Jan 4, 2003

BAI Team Summits Aconcagua!

This is Leila reporting from BAI Base Camp. I am very proud that I just got a radio call.; Our team is on the top of Aconcagua at this moment! John Skeels, Karl Wilke, Bernardo and David have just spoken to me. They made it!

It is cold today and the wind is high on the summit but the entire team did great.

We are very proud of them.

We'll dispatch more details as news arrives from the summit team.

We are also very proud of the success of the new BAI program to climb the two highest peaks in the Western Hemisphere together. Karl and John reached the top of both peaks in less time than most parties take to climb Aconcagua by itself. The team will be here in Aconcagua Park just over one week. And this was on top of an amazing two weeks spent traveling in Northern Chile and climbing in the remote wilderness of Ojos del Salado. Our climbers carried only one pack with their personal gear for the summit attempt, no multiple carries of heavy packs that most Aconcagua climbers have become accustomed to. In 2003 BAI will offer a trekking portion to these trips as well, so that the beauty of these routes up to the high camps can be enjoyed by those who do not want to commit to the conditioning and mountaineering skill required to reach the top of these two great peaks. Any way that is next year, for now congratulations to the team! I will report to you on their descent – probably down to Berlin Camp (at 5780m, 18,963 ft.)