Entries from Aconcagua
Hello RMI fans! It's JJ and Leah reporting in from Los Penitentes in Argentina! Team 2 is in full effect and we are ready to go.
With all the storms in the U.S. it has been an adventure just to get here. However, we are all excited and raring to go.
We spent the day traveling to the trailhead and organizing and packing gear. The first part of this trip has the support of mules so we packed barrels and duffels full of food, gear. And personal equipment.
Follow along as we hit the dusty trail...Argentina Cowboy style!
RMI Guides JJ Justman & Leah Fisher
The clouds moved in after dinner last night and left a thin dusting of snow over camp. When I poked my head out of the tent early this morning things were looking ominous: a thick cloud cover hung just over camp and everything was white. But a few miles down the valley the cloud bank broke and I could see morning light hitting the peaks behind. Gradually as I watched the clouds overhead dissipated and the peaks immediately around Base Camp lit up in the pink morning light. With the hulk of Aconcagua immediately to our east, Base Camp sat in shadow while we crawled out of the tents for breakfast. Even by 8:30 with the clear skies and snow there was a nip to the air as we packed our bags but just as we shouldered our packs, the sun peaked over the ridge line high above and immediately warmed us up.
Bound for Camp 1 with loads of gear and supplies for the upper camps, we set out from Base Camp and crossed a small field of penitentes - the sharp snow spires - to begin ascending. The trail zigs and zags across the rocky scree slopes of Aconcagua, occasionally wrapping around rock outcroppings that jut out of the seemingly featureless slope. We made great time towards Camp 1, settling into a consistent pace and watching the brightly colored tents of Base Camp fade to small dots far below us. By midday we reached Camp 1, called "Camp Canada" which sits on the backside of massive stone tower at 16,600'. With the sun still shining and the winds holding at bay, we unloaded our gear and cached it among the snowdrifts and rocks at Camp 1. To our west large clouds were forming and soon after starting our descent the skies began to spit torrents of snow and hail that would come as quickly as they went. Between the snow flurries the sun would come out and it would be down right hot until the next wave of snow. Despite the swings in weather, and our constant clothing adjustments as a result, we made it back to Base Camp by mid-afternoon where we retreated to our tents to hang out and watch the clouds bounce over the mountaintops.
Tom and Thomas climbed remarkably well today, tackling the new terrain and altitudes with little fanfare and all the while keeping me entertained with unending stories. We are all feeling good after the day and looking forward to our planned rest day here in Base Camp tomorrow before we move higher on the mountain.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Posted by: Linden Mallory
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Buenas tardes from Plaza de Mulas, the Base Camp on Aconcagua's western side! Plaza de Mulas sits on a big rocky glacial moraine, near the eastern side of the amphitheater that makes up the head of the main Horocones Valley. Sharp summits surround us in every direction, the deep red color of the mountains here occasionally interested with striations of yellow and grey. Most of the peaks still hold snow from last winter snowpack and fields of penitentes - sharp snow spires that form from the intense sun - are emerging in the snow patches that still reside in the shallow gullies running alongside Base Camp. The panorama is framed by the massive cliff of glacial ice of Horocones Superior to our north and the hulk of Aconcagua rising immediately out of camp to our east. From this low on the mountain the majority of our route is obscured from view by the scree covered flanks running into camp, but far above us the steep cliffs that guard Aconcagua's twin northern and southern summits occasionally emerge from the clouds. Despite the relatively non-technical nature of this route, we still found ourselves craning our necks to look up at the mountain from Camp.
After reaching camp we quickly set up our tents and unloaded our gear that came in by mule. It was a relief to see that our gear made it unscathed after bouncing up the valley on the back of what seemed to be semi-tamed mules (whatever you do, don't stand in the trail and play chicken with an oncoming mule train!). With our camp established we explored around camp a bit before settling into our tents for some R&R right as the afternoon clouds spit a few sporadic snowflakes down on us.
The team is doing well and we are all very happy to be up high, finally eyeing the route above us and contemplating the next few days. If weather and acclimatization hold strong, we hope to carry a portion of our gear and supplies needed for the upper mountain to Camp 1 tomorrow. The sun is just starting to sink behind the ridge lines that separate us from Chile and the temperatures are getting chilly as we head off to dinner. We'll check in tomorrow after our day.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Sounds breathtaking. Keep it up, glad the equipment arrived intact!
