Aconcagua - Vacas Valley Route

Leader: Dean Beard. 16th November 2013. Aconcagua is the second highest mountain of the Seven Summits and we provide the option to tackle it by the Vacas Route for walkers or the Polish Glacier route for climbers.

3rd December: Dean called from the Plaza des Mulets. Unfortunately due to the continuing and strengthening high winds any summit attempt has had to be aborted. The team reached Camp Colera where they met a group returning from an unsuccessful summit bid, most of whom had suffered facial skin damage due to the cold and strong winds. With the forecast for the weather to worsen with 100km/hr winds predicted, Dean made the decision to descend.

They will be back in Mendoza on Wednesday evening (3 days early) where they will probably make the most of a few days R&R, visiting the local vineyards.

3rd December: Dean called from the Plaza des Mulets. Unfortunately due to the continuing and strengthening high winds any summit attempt has had to be aborted. The team reached Camp Colera where they met a group returning from an unsuccessful summit bid, most of whom had suffered facial skin damage due to the cold and strong winds. With the forecast for the weather to worsen with 100km/hr winds predicted, Dean made the decision to descend.

They will be back in Mendoza on Wednesday evening (3 days early) where they will probably make the most of a few days R&R, visiting the local vineyards.

30th November: The team have now moved up to camp 3 Guanachos. Sadly Anders was suffering with lower back pain at camp 1 so was assisted down to base camp where he was treated by the doctor and has now returned to Mendoza. All the team were sorry to see him go. Dean reported that the winds were looking strong around the summit which is in line with the forecast. All we can hope is that the winds aren’t as strong as the forecast is predicting. Everyone has everything crossed for good weather.

27th November: The team are now established at Camp 1 and will make their first carry to Camp 3 Guanachos today. Yesterday was spent dry stone wall building to help block out the strong winds the team are experiencing at the moment. As far as they know they are the first team on the mountain. No other teams at base camp and they have the whole mountain to themselves, so the team are enjoying the solitude and space on the peak. Dean said that all the team are really missing Lee and Katie since their departure from BC and hope they are feeling better soon. The winds have been extremely strong but are due to die donw over the next few days, but building up again on Monday, but hopefully there will be some let up to allow the group a summit bid.

25th November: Dean called in from Base camp today with an update. Yesterday everyone did a carry up to Camp 1 and they are now back at BC resting. Severe winds have already managed to destroy one of our new tents and rip t he fly sheet of another – so we hope things calm down before the team gets higher on the mountain. Unfortunately the park doctor who checks the health of all climbers before they ascend has had to send Lee and Katie back to Mendoza for medical reasons. The rest of the team seem to be acclimatising well and will be moving up to Camp 1 tomorrow.

16th November: Everybody arrived safe and well on their respective flights yesterday. After the groups first taste of Argentinian cuisine last night they were ready to start their preparations this morning for a journey that will hopefully lead them to summit the highest mountain outside of the Himalayas and the second highest of the seven summits with only Everest standing taller.

Once the kit checks were done it was straight onto the supermarket sweep, filling two trolleys full of supplies to sustain us in this remote environment.

Given the history of this mountain and the challenge it presents it’s understandable that a few nerves are present but all have a positive attitude that will help get them through.

Tomorrow we drive out to the mountain for our last night in “civilised accommodation” at the foot of the vacas valley, from where we will start our summit attempt.