January 5, 2006 - Team Goes Above 19,000' for Acclimatization

Listen to Audio of Wally's Call (.wav)

Ken relaxes on the shores of Laguna Verde

I’m calling you from our high camp at 19,100 feet (5821m).  It’s a nice little block shelter where we are actually indoors.  Everyone carried up here today, we’ll be returning to Atacama camp, where I called you from last, for one more night at that elevation.  But we came up to see how we feel at altitude and leave some of our loads.  The guys are real happy to see beds in this rustic little shelter, it’s quite remarkable.

Everybody did well, Bob said he floundered a little in the beginning but he got his second wind.  Niki shot off perhaps a bit too fast as he said he was light headed at the top, but then he settled down and seemed to be doing fine as we all got used to 19,100 feet.  Brian, Roger, Ken and the rest of us all seemed like we were doing really well.  As a matter of fact our appetites were great and we ate some food along with some hot tea that Oswaldo and Juancho made for us in the little shelter.

Brian and Roger hiking around camp

Last night Charlie made tacos for us at our camp at 17,200 feet (5242m).  We’re pretty anxious to get back down and see what he and Leila have planned for our meal this evening.  I think we are all going to be hungry.  Ojos still looms above, but the entire team, all 5 climbers and Leila and I from Berg Adventures and especially our Bolivian staff are all doing great, excited about the opportunity that lies ahead in the next 48 hours on Ojos del Salado, the second highest peak in the western hemisphere.

The Berg Adventures team celebrates the New Year

ACONCAGUA
Argentina
22,841 feet
6962 meters

OJOS DEL SALADO
Chile
22,637 feet
6900 meters