Posted by: Nanook on 12/16/2013 at 7:57 am
Finally with all of our gear, we left Mendoza this morning and headed for the mountains. The tree-lined streets of Mendoza gave away to carefully tended vineyards that produce the famed Malbec wine for which Mendoza is known. The road led into the foothills of the Andes, weaving along the edge of the thick red Mendoza River. The small hills soon grew to tall mountains and the road began passing through tunnels carved through the rock in the mountain sides. By midday we reached the ski outpost of Penitentes, a handful of kilometers from the Chilean border. Penitentes, no more than a few buildings with long slanted tat break the incessant winds, is a ski resort in the winter and a staging ground for Aconcagua climbers in the summer.
We spent the afternoon in Penitentes preparing our gear for the mountain. We set up and checked our tents, fired up the stoves, and packed our food and fuel into tight, well protected containers to endure the jostling of the mules on the approach to Base Camp. Once our loads were prepared, we ventured up the valley to Punta del Inca, a famous natural bridge created from geothermal springs that spans the entire river. Decades ago visitors would drive their cars across it. We ventured a bit further up the road to the mouth of the Horocones Valley where we caught our first views of Aconcagua since reaching Mendoza. Capped in clouds and new snow, the mountain's impressive south face loomed over the head of the Horocones Valley. It was an impressive, exciting, and humbling moment.
We are settled into our Hosteria now, enjoying the thin cold air, and happy to finally be in the mountains.
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
How come your going up the Mulas side as oppossed to the Vacas valley?
Posted by: Randy Christofferson on 12/14/2013 at 10:17 am
Posted by: Linden Mallory
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Reaching Mendoza, Argentina proved to be a tougher challenge than we anticipated for our team. Between cancelled flights, storm systems, and mechanical delays we all finally reached Mendoza, albeit a day late. Tom, Thomas and I happened to be on the same plane from Santiago to Mendoza and we had a stunning flight over the Andes with views north and south down the range. A fresh layer of snow blanketed the higher elevations of the mountains and Aconcagua stood tall above the surrounding peaks, it's summit trailing a thin cloud on its leeward side.
When we stepped off the plane in Mendoza the temperatures were 70F and sunny, the austral summer in full swing with green trees lining the tarmac - a striking difference from the cold temperatures that we left at home! Unfortunately, the relief about reaching Mendoza was quickly muted when Tom and Thomas' bags failed to appear. Undeterred, we filed our paperwork and were assured that the bags were on the next flight. So we headed into Mendoza, found our hotel, took a nice shower, and kicked back to share stories while we waited. And we waited, and we waited, and we waited...
The next morning found us back at the airport looking for a little more information on where the bags could have gone. The answer: Paris, France. It turns out that while we were hoping to head to Aconcagua's Canaleta, the bags had something more like the Champs Élysées in mind. Even in the days of barcodes and instant tracking, it still takes awhile for lost baggage to find it's way across three continents from Europe to the U.S. and finally Argentina. We made the most of the extra days in Mendoza to get the rest of our team gear organized, secure our climbing permits, catch up on rest from the flights, wander Mendoza's tree-lined streets, and enjoy a glass or two of Malbec while hanging out in some of Mendoza's outdoor cafes.
Finally by 5pm this evening the last of the missing bags reached Mendoza. We've enjoyed our time in town, but are eager to head to the mountains. Tomorrow morning we will make the drive into the Andes to the small outpost of Penitentes, wedged just south of Aconcagua National Park and a handful of miles from the Chilean border. We'll sort our gear there and spend a night or two acclimatizing before we head into Plaza de Mulas, Base Camp on Aconcagua's western Ruta Normal. We will check in tomorrow night from the mountains!
RMI Guide Linden Mallory
Posted by: JJ Justman
Categories: Aconcagua Mountaineering Fitness & Training
After climbing Mt. Rainier, as our teams are sitting in Ashford at the Bar & Grill, I am often asked, “What is a next best climb?” While that is a great question with many possibilities, my go to answer is typically Aconcagua. Aconcagua is the highest mountain in South America and one of the world's highest mountains. It is a great introduction to expedition style climbing, it is relatively safe, and it is a ton of fun!
Climbing a mountain like Aconcagua is a huge endeavor. It is a mountain that requires an athlete to be in top physical condition. Overall aerobic endurance training is very important and it is important that most climbers come to the mountain fully prepared. In regards to endurance training, I have always been a firm believer that you must do something aerobically that you really enjoy doing...because you must do a lot of it! For me, that activity is road cycling. I can get on the bike and ride for hours upon hours. For others, it may be running or hiking.
