How to Trek to Aconcagua Completely Independently

Standing 6960 meters (22,837 ft) in height, Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in South America, and highest peak outside of the Himalaya for that matter. Each year, hundreds of climbers flock to Argentina to climb up to the summit, with most using the mountain as a stepping stone to Everest or as part of their own Seven Summits expedition. Much like its Himalayan counterpart, Aconcagua also draws scores of trekkers each year, most of whom have no intention of ever climbing the mountain, but still want see it for themselves. Most of those treks are organized by local guiding companies, which lead adventure travelers into the shadow of the peak on a regular basis. But did you know that you can actually hike to Aconcagua completely independently? Our fried Rick McCharles of BestHike.com recently did just that and has shared his experiences online.

Rick tells us that the hike to Francia Base Camp on Aconcagua is a roughly 3 day, 2 night affair, with December through February ranking as the best months to go. Access to the Mendoza region of Argentina can be made through either Buenos Aires or Santiago, Chile. As is common on these kinds of adventures, independent travelers are not encouraged, but the trek is actually very doable, provide you have good equipment, some experience, and are willing to go it alone.

According to his report, the cost to go independently is roughly $200. Of that, $160 goes to the permit, $19 is spent on the bus ride to the trailhead, and the rest goes for the food that is eaten along the way. A similar trip routinely costs about $715/person from local outfitters.

If you want to know more about what is involved, the Best Hike editor has not only shared his entire itinerary on his website, but has produced the video of the trek that you'll find below. The schedule starts at Day 0 in Mendoza and then follows through the hiking experience over the course of the three days that follow. Rick tells us what to expect on the trail each day, including how long to expect to walk and how much elevation gain to anticipate along the way. He also includes plenty of great photos to demonstrate what you'll see throughout the trek too.

Very few people know that you can do this trek without hiring guides, which is the entire point of the Best Hike guide. Rick shares a wealth of information on his website not just about this particular journey, but countless others that he has taken across the globe. The site is a great resource for anyone who enjoys hiking and trekking in remote areas of the world. Check it out here.

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Self Described "Crazy Grandma" Attempting Seven Summits

Proving that age is just a number and adventure can keep us all young, a self described "crazy grandma" is attempting to climb the Seven Summits at the age of 58. Lisa Walker has already knocked Kilimanjaro off of her list and will head to Aconcagua next month for her second mountain, as she pursues her quest to climb the higher peak on each of the seven continents.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance has a profile of Walker on its website in which she shares some of the challenges she has faced climbing and traveling in different parts of the world, including an intense trek to the top of the 20,100-foot (6126 meter) Stok Kangri in the Indian Himalaya. Only half of her team managed to reach the summit on that tough expedition.

Walker isn't just a climber, but an endurance athlete too. She competes in long distance running races and triathlons, including half-Ironman events, which keeps her in better shape than most people her age. That has also inspired her to want to climb the Seven Summits. As part of that plan, she trekked to Everest Base Camp last spring to get a glimpse of the mountain that will eventually be her ultimate goal. While there, a travel companion got seriously ill, contracting altitude sickness and had to be taken to lower altitude on a horse before being evacuated to Kathmandu for treatment. Unfortunately, that person didn't have travel insurance, and was nearly bankrupted by the experience.

The story the Ripcord shares is a cautionary one. On the one hand, it provides some inspiration in the form of Lisa's attempt to climb the Seven Summits. But on the other, it is a sharp reminder of the things that can – and do – go wrong when traveling to remote corners of the globe. In those cases, I'm a big advocate of having the proper travel insurance, and Ripcord is the best that I've come across. They'll pretty much insure you for any kind of trip, including mountaineering expeditions without a limit on altitude. They also cover adventure racers, hunters, and other extreme athletes heading to pretty much anywhere on the planet. I've used Ripcord a couple of times and have even seen them in action evacuating two of my teammates off Kilimanjaro, and can attest to how efficient and professional the staff is.

