Entries from Aconcagua

Another day high in the Andes! We were able to carry and cache loads at 19,600 feet at Camp 3 - Colera.

We bundled up, did a little dance to our favorite hype song and took off into the wind.

Mostly clear skies and beautiful views greeted us as we slowly ascended to Camp 3. We cached our gear and stayed at that altitude for more than an hour before we began the quick descent back to Camp 2.

We’re now in the best possible position we can be for our summit attempt and are monitoring all the forecasts to find a window.

We’ve spent the afternoon resting, recovering and greeting more teams as they arrive at Camp 2.

On the menu for tonight’s dinner is steak, mashed potatoes and of course, soup! Soup is the king of expeditions. Warm and hydrating — what more could you want.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings.

Jess and the Aconcagua team

Hola,

Well, the forecast came true. We hunkered down at Camp 2 today and endured big winds. As I speak, the mountain is hidden in a cloud and light snow is falling.

Lots of teams moving in to Camp 2 and carrying loads so even though the weather was tough, there’s lots of activity up at 18,000 feet.

Tonight, we’re staying warm with bowls of ramen and an early bedtime. We’re hopeful to carry a load of gear to Camp 3 tomorrow but let’s see what the mountain says when we wake up.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Aconcagua team

Hello!

Today we had our best weather day yet. Oh my goodness, was it needed. A reprieve. None of us slept much last night because the wind was relentless but just as the sun came over the horizon it began to soften. As we were cooking breakfast both Leandro and I went outside just to look to see if it really had dissipated. It had! Happy dance. Happy dance.

So we packed up camp calmly and we put on our backpacks and we began the move to Camp 2. It was so pleasant, the views remarkable. Mountains beyond mountains. Everyone moved well, steady. It felt good to climb in silence and sunshine.

We had a wonderful afternoon at Camp 2 and ate chicken burritos for dinner. The whole team had seconds which may mean nothing to you at home but to me that means everyone is doing so well here at 18,000ft and appetites are staying strong.

We expect high winds tonight and into tomorrow but you just never know. Time will tell. No matter what, we feel stoked to have made it to Camp 2.    

And with that, goodnight! 

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Aconcagua team.

P.S. don’t be alarmed if you aren’t hearing from your loved one all of a sudden - no wifi here at Camp 2 for the moment. All is well.    

Hello dear readers,

As I lay down in my tent after another eventful day on Aconcagua, I can hear what sounds like a freight train. And as I type that, the sides of the tent bend into my face as that freight train reaches camp — in the form of 40+ mph winds.

This has become a fairly normal occurrence for the 2026 Aconcagua season.

Here’s what you need to know. Today we carried loads up and up a traverse we’ve been staring at since the first time we saw Aconcagua nearly a week ago. Near the top, we stopped, pulled on our hard shells, and braced ourselves. We knew we were about to get blasted as we crossed the Ameghino Col.

We were right.

Huge gusts ripping through. A brief moment of calm, then another hit. And another. We kept moving. Sometimes stopping to brace. Short breaks. Then back to it.

Before long, we dropped into Camp 2 — snow spinning off the ridgelines, winds strong enough to knock you off balance if you weren’t paying attention. We dove into the dome tent as fast as possible, grateful for even a small reprieve.

There’s plenty more wind in the forecast, but there’s also still hope. If we keep doing the right things, day after day, we may earn a chance at the top. For now, we stay right here in the moment.

Tomorrow we move to Camp 2. Hopefully with less wind. But either way — we’re ready. We’re ready.

I’m beyond proud of this team for charging hard, staying mentally and physically strong, and still laughing with me along the way.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

P.S. did you figure out who Lady Whistledown was? That’s a secret I’ll never tell. ��

Dearest Gentle Reader,

As February marches forward on Aconcagua, many of us are left wondering: who will be this season’s diamond?

Perhaps the honor goes to our esteemed mountain guides, Duchess Wedel and the Viscount, Leandro. This author stood amazed at the rapid and seemingly flawless execution of logistics this morning, as they sorted, weighed, divvyed and divinated, all in service of our move to Camp 1. The Viscount in particular turned heads when he produced, somehow, two rounds of delicious hamburgers for dinner at 16,400 feet.

