Terminal_Gravity Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 I'm back from Aconcaugua. The climb/hike was far from my most challenging and worth while mountaineering experience.... it was, however, very interesting and instructional. Following is an abbreviated TR. Day one:No Mules. Hike about 12 miles with 78# pack from 7500' to 9500'. Bivy. Good weather. Drink Rhum and Cytomax. Day 2:Hike about 18 miles to 10,500'. One trivial ( but much feared ) river crossing. I pump water for 2 hours... 'had to clean the filter every quart. Rain turning to snow in the evening. Day 3:6 miles to 14,500' and "Campo Base, Plaza Argentine". 2 more trivial crossings. We saw the rare and elusive Guanaco. At base; Burger & Fries for $9 and 3 cans of warm beer for $15. It snowed late. Day 4 & 5:Bored at base camp. Wash clothes, underarms, etc. Find that the deal is $8 dollars for a decent one liter box of red wine. Meet Germans, French, Spanish, Mexicans, Italians, Swiss and 3 boys from Colorado. (Apparently; the coloradoins and we are somewhat of a legend for not using mules to get to base camp) The way I see it, if you step on a bolt it is not a free climb and if you can't carry your load to base camp...why could you carry it higher. That being said; the mules did, indeed, carry our burgers up...of course we carried the money to buy them.Late in the day...Snow and more SNOW. Day 7:3 hours of easy hiking brings us to 16,400' and camp one. No more Hambergeusas y vino tinto. Afternoon snow. Day 8 & 9:Bored at camp 1. People streaming off the mountain with more excuses than I have ever heard. All of the excuses got to my 2 partners...we'll never make it...to much snow...I don't feel good...too much snow...Waaeh! More snow in the afternoon. Day 10:3 hours hike to camp 2 at 19,200. Breezey but clear. Day 11 & 12:Bored at camp 2. I argue with my partners about the route to summit. They want to do the Polish falso or escape route because "nobody in their right mind" would climb the polish glacier in these conditions!! We watch as 3 spanish guys and a woman climb and then ski down the Polish direct...our original goal. It does not sway them. It's too cold to spend much time outside. In the too small tent; they stink, I stink. I realize that the hardest part of this climb is to be big enough not to dispize my lame ass partners. I fail...they suck! As the clock ticks and my body aclimates... I wonder how I got my self into this mess 2 years in a row...on a big mountain with partners that have summit fever but little concern for climbing the agreed upon route. Unstable but reasonablely decent weather. Day 13:7 1/2 hour to the summit. (One partner turned back 10 minutes from the tent.) The 2 of us were the only ones to climb it from that side that day. I had the summit to myself for 20 minutes. I wandered around, looked at the memorial, looked at the south face and cried for missing my daughters. I radioed my remaining partner. He said wait for 20 minutes...he would be there and we could take summit photos?! I was ready to head down but waited. The hoary hoards showed up... within minutes, 3 large guided groups arrived. The solitude turned into a high altittude version of Mount Hood...people hugging, yelling, crying and poseing. 40 minutes later Troy showed up and we took photos...it was the only time I used my ice axe the whole trip. All in all, I spent 1 hour and 40 minutes on the summit...too long. On the way down I gave a Portuguese woman on the verge of a HACE induced coma dexamethazone and saved her life. I also carried 2 of her ill prepared partners 25 pound summit packs for a while. I was exhausted by the time i made it back to camp. I had a touch of HAPE but recovered during the night. Of note is that my OR over boots failed and would not stay on in the deep snow. My toes froze at some unknown point during the summit day. My doc says that I can expect to lose only one small chunk of one toe, but I have some fairly significant nerve damage and as I write this am in a significant amount of pain as the nerves in my toes repair themselves.The weather was windy but fair. Day 14Down to base camp... more burgers & expensive crappy beer. Day 15Somebody told me it was 77 kilometers...I don't think so... but it was indeed a long way on my tortured feet with a still heavy pack and nothing but GU and Cytomax to the ranger check out station. When I arrived, there was about a dozen muletiers and park gaurds grilling fat steaks over a mature open fire. One of the muletiers noticed an old purple Bonetti helium carabiner on my pack. To my most heartfelt relief he asked in broken English if he could have it. Hence, my two partners and I ate woodfired steak, fresh bread, rigattoni and corn salad until we could eat no more. Quite the trade. In good weather we slept under the stars and made it to the road and hitch-hiked to our hotel in the morning for pizza and $2.50 liters of good bottled beer. I have heard Aconcaugua called the worlds largest chose heap. It is true that it's line of weakness has no technical difficulties. But the fact is that the only thing small about Acon. is the minds of most of those who try to climb it. It has the most beautiful permanent water ice climbs I have ever seen and long hard virgin rock faces. There is so much there and the vast majority of the people on the mountain just have myopic summit fever. If I ever go back I will use mules to bring a big wall tent to base camp, plenty of supplies, hunker down and spend my time climbing a small percentage of all of the truly spectacular walls that abound in the non-trade areas of what I believe is a world class mountain overrun by non-world class mountaineers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeclimb9 Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 got photos of your future goals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlpineK Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 I'm way into how you get to the summit not whether or not you summit. Too bad your partners weren't. Sounds like a fun trip though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolyn Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 Welcome Home! Glad your back safe and sound! Hey, what happened to your toe warmers?!?!?!?! later, carolyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairweather Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 Any problems with the current political situation down there? Transportation delays, hostility toward Americans, miscalculations of $$$$, etc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminal_Gravity Posted February 4, 2002 Author Share Posted February 4, 2002 Freeclimb - when I get some photos developed I will scan a couple and post them A K - I wish you had been there. Carolyn - I used warmers but I guess they were not enough. I think they contributed to confusing sensations that led me to believe that my toes were fine all day long. As far as political stuff in Argentina - I think that even though clearly they have some issues, the people have seen it all before. The panic seems to be CNN sensationalized ( if not created). The only effect it had on us was that we got better deals Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dru Posted February 4, 2002 Share Posted February 4, 2002 are you gonna make some special sour toe cocktail with the chunk that comes off?? good work man. according to a buddy that did the S face, the "virgin rock" you mention is the worst choss in the world. but dont let that stop you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronco Posted February 5, 2002 Share Posted February 5, 2002 nice job on keeping your team together and reaching the summit TG!! (good TR as well) I know it's tacky but, maybe you were supposed to be there too give the portugese lady some help instead of on the route you wanted to be on. Here is a link to an article about climbing Aconcaeagua incase some of you may not be in the know (like me) http://www.climbing.com/Pages/feature_stories/feature209.html pretty funny stuff. sounds like Mt. Hood or Rainier on a sunny summer weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DLunkman Posted February 6, 2002 Share Posted February 6, 2002 nice report man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminal_Gravity Posted February 6, 2002 Author Share Posted February 6, 2002 Thanks, You know, Bronco, you're right. I don't buy into the new-age fate stuff. I am glad I was in the right place at the right time and was able to help the woman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.