Beta on Aconcagua Polish Direct Aragonesa Variant?

[TheNumberNine]

Hello!

 

Anyone done this route or know anyone who has climbed it? I'm looking to hit it this December. Thanks!

[ScaredSilly]

What do you want to know?

[TheNumberNine]

So its sounding like you head up the standard polish direct and veer right into the rock bands at around 19,600 and climb straight up and meet the polish glacier again above the rock bands?

 

I just want any helpful information regarding the route into the rock and ice chutes (rating, where to go, etc.) I have read that it's 5.6 YDS and 70 degree WI. How many vertical feet do we climb through the rock and ice? Can this technical section be climbed from camp 2 all the way to the summit and back down in a long day? We were hoping to descend the normal route and get back to our high camp. Is this possible or should we do a high bivy and do an up and over to a lower camp?

 

What kind of pro would you recommend? We're looking to acclimate on another peak nearby before the climb so that we can push the polish direct w/ variation in about 4 days (not including approach and hike out)

 

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[ScaredSilly]

I may be able to help a little but need to check with a friend who was up in that area with clients years ago. That said I can give a few general thoughts from my poking around the Glacier. I did not ascend it due to bronchial infection and walked over to and up the std route.

 

It is possible to bivy up high near some of rocks/seracs but at that height the slope is 45 degrees plus so you would likely be chopping a platform. The good part is that one could probably kick their gear off and it would roll damn near back to Camp II (more than one climber has done this - not gear, but the climber with a very bad outcome!!!).

 

That said, I am not super knowledgeable about the route but does it not start at around 5900m and rejoins the Polish direct at about 6500m with a traverse left below the last major rock band before gaining the summit ridge? If so that is not too far above Camp 2 (5600m). So it may not be too much of a benefit to bivy super high but perhaps just closer horizontally to the start which might make it possible to bribe someone into retrieving your camp. (i.e. I would probably try not carry up and over and was initially thinking the route started higher above Camp 2).

 

From the top of the Polish Glacier it is a long walk to the summit. I watched a Polish climber get to the top of the Polish Glacier but then never to be seen again. I looked for him at the base with no signs and I think he went to the other side (literally and figuratively). Pretty somber to say the least.

 

Can not help you with pro ideas but the rock is fairly crappy. The glacier can be ice or a snow slog.

 

One other general recommendation. While some like to acclimate else where I would recommend acclimating on-site. The scene at base camp is not too bad. You can get away from it easily. And one can day hike up the gully next to base camp and get some great views on the S. Face. Some go to this col and descend down to Plaza Franco. I think it tops out at around 4800m-4900m. I did not quite go all the way as I was still recovering.

 

The other is that if it is just two of ya and one is not well after the acclimatization hike you may not be motivated to head up to base camp by yourself. At least when I got sick my partner could continue on without me. Which he did by doing a carry to Camp I while I horked up my lungs in base camp.

 

One other recommendation, if you are acclimated (or recovering) a carry to Camp 2 is not needed. We planned to do one but because we got nabbed in a storm and spent 3 nights at Camp 1 we decided to take 4 days of food to Camp 2 and go for it from there. We figured if we did not make it on our first try we would just come down and get more food. Although we found many abandoned caches at Camp 2 and could have survived for several more days.

 

BTW I am assuming you mean 4 days from the Base Camp. Certainly realizable but personally I would plan for a few more days cause when Viento Blanco comes you want to be able to hunker down or get the hell down lest you end up like this: