9/2/08

Today we headed to Mendoza (8am), our starting point for Aconcagua. The bus journey from Santiago is amazing. You travel well over 3000m to cross the Andes. It is quite something to know your over 3000m and yet you are still looking up at giant mountains!

Customs at Puente del Inca was an experience. We took over 3 hours to get through. I guess this is ok when you consider that the 10 and 12 o´clock departures from Santiago were waiting to clear customs as we were leaving. Maybe all those drugs were the problem ;)

We arrived in Mendoza around 6pm to torrential rain and flooding on the streets. As we headed out for dinner you had to be wary as quite a few drivers seemed to take delight in trying to soak you by aiming for the water.

Dinner - Argentinian steak! Can´t say any more really mmmm!

10/2/08

Had a lie in then went for a run (which hurt). Day 1 of Aconcagua trip tomorrow so am quite nervous and excited too.

11/02/08

Day 1. Meet and Greet. Not much else.

12/02/08

Day 2. After meeting our guide and some of the other members of our merry band we went and paid our park entry fees and headed to Penetentes via a place called Valecutis (3200m) where some more of our team were getting some altitude practice.

Arrived at Penetentes (2400m) and sorted out our gear that we were taking/leaving/sending via mules. Settled into our hotel and our enjoyed our last shower for a couple of weeks!

13/02/08

Day 3. Headed to Punta de Vacas the starting point for our trek (8km from Penetentes). It begins...Today we trekked for 6 hours to Pampa de Lenas, our first camp site (2700m) and introduction to the first of many thunder boxes (outdoor toilets). Started to get blisters today which is not good.

14/02/08

Day 4. Pampa del Lenas to Casa de Piedra (aka Stonehouse) at 3200m. Was windy but a great day. Today we started with porrage, biscuits, and cakes (sweet!). Not my usual breakfast but beggars can´t be choosers. A scenic and relatively easy 6 hour walk we ended with our first view of Aconcagua!

15/02/08

Day 5. Casa de Piedra to Plaza Argentina our base camp (4200m). Today was a 15km trek and 1000m climbstarting with the same wonderful breakfast. Another awesome day but i pushed a bit hard at the begining and suffered nausia for an hour or two.

Today was semi hard as altitude and blisters kicked in. Mauricio, one of our guides stopped me an hour before reaching base camp to apply some first aid to my heals. He was very supprised that i hadn´t mentioned blisters as they were pretty severe in his eyes. When we finally reached base camp i was pretty knackered as keeping up with Mauricio is like chasing rabbits, not so easy. The welcome and the drinks/food was in more than ample supply though so recovery was swift. After rehydrating we proceeded to set up the mansion (two man tent).

16/02/08

Day 6. Rest day in which we did as we were told by Ceferino (a Guide) and hydrated and rested. I am already a master of hydrating and resting so had no problems following his orders. It was also a treat to use a thunder box with a seat. The dam hover toilets leave you near to passing out at altitude :).

17/02/08

Day 7. Today we moved our food supplies from base camp to camp 1 (5100m) and then returned to base camp.

Today was quite tough as i suffered headaches and nausia about half way up. The ascent was steep and mostly over glaciers. I didn´t enjoy the last bit of todays climb as it was rather steep and over loose soil and a semi frozen river.

After reaching the top we dropped our supplies off, had a short break and then headed back to base camp. Due to the instability near the top of our path to camp 1 a few of us had to go down a slightyly different but much more fun way running down a glacier covered in a foot of loose soil. Our guide Ceferino said to us ¨now boys, no running¨ and then turned and ran down the glacier...he was a pretty funny bloke.

Today was also our first close up view of Penetentes which are ice formations which are formed on top of glaciers by the wind.

18/02/08

Day 8. Rest day at base camp.

19/02/08

Day 9. Move to Camp 1.

Today we moved our gear to camp 1. Today was similar to our first trip to camp 1 with the exception of our guide setting of a rock slide about a third of the way up and myself and Justin (half decent bloke on our trip) scrambling directly up the river at the end of the path to camp 1 and more than a few decent size rocks moving under foot. From camp 1 you have a beautiful view of the valley we hiked up on day 3.

20/02/08

Day 10. Moved our food supplies to camp 2 (5,500m).

Was a tiring day due yet again to altitude but the scenery was magical. To top it off we had to move accross a glacier minus the crampons which made life very interesting indeed. After arriving we caught our breaths then headed back to camp 1. 5 and a half hours to get up and only 1 and a half to get back down...crazy stuff.

21/02/08

Day 11. Rest day at camp 1 where we get more practice at making toilets out of stones and plastic bags. Its dam cold at 5,100m at 8am!

22/02/08

Day 12. Move to camp 2 (5,500m) where beautiful views of surrounding mountains and glaciers await! The trek was again tiring but well worth the amazing views along the way.

It starting snowing soon after we arrived at camp 2 and the wind became quite strong. Because of the bad weather, Ceferino delivered dinner, a nice tuna and rice dish to our tents. A cold night ahead.

23/02/08

Day 13. I slept fairly poorly as the wind howled and blew snow under the tent annex which resulted in a nice 2 foot coating of snow on our backpacks by morning.

After breakfast we packed up and began our move to camp 3. Today was the hardest day as altitude seemed to suck every breath from your body before its oxygen could be used. We stopped several times on the way to camp 3 but at these altitudes it just never seems enough. You only have to stop for a minute or two to regain your energy but it only takes about two steps for you to feel knackered again!

Some of the terrain today was as usual dodgy but all in all it was an altitude killler of a day. Arrived to camp 3 after about 5 hours (6,000m). When we finally reached camp 3 we were all knackered but as always our three guides never stopped working as they started melting snow for drinking and preparing dinner. By the time dinner came round i was feeling nausious and had more than a slight headache. I only made it through half my dinner and my O2 stats for the first time were in the 60´s.

24/02/08

Day 14. Summit Day.

Unfortunately my condition didn´t improve and as such i was anable to make a summit attempt. I felt for the lads heading up as the temperature was minus 30c at 7am and with the wind chill the temperatures were dropping as low as minus 40 - 45.

Mauricio proved to be correct when he said most would be back by 10am and at 1pm we surrended our high seated view of the world and left camp 3. We spent a solid 4 and a half hours slipping and slidding through up to two feet of snow before finally making it to Plaza Mulas (4,300m) base camp where thunder boxes awaited...woohoo!

25/02/08

Day 15. Today we went and explored the laciers around base camptaking a few photos along the way.

The remainder of the group arrive from camp 3with the news of one summit success, our Spanish amigo Federico.

Only one more days hike to go and i can say hello to a shower!

26/02/08

Day 16. Today we spent 8 hours making our way to Puente de Inca, our vehicle collection point 28km away and 1,600m lower.

A very long day but the rock formations were spectacular as we headed out through the valley Rio Horcones Superior. We stopped briefly at Confluencia Camp (an overnight spot when heading to Plaza de Mulas base camp) and a couple of other spots along the way.

Finally made it to our pickup point and headed to Penitentes (10min) to get the rest of our gear. After this we stopped at a steakhouse for dinner (awesome steak again!) before finally contiuing onto Mendoza where a shower at 1am awaited!

27/02/08

Day of Rest!!

In the evening we went for a farewell dinner which transitioned into drinking and some very bizzar antics. No more to say really other than my birthday had been welcomed!

28/02/08

Sick all day - attempted a winery and olive oil factory tour but didn´t cope very well. Birthday farewelled.

29/02/08

A chilled out day cruising around Mendoza followed by another awesome steak (Beef de Chorizo) at the best spot in town...Facundo´s.