Trip Reports

Aconcagua - 23 Nov to 15 Dec '19

Written by Leader Mara Larson, December 2019

The Jagged Globe team arrived in country Sunday 24 November to a total reversal of conditions from one year before. While 2018 was a wet and snowy El Nino, this year the Andes were markedly rocky. One of the driest winters of record in the Southern Hemisphere meant Aconcagua wiped off her usual light white coat.

After the classic inaugural steak and welcome briefing in Mendoza, it was a quick pack up and a jump onto the Andean Route 7 Monday afternoon for our first night up and in the mountains proper. We zig zagged up a somewhat empty two lane highway to the ski village of Penitentes, where we spent our first night reorganizing kit, packing up summit gear which we’d see again in another week, and then settled in to more classic steak and salads before an early night recovering from all the weekend jet lag.

The next morning was our official entrance to Aconcagua National Park. We were welcomed by clear nearly cloudless views of the south face and brisk winds breaking up the otherwise hot and exposed walk into our campsite at Confluencia. Here at 3400m it was a small introduction to Andean “beach life” down low. What did this consist of? For us, DJ Raj beats, tropical fruit salads prepared in fresh watermellon “baskets”, and acclimatizing walks up to 4000m for the classic siesta in sunshine and still skies - taking in not only Aconcagua’s South Face, but the massive Horcones Inferior Glacier and the colorful walls of rock lining the valley.

Another rest day and then the 22km beasting into base camp had us arrive just on schedule - 8 hr and 8 minutes to be exact. Here, Kim pronounced the final double hill the true test of the day. Peeling off our buffs, hats, gloves, and windproofs, we finally recognized each other once again after a full day of looking like bandits hiding from sun and winds behind all our layers.

The food on this mountain is known to be exceptional and today was no exception. More pumpkin fused veggies, mashed potatoes, and of course….meat! For once our base camp village had the girls outnumbering the boys! Not entirely sure how it happened this month but once the porters are running loads up the mountain, it’s 8 gals and 2 gents here in camp. You might not notice it on the mountain except for the wide array of skittles-colored jackets across the team - and Angela’s gold and silver disco double boots.

Our phase of acclimatization, rest, and hydration took in a carry to Camp 1, a stretch out hike to Bonete, and then the mega push - a 900m carry of food, some equipment, and tons of water up to Camp 2, before a well-deserved crash out at base camp.

In between we managed chilled out afternoons lounging in the sun, washing sessions overlooking the base camp glacial stream, Zoe’s famed zipper clean ups, and breakfasts merging into lunches, merging into afternoon coffee in an unwind most of the team wasn’t even expecting but 100% approved. Near 7000m climbing in the Andes is a definite mix of go-hard and chill unlike anywhere else on the planet.

We practiced a bit of Spanish with the base camp medics, met the heli team flying in our proper base camp toilets (!), and finally got to work packing for our 5-night, 6-day summit push on the upper camps of the mountain. Just as the temperatures dropped again. Nights up high dropped below -15. We bid Raj and early farewell and look forward to his calming presence and excellent soundtrack back up here with us soon. And then it was the girls and Lucas. Lucas kept it casual at camp 1, stirring up a nice stew while the team chilled out at their first night at nearly 5000m.

Our following few nights and camp two and three were some of the most picturesque of the trip. Huddled round meat and buttery mashed potatoes one night, sipping coffee and tea on an acclimatization walk high above the elevation of Kilimanjaro, taking in the sweeping Andean views north and East. And then, memorably, bashing around in crampons practicing our cowgirl walking and big mitt maneuvering.

Then it was off to camp three. Perched high above the clouds our camp had us relaxing up above the summit of Elbrus. At this stage we were officially higher than all the seven summits besides Everest. 100% of the team at high camp and enjoying our night of Cup o’Noodles and boil in a bag dinner with a little Argentine reggaton to keep the atmosphere Latin. Early to bed and early to rise had us out the door at 6am and on our push into the ever higher 6000s. Kim made the wise call to head back to camp early, not finding it to be her morning and suprised all of us with her energy and cheers welcoming all of us back to camp! Zoe hit her highest ever at 6300m at Independencia - the usual spot where the warmth of the day finally hits us, but the skies of today had other plans. So we stayed bundled in our warmest layers and big mits taking in views and feeding off Zoe’s ever positive energy. A quick pep talk to Angela and the team and they were off up windy ridge and out on to the traverse. Clear skies remained for a good part of the morning and while Abbi pressed on with Lucas setting pace for the two of them, Angela got right into a rhythm of her own and pushed onward with Max just on her tail. A massive effort and big grins returning exhausted and ecstatic pushing nearly single handedly to 6500 just outside the cave. Another new height record achieved and a happy pairing of work these two making it down in great condition. And then a happy cheer to Abbi and Lucas sumitting mid-afternoon and returning to all of us piling in the dining dome crashed out, covered in ice, snow, gnarled hair and giant exhausted laughs. A team of mountaineers supporting and cheering each other on, reminding us that the joy is most definitely in the journey.

A big congratulations to Abbi, Angela, Zoe, Kim, Lucas and Max for an excellent first expedition of the season (& of course our teammate, Raj!) The champagne and Malbec toasts back at camp were well-deserved and look forward to where your mountain journeys take you next!

Over and out from Team Jagged Globe!

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