Trip Reports

Aconcagua report - 'Unfinished Business'

Written by Leader Alex Langdon, January 2019

Three years ago I came to Aconcagua with a fantastic Jagged Globe team, but while at camp 2, the entire mountain (including us) was evacuated by the park authorities due to major storms. I know I’m not alone in having that sense of ‘unfinished business’, so January 2019 found me heading back to Aconcagua with what turned out to be another talented and amazing Jagged Globe team.

The drive from Mendoza began our induction in rock music, which would form the background soundtrack to our entire expedition, courtesy of our Argentinian guide, Leo.

Over the next few days as we headed to base camp, it became apparent that among us we had talent & expertise in many fields: from geology to sleeping anywhere/anytime, from regular losing of passports to phenomenal speed/quantity-eating and from history to the ability to remember nothing to outdoor fashion model…..we were a truly diverse bunch J

We were lucky enough to meet up with the previous JG team as they headed off the mountain. We were given lots of friendly, helpful advice….….and a great demonstration in why to wear sunscreen (no names!)

Aconcagua has not been an easy mountain this season. It has been very cold with a lot of snow and unhelpfully strong winds. Our whole team managed to summit Bonete Peak in typically ‘Scottish’ weather. It was a hoot and at least we were able to test our clothing layers for higher on Aconcagua itself. Even at Base Camp, most of us were making use of our big down jackets in the evenings.

By day 12, we were acclimatising well and ready to start heading up the mountain, spending a couple of nights at both camps 1 and 2 and enjoying the high altitude cheeseburgers and fabulous views and sunsets.

Day 16 found us at camp 3 with a promising forecast for decreased winds on the first of our 3 possible summit day attempts - unbelievably lucky.

The team were all amazing on summit day. The full moon shining at 3-30am on the 21st, seemed auspicious and made waking up so early marginally more enjoyable in our tent. Not so for Jon F next door who, amidst much swearing (not from him) somehow ended up wearing Damian’s porridge. Nor indeed for Jon K, Peter and Patrick whose mutual tolerance was severely tested trying to allocate their relevant limbs to the correct items of clothing in a very limited tent space.

Jon F decided that he had reached his summit (nothing to do with the porridge) and remained at camp 3. Amanda and Jon K both battled health issues and made it right up to Independencia. Patrick, Peter, Damian, Leo and me eventually found ourselves with no more gruelling ascent and on the summit mid-afternoon; gazing out at the most incredible views and feeling somewhat dazed by our good fortune.

Descending Aconcagua is frankly best forgotten, although the staff, the showers and the strawberries & champagne at base camp were wonderful on the way! In Mendoza, the steak, red wine and the odd cocktail (or possibly 5) along with comfy hotel beds meant we were all well fed and well-rested before heading home.

It’s hard to describe how tough a mountain like Aconcagua is in reality. The statistics and photographs never quite convey what an assault it is on a body. A good sense of humour and strong level of determination certainly help, along with a great big dollop of good luck. It’s fair to say this team had an abundance of the first two things.

So, thank you to all of you for a great expedition, especially my fabulous tent-mate Amanda. Good luck for all of our future adventures: Hadrian’s Wall, the next 4 of the 7 summits, the Pennine Way, raising an amazing family, a world record attempt…..and I suspect for some of us potentially some more unfinished business…..

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