Aconcagua Camp 2
Today we climbed up to our Camp 2. It was a good push but everyone did fine today and now we are resting and taking in the spectacular views! We are camped alongside another group of climbers and have become good friends with them over the recent days. Things are looking good and we hope the weather continues to hold out for us. Tomorrow our plan is to take a rest day before making a carry up to our high camp.
Hiking up to Camp 1
We have just arrived in Plaza Argentina base camp (14,000′) after the three day trek from the trail head, and are happy to be here, after having said good bye to our team of Arrieros and mules. It’s a very social environment, with some other climbers that we know from previous expeditions / climbs. Our base camp is appointed with a large dining tent for our group. Lucky for us our outfitter is taking good care of us in base camp with three hearty meals a day, we might even decide to take showers tomorrow if it’s not too chilly. We plan to rest tomorrow and organize our food and equipment for the carries to the high camps. Nestled here on the edge of the glacial moraine, we have a view of the false summit, and can see much of our route ahead.
Trekking along the Rio Vacas to base camp
Tonight we are in Penitents enjoying our last night in ‘civilization’ before beginning the trek to base camp. The Ayelen hotel does a fantastic job with the meals and services and its great to see my old friend Steve Allen who runs the place. Tomorrow we will start at Punta de Vaca and trek up about 6 hours to our camp, Pampa de Lenas. We have had a great time the last few days enjoying the friendly people, sunshine, and great food in Mendoza. Now we are ready to start exercising and get on with the work of ‘climbing’ Aconcagua!
A previous summit of Aconcagua
The Madison Mountaineering team is arriving in Mendoza, Argentina over the next few days and will soon begin our expedition and ascent of the highest mountain in the western and southern hemispheres. Aconcagua (the stone sentinel) stands at an impressive 6962m (22,834 ft.) above sea level and is great training for high altitude peaks in the Himalaya. Please follow our dispatches as we journey from the lush wine region of Mendoza (known for grass fed beef and Malbec) to the arid slopes of the Vacas Valley and up to the base of the Polish Glacier, before making our way to the highest point in the Andes. Aconcagua is known at times for high winds (100mph) and sub zero temps, as well as the high altitude extreme environment. This mountain is never an easy feat and over half the climbers who attempt are turned back. We are sure to encounter challenges along the way and with those come potential rewards for hard work and a job well done in the end. On a clear day we might even see the surreal blue of the Pacific ocean from the summit. This will be my 11th expedition on Aconcagua, and a great way to kick off the first Madison Mountaineering climb of 2015!!!
Today we successfully completed the “Main Range Walk” to the summit of Koscuiszko. We began our ascent at 9:30 AM in sunny conditions from Charlotte Pass, hiking some of the greatest alpine country in New South Wales, passing through grasslands along ridges with views of lakes and forest below until reaching the summit, where we encountered 100 km/h winds! On our descent a hailstorm moved in and we scurried down the remainder of the hike crossing the Snowy River and returned to the trailhead. We completed the 22 km loop (920m vertical climb) in about 4.5 hours, half the time suggested by the Koscuiszko park staff. It was a pleasant outing, and now we are back in the town of Jindabyne enjoying a well-deserved hot meal and glass of wine! Tomorrow we head back to Melbourne and then depart for home. It’s been a fun adventure ‘down under’ to the highest point on Australia!
The Madison Mountaineering team has arrived in Melbourne to climb/hike the highest point on Oceania and one of the “original” Seven Summits. Kosciuszko (2228m / 7,310ft.) located in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales is the highest point on the Australian continent. Climbers aspiring to reach the highest point on all 7 continents that comprise Earth’s surface usually make the trip “down under” in the summer months, December – February. Kosciuszko is rarely “guided” as logistically it’s pretty easy to make your way to the base of the mountain and, weather permitting, the journey to the summit is usually straightforward, although a few friends have reported white-out conditions and difficulty navigating during a storm. The ascent begins near the village of Jindabyne, and offers 3 different route options. We are planning to take the more challenging route up and one of the easier routes back down.
When American Dick Bass became the first person to reach the highest point on each of the 7 continents in 1985, Kosciuszko was a much smaller and easier objective by comparison to the others:
And then there is the Carstensz / Kosciusko debate:
Another climber, who was also hoping to become the first person to climb the highest point on each of the 7 continents, and was in competition with Dick Bass, decided that Kosciuszko was not worthy of the challenge, given that the other summits are much more formidable objectives. Also, when considering all of Oceania as a continent, Kosciuszko is overshadowed by the peak Puncak Jaya (also known as Carstensz Pyramid) located in Indonesia. This climber, Reinhold Messner, has become one of the world’s best known climbers through his bold conquests: the first solo ascent of Everest, the first climb of Everest without the use of supplemental oxygen, the first climber to summit all 14 of the world’s 8000 meter peaks, and many other feats. Messner decided that nearby Carstensz Pyramid, should be considered the real climbing objective because it was much more difficult, both to access and to climb. Climbers in pursuit of the Seven Summits today usually attempt to summit both Kosciuszko and Carstensz Pyramid to cover all bases.
Start your own Seven Summits quest! Madison Mountaineering is currently offering guided climbs of Everest, Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, Aconcagua, and Vinson Massif.
You can read more about the Seven Summits here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Summits
Since the April 18th, 2014 tragedy that killed 16 Nepali mountain workers, many people have asked me if I plan to return to Everest. My answer is ‘yes absolutely’, as our team for the 2015 spring season on the Nepal side of Everest is nearly complete at this time. I enjoy the challenge and experience of climbing the mountain, and leading other climbers to the top. I realize this is dangerous, but I believe that this risk can be managed to an acceptable degree. In analyzing the accident on April 18th, 2014, and the subsequent shutdown of the climbing season I have a few thoughts:
Ben and Vibeke on the summit with Everest behind
We had a wonderful climb to the summit of Ama Dablam just a few days ago, and since then have trekked down the Khumbu Valley to Lukla, and just this morning we flew by twin otter to Kathmandu. We are very happy to be back in the city after more than six weeks in the mountains climbing Makalu and Ama Dablam.
The conditions on Ama Dablam were near perfect. Much of the route was covered in snow and made for good cramponing on our way up to the summit in the pre dawn hours of October 30th. There was little wind, and a cloudless sky that allowed amazing views from the summit of the 8000 meter peaks Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Kangchenjunga, and Cho Oyu, as well as countless other summits…
The team in base camp after the climb with our Nepali staff
We descended from the summit to Camp 1 and spent the night, then continued to base camp the following day. We were fortunate to have experienced such great route conditions on the mountain, thanks to our Sherpa team that climbed with us, and our exceptional base camp staff that supported us with amazing meals throughout the expedition.
Unfortunately, this season has not been a good one for all teams on Ama Dablam, as there have been several accidents resulting in a total of 3 fatalities over the last few weeks, and one serious injury. We feel very fortunate that our climb was relatively uneventful, and we made the summit and returned without incident. Our thoughts go out to the families of the climbers who did not make it down from Ama Dablam this autumn.