January 10, 2009 Aconcagua Expedition

View of the upper mountain after our summit day

2009-03-01T08:05:00.000-08:00

A second summit attempt was not an option, as the winds the following day were very strong.

Do You really need ALL those clothes?

2009-03-01T08:02:00.001-08:00

We are often asked by our climbers if they REALLY need to bring ALL those clothes on our equipment list.
Maybe this video will help illustrate our affirmative response.

Video from our descent

2009-03-01T07:56:00.000-08:00

Here is some video from our descent from High Camp.

Photos from Camp 2 to High Camp

2009-02-01T12:10:00.000-08:00

Loaded up and headed for High Camp at 20,000 feet. High Camp is at the head of the shallow basin at the top of the image.

Tom H and a heavy pack in the bottom of the basin leading to High Camp.

Ali, bundled up and working hard on her way to High Camp in mixed weather.

White Rocks High Camp. We made our camp at the eastern edge of the area, away from the huddled masses.

JL- Phone Home.
It's pretty amazing that we can communicate from as close to extraterrestrial heights as most mortals ever get.

We tried to cook outside for much of the trip, but at High Camp we cooked in our vestibule.

Thanks Ali and Tom for the pics!

Photos from Camp 1 to Camp 2

2009-02-01T11:47:00.001-08:00

Joe, saddling up for the push to Camp 2.

Our Camp 2 is somewhat "off the beaten path" from most of the climbers heading up the Vacas side of the mountain. The picturesque Cerro Ameghino is in the background.

We were fortunate to find running water under the ice at the base of a large field of snow and penitentes, right next to our camp.

Ali and Tom H took advantage of our rest day to get creative with the snow field.

Tom H, Ali and the most photographed snowman on Aconcagua. We counted at least a dozen climbers posing with this rotund fellow!

Cheers from Camp 2 at 18,000 feet!!

We awoke to some fresh snow on our rest day. The Polish Glacier and the summit are in the background.

Pancakes anyone? Real Vermont maple syrup...!
Food is one of the few things we can control in the mountains, so we don't skimp on the good stuff.

Morning light touching the sublime Cerro de la mano and the peaks above the Gussfeldt Glacier.

Again, thanks for Ali and Tom H for some of the photos!

Photos from BC to Camp 1

2009-02-01T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ali and Joe celebrate their arrival at Plaza de Mulas with a Coke and some smiles.

Paca (La Macarena), our Base Camp manager. One of the many helpful and efficient employees of our old friend Fernando Grajales, who organized our mules and BC services.

The Argentines are not shy about launching their helicopter for rescues. We saw many climbers get flown out for altitude issues. More than you might think...

Tom Ceglia and Todd at the base of the large penitente field leading up to Camp 1 at 16,300'.

Joe in the middle of the penitente field. Penitentes are formed by wind, blown dust and sun.

Tom Henson, sizing up some of the larger penitentes on the way to Camp 1.

Tom C, taking a break in the sun at over 15,000', en route to Camp 1.

Setting up our Camp at 16,300'. Camp 1 is a pretty busy place and at night sounded somewhat like the fabled city of Babel, with numerous languages being spoken by our neighbors.

Looking down over the evening clouds from Camp 1.

Thanks to Ali and Tom H for some of the photos in this post!!

Photos from the Approach to Base Camp

2009-01-31T19:06:00.000-08:00

Joe, Tom H, Ali and Tom C at the trailhead. Fresh, clean and lily white...

Our mule drivers (arrieros) cooked a wonderful asado (grilled meat) for us on our hike in.

Joe and Tom H, going native with some of the most delicious chunks of meat any of us had ever tasted.

Our first view of the mountain came at the end of Day 2 on the trail, and it was certainly spectacular!

We asked our arrieros to give us a shuttle across the frigid Rio Vacas instead of having to wade it.

The hike up the Relinchos Valley to Base Camp was really beautiful. All the while, Aconcagua loomed over us at the head of the valley.

Back in Mendoza- Wow- a real bed!

2009-01-26T03:29:00.000-08:00

Howdy All,

Todd here, reporting in from Mendoza.

We made the 18 mile long hike out from Plaza de Mulas yesterday in good time. The Horcones Valley, which we descended, is much larger than the Vacas Valley where we began our adventure. It is a special experience to be able to see and feel both valleys, while completing a traverse of the mountain. The trail out of Plaza de Mulas lost altitude quickly, as we dropped off a thick, dead glacier (we know this because Ali is working on her PhD in glaciology!). It then contours above the Rio Horcones for a number of windy miles before dropping down to the river bed for many, many miles of cobble strewn trail.

After about 5 hours of hiking, we reached the intermediate camp for those climbers who (for some reason...) decide to climb up the Normal Route (pardon the condescension, but we all agree that the Vacas route is much more interesting and scenic). Confluencia is a rather bizarre camp, tightly corralled by fences , presumably so it is not over run by the trains of mules ferrying equipment to the veritable tent city at Plaza de Mulas. Regardless of the appearance, we were treated to a couple of tasty, cheesy pizzas, cooked up by Fernando Grajales's Confluencia manager, Veronica.

Full of dough and cheese, we then managed the remaining 1.5 hours out to the trailhead, where we checked out with the Park service and caught our van to take us back to Mendoza.

We arrived late in the evening, but that means little as far as restaurants in Mendoza are concerned. Fernando's driver, Carlos recommended a place called El Patio de Jesus Maria. it was a wonderful steak house with outdoor seating, delicious Malbec, and a Chimichurri sauce to die for. Full, tired, and satiated, we waddled back to our nice hotel and slept deeply.

I would like to call everyone's attention to the post on our summit day. I made a couple of changes which might help clarify the events of the afternoon. Please read it over, as my edits should help give a better picture of how the day progressed.

I will post photos later, so stay tuned. Until then, Ciao from Mendoza, Argentina!

Plaza de Mulas

2009-01-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

They made it down to the Plaza de Mulas basecamp on the Normal (Horcones valley) route today. They woke up in 40 mph + winds and some snow, so they were happy to be heading down. Breaking camp in these winds and weather can be a bit tough, but they were motivated, and by the time they called this afternoon they were already enjoying a beer in Plaza de Mulas. They will have a big dinner tonight, get some rest, and begin the final 17 mile hike out to the highway in the morning.

Partial Success...

2009-01-23T17:07:00.000-08:00

Todd and the Toms, early in the summit day. The weather was actually hot at 21,000' and we were all traveling in light clothing for most of the morning. It got colder as the storm intensified...

Joe, high above the Gussfeldt Glacier and the beautiful peak, El Cerro de la Mano, early in our summit day.

They are all back safely in High Camp now, probably going to sleep as I type, so in that respect the climb was a success, but they did not all reach the summit today. Shortly after the last conversation with Todd, the weather began to change, and when the weather changes at 20,000 ft (over 6ooo meters) it can happen fast. By the time they were approaching the summit today it began to snow pretty hard, and the visibility was described as being inside a ping pong ball. They reached over 22,000 ft (6,700 m) before the weather forced them to turn around.

Ali, heading for the top, as clouds begin to stream over from the south side of the mountain. We decided to give her a chance to see the upper part of the route on her own, so she could get up and down quickly enough to make it back to high camp to assist Joe and have the stoves fired up when Todd and Tom made it back.

The team made a decision to allow Ali to climb ahead so that she could go for the summit and then descend to assist Joe back at high camp. While Todd and the Toms were about 3 hours from the top, Ali took off and made her summit bid. She had been gone about an hour when the weather began to deteriorate, and the snow began to fall at a rate of about 6" per hour. She made it to the top in dense snow, limited visibility, but low wind. She was then able to descend back to Todd and the Toms before the weather really began to shut down.

With the increasing amount of snow, and the decreasing visibility, Todd and the Toms had decided that prudence was the better part of valor, and they had turned back from part way up the infamously loose gully that leads to the summit and is known as the Canaleta. Ali caught up with them as they descended the long traverse that cuts across the West Face of the mountain, and they all made it back to high camp in blustery conditions.

Tom C, at 22,000 feet. The snow was falling at a rate of 6" an hour at this point, although we were a bit sheltered by a rock overhang in the photo.

I'm sure they are a bit disappointed, but they gave it all they had, they didn't give up, and they climbed to 22,000 ft. Most importantly, they are all coming home safely so I'd call it a pretty successful trip. It is an exhausting climb getting that close to the summit, and high camp is no place to recover your strength, so I don't anticipate anyone having any energy for another attempt tomorrow, they left it all on the field.

They'll start down the mountain tomorrow, which goes amazingly fast. Tomorrow they'll be at base camp on the southwest side of the mountain "Plaza de Mulas" where they can buy a cheeseburger and a beer. The following day they will hike out to the road (18 miles or so) where a van will wait to take them to Mendoza for a proper celebratory dinner.

Congratulations to all of the team for a great, safe trip.

Ali would like to pass on a personal message " Feliz Cumpleanos Mi Amor" I'm sure you know who you are.

On the way to the Summit!

2009-01-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

Just talked to Todd and they are on the way to the summit right now. It's a beautiful day, a few puffy clouds but it sounds perfect.

They are on the traverse leading across to the bottom of the "Canaleta" right now at 1pm Argentina time. The notorious "Caneleta" is the final steeper section up to the summit. They are just hours away now. I expect to hear from Todd this afternoon from the top and will post as soon as we get news.

Joe had some difficulty with his eyes, which cause him to begin losing his peripheral vision. We're not entirely certain what the cause was, but the result is that he elected to turn back from just above the Independencia hut at an altitude of about 21,500'. The weather was warm and clear, and he felt good about descending along to high camp, so that the rest of the team would still have two guides and therefore more options for the remainder of the summit bid. Way to rally Joe!

High Camp!

2009-01-22T20:29:00.001-08:00

I just heard from Todd via Sat phone from the 19,000 ft high camp. Everyone made it up today in good style, carrying 45 lb packs to this altitude is very hard work. They had a few little snow squalls blow thru, but it was a reasonable day high on Aconcagua.

They settled in tonight, ate dinner, melted snow for water, and are now trying to get some rest for their summit day tomorrow. The weather forecast is good for tomorrow, and the beautiful sunset over the Pacific ocean is a great sign.

Send them all good thoughts for a good summit day tomorrow!

Moving on up

2009-01-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

The team moved up to Camp 2 on Tuesday, and are doing great. They had a great day enjoying beautiful views and nice weather.

Wednesday was a rest and acclimitization day at Camp 2, and they hope to move to High Camp on Thursday! The High Camp that the team will use is called White Rocks, and sits at over 19,000 ft on a beautiful ridgeline.

Aconcagua Camp 1

2009-01-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

Just off the phone with Todd and crew from Camp 1. They carried some gear up to Camp 2 today, and had a nice time of it. It is a beautiful hike (about 3 1/2 hours) up to over 18,000 ft! The views just continue to get better and better as they move up the mountain.

It was a nice partly cloudy day today, but looked like it was raining down lower.

Everyone is doing great!

Camp 1

2009-01-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

The team moved to Camp 1 yesterday. They are all doing great, and feeling better after a bit of a cold went thru the team at basecamp. It was snowing a bit, and some clouds were blowing thru camp, but the weather wasn't too bad overall.

Greetings from Base Camp!!

2009-01-16T12:26:00.001-08:00

This is Todd reporting in from Base Camp at Plaza Argentina.

We just carried loads up to Camp 1 at about 16,400 feet. Everyone did well, and we made fairly short work of it. The trail out of Base Camp ascends fairly steeply up the side of a dead glacier (meaning it no longer is gaining mass from snow). It was loose and tricky in spots, but overall, it was a good trial. We climbed up into a long, glacially sculpted valley, the bottom of which was still filled with the dead glacier.

At the head of this valley, we climbed up a couple of hills and then had to negotiate about 500 feet of Penitentes. Penitentes are bizarre, wind and sun eroded, fins of snow, some standing 18 feet high. It was pretty wild, but we just plugged away uphill, and arrived in Camp 1 in less than five hours.

Some of our team are battling respiratory illness, so we might take another day at BC to rest and recuperate. If we do, I will post again tomorrow.

Everyone is doing well, and we're having a blast!!

Cheers,
Todd

Base Camp and a Rest Day

2009-01-15T18:44:00.000-08:00

The team reached base camp yesterday, enjoyed another big dinner, and went to bed. They had a rest and acclimitization day today at base camp, and sorted their gear to start up to camp 1 tomorrow.

Base Camp, known as Plaza Argentina, is a small tent city of climbers, mule drivers, and support staff. You can even find a tent to buy a beer and a cheeseburger here!

They'll begin the routine of carrying loads to a higher camp, and returning to the lower camp tomorrow. The following day they will then pack their tents and remaining gear and move to the higher camp. This routine allows them to split up the big loads of gear, food, and fuel as well as acclimate a bit before moving to a higher altitude. So tomorrow the real work begins, no more mules to carry the loads.

Casa de Piedra camp 2 on the approach

2009-01-13T18:44:00.000-08:00

Todd and crew called this evening from their Casa de Piedra in the Vacas Valley. They had another nice hike today up the Vacas Valley, enjoying the support of the mules and mule drivers. They hiked for about 6 hours today up the valley to the next camp at Casa de Piedra where they enjoyed barbequed chicken for dinner. They aren't suffering too much yet...

They are now in a position to see the summit of Aconcagua for the first time, and I'm sure are taking lot's of pictures this evening.

Tomorrow morning they will cross the smallish (but very cold) river on mules, and continue up to base camp "Plaza Argentina" where they will enjoy a rest/acclimitization day.

On the Trail!

2009-01-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

Todd called this evening from "Pampa de Lenas" which is the first camp on the 3 day approach hike to base camp. They'll be travelling up the Vacas valley for the next couple of days with mules carrying their gear for the expedition. The first 3 days of the trip are a very enjoyable hike with just a day pack up a beautiful valley to the Plaza Argentina base camp.

They enjoyed a steak dinner tonight cooked by the mule drivers (Arieros en espanol). They were in camp about 5 1/2 hours after leaving the trailhead today.

We'll continue to post updates from the home office in Ophir, Colorado as they call in from their expedition.

The team is all here!

2009-01-10T20:07:00.003-08:00

Tom Henson arrived this afternoon, minus one bag which will arrive tomorrow, so the gang is all here in Mendoza. We decided to kick off our spirit of camaraderie with a visit to one of my favorite restaurants of all time. We ate outside in the courtyard of the oldest wine maker in Mendoza. the food and service were 5 star and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

It was tough to decide between the "Cast Iron box of Seafood" and the Tenderloin of beef. I highly recommend the "Chocolate Para Fanaticos" for dessert!!! I might not eat for the next week...

We are going to get our climbing permits tomorrow and head up the hill to the ski resort of Penitentes, located just up valley from the trail head we will hike out from on Monday.

Everyone is excited to get on the trail. Mendoza id a lot of fun and the tranquil lifestyle is very appealing, but we need to get in motion.

Enjoying the cultural horizons of another country

2009-01-10T13:17:00.000-08:00

Joe joined us for a quick trip to the Central Market to pick up some fresh supplies and delicious cheeses and salamis for our expedition

The selection is a bit different than at home, but is amazing and mostly pretty darn tasty...

Ali picked out the cereal, and all us manly men are fully in support of the choice.

Even Tough Tom Ceglia...

Tom C and Todd are in Santiago

2009-01-07T01:33:00.000-08:00

Tom C and I have arrived in Santiago de Chile. It has taken me four legs of flying to get this far, and two for Tom. The sun is just coming up over the Andes and we have a couple of hours to rest before flying up and over to Mendoza.

It should be a spectacular flight past Aconcagua, as it is very clear out this morning.

Welcome to our "Expedition Hope" Aconcagua Climb

2008-11-15T13:09:00.002-08:00

Truly the “Roof of the Americas,” Cerro Aconcagua, at 22,834 ft. (6,959 meters) is not only the highest mountain in South America, but also the highest peak outside of Asia. The name Aconcagua is most likely a derivative of the Incan words “Akon Cahuak,” meaning Stone Sentinel. Located on the Chilean- Argentine border, it is easily accessed through the Argentine city of Mendoza.

Aconcagua was first climbed in 1897 by Matthias Zurbriggen, a Swiss mountain guide. The Zurbriggen route (Normal Route), which climbs the peak by way of the Horcones Valley from the northwest, has become the most popular route of ascent. A second, non-technical route known as the “Standard” or “Falso de Polacos” (False Polish- so named for its proximity to the Polish Glacier) route, has grown in popularity over the years. This route approaches the mountain from the northeast, via the Vacas Valley. These two routes see the vast majority of climbers on the mountain, and though they are not difficult from a technical climbing aspect, the extreme combination of high altitude, winds, and cold temperature make them a challenge for any mountaineer.

In mid-January, 2009, a team of climbers from the US will meet in the beautiful small city of Mendoza to attempt a route up the Northeast Face of Aconcagua. The team members include guides Todd Rutledge and Ali Criscitiello and team members:

Tom Ceglia from Colorado
Joe Lawson from Indiana
Tom Henson from Colorado

Joe Lawson climbs for his Expedition Hope, a program to raise awareness, funds and help erase the stigma of depression through recognition generated by the rare accomplishment of climbing the Seven Summits, the highest mountain on each continent. Please visit Joe's site by clicking on the previous link or on the link to the left of this page.

Tom Ceglia has been climbing in support of the POW/MIA cause and is carrying their flag to the summit. Being a Vietnam War veteran, this is a cause very close to his heart. Hopefully, we'll be able to post an image of that flag waving above everything in the southern and western hemispheres.

Ali Criscitello has been climbing in support of The Silent Spring Institute, which builds on a unique partnership of scientists, physicians, public health advocates, and community activists to identify and break the links between the environment and women’s health, especially breast cancer.

We wish all the climbers best of luck and a safe journey, as they attempt this challenging ascent.

Enjoy the dispatches!