As for Lisa Walker, hopefully she'll never need to use Ripcord on her adventure to Aconcagua and beyond. There is no word yet on which peak will come after that, but she's just getting started on this challenging endeavor. Hopefully we'll get future updates on her progress.

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Mountain Runner Sets Female Aconcagua Speed Record

Standing 6961 meters (22,838 ft) in height, Argentina's Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in South America, and the highest peak outside the Himalaya in the world. That makes it one of the Seven Summits of course, luring in hundreds of climbers each year who are looking to add one of those iconic mountains to their resume. While not nearly as challenging as Everest, it remains a formidable peak, as Ranulph Fiennes discovered recently.

But about the same time that Sir Ran was preparing to head home a few weeks back, another climber by the name of Sunny Stroeer was preparing to make a run – quite literally – at the speed record by a woman on the mountain. On January 23, she did just that, setting a new mark for climbing from Base Camp to the summit, despite the fact that she had a respiratory infection.

Outside magazine has posted a profile of the 32-year old Stroeer following her epic ascent, which took 8 hours and 47 minutes to complete, shaving 29 minutes off the previous record. Stroeer is no stranger to long endurance events, as she is an ultrarunner who has competed in such events as the legendary Western States, amongst numerous other 50 and 100k runs. Perhaps her biggest adventure so far however is quitting her job back in 2015 to focus on running and traveling full-time. Since then, she has roamed around the southwest states of the U.S., and gone trekking in Thailand, Nepal, Tanzania, Germany, and other places.

Back in 2014, Stroeer climbed Aconcagua for the first time, going solo and unsupported, which is an impressive accomplishment in its own right. She told Outside that she was shocked at how few women were on the mountain, which gave her the idea of forming an all ladies team to make another attempt on the summit. She did that this year, and her record-setting run was a part of that expedition.

Sunny's story is an impressive one on a number of different levels. There is certainly a lot of inspiration to be had from her adventures. Congrats on the new speed record!

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Aconcagua Speed Record Smashed Again!

It seems I missed quite a bit while I was away.

Back in December, Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet impressed us all with his amazing run up and down Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America at 6962 meters (22,841 ft). At the time, Jornet destroyed the old record by more than three hours, posting a total time for the roundtrip at 12 hours and 49 minutes. As impressive as that effort was however, the new speed record was short lived, as it has already been broken by another very talented mountain athlete.

According to reports, Ecuadorian-Swiss sky runner Karl Egloff shaved nearly an hour off Jornet's time, by running to the summit and back in a mind-blowing 11 hours and 52 minutes. Both men used the same route up and down the mountain, covering some 40 km (25 miles), and notching up 4062 meters (13,327 ft) of vertical gain in the process.

While not quite as well known as Jornet, Egloff continues to add to his impressive resume. Back in 2013, the Spaniard ran up and down Kilimanjaro in just 7 hours and 14 minutes. Egloff would later break that record as well, besting Jornet by more than 30 minutes.

It seems that Jornet has a rival to keep him on his toes at long last. The Spanish runner is busy preparing to attempt a speed record on Everest this spring, and is probably completely focused on that  effort. Both of these men are supreme mountain athletes of course, and I'd love to see them compete head-to-head on a trail with one another. For now though, we'll probably have to be satisfied with each of them pushing harder on these speed record runs.

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Kilian Jornet Sets New Speed Record on Aconcagua!

Photo Courtesy of Summits of My Life

If you follow my Twitter feed, this is probably old news to you by now, but I definitely wanted to share it here on the Adventure Blog as well. Yesterday, Spanish mountain runner Kilian Jornet set a new speed record on Aconcagua, smashing the previous time for the fastest ascent and return to Base Camp by more than two hours.

Setting out from the Horcones entrance to the Aconcagua National Park, Kilian ran to the summit of the mountain, located at 6962 meters (22,841 ft), and back again in the unbelievable time of just 12 hours and 49 minutes. He ran along the "normal" route to the top, covering some 59.85 km (37.1 miles), while gaining 3962 meters (12,998 ft) along the way. To put this in perspective, most climbing expeditions spend roughly 8-10 days on this same route, acclimatizing as they go. In Kilian's case, he acclimatized prior to the speed record attempt, and even went to the summit last week.

The previous record for the fastest time on Aconcagua was held by Jorge Egocheaga, how ran the same route a few years back, covering the distance in 15 hours, 5 minutes. Kilian bested that mark by 2 hours, 16 minutes in yet another demonstration of his incredible strength and endurance in the mountains. This was his second attempt at the record in less than a week. Last Friday, he set off along the same route, but turned back at 6500 meters (21,325 ft) due to very high winds.

This was the latest challenge in Jornet's Summits of My Life project. Previously, he has set speed records on Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, and Denali as well. Next up, he intends to head to Everest in the spring to see if he can set yet one more speed record on the biggest hill of them all.

Congratulations to Kilian on yet another amazing accomplishment. His efforts in the mountains continue to astound and amaze me. I am already looking forward to seeing what he can do in the Himalaya this coming spring.

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Aconcagua Speed Record Update: Kilian Turns Back in High Winds

On Friday, I posted the news that Kilian Jornet had launched his attempt to set a speed record on Aconcagua, the tallest peak in South America at 6962 meters (22,841 ft) in height. At the time, I mentioned that it might be awhile before we heard anything about his progress, and the success of failure of this attempt. It turns out it wasn't as long as we had hoped, as news was posted later in the day that the mountain runner had turned back due to high winds.

According to updates from Kilian's Facebook page, the Spanish endurance runner got as high as 6500 meters (21,235 ft) before turning around. He was reportedly making good time on his summit bid, but began experiencing high winds that exceeded 90 km/h (56 mph), which made it extremely difficult for him to continue upwards. When you're on a mountain like Aconcagua, those kinds of winds speeds can be very dangerous, particularly when you're traveling as light and fast as Kilian was.

The high winds didn't come completely by surprise. When Kilian announced that he was making his speed attempt, he mentioned that the weather wasn't as good as he'd like, specifically mentioning that the winds could be a problem. Of course, discretion is the better part of valor, and it was a wise move for him to turn back. According to the post on his Facebook page, he will try again soon, possibly as early as today or tomorrow depending on conditions.

Aconcagua is the latest in Kilian's Summits of My Life project, during which he has set speed records on other peaks, including Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc, and Denali. On Aconcagua, he is hoping to break the old record, set by Jorge Egocheaga in 2011, of 15 hours and 5 minutes. If all goes according to schedule, he'll also be traveling to Nepal in the spring to attempt a speed record on Everest as well.

I'll be watching Kilian's social media outlets over the next few days to see when he starts his second attempt at this record. After having a couple of days back in Base Camp to rest, he is probably watching the weather forecasts at the moment, and waiting for his next opportunity. I'll post updates as I hear anything.

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Kilian Jornet Launches Speed Record Bid on Aconcagua

Last week we reported that Kilian Jornet was preparing for a speed record attempt on Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America at 6962 meters (22,841 ft). At the time, Kilian had just wrapped up  his speaking tour in Argentina, and was departing for Base Camp on the mountain. Over the past few days, he has been acclimatizing and scouting the route, but now it seems he is ready to go at last.

According to a post on his Facebook page, Kilian has set off this morning for his push towards the summit. The post reads:

"Hey guys! Today is the day to try! Wind is stronger than perfect on the mountain but is a window. I will start in 5 minutes. See you soon!"

The time that the mountain runner is trying to beat is 15 hours, 5 minutes from Base Camp to the summit, and back. That unofficial record is held by Jorge Egocheaga and was set back in 2011. That record is widely seen as the fastest time, despite the fact that Jorge did not have an official timekeeper on site.

According to this report, Kilian has been training very well on Aconcagua and even managed to reach the summit in just 4 hours earlier this week. If that is true, he'll be more than poised to smash the record, as he has done on there mountains in the past, including Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro, and Denali. If all goes well on this latest adventure, he also hopes to go after the speed record on Everest in the spring.

It is likely that it will be late tonight before we get any official word on Kilian's efforts. Hopefully he travel quickly and safely, and makes it up and down without injury. I'll post an update when we know more about this attempt, but history could be unfolding at this very moment. Watch Kilian's Facebook page for the latest updates.

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Kilian Jornet in Argentina to Attempt Speed Record of Aconcagua

Endurance athlete and mountain runner Kilian Jornet is currently in Argentina, where he just wrapped up the final leg of his Mountains of My Life Tour by sharing the film, and his thoughts on climbing and running, with an audience in Mendoza. But it is no coincidence that he wrapped up the tour in the South American country, as he is now preparing for his next big challenge – setting a speed record on Aconcagua, the tallest mountain on the continent.

After finishing up his speaking commitments, the Spaniard will now head to the mountain. At 6960 meters (22,837 ft) in height, Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in the world outside of the Himalaya. It can be a formidable challenge for climbers, not so much because of its technical difficulties, but more so do to the altitude. The "normal" route approaches the summit from the north, and typically doesn't require the use of ropes, ice axes, or other climbing gear. Supplemental oxygen is not usually required either.

Kilian will take his usual approach to climbing the mountain. First, he'll spend some time on Aconcagua getting acclimated, while also training for the conditions there. Once he feels he has sufficiently prepared, he'll look for a window of good weather before setting off for the summit. The speed attempt will be a minimalist affair, with the endurance runner carrying only the gear that he absolutely needs.

The official speed record for Aconcagua is recognized a 15 hours, 42 minutes, which was set by Carlos Sa. In 2007, that record was broken by Jorge Egocheaga, who completed the climb and descent in just 15 hours, 5 minutes. Unfortunately, he didn't take the proper steps to make his record official, so it is not recognized by everyone. Kilian does recognize Egocheaga's record however, and will be trying to break it when he finally launches his attempt on the mountain.

This will be the second to last climb on the Summits of My Life project. If all goes according to plan, Kilian plans to go to Everest in the spring to attempt a speed record there as well. That mountain will present some new, and interesting, challenges for him, but as perhaps the best long-distance endurance runner on the planet, I think he'll be up to that challenge.

I'll post updates on Kilian's Aconcagua attempt over the next few weeks, and of course I'l'l be following his progress on Everest in the spring as well.

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Cycling And Climbing Through South America

Two cyclists and climbers have combined their passions to launch a single great expedition that is currently underway in South America. Calling themselves the Biciclimbers, adventurers Jairo and Fer have set off to ride their bikes from Caracas, Venezuela to Ushuaia, Argentina, covering a distance of about 15,000km (9320 miles) in the process. Along the way, they'll also stop to climb some of the more prominent mountains in the countries they pass through as well.

According to their blog, it seems that the expedition got underway earlier this month, with the team first setting its sights on a climbing a big rock wall on the Gran Sabana of Venezuela. After that, they'll return to the road and what ever adventures capture their attention.

The Biciclimbers have dubbed their expedition "Pedaling the Andes," and they expect to cross through eight countries along the way. After leaving Venezuela, they'll make their way to Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and finally Argentina. Exactly which mountains they'll climb along the way remains unclear, although the website does list Aconcagua, the tallest peak in South America at 6962 meters (22,841 ft).

The website and blog for the Biciclimbers is in Spanish, so in order to follow along, you'll need to be able to speak the language or use Google Translate to stay updated on their progress. They are already posting blog updates form the road however, and from the sound of things, they're enjoying the adventure so far.

What an amazing idea for a trip. Cycling and climbing on an extended journey sounds fantastic, and I hope Jairo and Fer have a great time. Very inspiring!

