Tag Archive for: Laguna Verde

Next stop: Ojos del Salado!

The team ready to move to their base camp on Ojos del Salado!

After a period of rest following several acclimatization climbs, the Ojos del Salado and Aconcagua expedition team is recharged and ready for their first objective, Ojos del Salado! The team has enjoyed the beautiful scenery and dips in the lake and hot springs, have packed their bags once again, and are en route to their base camp. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Chile:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado (6893m/22,615ft) and Aconcagua (6961m/22,837ft) expedition – today is January 4th.

This morning we’ve been packing up our camp here at beautiful, Laguna Verde. Our guests went for a dip in the lake and then a nice soak in the hot springs. Now we’re all ready to go, we’re going to head back up the hill behind us and drive a little ways to the southwest, then we’ll split off the carretera, and head up the valley off-road to Atacama Base Camp (5251m/17,227ft), which is base camp for Ojos del Salado. That’s at a little over 5,000 meters!

So, it’s a beautiful day here! Not a cloud in the sky this morning, a little bit of normal afternoon build-up right now, but since this is the driest non-polar desert on the planet, we don’t expect any precipitation. The weather forecast looks good for the next few days while we acclimatize a bit more, and then make our summit push on Ojos del Salado!

We’ll be in touch via inReach message over the next few days.

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:

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Gearing up for Ojos del Salado!

On the summit of Cerro San Francisco with views of Incahuasi volcano. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

With another successful acclimatization climb in their bags, the Madison Mountaineering team is taking a rest day today while they prepare to make their move to Ojos del Salado base camp! The team started today with a soak in the hot springs – a perfect way to recover after several days of activity! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Laguna Verde:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado (6893m/22,615ft) and Aconcagua (6961m/22,837ft) combined expedition – today is January 3rd.

Yesterday, the second, we had a great climb on Nevado San Francisco (6018m/19,744ft)! Started early in the morning, left our beautiful lakeside camp here at Laguna Verde, and drove to about 4,900 meters. We had a really pleasant climb –  excellent weather, not a cloud in the sky for most of the day to the summit San Francisco at just over 6,000 meters, 6,017 meters. From up top, we had excellent views of the massive Incahuasi volcano (6638m, 21,778ft), El Fraile volcano (6061m/19,885ft) a little farther away, Laguna Verde with all of the 6,000-meter volcanoes around it, and in the distance our next objective, Ojos del Salado which is the second highest peak in South America and the planet’s highest volcano!

In the evening we came back down to Laguna Verde where we had a great dinner of grilled chicken and guacamole and fresh salad. And then we got a good nights sleep!

Today, we are taking a rest day here at Laguna Verde! We’ve had a nice soak in the hot springs here and are just enjoying the almost Caribbean vibes beside this amazing turquoise lake here at 4,300 meters on the Altiplano.

Tomorrow, we plan to move to base camp at the foot of Ojos del Salado! So all is well here in Chile and we’ll be in touch tomorrow.

Penitentes just below the summit of Cerro San Francisco at about 6000m. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Penitentes just below the summit of Cerro San Francisco at about 6000m. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climbing Cerro San Francisco. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climbing Cerro San Francisco. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climbing Cerro San Francisco. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Climbing Cerro San Francisco. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Summit photo!

Summit photo!

The team’s trusty 4WD in camp at Laguna Verde.

The team’s trusty 4WD in camp at Laguna Verde.

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:

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New Year’s Day in the Atacama

Summiting Doña Ines! (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

The Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado and Aconcagua expedition team packed up their camp and drove through the Atacama Desert to their next stop, Laguna Verde. It’s been a beautiful New Year’s Day and we couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the New Year! Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with this dispatch from Chile:

Hello! This is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado (6893m/22,615ft) and Aconcagua (6961m/22,837ft) combination expedition – today is January 1st, 2024.

Today, we are moving from our camp beside the Pedernales Salt Flat down to Laguna Verde, which will be our new base camp for the next few nights while we acclimatize on Cerro San Francisco (6018m/19,744ft). Then from there, we’ll move to Ojos del Salado base camp (5251m/17,227ft).

It’s a beautiful day here, very pleasant drive through the Altiplano. We had a nice New Year’s celebration yesterday evening with steaks and guacamole and some champagne, which was the same color as the rosey alpenglow on the peaks across the salt flat.

We’re looking forward to getting to Laguna Verde where we can set up camp and relax in the hot springs there! All is well here and we’ll be in touch.

Celebrating the New Year and a successful acclimatization climb of Doña Ines!

Celebrating the New Year and a successful acclimatization climb of Doña Ines!

Flamingoes near our camp at Pedernales Salt Flat. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

Flamingoes near our camp at Pedernales Salt Flat. (Photo by Terray Sylvester)

En route to Laguna Verde with the Salar Maricunga in the distance.

En route to Laguna Verde with the Salar Maricunga in the distance.

