Today was a well-earned rest day, and the team made the most of it. After yesterday’s tough carry, a day to recharge was just what we needed. We kicked things off with a short walk to a local bouldering site around basecamp and stretched out our tired legs. The rest of the day was low-key and full of laughs as we hung out together, played cards, and got to know each other even better.

Of course, rest days aren’t just about relaxing. We also took care of some camp chores to set ourselves up for success tomorrow. Laundry being taken care of around camp, and gear was shuffled and repacked as we prepped for the move to Camp 1. After feeling the weight of yesterday’s packs, everyone was eager to pare down and lighten the load wherever possible.

The team is in great spirits and feeling ready to tackle tomorrow’s move. Rest, good company, and a bit of laughter really are the perfect combination to recharge after hard days on the mountain.

RMI Climber Tom

January 25, 2025 – Carry to Camp 1 and Scree Sliding Fun

Today was a big day for our team as we carried a lot of our gear—about 50 pounds each—up the route from basecamp to Camp 1. It was a true test of endurance and teamwork. The route itself kept us on our toes (literally), with plenty of loose scree underfoot to make things tricky. Every step demanded focus, and the weight of our packs reminded us just how serious this climb is.

Despite the challenge, we pushed through as a team, reaching Camp 1 and caching our gear for the days ahead. After all that effort, we headed back down to basecamp, tired but proud of what we accomplished. Sliding down the scree on the descent was a surprising highlight of the day—it’s hard not to feel like a kid again when you’re essentially skiing on loose rocks! Laughter echoed across the slopes as we let gravity do most of the work.

Now back at basecamp, everyone is feeling the weight of the day’s effort (and the packs!). We’re well-tired but in great spirits, ready to take a much-needed rest day tomorrow. Rest is key in a climb like this, and giving our bodies time to recover will help set us up for success as we move higher up the mountain.

The team is doing fantastic—strong, motivated, and full of camaraderie. With every step, we’re getting closer to our goal, and today was a big step forward. Stay tuned for more updates as the adventure continues!

RMi Climber Elburz Sorkhabi

 

Today, we acclimatized at base camp. We woke up and indulged in a delicious breakfast of yogurt, fruit, pancakes, and cheese bread. 

Afterwards, our amazing guides Jack and Jess took over our Grajales dome to organize our group gear into piles for each of us to carry to Camp One tomorrow. Comprised of bottles of white gas, ingredients for our mountain meals, and miscellaneous other items, us climbers packed our backpacks with our group gear and as much of our personal gear as we could muster.

In the early afternoon, all seven of us met with the base camp doctor. She assured us we were acclimatizing beautifully and ready to push on up in altitude! Many of us watched downloaded movies while lounging and napping in our tents throughout the afternoon before pre-dinner bananagrams. 

Dinner was delightful, as always. Our Grajales staff Carla brought us soup, lentil and beef stew, and a s’mores-like parfait for dessert. 

Packed, fed, and rested, the team is headed to bed, prepared to take on another spectacular mountain day tomorrow! 

RMI Climber Anne Bradford 

Friday, January 24, 2025 - 2:48 am

Hola!

We awoke early in the morning with the beautiful southern hemisphere stars shining above us. I attempted to point out constellations like the southern cross. Odds are I have lied to everyone because my memory for constellations is as bad as my Spanish. The day starts out with the team stylishly dressed in various water shoes for the crossing of the braided streams of the glacially cold Vacas river. This ice bath for our feet and calves is stronger than any cup of coffee. Everyone is now very much wide awake. Then we begin our slow but steady ascent up the Ralenchos valley. I will not bore you with all the fine details of the stunning geology, the panoramic views of Aconcagua and various sightings of adorable guanacos. All you need to know dear reader is that the trek was hard but we suffered well surrounded by incredible beauty.

Do you remember when you came home from college for the first time and your mom kept hugging you and then made all your favorite foods but like way too much? Our arrival at Plaza Argentina was just like that. We spent the rest of the afternoon waddling around camp getting settled in while taking many deep breaths as our bodies adjusted to our new altitude of nearly 14,000 feet. Finally after another incredible dinner provided by the always stellar Grajales staff, everyone was ready for sleep. It was a long day. 

RMI Guide Jack Delaney and the Sassy Six (Anne, Bill, Chris, Elburz, Jess and Tom)

P.S. they don’t know I call them that

Today was just all-around lovely!

We woke up with the sun, packed our tents and headed to breakfast. We have discovered this wonderful thing called Dulce de leche and now we smother all of our toast in it.

We hit the trail on our way to our next camp, Casa de Piedra. We weaved up through the valley for 10 miles today - always keeping our eyes out from Guanacos. Just when we were convinced we might not get a glimpse, we looked up and saw three majestic Guanacos staring right back at us. Yay!

Soon after, we popped up over a little hill and saw the yellow and white dome tents of our next camp. Just before we walked into camp, we were greeted with our first views of "The Stone Sentinel", Aconcagua.

Tomorrow we’ll head to Base camp where we can’t wait to greet our fellow RMI climbers who stood on the summit today.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Jack Delaney and the Magnificent 7.

At our first break, I walked over to Tom and said “how are you doing?” and he looked up at me from the only bit of shade we had seen in the last hour and said “good, this feels like home.” And that’s the best way to describe this whole day.

We’re finally on the trail - after all this time planning, all the big travel days and this morning’s final packing shenanigans. Even though the first few hours were hot, hot, hot there was a sense of ease.

Sometimes we walked in silence and I’d look back and see everyone just taking it in, sometimes we chatted about life and our jobs as we strolled along surrounded by vivid cliffs of rosy rock.

I’ve laughed more in the last few days than in the last few months combined as we’ve gotten to know each other. A few days ago we were all strangers and now we are a unified team ready to climb, ready to face the excitement and unknowns of the mountain.

After five hours of hiking, we arrived at our first camp, Pampa de las Lenas, just as some (welcomed) clouds rolled in. At dinner, we peppered Bill with questions about teeth (he’s a dentist) and he gleefully educated us. We decided maybe every night we’d just deep dive into someone else’s profession. There’s so much curiosity and so much life!

Off to bed we go for our first night of many in our little tent homes.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Jack Delaney and the Aconcagua climbing team

Hello to all our friends and family at home!

I’m happy to report we ALL made it to Argentina and with our gear (some bags took a little longer than others to arrive but they’re all here now!)

We’ve spent the last two days in Mendoza getting to know each other, checking gear, packing, repacking, learning about what the next few weeks will look like and enjoying as much of the Mendoza-life as possible. We are headed to bed with duffels ready, full stomachs of delicious Argentinian cuisine, and a lot of excitement to finally hit the trail tomorrow.

It’s going to be an incredible adventure and after so much time planning and preparing, we can’t wait for it to begin.

RMI Guides Jess Wedel, Jack Delaney and the Aconcagua climbing team