Or perhaps this season’s incomparable is Cuca and her indefatigable base camp court. The Ton left camp this morning bellies full and spirits high, in no small part thanks to their industrious efforts hosting us for five restorative days at Base Camp.

Perhaps it is not one diamond her majesty selects this season, but rather six. The whole Ton huffed and puffed for hours today, carrying loads to our newly appointed estates at Camp 1. Many a bead of sweat fell beneath an azure, cloudless sky and a relentless Sun more overbearing than the mother of any eligible lady in her debut season.

This author suspects the season’s true diamond, as in all climbing seasons, is indeed Her Majesty herself: Aconcagua! But will our climbers reach the capricious perch of her much sought after summit? Each season many claim her crown while many others return to greener pastures humbled by her many challenges.

And so the Ton proceeds to the upper mountain, in pursuit of her favour. Marching upward and onward, eager to climb ever-higher in elevation, if not in her esteem. But challenges enumerable await them as they leave behind the comforts of base camp. Will the Ton’s thus-far tireless bonhomie survive the indignities of high camp and strong winds? I suspect, dear reader, that only time will tell. 

— Yours as always, Lady Whistledown

PC: Jess Wedel

Friday, February 6, 2026

Rest days at base camp have a funny way of being both quiet and full. Today was about taking care of the little things before we head higher — the kind of things that feel oddly important when you’re about to trade comfort for commitment.

There were showers. Likely the last real ones for a while. Sun hoodies were washed — the one that will be worn for the next nine days. Morale improved accordingly.

Some of us still worked (yes, even on the side of a mountain… thank you, Starlink). We all took a slow walk out into the surrounding landscape, which looks less like Argentina and more like Mars. Red rock, wide silence, and that sense that you’re very far from anywhere else.

We were reminded that taking steps is easy, standing still is hard. Base camp life does that to you.

As the evening settled in, it was the usual mix: friends, a little wine, a lot of laughter, and a growing mental shift toward what comes next. We’re getting ready to climb.

Tomorrow, we head up.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel

P.S. Erika - we are loving the song suggestions! Today we kept it chill and the song of the day was “Against the Wind” by Bob Seger. Felt appropriate.
 

Thursday, February 5, 2926

Here we are, rest day at base camp.

This morning we lingered at breakfast, another cup of coffee, another cup of tea. We covered an impressive range of topics: public healthcare, data analysis, the influence of AI, and the origins of acetaas it relates to acetaminophen and acetazolamide (Diamox). This naturally led to the balsamic vinegar on the table and the discovery that aceta in Spanish and in pharmaceuticals means… vinegar.

From there, the conversation drifted to how we all ended up in the mountains. What they mean to us. On paper, we couldn’t be more different. But there was so much overlap in our stories, the braids of humanity connecting all these very different people trying this one very hard thing.

One hour turned into another and soon (as it always does) we found ourselves talking about the forecast. Summit chances. Strategy. The great obsession.

What we landed on was this: we are doing everything in our power to be ready if the mountain gives us the opportunity. We’re addressing small things early. We’re getting calories in. We’re resting. We’re keeping our minds steady through the unknowns and emotional whiplash of expedition life.

What we cannot control is the mountain. 

The weather. 

The great winds.

With high winds now and more in the forecast — we’ve decided to hold steady at base camp another day. So tomorrow, we rest again. 

We take care of ourselves as much as we can in the hopes that the jet stream winds die down, in the hopes that we will get the chance to climb. And there is still definitely hope! Do we need things to go our way? Yes. Very much yes.

We will stay focused on the now, stay focused on the things we can control. And have a darn good time while we’re doing it. Tonight that looks like dinner and a round (or three) of Telephone Pictionary. Staying up a little later than planned. Laughing at the absurdity of it all. And tomorrow, we’ll do it all again. 

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Aconcagua team 

Wednesday, February 4, 2026 - 10:23 PM PT

Today was a carry high, sleep low kind of day.