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7 Summits Climb For Alzheimer's: Camp 2 On Aconcagua

It has been about a week and a half since we last checked in on Alan Arnette. At that time he was in Argentina, where he was preparing for the trek to Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, and next on his Seven Summits hit list. Since that time, he has not only arrived on the mountain, but has been working hard to help shuttle gear to the high camps in preparation for the summit push. Yesterday, he and the rest of the team were in Camp 2, located at 18,000 feet (5486 meters), with plans to move up to High Camp today. With their gear in place at that location, they'll be all set for their final push when the weather allows.

For Alan, hiking around Aconcagua is like visiting an old friend. He has successfully climbed the 22'841 foot peak (6962 meters) on two other occasions. But Alan is also a safe and deliberate climber who doesn't take anything for granted. I can assure you that he doesn't look at this summit as a fore-gone conclusion, and he is focused on getting up and down very safely.

For those who aren't aware, Alan is climbing the Seven Summits to raise $1 million for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. Since announcing this project back in November, he has already successfully climbed Mt. Vinson in Antarctica, and after Aconcagua he'll move on to Everest, a mountain that he has also been on several times in the past. Most Seven Summiteers wait to do Everest last, but Alan will make it the third peak on his list.

Good luck on Aconcagua this week Alan! Climb on!

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7 Summits Climb For Alzheimer's: Alan's Off To Aconcagua!

This past weekend, our friend Alan Arnette flew off to Argentina where he is attempting to climb Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America, as part of his 7 Summits Climbs for Alzheimer's. Alan is currently en route to the mountain, which stands 6962 meters (22,841 ft) in height. While it is a mostly non-technical climb, at least along the regular route, the altitude alone is enough to cause some problems for those that are unprepared.

Alan will not arrive in BC for a few more days yet, as he and his IMG guides are now in Mendoza awaiting the rest of the team and preparing the last of their gear before purchasing their climbing permits for the mountain. Expect good updates at every step of the process, as Alan always does an excellent job of keeping us informed of his progress and giving great insights into what it is like to climb the mountain he is currently on. I expect no less this time, especially considering that he has already successfully climbed Aconcagua in the past.

An example of Alan's great work is the video below, during which he talks about his prep work for the mountain and shows off the gear he's using on this climb. He doesn't just show us the individual pieces however, as he actually shows us each piece in regards to where it is used during the climb. It is very insightful for those that wonder where all that gear is put to use.

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Chad Kellogg Completes New Route On Aconcagua

American climber Chad Kellogg has completed a new route on Aconcagua, going up solo and in alpine style, up the South Face. According to this story, courtesy of ExWeb, the new route took 42 hours to complete, covering more than 2000 meters (6561 feet) of new terrain in the process.

According to ExWeb Chad went to Argentina, along with a good friend, back in December with an eye on climbing Aconcagua, which is the tallest peak in South America at 22,841 feet. The pair acclimatized on the normal route along the Northwest Ridge, taking a week to complete that climb, but in the process, Chad's friend picked up a lung infection that sent him off the mountain.

Not content with just reaching the summit along the usual route, Chat was looking for something more challenging and interesting. Before making their summit bid, he and his friend did a recon of the South Face, where he spotted a potential new route that he felt he could do. On Dec. 22nd, he received word of a three-day weather window, and he set off to take advantage of it. ExWeb reports that he carried just a down jacket, synthetic insulated pants, a pair of mittens and gear including a 30m rope, 4 screws, 4 pins, and 4 cams. 20 bars, a 300-calorie freeze dried meal, and a stove with one canister.

Kellogg says that he initially thought he could complete the route in just 24 hours time, provided conditions were right higher on the mountain. Obviously it ended up taking longer than that, as he had to deal with a number of issues, including very technical sections, avalanches, and the usual issues that come with route finding along a new line. In the end, he stood on top, but not before dealing with quite a few challenges including running out of all of his supplies. ExWeb's story comes mostly from Chad himself, and it is a great read all around.

The Aconcagua climb was meant to be a warm-up for Everest, where Chad will be going this Spring. From the sounds of thins, he's more than ready.

Note: To all the Chad Kellogg bashers out there, I don't want to hear any comments or e-mails regarding his claims at speed records. The story has been beat to death, and I don't want any part of it. Any comments will be deleted. Please move along to a different blog/forum.

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Aconcagua Speed Run Retreats, Tries Again

I've mentioned Diane Van Deren's speed run attempt on Aconcagua a couple of times already, and there was an update on their progress over the weekend. According to the Never Stop Exploring Blog, the team retreated back to base camp following four consecutive nights stuck at 18,000 feet amidst high winds and -20º temperatures. Reportedly, the winds were holding steady at 50-60 miles per hour. Fortunately, not all has been lost however, as the weather forecasts for the next few days indicate that the winds will drop off, and although temperatures are set to remain cool, they'll be moving back up the mountain today to make another summit bid.

Diane, along with mountain guide Willie Benegas, both climbed up to 20,000 feet as part of their training and acclimatization process. And they both seem strong and ready to go for the 22,841 foot summit. Once they've completed that, they'll descend back to BC once again, then hike an additional 20 miles down the trail, where they'll begin their endurance run to the top of the mountain once again. Van Deren, who is an accomplished endurance athlete, is being monitored for a study by the Mayo Clinic that is examining the effects of altitude on climbers, with updates being posted to their blog as well.

Last week when I posted on this a couple of readers left comments, rightly pointing out that they weren't sure what the Mayo Clinic was hoping to accomplish from this study, considering the sample size is just one person. In those discussions we decided that this wasn't so much a study of the effects of altitude on climbers, but instead the effects on Diane Van Deren. What they hope to learn from following just her is a bit vague, and since she's already a freak of nature when it comes to endurance events, their findings are likely to not have much of a reflection on the rest of us. I guess we'll wait and see.

If the current weather window holds, as planned, we should hear more about the summit bid within the next few days.

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Aconcagua Speed Run Expedition Begins

A few weeks back I posted a story about North Face athlete Diane Van Deren as she was preparing to head off to South America to take on Argentina's Aconcagua, the highest mountain on the continent. But unlike most climbers making a bid on the mountain, Diane's goal was to complete the initial climb as a warm-up, then make a speed attempt on the mountain, running to the summit for a second time.

The latest update on the expedition, posted to the Never Stop Exploring Blog, indicates that as of two days ago, the team was finished with their acclimatization process and would begin their actual assault on the summit yesterday, with an eye on reaching the top on Friday, provided the weather holds. They don't expect to make any more dispatches until after they've returned to BC, which could be late on Friday night or Saturday morning.

After that, the second phase of the expedition will get underway, in which Diane, along with guide Willie Benegas, will move 20 miles down the road from base camp, and begin a long run back to BC, and all the way back up the mountain. They expect the journey to take roughly 95 hours to complete, and they're doing it as part of a medical study, conducted by the Mayo Clinic, on how altitude effects performance. The Clinic is also posting updates on the expedition on their blog as well.

Most people would come off of Aconcagua, which stands 22,841 feet in height, and be exhausted. These ultra-fit athletes are using it as a warm-up for a bigger test. Crazy.

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Aconcagua Controversy: Was The Rescue Team Negligent?

There is another controversy that has been brewing in the mountaineering community, this time in regards to a death on Aconcagua back in early January. The reports were that Federico Campanini, an Argentinean climbing guide, and one of his clients, Elena Senin, had died on the mountain. The pair, along with the rest of their team, reached the summit of South America's highest mountain along the usual route, but while they were at the top, a fast moving storm moved into the area. Suddenly blinded by a snowstorm, the team attempted to descend, but accidently went down the more technically challenging Polish Route. According to the story, Federico and Elena fell to their deaths, and the remainder of the team was eventually rescued by a helicopter that plucked them off the mountain.

Early last week a video made its way out onto the Internet that cast a completely different light on the incident. Appearing on YouTube, the video purportedly shows an Aconcagua Search and Rescue Team standing around, doing little to help, while Campanini struggles for his life. There are some indications that he is being cursed by his "rescuers" and at one point, one of them radios back to base to ask permission to leave him behind. Federico also has a rope tied to him and is dragged through the snow, while he crawls on all fours.

