Aconcagua Expedition Dispatch

January 25, 2011 – Team Reunion Dinner in Mendoza

Todd and the guys decided to drive right through Uspillata yesterday afternoon on their way back from the mountain. The barbeque there is excellent, but Todd was thinking about the “rain showers”, which are a standard feature in our rooms here at the Park Hyatt Mendoza.

Stuart and Maggie are looking extremely relaxed after a few days of Mendoza life—excellent wines, interesting people from all over the world, bright sunny tree lined streets to walk. One day, after enjoying too much food at an annual “Texas Barbeque” event here at the hotel the night before last, Stuart and Maggie hiked all the way across town and up a nearby mountain.

For our reunion here in town last night, Todd, Stuart, Maggie, Mariela and I enjoyed dinner at one of Marilela’s favourite Mendoza restaurants. The recollections of all the experiences on the mountain, the challenges and hardships, the headaches and cold, as well as the beauty and the comradeship made the evening pass quickly. We talked for hours about our adventures here in Argentina.

Osvaldo, Simon and Sergio went from the mountain straight back to the apartment they use to organize all Berg Adventures equipment. Today we will have our real farewell celebration together at one of our favorite Mendoza wineries. Stuart and Maggie have a flight leaving for Santiago where they will connect to their flights home to Mendoza at 4:30 PM. We will take them directly from lunch to the airport.

Ozvi has great photos in his camera from the team’s climb on Aconcagua and from Todd’s summit day. We will enjoy reviewing them at lunch today and stay tuned here, because we will post some of the best here in coming days.

– Wally Berg