Tag Archive for: Confluencia

The team hitting the trail towards Aconcagua!

The Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua expedition is off to a great start in the Horcones Valley with perfect weather, delicious food, and great company! Their journey started early this morning in Mendoza where they loaded their bags and made the drive into the mountains before dawning their packs and hitting the trail. Everyone is in good spirits and looks forward to the days ahead on their ascent of South America’s tallest peak. Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in with todays dispatch from Confluencia Camp:

Hello! This is Garrett checking in for the Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua (6961m/22,837ft) expedition team.

Just calling in to report that we had a great day! We left Mendoza (746m/2,449ft) this morning, drove up to the trailhead, and started trekking in. We had a beautiful trek up – great weather to our camp here at Confluencia! We’re at about 9,000 feet.

Everyone’s doing well. We had a great dinner, we had some barbecue – steaks, sausages, salad, a little Malbec red wine and looking forward to a good nights rest!

Tomorrow we’re going to go for an acclimatization hike up to Plaza Francia, at the base of the south face of Aconcagua and then return back to Confluencia to spend another night here.

The trips going well so far! It’s a great team, we’re having fun getting to know each other, and spending time in such a beautiful mountain region here in the Andes. It’s great having Cacho with us, and also Ed Viesturs of course, and a wonderful team of climbers!

Looking forward to another great day!

Guide, Garrett Madison in charge of the barbecue!

Guide, Garrett Madison in charge of the barbecue!

The team sitting down for a well-deserved meal in Confluencia Camp.

The team sitting down for a well-deserved meal in Confluencia Camp.

Some of the team out and enjoying the night sky on their first night in the mountains!

Some of the team out and enjoying the night sky on their first night in the mountains!


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 daily audio expedition updates on select expeditions.  Just say, “Alexa, play my flash briefing.

Instagram:

Today the team reached Plaza de Mules base camp and got settled in.  The sat phone dispatch is a bit garbled but you can certainly make out that they like the comforts of the base camp:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Aconcagua expedition.  Today is January 28th and today we trekked from Confluencia camp up …[garbled]… great today and we are looking forward to taking a rest day tomorrow …[garbled]… clouded up a little …[garbled]… sun this afternoon …[garbled]… when we were in camp, but GREAT basecamp setup here — hot showers, excellent food, very relaxing and comfortable dinning tent, and great personal tents.  So, we’re really comfortable here and everyone’s doing really well.  Looking forward to a fun day tomorrow.

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering archive)

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:

The Aconcagua team took an active rest day near Confluencia camp getting a look at the south face of Aconcagua up close.  Expedition leader, Garrett Madison, provides today’s expedition dispatch via sat phone:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua expedition with View from the Top, Ltd., a TV production company.  Today’s January 27th and today’s our second day on the trek into base camp.

We had a great day here at Confluencia camp on the normal route up the Horcones Valley.  Today we trekked out to Plaza Francia for an acclimatization hike to the base of the south face.  Beautiful day for trekking — clear, sunny, warm and stunning views of the south face of Aconcagua.

Then we made our way back down to Confluencia camp and had a nice afternoon and a great dinner.  We are just getting ready for bed now.

Tomorrow the plan is to wake up early and start the long trek up to Plaza de Mules base camp.  Everyone’s doing great!  All’s well here on Aconcagua.  We’ll check-in soon!

(photo:  Madison Mountaineering archive)

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:

Aconcagua ready to trek

The Aconcagua team began their trek to base camp today and expedition leader, Garrett Madison, checks in with today’s dispatch:

Hello, this is Garrett calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Aconcagua climb.  We had a great first day heading from Penitentes up to our first camp on the trek to base camp at Confluencia.

We left the Ayleen Hotel this morning at about 9:00 AM and then travelled to the cemetery to pay our respects to the Aconcagua climbers and then up to the Los Horcones trailhead and started trekking.  We had lunch along the way and arrived Confluencia camp in the afternoon.

We had a great barbeque dinner here at Confluencia camp – wonderful meat, vegetables, and fresh bread.  Tomorrow our plan is to take a rest day here and do an acclimatization hike up to Plaza Francia and back.

The weather is great here in Argentina — sunny skies and calm weather.  So, we’re having a great time.  All’s well on Aconcagua.  We’ll check in soon.  Thanks!

 

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: