High On New Years' Day

So here we are in Argentina, working for Adventure Peaks, making our way to Aconcagua. A team of 14 clients and 2 leaders, myself and Chris. The group was Simon, Phil, Ash, Paul, Christian (Jurgen), David, Allen, Mark, Andrew, Vivian, Alison, Dorothy, Ross and Rony.....

IT'S SUMMER, AND IT'S HOT !!!

Staying at the Hostel before the trek to base camp we had some site seeing to do at the sulphur spring... We're such a bunch of tourists!!

Finally the trek starts. Night 2 of the 3 day trek to base camp... Here Dorothy and Alison get to grips with the wind.. No rain forecast so I guess it's okay to camp on the river bed..

Day 3 of the trek, we see our mules close up. We had mule assistance on the 3 day trek - after that it'll be our horse power to get us up the hill...

Just before our trek, lots of mules fell into the gorge and died! They're driven hard!

Finally after 3 days we arrive at base camp - 4200m. People feel rubbish with the altitude - but the solution - hydrate, so new competition - how much can you drink in a single day! - my record = 6 litres of water! Tomorrow's a rest day...

Okay so after a quick brush with Santa Claus, we're off and running - well actually sooo slowly! Here we're off on a load carry to camp 1 - and it's XMAS DAY 25th !!! We're all carrying about 20kg from 4200m to 5100m.. 7 hours up, 2 hours down..

We get the tragic news that 2 climbers have died after their epic climb on the Polish Glacier. The team of 4 were on it for 27 hours, and 2 died after arriving back at camp 2.. Tragic.

After a long rest, and a second load carry to camp 1 on the 27th - campo 1 is established at just below 5100m .... Happy campers. The weather is good, everything is going to plan.. But then Simon gets sick with altitude and so Phil and Simon have to be hel-evac'ed ... (today I found out that he was later diagnosed with HACE in the hospital !!)

I made a quick call home - and got some bad news !!!! Snow, wind and all wintry stuff on the way... Great! The team were NOT happy !

The snow fell - but no wind over night.... The flakes were still perfectly formed, and the powder was light, fluffy and perfect for Skiing 'off piste'.... So where are my skis?

Campo 1 totally transformed ! Okay, so decision - today we're not going anywhere... A day indoors - as you can see in the photo... Let the strong winds blow today, tomorrow will be better.

What a difference a day makes !! After a stormy night - guess what - the snow has been blown about, our ascent slope 'mostly' scoured - but also a perfect slab has been formed to be wary of ! So wise men avoid the slab. An American team of 2 that we met, got avalanched today close to camp 2, luckily they only got light injuries - thank goodness... Beware of the slab!

More Snow..... Wow. Like a WML course in the Cairngorms but without the snowholes!

Always a good spectator sport... Watching Vivian and Andrew having 'dinner' - freeze dried meal and water....

My tent is the yellow 1 on the far left...

Campo 1 as the sun goes down after a long day - about 14 hours of daylight!!

Starting to get the awesome scenery now.... Is that horizon curved.. Okay so we're quite high! This is at 5900m approaching campo 2

Our first tents go up at camp 2. Unfortunately Ash isn't with us anymore - he had to go to BC to see the doctor about stomach cramps..

Other team have had their time on the mountain and are heading down - we're reminded that we'll be carrying 30kg on our way down - awesome !!

Still the snow falls..

On days like these, people didn't get out much! Dorothy apparently read about 9 books! I was travelling light so had NO book - clever!!! (bored me!!) - So I walked about outside quite a lot, and got really good at that game on my phone!!

Our neighbours.... Chilling like us.. Waiting for the weather window - for the summit..

A Clear sky above 5000m

We saw many avalanches - big and loud... Cool, during the day time, but when they wake you up at night - with just the tent for protection - not so cool.!

Summit day... Here's Paul sporting his latest fashion statement, mostly by RAB.

The Scenery was okay !!!

The going was hard. I was at the back of the group for the first three hours with Ali, Vivian and Andrew, and unfortunately they had to turn around and head back to camp 2.. By the time we later got to camp 2 they had successfully made it back to camp 1...

The upper traverse

The terrific weather of the morning was starkly contrasted by the afternoon. The clouds and wind rolled in. Visibility progressively went down to below 50m and we made our way back to campo 2. Chris (my colleague guide), who had acclimatised earlier in the season led from the front and made the summit with Christian and Allen. I got to 6500m after leading from the back and looking after those that needed help.

Here people are trying to find me and the path in the poor vis..

That'll be me, on owr way down from campo 2 to 1

The trip was a success, everybody made it back to the UK with fingers and toes intact.... But not the bags - Rony's bag got 'melted' open in Buenos Aires! The bags are still lost for some of us!! My black bag has turned up in Yorkshire!! Helpfull !! I'll be going to get it tomorrow then - my ice axe is in it - so it's a priority....

Winter in Scotland, 7-8 hours of daylight ... here I come... put the suncream away :( ... tech tools out :)