in Patagonia. I think right now, we are all happy to eat some. We just completed a group gear check and pack and are off to explore this funky town for the evening. Tomorrow we hit the trail!
RMI Guide Christina Dale
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
Great Photos - lovely camp site- Keep trekking
Posted by: peter von Mertens on 2/7/2019 at 1:47 pm
I’m so glad to be able to
read about your adventure. Love seeing the photos !
(Hayley’s mom)
Posted by: Rita Christodoulou on 2/6/2019 at 5:27 am
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