Aconcagua

Perhaps one of the best trips we made –  climb Aconcagua. Aconcagua – the highest mountain in South America.

And  of course, a part of the *7 Summits program*. Its height is 6962m. Any more or less health person can  conquer this peak. It takes time and patience.

We went to Aconcagua after Antarctica

Our expedition  starts from Mendoza. Mendoza – fairly large city of Argentina, located on the east of the Andes. We were accompanied by  a wonderful guide Puppy from a company Aymara. The top of Aconcagua he personally visited several dozen times …

On Aconcagua, as in  Himalayas, you can hire a guide and porters. Someone can cook to you. But the prices are not the same like in Nepal. Everything is much more expensive. And after  4500m, porter will carry your belongings – not more then 20 kg and  for price 600USD.  If you do not like it – carry  by yourselves. Baggage is very meticulously outweighed every time. Then porter  shifted your belongs in their backpacks.

We have seen many people , ascent alone. Or small groups. All of them were detained in the mountains not less than  for 3 weeks and carried a giant backpacks.

Gateway to the National Park Aconcagua located on 2700m. There you must register and pay the fee. 300 USD  per person. You receive the map. Principlly, you can go by  yourself. Loose the way impossible. The road is marked and clearly visible.

The first night in camp Confluencia in 3300. Trek there  - about 20km. We made it in 6 hours. Not in  hurry. However , the slower you go, the better acclimatization. The camp is worth a lot of tents. They all belong to different firms. Some of them like a hotels – please, come and take  your tent.  There is a tent with Internet, with satellite communication. And even a restaurant.

In this camp I have  the first attack of mountain sickness. Began a terrible headache, then I feel sick. Then began vomiting. I wanted to lie down and never get up. Appetite was gone … I drank  3 liters of water. Much better. In the infirmary  someone gave  me medicine.

I must say that our guide, every night and every morning meticulously measured us the level of oxygen in the blood. And not only he. So did all the guides with their customers. And if the guide  did not like something, he could send the survey to the doctor. By the way, before leaving the base camp, many have not received the go-ahead from the local doctor. They  did not climbed the mountain.

It is possible that these measures are justified. Mount does not seem difficult. In the period December-February it is visited by huge number of climbers. Among them the most part – non-professionals. During our ascent 3 persons  died- a Frenchman, an American and a Swiss mountain guide. Cerebral edema and pulmonary edema, the most common diagnoses. A lot of people coughing. And it is – not cold. This – mountain sickness, which can end badly.

In the morning we were picked up  by Pappy very, very early. I felt, in principle, fine. And we went to the base camp Plaza del Mulas. It is located on the 4300m-high. Trek to  camp  is difficult. About 9 hours. The height range is 1 km or so about 35km. By evening we barely hobbled over to the camp. With the French team, who overtook us all the time, and then in a long rest, stayed the night before reaching the camp. In the morning they had already one dead.

Camp Plaza del Mulas extended on  1.5 km. Tents are  simply uncountable. Tent hotels, restaurants, Internet-cafe, phone calls and even a gallery! Each company has its own bio-toilet. . As they full, get away by the helicopters. Not accepted to go to the toilet of another company.

There are many people. From all over the  world. Ітinteresting.

The mount perfectly visible. Sunsets are truly magnificent. In the morning stuck his nose from the  tent – here you and Aconcagua. Very picturesque!

Nights are  very cold. The thermometer showed -15  below zero inside the tent. From breathing in a sleeping bag and  on the walls of the tent in the morning appeared a thick layer of frost. It was very cold. But when the sun appeared -  it became much warmer!

From Plaza del Mulas nobody  go out before 11 am. The day  is long – everyonee have time. And after 11 a.m. the sun goes down into the valley and becomes warmer. And so, possible  to wash yourself , break the crust of ice in the barrel with water.

We had very simple cuisine. Nothing  tasty. A lot of liquids – coffee, cocoa, tea, juices. In the camp we stayed 3 days. I have a headache. And porters, returning from 6000m in the evening played football … Tough creatures!

On the fourth day we made an acclimatization  trek to Plaza Canada. The transition was very beautiful. We climbed up to 4910m.

Drank some tea and headed back.

In the Plaza del Mulas  everyone can take a shower. $ 5 and you issue a big water bottle with hot shower. Go to a special tent and bathe. Why do people go to the shower extremely rare?  Maybe it’s indecent, go to the mountains clean?

The next day we went to Plaza Canada. This time with an overnight stay. In the morning, barely warmed up, made further to the Nido de Condores 5380m. There we spent a couple of nights.

Those who  climb without guides, and guides were engaged in the same case around the clock – digging snow and its kindling. We have been deprived of this joy – Pappy made tea for us. And we made a walk nearby and read the books. I again had the mountain sickness. To headaches and nausea added unmanaged stomach. In this camp toilets were very peculiar. Each company had its own small-small tent. You can climb up on all  your fours in the WC tent . In the tent there is no air. Quite. Find  plastic bag. Spread it – and  make your personal ritual! The main thing – do not die without air in the tent! I attended a tent with surprising regularity.

After 2 days, when we became strengthened enough, we started in our next  trek,  for us the last trip – to the camp of Berlin in 5800 m. By the way we met a Swiss citizen. He almost carried. He died next morning.

Berlin was full of people. For us there were no place. Our tents are pitched higher – at an altitude of 6050 m on a small cape.

The night was cold. Start must be at 2 am. To the  top – 10-12 hours of course. However, we were supposed to go with  Dutch, Finnish and Japanese 65 years. In the evening it began to snow. We noticed that two days before our ascent the weather began to deteriorate. There were clouds. The top kept hidden. It was very, very bad. This wind is called Aconcagua Bianco Bente – White Wind. Alas!  In such a  wind t no one makes  can  ascend to the top!

During the night nobody slept. At this altitude it is difficult to fall asleep. Moreover, the wind howled. It was very cold. And we were sleeping in sleeping bags with goose down  specially for  temperature -40  below zero! Pappy looked into the tent at 2 am, and sadly said that there is  no reason to start – we can not get there. There is  at least half a meter of snow.

Finn, a Dutchman and a Japanese did decide to leave. We didn’t  suffered. Altitude sickness made me completely dead and  turned into apathy.

After 2 hours Dutchman and Finn came back – one with frostbite. The other had something wrong with his eyes. But the Japanese did not return. All people on Mountain waited news from the top. He is the only on that day,  after 14 hours, was able to conquer the summit. In 65 years! Of course – he was completely exhausted. But he was a true hero!

And we the same day returned to the Plaza del Mulas. By this time died an American … In the morning we recovered down. The descent took 12 hours. . The last mile I walked without shoes – the first time I had a bloody dropsy soles heels. The next day we were in Mendoza. And it was amazing!. People, city, bathroom, water from the tap, the heat!

We ate so much meat that I almost died. Looking at our faces, many smiled and asked whether we have reached the top – such horrible faces exist only in people who have returned from Aconcagua.