I have an additional workout that I incorporate into my training once a week, two months prior to my expedition, in order to prepare. The workout is “crossfit” style, but first I want to explain why I benefit from it.
High altitude climbing demands three things. One, you must have a high aerobic threshold. Without getting into too scientific, your body’s aerobic threshold simply means your body is still running on oxygen. Anaerobic system is when you are not getting enough oxygen and lactic acid builds up. This is when you are going so hard you begin to feel that “burn” in your legs and you simply feel you cannot maintain that effort. So your body slows down, you return to your aerobic state and your body begins to flush the lactic acid out. If you do interval training, going all out for a short time followed by a longer period of rest, you in a sense are building a higher aerobic threshold.
Two, you must have good overall strength for climbing at high altitudes. On Aconcagua you will carry a heavy pack to move between the three camps we have. So you must have strong shoulders, back, chest, core and legs.
Lastly, you must have a great deal of mental strength. We would all love it if climbing high mountains would be easy, but it is not! Climbing to high altitudes requires a little bit of suffering. How hard are you mentally willing to push it? You must break mental barriers to succeed at high altitude.
With all that I personally do a routine that has me crying at the end. Why? Because it requires all three things mentioned above. And here is the workout…but first, always consult a profession trainier before attempting a new workout.
1. Man Makers
2. 500 meter row
3. 30 – 50 full sit ups
4. Jump rope one minute
5. Kettle bell dead lift
6. Lying Leg raises
I perform these exercises in succession with as little time resting in between. A complete cycle of these exercises is one set. I perform a total of three sets. This workout is torture…but in a good way. It keeps my heart rate elevated very high, especially during the rowing and jump roping. It also incorporates overall muscle strength. And I have to push through a mental barrier because I guarantee you will either want to rest or quit.
_____
JJ Justman is a senior guide with RMI Expeditions. He has led 18 expeditions to Aconcagua, and guided and climbed around the world, including three expeditions to Mt. Everest. In addition to climbing and cycling, JJ is a talented Tango dancer. JJ will be leading several Aconcagua expeditions for RMI this coming winter.
Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts here on the RMI Blog!
Roy, I shoot for 15 manmakers (not to heavy dumb bells). 15 deadlifts, again not too heavy but find something that challenges you to barely get to 15 safely. And I go to exhaustion on the lying leg lifts. Hooe that helps. Keep the discussions going climbers. Lets stay motivated to climb higher!
Posted by: JJ on 10/7/2013 at 11:40 am
JJ,
This looks like a killer workout. For the suggested exercises you enumerated the number of sit ups and the time of jumping rope…how long and/or how many on the others?
Thanks!
Posted by: Roy on 10/7/2013 at 6:30 am
Posted by: Billy Nugent, Mike King
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Aconcagua
Hey All!
Checking in one last time here from Mendoza where our intrepid crew has just checked in at our hotel, dusty and stinking from 15 days on the trail. After our rough awakening at Camp Cólera and rallying "lights and sirens" style to save our camp we had a relatively uneventful walk down to Basecamp where we were greeted by the great staff at Grajales. Then there was yesterday's walk from Basecamp to Pampa de Leñas which is normally a bone-crusher, this time it was all gravy after our battle up at Cólera. The herrieros (mule drivers) at Pampa de Leñas treated us to a delicious asado that was mostly beef tenderloin, salted and grilled over wood coals! The crew was very appreciative after so many days of hard work. After sleeping out under the stars last night, today saw another seven miles of easy walking til we hit the road and loaded up for our shuttle to Mendoza. We are certainly tired but, again, very psyched on our accomplishment and intend to spend the next several days enjoying Argentine cuisine and wine. The gang is even going to head out on a group winery tour in a couple days since we're kinda stuck here with our early arrival from the mountain. Lotsa love from way down south, signing off...
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Great article Billy! We trekked to to the Base Camp of Aconcagua around the same time in February 2013 and stayed in the Andes for 7 days, it was truthfully fantastic the whole way around. The views, the place.. one of a kind experience.
I must agree on the asado as a good lunch option while we enjoyed the fresh mountain air, although having a veggie trekking partner she wasnt so into the meat-based lunch, although they did BBQed some veggies..for her, awesome. We hired a Mendoza-based company Acomara, which provided us with english speaking guides so that was a plus for us. I dont know how you guys dealt with the language barrier but for us having these guys that spoke good English sure made the whole experience smoother.
