Trip Reports

Aconcagua - 6 January 2024

Below the South Face of Aconcagua
Trip Report

Written by Leader James Holding (Jamie), February 2024

“These mist-covered mountains are a home now for me

But my home is the lowlands and always will.
Some day you’ll return to your valleys and your farms
And you’ll no longer burn to be brothers in arms.”


Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms (Official Music Video) (youtube.com)


Spurs won the FA Cup in May 1981. The final, versus Manchester City, went to a replay and Ricky Villa scored the winning goal with a mazy dribble, as though the ball was tied to his boots until he lashed it home. Ossie Ardiles graced the Spurs team too, a classy midfielder, who went on to manage the club. Both players were World Cup 1978 winners with Argentina, and perhaps the only two contemporary Argentinians I could name. I watched the game on TV in the Jeugsentrum, Springs, South Africa, soon after starting a job as a graduate engineer. I quit my job within months and left behind the apartheid regime of South Africa. Shouldering a rucksack and a rope, I headed to Outward Bound Lesotho, in a kingdom where OB International could host multi-racial courses. Ahead lay a formative year, where I began to share my passion for climbing mountains. Working with a colourful mix of tribes and languages, bound by a common purpose, we overcame our individual challenges only by striving to communicate. A lesson in life I am still learning today.

You can download a PDF (with photos) of Jamie's report from Aconcagua here.

« | »

Jagged Globe Newsletter

We publish an email newsletter with trip reports and latest availability, plus features, competitions and general news of our climbing, trekking & skiing activities.

Categories
Archives
 
Follow Us:
1