2nd – More up

We left the camp at around 0800 as we were having a long day ahead of us. Today’s goal was simple; we were to walk to BC (Plaza de Mulas) 17-18km away at 4230m, giving us a total ascent of 800m from Confluencia.

Apart from the fact that we had a long distance to travel the walk was rather uneventful. Right after leaving Confluencia we had quite a dip down when crossing a river, but after coming back up again the following distance, probably half of today’s walk, was completely flat. Reaching the end we came to the part of the day’s walk that had most of the altitude difference; the beginning had a lot of ups and downs but slowly the downs vanished and we were only going up and at times quite steeply, too. It was a long pull but when coming up an edge we suddenly had the entire camp in front of us.

Flat.

Completely flat.

Before the ascent with the Base Camp at the end. You can just barely see some tent structures where the BC is.

We are a group of 7 tourists and 3 guides, but yet we have access to a dining tent that is an at least 40m² dome tent, just for us. We were welcomed with 6 freshly baked pizzas that were all gone in less than half an hour, after which we went out to pitch the tents, followed by the usual relaxation. It is quite a bit windier here than at the other camps we have stayed at, but considering how many rocks we used to secure our tents we should be fine. Hopefully.

  

Left half of our tent.

Right half of our tent. Plenty of room.

Dinner was served together with 3 bottles of wine and a glorious chocolate cake for dessert. Tomorrow is a rest day so people seem a bit more relaxed than usual, despite now being much closer to our final goa than ever before.

On the way to BC we met another group, a quite large one of 12-16 people, who were descending from what had been quite a disastrous climb. They had turned around 200m from the summit due to high winds, but coming back to their camp they realized that their tents had disappeared – they hadn’t been secured properly so they had simply blown away. That meant that they had had no other choice than to continue down all the way back to BC – a total descent of almost 2600m in one day. I can’t imagine how tired they must have been when coming back down. Apparently the winds have been kicking it up a notch the last couple of days; weather forecasts indicate wind speeds of app. 80-90km/h at the summit.

The walk today was done in 6:45, compared to the estimated 8:00 it is clear that we are sticking to the high speed tactic. After the long walk today there did seem to be some agreement on that things ought to be slowing down a bit the next couple of days. 

1st – Up; the beginning

We had a late start today; our guides wanted our equipment for sending to Base Camp and keeping at the hotel at 1030 with departure at around 1100. This meant a gentle morning starting at 0800 with shower and breakfast before getting ready to leave. Enjoyed it a bit extra as this will likely be the last slow morning in a while.

The bags were loaded into a car that went straight to a pick-up point where the mules would collect them and bring them to Base Camp, while we drove out in a bus, passing by Puente del Inca which is a mineral/rock formation carved by a passing by river, which brought us to the check-in point for the Aconcagua National Park.

Puente del Inca.

From there we got out, grabbed our daypacks containing our equipment for the next two days, and commenced the relative short day to the first camp on the route, camp Confluencia located at 3409m, giving us a gentle 400m ascent on a app. 7km route. We left the gate at around 1145 and arrived at the camp 2 hours 45 minutes later.

The group. The look of happiness is because the photo was taken before it got tough.

Crossed a bridge on the way to Confluencia. If it looks recognizable it's probably because you have seen it in the movie 7 Years in Tibet.

On the way to camp with Aconcagua in our sights.

The camp is fairly large with a sign-in desk and doctor’s tent (test was successful; 110/70, saturation of 92, unknown pulse (but assuming acceptable value as I was still alive)), and while we were still sleeping in our own 2-man tents we had access to a dining tent with (plastic) furniture and real cutlery. Not what I had expected, but I could get used to this. And we have a real toilet, too!

The first couple of hours were spent on being introduced to how it all works after which we took a short stroll on a nearby hill where we could get an overview of the entire camp. The rest of the day was spent on… yes; relaxation.