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:

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Arrival in Atacama Camp!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

The Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado expedition team has arrived in Atacama Camp, which will serve as their base camp on Ojos del Salado! After one final soak in the hot springs, the team hit the road towards the next stop on their journey, with views galore of the surrounding volcanoes. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with a brief update from Chile:

Hello from Atacama Camp (5251m/17,227ft)! After a leisurely morning featuring another soak in the hot springs at Laguna Verde, we drove here to Ojos del Salado Base Camp, AKA Atacama Camp. We set up camp and ate a lunch of cheese and fresh veggie quesadillas. Now we’re resting and taking in the views of the surrounding volcanoes.

All is well! Hasta mañana!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

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:

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Sunny Skies on Cerro San Francisco!

Photo pulled from Madison Mountaineering archive. Photo: Ted Hesser

Today, the Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado expedition team took full advantage of beautiful weather, after a bout of rain and snow in the day prior. The team successfully reached the summit of Cerro San Francisco at 19,744 feet and is now back in the comforts of their camp, preparing to continue their journey tomorrow. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in from Laguna Verde with todays dispatch:

Hello from Laguna Verde! Today we climbed Cerro San Francisco (6018m/19,744ft). The weather was perfect, with light winds and sunny skies. From the summit at 19,744′, we enjoyed excellent views of the Argentinian Atacama and neighboring volcanoes including the spectacular Incahuasi (6638m/21,778ft) and our main objective: Ojos del Salado (6893m/22,615ft).

We were back in our camp here at Laguna Verde by 4 p.m. for a lunch of chicken asado and fresh, homemade salsa. Tomorrow we’ll move to base camp at Ojos!

The team is doing well. We’ll be in touch!

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:

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Lakeside at Laguna Verde!

Eating well in Chile!

The Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado expedition team enjoyed an active rest day today, making the most of their time waiting out a storm by doing an acclimatization hike, eating good food and soaking in the hot springs! Everyone is in good spirits and looks forward to their next acclimatization climb tomorrow. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with today’s dispatch from Laguna Verde:

Hello from Laguna Verde! A storm system has been bringing rain and snow to this zone of the Andes. So today we decided to take an active rest day. We hiked partway up Mulas Muertas Volcano (5910m/19,390ft) this morning, then enjoyed a lunch of steak and guacamole before soaking in the hot springs here in our lakeside camp.

Tomorrow’s forecast looks good for our ascent of Cerro San Francisco (4940m/16,207ft). The team is all well and looking forward to it! We’ll be in touch tomorrow!

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:

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En Route to Laguna Verde!

Our climbers John, Joe and Kris on the summit of Cerro Doña Inez! Photo: Terray Sylvester

After a successful acclimatization climb yesterday, the team is on the road today en route to Laguna Verde where they’ll camp for the night and enjoy hot springs and spectacular views of the night sky and surrounding Andes. Expedition leader, Terray Sylvester checks in with todays dispatch from Chile:

Hello, this is Terray calling in for the Madison Mountaineering Ojos del Salado (6893m/22,615ft) expedition! It’s Monday, December 12th.

Yesterday we completed our first acclimatization ascent. We went up Cerro Doña Inés (5075m/16,650ft), a volcano at just over 5,000 meters. We had a beautiful climb, the team did great, everyone was feeling healthy and strong, and the weather was just perfect! We had only light winds and spectacular views of the Pedernales Salt Flat and the surrounding, brilliantly colored terrain of the Atacama.

So right now, we’re driving to Laguna Verde. We’ll camp their tonight and enjoy the hot springs! And then tomorrow, we’ll hopefully complete our second acclimatization ascent of Cerro San Francisco (4940m/16,207ft).

So, all is well here in Chile and we’ll be in touch!

The rugged beauty of the Atacama. Photo: Terray Sylvester

The rugged beauty of the Atacama. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Appetizers!

Appetizers!

Our climbers John and Kris toasting a successful day in Chile! Photo: Terray Sylvester

Our climbers John and Kris toasting a successful day in Chile! Photo: Terray Sylvester

A view of the Atacama Desert from the summit of Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

A view of the Atacama Desert from the summit of Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Climbing Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Climbing Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Our chef, Juan Carlos, making the magic happen. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Our chef, Juan Carlos, making the magic happen. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Preparing for asado in camp at Pedernales Salt Flat.

Preparing for asado in camp at Pedernales Salt Flat.

Alpenglow on Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

Alpenglow on Cerro Doña Inez. Photo: Terray Sylvester

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:

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Summit — Top of Ojos del Salado!

Ojos del Salado

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:

– 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 on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Atacama Refugio – Ojos del Salado Base Camp (5256m/17,244ft)

Atacama Refugio

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!

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 on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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Nevado San Francisco (6018m/19,744ft)

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:

– 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 on select expeditions

– Instagram:

– our Garmin inReach Mini powered real-time tracking map:

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