Aconcagua Expedition Archives

Carry to Camp 1 Complete!

Back in base camp (4367m/14,327ft) for the night, our Aconcagua team completed their gear carry to Camp 1 (5060m/16,600ft) today to prepare for their move up to Camp 1 tomorrow, weather pending.  Here’s team member, Erwin Visser, from Plaza de Mulas base camp with today’s expedition dispatch:

Hey! This is Erwin Visser calling from Aconcagua base camp.  We had a great day today.

We went up to camp 1, or also called Camp Canada (5060m/16,600ft), to do a carry.  We brought water and fuel and food already to camp 1 so when we are going to go on our move trying to make the summit, we already didn’t have to carry that up at the same time.  It was a pretty special day today for me – because it was my first time reaching 5000m!  I did all my climbing in Europe in the Alps as well as in the state of Washington and, frankly, there are no peaks there of 5000m.  So it was kind of a personal record and a nice moment for me to hit that altitude.

We have a great team here.  I saw everybody made it easy up to camp 1.  Everybody’s pretty strong here, so it was great to see how well we did – how fast we did.  The second milestone for today is that we also did our medical test and everybody passed – also great news.  They test your blood pressure, as well as your blood oxygen levels to make sure that you are safe going up to the mountain.  And great to hear that everybody made it.  So, yeah, we as a team we’re ready to go when the weather is good.  Tomorrow that is our plan.  Our plan is that when the weather is good, we are going up to camp 1 with all our stuff and start our summit attempt.  Which means going to camp 1, camp 2, camp 3, hopefully the summit, camp 3, and then back to base camp.

I also have a couple of personal messages here:  First, big thanks to all the people that are following us as a team, but also personally me.  Your encourging words or texts means a lot to everyone.  A couple of call outs specifically, one is that it’s really super to hear that my nine-year-old nephew Will that his whole class is following the climb.  It’s exciting to hear that they do it!  And hey Will when I’m back I’m coming to your class again and will show the pictures.  Yeah, also a quick shout out to Juliette, my 17-year-old daughter who becomes 18 on the 12th.  I feel really bad that I’m not going to be there and hey Juliette I’m going to make it up with you so I promise.

Yes, that’s kinda it.  Hey as a closing I really wanna thank everybody again following us, following the whole team.  Special call out to Sara, my Mom of course, Karen, and all the kids.

So hey we will check in with a new dispatch hopefully tomorrow.  Thank you!

Camp 1 on Aconcagua

Camp 1 on Aconcagua

Plaza de Mulas base camp on Aconcagua

Plaza de Mulas base camp on Aconcagua

Sunset on Aconcagua

Sunset on Aconcagua

Trekking up to base camp on Aconcagua

Trekking up to base camp on Aconcagua

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Rest Day at Plaza de Mulas base camp

Asado (Argentine BBQ) at Plaza de Mulas base camp - Cacho and Garrett

Our Aconcagua team enjoyed a nice rest day at Plaza de Mulas base camp as they prepare to make their first carry to Camp 1 tomorrow.  Once again, here’s team member Peter Horsman with the expedition dispatch:

Hello everyone, this is Peter Horsman calling in from the Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua expedition!

We had a great rest day here at Plaza de Mulas Aconcagua base camp.  Really good, kind of mixed weather with some snow, some rain, some hail.  It’s a little bit chilly but beautiful views of the huge mountain ahead of us.  We are having a really great time – we’re all in great spirit, we’re having a lot of fun together and we’re excited about tomorrow because tomorrow we are going to do a carry to Camp 1.  And then we’re going to come back here for the rest of the night.

Everything is going well.  We’re all in good spirits.  And quick “Hi!” to Melina.  I love you and I’ll see you soon.  Bye-bye!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Plaza de Mulas Base Camp!

Plaza de Mulas base camp

Today the Aconcagua team completed the trek in by hiking from Confluencia Camp (3436m/11,273ft) to Plaza de Mulas base camp (4367m/14,327ft).  Here’s team member, Peter Horsman, taking full advantage of the base camp Wi-Fi to provide today’s dispatch:

Hello, this is Peter Horsman calling in from the Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua expedition!

We are here at base camp at Plaza de Mulas.  It is a beautiful day.  We had a great hike up from the first camp and everyone is doing really well.  We have a really strong team with a lot of fun and some experience, as well.  We just saw, just a stunning sunset on Mount Aconcagua.

It’s really nice to be here, we have great food, and, of course we have a great guide team with Garrett but also with Cacho and Neno, two local Argentinian guides who are really, really good people.

So yeah, we’re very excited and looking forward to the days ahead.  Looks like tomorrow we’ll have a well-deserved rest day!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Acclimatizing to Plaza Francia (4228m/13,871ft)

Aconcagua catching the evening light

Our Aconcagua team continued their acclimatization today by hiking up to Plaza Francia below the mountain’s south face.  Expedition leader Garrett Madison has this expedition dispatch via sat phone:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua expedition.  Today is February 1st.

We had a great day here in the Horcones Valley.  We woke up, had breakfast, and then started our acclimatization day trekking up to Plaza Francia (4228m/13,871ft) at the base of the south face of Aconcagua.  It was a nice hike.  We had a little bit of shade and some nice views of the south face.

We returned in the early afternoon to camp, had a little rest, and then had a nice barbeque here Argentinian-style asado in the Confluencia Camp.  We had some beef, chicken, some chorizo sausage, veggies to go along with it, and little bit of red wine.  A very traditional, pleasant evening here in Argentina.  We are looking forward to hiking up to Plaza de Mules tomorrow.

All’s well here on Aconcagua!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Aconcagua Expedition is Underway!

Mount Aconcagua in Argentina

Our 2022 Aconcagua expedition is underway and the team hiked up to the first camp today.  Expedition leader Garrett Madison reports in via sat phone from Confluencia Camp in the Horcones Valley of Aconcagua:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua expedition.  Today’s January 31st.

Today we started our expedition.  We trekked in from the Horcones trailhead to Confluencia Camp (3436m/11,273ft) in the Horcones Valley.  Today was hot and sunny with a little bit of windy and we arrived in Confluencia Camp in the afternoon, had a nice snack, put up our tents, and then had a great dinner of Argentine beef and wine.

So, everybody’s doing well and happy to be up in the mountains.  Expedition is underway and all is well.  We’ll check in soon, thanks!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear our guide’s daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions

– Instagram:

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Climb Conclusion Celebration

Aconcagua team celebrates at Plaza de Mulas base camp

Our team of climbers, cameramen and Argentina support staff after our climb and celebratory ‘asado’ (barbecue) in base camp. We had a wonderful expedition on Aconcagua, everyone is safely off the mountain, and now beginning the trek out from base camp. We are looking forward to arriving in Mendoza tonight and enjoying some warm weather!

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Team safely down to base camp

Base camp, everyone down safe! Great expedition, stay tuned for the TV show and what happened in the summit push!

With all of the Aconcagua team safely down to base camp, expedition leader, Garrett Madison, provides today’s expedition dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua team.  We are all back down in Plaza de Mulas base camp – 14,000 ft. on the normal route of Aconcagua.  We had a great time on our expedition.

Yesterday our team went for the summit and we don’t want to reveal what happened on our summit attempt because we want to save it for TV show which is forecoming.  But we’re all back down safe and the weather’s great.  It’s been a fantastic team, great expedition.  Just a wonderful experence here on Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemispheres.  Wonderful time in Argentina.

And our plan tomorrow is to trek out and head back to Mendoza.  We’ll probaby get in late to Mendoza after an 18 mile trek out and 3 hour drive back to Mendoza.  All’s well here on Aconcagua.  We’ll check-in soon!

Sid Pattison, the barbecue chief!

Sid Pattison, the barbecue chief!

Cacho, our Argentinian guide who leads our climbs exclusively and reached the summit of Aconcagua for his 50th time!

Cacho, our Argentinian guide who leads our climbs exclusively and reached the summit of Aconcagua for his 50th time!

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on other expeditions in the 2020 season!  Contact our office for details.

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Did they summit??

High camp 3 on Aconcagua, new MHW Trango 3 tents in action! Served us well!

With drama and suspense worthy of a TV show, expedition leader Garrett Madison provides a recap of summit day on Aconcagua:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua team.  Today we went for our summit push and we had good weather, but we’re not going to tell what happened because we want you to watch the show when it comes out.

Everyone’s back down safe, which is the most important thing, and doing well.  The team is in high camp 3 – Cholera Camp, tonight and will be heading down to base camp tomorrow.  And then heading out the following day back to Mendoza.

So everyone’s doing well, lots of great filming, and exciting times here on Aconcagua and we’re looking forward to the final production of the show.

(photo:  earlier this week at base camp)

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on other expeditions in the 2020 season!  Contact our office for details.

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Going for the summit tomorrow

The evening's glow on Aconcagua

Hi, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua team.  We’re up at high camp, Camp 3 on the normal route – Cholera Camp (5945m/19,504ft).  And everyone’s doing really well.  The weather seems to be improving so we are looking forward to potentially a nice summit day.  But there’s only one way to find out.  So, we are going to wake up early at 4:00am and start climbing by 6:00am and hopefully have some good luck up there and have a great climb.  We’ll check-in soon.  Thanks!

(photo:  earlier this week at base camp)

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on other expeditions in the 2020 season!  Contact our office for details.

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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Up to Aconcagua Camp 3 tomorrow

Sunset from Aconcagua Camp 1 (5052m/16,575ft)

The plan is to move up to Camp 3 tomorrow after waiting out the winds hitting the upper mountain.  Here’s expedition leader, Garrett Madison, with the details:

Hello!  This is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua team up here at Camp 2 on the normal route – Nido de Cóndores.  We took another rest day today as we are watching the winds up high.  It looks like the strong winds have been persistent for a couple of days but they should be dying down.  So our plan is to head up to Camp 3 tomorrow and go for the summit the following day.  Fingers crossed for good weather.  The team’s doing great up here.  Everyone’s in good spirits and we are looking forward to moving up the mountain soon!  All’s well here on Aconcagua.  We’ll check-in soon!

 

By the way, it’s not too early to start making your plans to join us on other expeditions in the 2020 season!  Contact our office for details.

In addition to these expedition dispatches, you can also follow our teams as they make their attempts on the world’s most formidable mountains on:

– Amazon Alexa devices with the Madison Mountaineering Flash Briefing skill:

  • Enable the skill and add to your flash briefing to hear Garrett Madison’s daily audio expedition updates

– Instagram:

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