Once again great article, regards!
Posted by: Dave Cowell on 8/22/2013 at 8:05 pm
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Hey everyone, Billy calling checking in again. Had a really rough day coming down the mountain yesterday, but everyone made it down in one piece. We got back to High Camp with nice weather and then the weather just kinda gradually turned for the worst through the evening. And by about 5 In the morning, we were fighting about 80 mile an hour gust of winds just battling to keep our camp in one piece. And at first light, around 6:30, we pretty much had to get out of the tents and we're just battling hurricane force winds and to get everybody's stuff together and we got everything out of Camp Cholera. Moved on down to our Camp 2 and reput up tents and cooked breakfast and filled water bottles and recuperated from the hellish evening. And after that everybody walked on down to Basecamp last night and we enjoyed an awesome steak dinner, courtesy of the great Basecamp staff at Grajales. We are all geared up, everything's been loaded on mules and we're now headed for Pampa de Lenas and tonight will be our last night on the trail and tomorrow we are headed to Mendoza. We'll check in one more time tomorrow, after we've made it safely to the road. Ciao, ciao.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
Billy Nugent checks in from Basecamp.
On The Map
11:39 a.m. PST Billy Nugent & Team called and they are safely back at High Camp. It has started snowing so they are packing up and heading for Plaza Argentina. The team is doing great and they will send an update when they get there.
Hey everybody, I am checking in for our Aconcagua crew giving you guys a call from the summit. We are [broken] clear skies [broken] and 100% of our crew on the summit. We are all giving hi-fives, taking pictures and just looking around kind of in awe. I'll give a call when we get back to camp safe and sound but until then, ciao ciao.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
RMI Guide Billy Nugent checks in from the summit of Aconcagua, 22,841 ft.
On The Map
Hi Uncle Kenny! Hope you’re having a great time in Argentina! I’m having a fantastic semester so far, I got hired as an RA for next year! I’m so excited, and all my classes are great too. Can’t wait to see all the amazing pictures I’m sure you took, have a safe trip back to the US! Love you!
-Natasha
Posted by: Natasha Young on 2/17/2013 at 12:15 pm
Congratulations to you all!!
I hope there was some summit wine.
Rolf
Posted by: Rolf on 2/17/2013 at 6:44 am
Hey everybody, this is Billy checking in for Mike King and Garrett Stevens and the rest of our crew. We are at high camp on Aconcagua at about 19,600 feet and we made our move up today. And we're gonna be hopefully taking a crack at the top tomorrow. Because it is the only weather window that we have. There is a wind event that is coming on that is supposed to blow 75 miles an hour at the summit for the next 5 or so days out in the extended forecast. So our chance is now. We're hoping things are going to lighten up for us right now. Kind of a little bit crappy here at [Camp] Cholera. Fair bit of blowing snow and about 20 mile an hour winds maybe gusts of 30 to 35. But yeah, keep your fingers crossed, and we'll give you guys a call in a little bit and let you know how it all went down. Ciao.
RMI Guide Billy Nugent
RMI Guide Billy Nugent checks in from High Camp.
On The Map
Congrats you made it again , we are so proud, ! We look forward to hearing all about it That was a fast climb for you time flys when you are having fun. love Ypu Brian & Jeannie!!!!!
Posted by: Brian and Jeannie Young on 2/17/2013 at 12:25 pm
Technique and ability alone do not get you to the top, it is willpower that is the most important. This willpower you can not buy with money or be given by others…..it rises from your heart.
All of you are awesome, it has been so exciting following your progress.
Moses last words to Joshua were “to be bold & courageous”. All of have have been both.
Posted by: Beth Behrle on 2/15/2013 at 4:10 am
Brother-had a glass of Malbec tonight and thought of you! Actually, we are thinking of you everyday and sending good thoughts your way during this epic adventure! Excited and proud of you!! Love you Dave!
Beth, Peter and Foster.
Posted by: Beth Glein on 12/19/2013 at 9:51 pm
Hi Kim!! Would you mind terribly flying back to ATL before you start the major climbing?? Your darling niece Sophia forgot to give you her lucky hermit crab! You better plan on receiving at least 300 comments from us during the next 24 days. Hugs & Kisses from your favorite sister.
Posted by: Lora Sue Fluffysparklepuff on 12/17/2013 at 5:36 pm
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