Aconcagua Expedition Dispatch

January 20, 2014 – The Team Enjoys an Acclimatization Hike to Plaza Canada

I’m calling you from Canada Camp, Camp 1 on Aconcagua. We are now 5,050 m above sea level.

It took our team 3 hours and 45 minutes to climb slowly up here from our Base Camp, Plaza de Mulas, and that’s a very good sign. We are working our way up the mountain now and as you know we will drop gear here and return to this camp to sleep tomorrow night. The team is really doing great. Leila, who is back at Plaza de Mulas may be able to send some photos of us taking off this morning. But in the meantime know that it is very beautiful and we are happy to be this high.

Some updates on the team: Doc Martin, when we arrive at Plaza de Mulas after that 10 ½ hour walk, his back which we have been nursing through several big mountain trips in recent years was not doing very well. The next morning, Veronica check Doc out and we realized we had the chance to put him on a medical evacuation helicopter and even though it was tough for him to wait at the medical clinic at Horcones and then wait for his ride to Mendoza, it was time to get Doc off the mountain. He checked into the Hyatt Hotel at 1:20 AM the next morning.

I talked to Dennis at the Hyatt hotel this morning and he mentioned Doc is still sleeping and resting. Doc will be on a flight this afternoon to go back home to North Carolina. He has been on a lot of great mountains and I know he is not finished with the mountains but it was good we got him off with the support of the helicopter this time. Good job Doc!

Now you will notice I said Dennis was at the Hyatt. Both Dennis and Jean-Pierre talked to me the first night they arrived at Plaza de Mulas after all of that snow and that long walk. Dennis came here, largely to be with Doc. Jean-Pierre thought this mountain had sent him a message pretty early on, beginning with his epic flight delays coming down. This trip has just felt like it was not off to a good start and he is loving parts of Argentina but realized that heading the other direction was a good move.

Now Dennis and Jean-Pierre are not sick or hurt, so they did not fly out by helicopter. I will tell you how they got out: At 8 AM yesterday morning Sergio walked down a steep section below Plaza de Mulas on the trail with them and we had a mule driver and two mules with saddles pick up Dennis and Jean-Pierre and they rode out to the highway. They got out at 2PM, their bags were actually right behind them and they checked into the Hyatt hotel at about 6 PM. Congratulations guys, good trip!

I was happy to hear, when I talked to Dennis, that they are going to meet Mariela tonight and they will no doubt do a wine tour with Mariela in Mendoza tomorrow and I wish we could join them!

In the meantime, we are still here on the mountain; our team that has remained is determined and optimistic. This is a big mountain and we will keep you posted day to day.

Doc, Dennis and Jean-Pierre we miss you already, but we know you made the right decision. Good luck and for everyone else we will keep you posted on our progress as we move higher on Aconcagua.