Tag Archive for: Argentina

Punta de Vacas trailhead

Today the December Aconcagua expedition team started the three-day trek into Plaza Argentina base camp.  Beginning at the Punta de Vacas trailhead, they will hike just over 12km and gain about 450m of elevation as they make their way to the first camp at Pampa de Lenas.  It’s a beautiful trek up the Vacas Valley and the team is supported by pack mules that carry most of the gear.  This allows the team to enjoy the days hiking to base camp with comfortable day packs.  On their way today, the team will stop for a picnic-style lunch along the banks of the Vacas River.

Today our Aconcagua climbers finished their first carry up to Camp 1 at an elevation of 16,100′, spending 5 hours on the way up and 3 back down towards base camp. The conditions have been beautiful with blue skies as our team moved gear and food up the mountain.

The plan is to climb to Camp 1 and sleep there tonight and then carry a load tomorrow to Camp 2. The following day we plan to move to Camp 2 and then evaluate the weather forecast. If all looks good we will carry a load to camp 3, then climb to camp 3 and sleep, going for the summit the following day.

To see our teams detailed itinerary for getting to the top visit our page here!

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Aconcagua climbers

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Aconcagua climbers

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Aconcagua climbers

After a nice trek up the Vacas Valley, our climbers have arrived at Plaza Argentina base camp. The weather has been perfect on our trek toward Aconcagua. Last night our team enjoyed a traditional open fire barbecue with chicken, steak, fresh salad and vegetables along the riverside. After a relaxing nights rest at Pampa de Lena camp (9,200′) our team woke up early to cross the river (with river shoes or by mule) through the Relinchos Valley to Plaza Argentina base camp (13,900′).

This will be our team’s third day of trekking and they will be greeted shortly with a warm dinner celebrating their arrival to Aconcagua. Tomorrow our team will rest at base camp and begin to organize the loads of gear to be moved to higher camps on Aconcagua.

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Vacas Valley

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Vacas Valley

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Vacas Valley

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Vacas Valley

The Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua 2017 team has arrived in Mendoza, Argentina and is now heading off to 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 wine) 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. To the summit!

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Aconcagua 2017

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Aconcagua 2017

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Aconcagua 2017

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2017 Aconcagua

Hey everyone this is Eric with Madison Mountaineering just calling to report that the team is doing great. We have had a really long day we got up super early this morning went for the summit and a few things got in our way. We turned around at 21,000 feet and we all decided to make our way back to base camp so i’m calling you from Plaza de Mulas today. We had a good dinner and we are going to get up early and start our hike out. Talk to you later, bye.

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Hey this is Eric with Madison Mountaineering just giving you a call from high camp up here on Aconcagua. We have set up our tents just over 19,000ft and it is cold. Snowing a little bit but not to bad. We are making dinner and getting ready to go to for the summit tomorrow morning it sounds like. Keep us in your thoughts we will keep you updated. We will talk to you later, bye.

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Today Eric Salazar checked in to report that under great weather conditions the team made a successful second move of gear and supplies up to Aconcagua Camp 2 (5492m / 18,020ft) on the north flank of Aconcagua. Our team will now rest and prepare for the summit push in the days to come. Onward!

Hey everybody this is Eric with Madison Mountaineering, just calling in. We are going to be moving up to camp 2 today we have some decent weather it looks like and we are going to move up to 18,000 feet. Wish us luck we will call you when we get there. Talk to you later, bye.

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Audio dispatch by Eric Salazar

Hey everybody this is Eric with Madison Mountaineering. Just calling to check in we had a long day, tough day up to camp one but we are up here, at 16,200ft. We had some burgers for dinner, lot of hot drinks and now everyone is tucked into bed. Looks like we will have some wind tomorrow so I think we may stay here and have a rest day. And then move on from there try to cary gear all the way up to 18,000ft. Tomorrow I think we will relax and wait out some wind. See you guys tomorrow, bye!

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Madison Mountaineering

Hey everybody this is Eric calling in with Madison Mountaineering. Just letting you know we did our first carry all the way up to Camp One, 16,200ft. Everyone did pretty well, it was a tough day but we did it. We are all tucked in bed now getting ready tomorrow morning to move all the way up to Camp 1. Tomorrow we will be calling you from 16,000ft. Talk to you tomorrow, bye.

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Eric Salazar