Needless to say, I won't link to the video, but you can find out more about it in this post from ExWeb and this story from the National Geographic Adventure Blog.

Of course, the story has once again divided the mountaineering community. There are some who say that the video shows just a small slice of the attempt to rescue Campanini, and that at that point the rescue team was exhausted after hours of trying to assist the Italian climber. In order to get him down, the team was going to have to take him back up the mountain, and down the normal route, and it was proving very difficult to do so. Some would say it was impossible for them to save him at all. These defenders also say that while they do appear to be cursing Campanini, that that is just the manner of their speech and not specifically directed at him.

On the other hand, those critical of what they saw in the video say that the SAR team wasn't doing enough to help Federico, and point to high altitude rescues on Everest, K2, and other major Himalayan peaks to show that it can be done. They also say that more could have been done to help his condition, and no matter what, he didn't need to be cursed or treated poorly.

Over the past few years, following these events, I've learned to not be quick to judge, which is part of the reason why I haven't posted on this story until now. When high on a mountain, with dangerous conditions, things are never black and white, and usually it takes awhile to get the complete story of what happened. I do agree that this video is just a tiny slice of the events, and it doesn't really show us the whole picture, but it doesn't show us a good picture either. At the very least, the SAR team could have tried to make Federico comfortable and showed him so more dignity.

The events that occurred on Aconcagua back on January 8th were indeed tragic, and it's a shame that two people lost their lives on the mountain. Hopefully, at the very least, this incident will shed some light on the need for better rescue training on the mountain, and work to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

My condolences to the families of the two fallen climbers. It is a shame that they have had to suffer this loss, and then to find out this controversy a month later.

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Aconcagua News: South Africans on Top!

Great news from Aconcagua today, the South African team of Andrew Raubenheimer and Dobek Pater have reached the summit of the mountain today, completing the Polish Traverse Direct Route. They had intended to do the more technically demanding Polish Direct, but conditions on the glacier were reportedly unsteady.

According to the latest dispatches from the home team, Dobek reached the summit earlier today, but they note that it appears that Andrew turned back two meters from the top. He seemed to be suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness, and decided it was prudent to turn back a bit sooner.

My first reaction on hearing that he turned back just two meters from the top was "Why couldn't he go that last little way?" But at this point we don't know exactly how sick he was, so he made the right choice to go back. I hope he gets off the mountain fine and is soon resting, and celebrating at lower altitude.

Congrats to Dobek for reaching the summit, but clearly this was a great team effort, and Andrew deserves much credit and adulations as well. It's a shame that he couldn't stand on top with his friend, but this was a job well done. Now get down safe boys.

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News From Aconcagua: South African Team Eyes Summit

There is some interesting news from Aconcagua today, with the highest mountain in the Americas still garnering plenty of attention late in the season.

First up, the South African Team that is climbing via the Polish Direct Route, has been out of contact for the past few days, but the home team keeps us updated with the latest news on where Andrew and Dobek are on the mountain. If everything stays on schedule, the boys should be looking at making a summit bid sometime in the middle of the week, although high winds and cold temperatures may have an impact on that. Right now, things look good for a go at the summit along this technically challenging route though.

In other Aconcagua news, the Ecuador Adventures website has a good article up on Carla Perez and Esteban Mena, who reached the summit of the mountain on the 1st of February via the Southern Face. Carla became the first Latin American female to summit from that route, and Esteban became the youngest person to do so at the age of 19. The Southern Face is also a technically challenging route with mixed ice and rock, and is considered one of the toughest routes on any of the Seven Summits. Congrats to Carla and Esteban, as well as Joshua Jarrín, the third member of their team.

Thanks to Antonio for sending this my way!

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South African Aconcagua Team Update: Camp 1 Established

Last week I posted about Andrew Raubenheimer and Dobek Pater, two South African climbers who are attempting to climb Aconcagua along the Polish Direct Route, a technically demanding and dangerous climb up the highest mountain in the Americas. At the time, they had arrived in Argentina, and were still working on obtaining permits, but a week later they are on the mountain, and have established the first of their high camps.

According to the latest updates on their website the boys made the trek into base camp, in quite warm weather, arriving on Sunday. They promptly went to work getting settled in and then yesterday the made the hike up to C1 to shuttle the first of their supplies. After making the round trip back to BC yesterday, they are expected to carry more gear up to C1 today, but thanks to bad weather, including snow, in the area today, there has been no official word if they were sticking to that plan.

Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in South America, making it one of the Seven Summits of course. The usual route up the mountain is a non-technical climb that is mostly a challenge do to altitude. But Andrew and Dobek are climbing a much more challenging route known as the Polish Direct, which goes up the Polish Glacier, forcing climbers to deal with ice and rock, in addition to the normal issues with climbing the mountain. In one of their updates this week, the team notes that three people have died on this route in the past week, which hits home the difficulty and danger of climbing the Polish Direct.

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Aconcagua End of Season Report

The climbing season on Aconcagua, the highest peak in the world outside of the Himalaya, is winding down, and ExWeb has a solid report on some of the recent happenings on the mountain this year.

As the story notes, Aconcagua is a popular destination in the last few months or first few months of any given year. Many climbers use it as a training climb for the bigger peaks to come later in the spring, such as Everest. While the 6962m (22,841 feet) mountain doesn't offer the same altitude as the Himalaya, it does present a nice opportunity to gauge your physical conditioning and test gear. The fact that it is also one of the Seven Summits increases its attraction to climbers looking to bag all of the peaks on the different continents as well.

The end-of-the-season report indicates that traffic was quite heavy on the mountain this year, with more climbers than usual. Sadly, there were also more fatalities on Aconcagua too, with six people losing their lives, double the average number of deaths in any given year.

On the positive side though, four disabled military personnel from Columbia reached the summit this month, after overcoming a variety of injuries in the past few years. Also, ten year old Matthew Moniz, from the U.S., summitted as well, making him the youngest person to ever do so. Matthew is out to give Jordan Romero a run for his money, as he's also going after the Seven Summits, and now has Kilimanjaro and Elburus on his resume, in addition to Aconcagua.

The report wraps up with some interesting historical information about the ancient Incas going quite high on the mountain, and possibly to the summit.

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South African Team Climbing Aconcagua via the Polish Glacier Direct Route

Two South African climbers are making final preparations to climb Aconcagaua, the tallest mountain in South America, via the technically challenging Polish Glacier Direct Route. If successful, they'll be the first mountaineers from their country to successfully top out on the mountain using this approach.

The two climbers, Andrew Raubenheimer and Dobek Pater, are already in Argentina, where according to the latest news on their website, the are attempting to get all the necessary permits they need to climb the mountain. With that little detail out of the way, they intend to set out for the mountain itself in the next few days, where they'll establish base camp and make their final preparations for the climb.

The Polish Glacier Direct Route was first opened back in 1934 and is known for it's hazardous, and technically difficult, ice climbs up the Polish Glacier. The route is rather gear intensive, requiring both traditional mountaineering equipment as well as a full compliment of ice climbing gear, which means that Andrew and Dobek will have heavy packs when the make their assault on the summit.

Standing 6962 meters (22,841 feet) in height, Aconcagua is the tallest peak in the Western Hemisphere and the tallest outside of the Himalaya. It is part of the Andes mountain range, and sits in the far western regions of Argentina, close to the border with Chile. As one of the Seven Summits, the mountain sees plenty of traffic, and is generally considered a non-technical climb along it's most popular route. Alternative routes like the Polish Glacier Direct offer a much more challenging climb for experienced mountaineers.

You can follow Andrew and Dobek as they make their attempt on Aconcagua on their website, where you'll find their planned itinerary, and their gear. Good luck guys!!

Thanks to Lisa from AR.co.za, an excellent site on adventure racing in South Africa specifically and the sport in general.

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