We hauled big loads up to Camp 1 at 16,400 ft. The winds were a little spicy, and combined with heavy packs it made for a hard push. Slow steps. Focused breathing. Lots of internal pep talks.

But wow. The views.

The colors up there are unreal — reds and oranges — like someone dropped us on Mars. It’s wild how brutal and beautiful can coexist so loudly.

We stayed up high for about an hour and a half to cache our gear and give our bodies time to adapt. Eat. Drink. Breathe. 

Then we turned around and sailed back down to base camp. We don’t use the f-word on this mountain — fast. But we did move very, very efficiently. Skiing down the scree with light packs.

And waiting for us when we got back?

Our local team, Grajales, welcoming us with an incredible recepción: fresh fruit, cheese, meats, crackers, and endless cups of jugo. Truly elite hospitality.

Right on cue, the clouds started building — and almost the second we made it back to camp, the snow arrived. A quick squall of wind and snow blew through, reminding us who’s in charge up here. Luckily, we were already in our  warm dome tent, listening to the wind do its thing outside while we stayed cozy inside.

It’s been an unpredictable weather year on the mountain, so we’re watching the forecast closely and hoping those bigger winds ease up soon.

The good news?

We’ve earned another rest day tomorrow. 

More mountain soon,

RMI Guide Jess Wedel & the Aconcagua team

Hola amigos!

It was a simple day today but that didn’t mean it was an easy one. Our main mission was to get everything packed for the upper mountain and sneak some rest in.

But rest when you’re at 14,000 feet isn’t the same as taking a long sweet nap at home. Our bodies are still hard at work adapting to these great heights.

We’ve stressed our systems significantly and just as we start to feel pretty good here, we’ll stress them again as we head higher up. That’s acclimatization for you!

Everyone is doing well — little headaches here and there, but appetites are still strong and spirits are high.

We got our backpacks packed for tomorrow — mostly food, stoves, pots, pans, ice axes, crampons, and all the things we don’t need at base camp. They are loaded. Most of us with around 50lbs.

The winds are blowing up high, but down here it is that perfect kind of Plaza Argentina evening — sun still warm, boots off, everyone horizontal in some version of “rest.”

Soon we’ll have dinner and then fall asleep in our luxury accommodations: sleeping bags, down jackets and the gentle symphony of tent fabric flapping in the wind.

Sending all our love to everyone back home.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Aconcagua team

Monday, February 2, 2026 - 5:15 pm PT

Today we walked 8 miles from Casa de Piedras to Plaza Argentina Base Camp. I’m happy to report: we all made it in good form - big win! 

Highlights included:

We got the best send-off this morning from Jimmy and Eze, who somehow made gourmet meals deep in the Andes. Truly unclear how they do it, but the food was incredible.

We’re generally feeling… better. After all the travel, trail starts, and adjusting to the high, dry climate, it feels like we’re finally settling into expedition life. Routines are forming. Bodies are cooperating. Spirits are up. A miracle.

We started the day by yelping and laughing through the coldest glacier water imaginable. As we crossed that first river, Denis said, “A core memory was just created.” And despite the numb feet, standing there as the morning light hit the rocks and exploded into colors around us, it really felt true.

We FINALLY saw Aconcagua. Yes — actually saw her. The clouds cleared and there she was: gorgeous, massive, slightly intimidating. We got to stare at her all day, which felt pretty special (and mildly existential).

We played “I Spy a Guanaco” for most of the hike. I don’t know who won because we’re not competitive, but there were many, many guanaco sightings. And we got to hear them relincho. A yipping sound they make and also what the valley we ascended was named after - Relinchos valley.

And… we made it to Base Camp! Our home for the next four days. Tents are up, duffels are everywhere, and everyone suddenly looks like they’ve been living outside for weeks (it’s only been days but don’t tell the team I said that).

By the end of the day, I realized Denis was right — not just about that river crossing, but about the whole day. It really feels like one of those memories we’ll carry for a long time.

Tomorrow is our first rest day and we are very much looking forward to it.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel