Aconcagua Expedition Dispatch
January 10, 2013 – Continuing the Descend
The guys did great yesterday.
Maria arrived at Plaza de Mulas to join me (Wally) at about 9:30pm last night. She brought these photos of yesterday´s summit from Osvaldo´s camera.
We spoke to the team at 10:00am this morning and they will be starting to descend soon. The weather is changing, it is becoming cloudy today.
Neil and Dan have received all of the messages from home and they are much appreciated. We know that everyone is as proud of them as we are. Their descent to Plaza de Mulas will likely take less than 3 hours’ time. Sergio and Osvaldo will be busy all day however, because they will have to return to carry down more equipment.
Maria and I are now packing loads for the first mules, which will arrive today. By tomorrow we will have the entire expedition on the way home.
It will be interesting to see what Dan and Neil desire most when they first reach Plaza de Mulas in a few hours. Will it be a shower? Coke? Sprite? Beer? Hamburger and fries? …or perhaps all of the above and even all at once? We will see…
Neil relaxing at pre-summit breakfast on Berlin Camp 19,500ft (5,944m)... only 3,500ft (1,067m) and 9 1/2 hours to the top!
Dan ready to start climbing at 4:20am
Approaching 21,000ft (6,401m) as the sun comes up
Step by step we climb higher on a beautiful morning.
Neil and Dan looked great as they slowly reached the crest of the Andes.
Dan takes a high altitude break.
Sergio, Neil and Dan climb higher.
At the base of the candeleta, it actually got much warmer before we began our last part of the ascent. Above 22,000ft (6,706m).
On the summit! Congratulations Neil and Dan!