Tomorrow we will attempt leaving at 0800 for BC, app 17km away by taking a route which is basically circling Aconcagua, bringing us app. 800m higher than we are now. It’s going to be a long day but rather uncomplicated, and we are still only carrying our small bags. BC is apparently like Confluencia, but 3-4 times bugger, with charging stations, internet, a gallery(!) and other convenient facilities. It will be a sad day leaving this to camp further up the mountain. Our guides would agree; they usually do the cooking when camping, but when staying at these camps there are established kitchens with personnel which means that they get time off.

We will have two nights at BC before beginning the “real” ascent, but ultimately it all depends on the weather forecasts. It is very warm here during the day though winds from Aconcagua cool down the air. Because it’s very dry in the area there is a lot of dust in the air – having a buff helps a lot and I am realizing that buying one as a last-moment idea before departure was probably the best thing I could have done.

Confluencia.

31st – Down

Today we left El Salto and descended all the way back down to the hut at 2700m. During the night a couple of rock slides had been heard in the distance. When getting up in the morning it was quite windy which was impractical when trying to get our tents under control, but it also meant that the sky was clear which meant we had an unobscured view of where we had been going yesterday. We packed up and left the campsite and after only 2 hours we were back at the hut where we had half an hour of doing nothing (apart from having a coke from the hostel and wifi’ing) before the bus arrived and picked us up.

We drive a couple of hours through a mountainous landscape before arriving at the restaurant where we were to have lunch. Beef de Chorizo was ordered. Take a look at your open hand (male, above average size), add 6-8cm of thickness and you are getting close to the size of the steaks arriving on our plates. For lunch, even. I almost felt bad about eating it all. But only almost.

An hour’s drive later we arrived at the hotel and checked in. It felt great having a shower for the first time in 8 days. Dinner was at 2030 and our guides informed us that because most people lose their appetite at higher altitude you need to eat as much as possible when further down, so despite our sizeable lunch we also had a full dinner with dessert. Our guides told us to do so!

Tomorrow we will be heading to camp Confluencia at 3409m. Our sleeping bags and pads have been handed over as they will be transported by mule to the camp. Our large bags will be packed with what we need from base camp and up, so these will be handed over tomorrow and brought by mule directly to base camp. This means that we the next two days (the walk to Confluencia and the walk from there to base camp) we will only have to carry a small bag with what we need for the one night by ourselves.

The next couple of days will be relatively easy; tomorrow a short walk of 3-4 hours and the day after will be flat a long bit before ascending – and while the distance will be 17-18km the limited time we are ascending combined with the small bags the days aren’t expected to be too hard despite the potentially long second day.

The view in the morning. Things could have been worse.

Pleasant weather on the way down.

STEAK! 

30th – Calle Vallecitos (5461m)

We were woken up at 0500 and breakfast was distributed half an hour later (after the guides got our plates last night). At 0600 we were more or less ready to go with a few surprises. First of all there wasn’t a single cloud; we had an amazing view of the stars and the Milkyway. If it had been a “normal” night I would have tried to get some shots of the view. The other surprise was despite the strong cold winds the guides informed us that the temperature apparently was higher than usually experienced. So we were to see the summit under optimal conditions according to them.

Off we went, and soon we reached a small camp 400m above ours where we had our first short rest. Despite the winds it didn’t feel too cold walking – it was actually almost comfortable, considering the current conditions. After having continued for a while after the break the wind started dying down and it was getting light. We had a few other minor breaks before we reached a small plateau which also brought us out into the sun. With almost no wind at this point and the sun getting a hold the weather I started seriously considering using our next break getting rid of some of my 5 layers. The plateau led us upwards towards the col at app. 5100m which was the start of the ridge we would follow the rest of the way up to the summit which we from now on would have a direct view of. We also had the first clear view of Aconcagua in the distance. The first thing I thought when seeing it was “holy crap that’s a huge rock”, intensified by the fact that it is much taller than the surrounding mountains. When nearing the col I began feeling a drain in energy and the walk became more and more labored. I also knew the reason for this, though; the lack of appetite prevented me from drinking and eating enough despite knowing how important that is in these situations. I was hoping that when reaching the col it would change when getting rid of some of my layers, but reaching the edge we got hammered by the constant winds coming in from the other side. There was no question I had to keep on my layers and even had to put on my large mittens to avoid freezing my fingers.

Slowly but steady we walked towards the summit along a path that from a distance looked like it was clinging to the side of the ridge trying to not fall off. I ended up moving slower than most of the others and fall back with a guide and another group member at a slower and more pleasant pace.

Reaching the end of the path you face a block of rock app. 10-15m tall. One of the guides climbed up with a rope and one by one we were secured in said rope and climbed up to the summit of Cerro Vallecitos, reaching 5461m. The view was amazing, but holding on for my dear life (it felt like that, anyway) I didn’t get to take any good photos even though a 360 would have been nice. I did manage to have the guide take a shot of me, though.

The way down was obviously much easier. When reaching the col we had a break just when getting out of the wind. An eagle had apparently learnt that that exact point was a popular spot to stop and have something to eat as it was standing around and waiting for scraps. It wasn’t very shy, either, as sandwich meat dropped from an arm’s length was also grabbed and enjoyed.

We arrived back in camp at around 1430, 8,5 hours after departure. The walk to the summit had taken us app. 5,5 hours which was the fastest the guides had ever managed to bring a group of tourists to the summit. Suddenly I don’t feel so bad about being exhausted and being slow. The normal time is apparently 7 hours. Ascending from 4288m to 5461m only having acclimatized to the starting point in only 5,5 hours is not a bad feat at all.

Tomorrow we will break down camp and descend all the way to the Vallecitos hut where we started this leg of the tour. Here we will be picked up and driven to a hotel where we will spend the night before continuing to Confluencia camp at 3409m, the first step in the ascent of Aconcagua. The hotel is at 700-800m so it will be amazingly relaxing and breathable.

We will also visit a restaurant on the way to the hotel. One of the guides described it as being a very nice place, but one of the others had to correct him, saying that the place wasn’t that good but their steaks were very good. That’s good enough for me.

Bo climbed Cerro Plata, almost 6000m on the way down from Cerro Vallecitos. When reaching Vallecitos he quickly climbed up and down the rock, and almost ran down along the ridge to the col before making a turn towards the other summit. He arrived back at camp a couple of hours after us after successfully taking his second summit of the day. The extra 900m ascent from the col had clearly worn him, but he was obviously very happy about it, rightly so.

A couple of hours after departure, looking towards where we came from.

Looking up towards the ridge from the small plateau. We are coming up on the left side (after having gone almost in a straight line towards the ridge we made a sharp turn up to the left that brought us to the plateau).

Nearing the ridge. We followed the ridge on the other side within a couple of meters from the edge all the way to the top. Aconcagua can be seen to the left in the distance.

A view from the rock on the top. 

Thanks to Preben (I hope I remember that correctly!) for taking the shot.

The eagle waiting for the tourists.

29th – Moving to El Salto

We started the day a bit earlier than usual as the morning also included packing up the camp. When waking up it seemed very dark when lying in the tent, but it wasn’t due to the sun not having risen but rather due to dense mist and rain. Thinking it was impossible the mist was actually even denser than it was yesterday and adding the rain into the equation it all felt quite miserable. But the guides came by the tents and collected our plates, and soon after we had breakfast in bed! Great service.

Slowly but steady the rain decreased in intensity and the camp equally slowly came alive, we packed our bags and tents, and we were soon ready to leave the location. The mist didn’t change character but as we ascended towards El Salto it eased up a bit.

Arriving at El Salto the weather was better than we had been warned it would be; only a breeze and despite the mist conditions were comfortable. Tents were pitched and we quickly fell into the usual routine; relaxation and doing as little as possible. Bo & Preben took a walk further up to have a look, but they were the exception. Even the guides were kicking back. Everyone seem to be mentally preparing for the summit attempt tomorrow of Cerro Vallecitos. It shouldn’t be a big problem compared to what I have been doing in the past, but a climb of 1200m from camp to summit still manages to get on one’s nerves – even if the summit isn’t the final conclusion of the trip but rather a warm-up.

As the evening progressed the mist got once again denser to the point where it felt like a gentle constant rain. This meant that anything not inside a closed tent (or in a waterproof bag) would get moist. It was almost like being back in the Amazon; the difference being the humidity was cold here as opposed the Amazon’s heat. We hadn’t been prepared for this so inside our tent all surfaces have a thin layer of moisture.

I found out a small quirk with my new camera, or rather; a small quick with the combination of my new camera and my polarized sunglasses. Holding the camera horizontally there are no problems, but vertically the screen gets extremely dark. Scared me quite a lot the first time I experienced it but I calmed down – though quite annoyed – when I found the cause. 

We were greeted in the morning by low clouds.

Pablo relaxing in El Salto.

Dina relaxing the best way she knows - by knitting.

28th – Visiting El Salto

With the same morning schedule as yesterday we left at 0830 with some low hanging clouds and mist. We had two guides with us and one of them was planned to stay at El Salto for tomorrow to keep an eye on the stuff we chose to bring with us. This is the camp from where we will be climbing Cerro Vallecitos in a couple of days. Bringing equipment to the camp before we actually move camps will make the move easier as we won’t be carrying the entire load at once – but coming down we will still have everything at once. Everyone seems to have brought their big boots and crampons with them, and some have brought some extra things like their down jackets and the like.

The walk up went fine; a gentle ascent until the last part which steepened quite horrifically. Arriving at the camp we managed to get a clear view of the summit for a couple of minutes before the clouds obscured the view for the remaining of our stay at the camp.

On the way back to camp the clouds got denser and dropped though they never gave us any rain. This meant that when returning to camp we had a visibility of less than 50 meters and we almost ended up standing in the camp before realizing we had arrived.

The rest of the day was spent like the rest with relaxation. The mist never really disappeared so the remainder of the day we had visibility of around 50m – sometimes less, sometimes more. The “more” part was limited, though, and when it happened it didn’t last long.

Tomorrow we will move camp to El Salto where we will be spending the next two nights. We will arrive there noon/early afternoon, and the following night at around 0500-0600 we will start our summit attempt of Cerro Vallecitos of 5461m.

On the way up to El Salto, looking back down you could see a thick layer of clouds.

El Salto - a slightly different kind of camp. The flat part straight ahead is the ridge we have to reach on the way to Calle Vallecitos.

Coming back down to the camp... It was a bit misty.

Spot the horse.

27th – Acclimatization

Breakfast at 0730 and departure at 0830 we started our ascent of Cerro Adolfo Calle, a small summit of 4270m with the purpose of preparing us for the altitude of the next camp and as a bonus bagging ourselves a summit.

Most of the ascent consisted of walking on scree, gravel and often loose rocks. There was a part where we arrive at a high valley when the walking was comfortable, but that was only for a limited time. The last part of the climb we abandoned our poles and scrambled to the summit. The ascent took app. 3 hours, something our guides seemed satisfied with.

As things had been going so well on the way down we took a small extra summit of app. 4100m. It was a lot of rocks and scrambling and on the way down gravel and scree. Coming back to the camp it was easy to feel the day’s exercise.

The rest of the day was spent on relaxing.

Tomorrow we will be going to the next camp, El Salto, bringing equipment we will be needing there but not necessarily here (i.e. large boots, crampons) and returning to this camp. Not all are feeling 100% so this walk is voluntary; you will be allowed to stay at the camp if you don’t feel up to the walk. I don’t expect to have any issues – a slight headache in the afternoon after returning from the walk but nothing that can’t be handled by drinking a bit of extra water.

The weather was amazing in the morning.

And looking down towards the camp on the way to Cerro Adolfo Calle the air was still clear.

Standing on the summit, though... Clouds with holes here and there where you could get a glimpse of the surrounding terrain.