Our Aconcagua team moved up to Camp 1 (5060m/16,600ft) (aka Canada Camp) today where they plan to spend one night before making a single carry/move to Camp 2 (5522m/18,117ft) tomorrow. Here’s team member, Josh G., from Camp 1 with today’s expedition dispatch:
Hey! Josh here from Aconcagua in Argentina! We made it up to Camp 1 today. 2,200 foot climb and made it in three hours and ten minutes with all of our team members making it safely up to Camp 1. Tomorrow we move up to Camp 2 at about 5500m (18,045ft) and it’s going to be one of our heaviest days. So, we’re looking forward to the challenge.
I would like to say hey to [garbled], April, and all my friends back in Helen, Georgia. I miss you guys!
Camp 1 on Aconcagua
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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
Plaza de Mulas base camp on Aconcagua
Sunset on Aconcagua
Trekking up to base camp on Aconcagua
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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:
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:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/PHOTO-2022-02-03-16-11-44.jpg12001600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2022-02-04 00:08:092022-02-10 20:51:52Rest Day at 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:
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:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PHOTO-2020-01-30-18-20-12.jpg12001600Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2022-02-03 00:09:452022-02-03 01:21:11Plaza de Mulas Base Camp!
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:
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:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/PHOTO-2020-01-30-18-26-21.jpg7681024Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2022-02-02 02:03:022022-02-02 03:49:30Acclimatizing to Plaza Francia (4228m/13,871ft)
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:
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!
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The team reached the summit of Ojos del Salado this morning, the highest volcano in the world (#1 in the Volcanic Seven Summits), the second-highest mountain in South America (#2 in the Second Seven Summits), and Chile’s country high point (6893m/22,614ft)! Congratulations team! Great work.
Here’s expedition leader, Garrett Madison with the happy news direct from the summit via satellite phone:
Hello! This is Garrett Madison calling in for the Ojos del Salado expedition team. Today’s December 16th and we have summitted Ojos del Salado, about 22,600 ft. and change or, I think, 6,893 meters.
Team members that made it up here today would be Jenn, Ted, Ryan, Jean Marie – our local guide, myself, and Chase! We had a great climb, nice weather – it was cold starting out and cold during most of the day, but sunny, not many clouds, not much wind. Could ask for a better day up here. Great views all around.
We’re up here at the top of the mountain and Chase and I are the last ones up here, about to head down – back towards Acacama Camp [base camp] where we are going to sleep tonight.
It was a beautiful climb. Glad that we came here to Chile. A wonderful experience all around. We’re looking forward to checking-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:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/shutterstock_1728666931-scaled-e1608140033988.jpg880960Garretthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgGarrett2020-12-16 16:19:362020-12-16 17:53:49Summit — Top of Ojos del Salado!
Readying for Ojos del Salado, today the team drove from their camp at Laguna Verde up about 3,000 ft. higher to the Atacama Refugio at 17,250 ft. (5256m) which serves as the Ojos’ base camp. Being the only team there, they enjoyed the peaceful serenity of an amazing sunset after a great dinner.
Tomorrow the plan is to move to Refugio Tejos at 5825m/19,110ft. aka high camp. Wind conditions are favoring a summit attempt on Wednesday. Climb on!
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Today the Ojos del Salado team made one last acclimatization hike. Leaving camp along the shores of the Laguna Verde, they drove by 4×4 up to 16,234 ft. to start their hike climbing along the Chile/Argentina border to the summit of Nevado San Francisco – 19,744 ft. Whew!
After descending to the trailhead and driving back to camp, they were rewarded with a soak in the natural hot springs next to the lake. Tomorrow will be a rest day at Laguna Verde and Monday, they will move to Ojos del Salado base camp with the 4×4’s. The summit bid is planned for Thursday. Stay tuned!
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:
https://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Nevado-San-Francisco-scaled.jpg17072560Kurthttps://madisonmountaineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/logomm-300x138.jpgKurt2020-12-12 18:04:092020-12-13 00:10:43Nevado San Francisco (6018m/19,744ft)
Today the Ojos del Salado team made the 105 mile (170km) drive along Maricunga salt flat then continuing across the high plateaus to reach Laguna Verde where they will camp for three days near a hot spring. Next up is an acclimatization climb of Nevado San Francisco (6016m/19,738 ft)!
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:
