January 14, 2010
Getting all team members to the right city, at the right time and with all their luggage might be the toughest part of an expedition. Our first Aconcagua trip for the season got close. Everyone made it and right on time. We only lost 2 pieces of luggage. Good thing is that lots of stuff is available to buy in Mendoza so it was only a small hurdle. Permits were purchased, gear checks started and a nice first night spent in the city of Mendoza. A big steak dinner with red wine at one of the numerous sidewalk cafes is always a nice way to begin a trip.
A few hours drive the next morning in our private transportation took the crew to the base of the mountain, a place called Penitentes. It’s a ski area during the winter (our summer) season. Packing now consisted of getting everything into ‘mule sized’ loads and ready for the approach hike to begin the following morning. That was yesterday morning. Each of the 3 day approach will be about 10 linear miles. We’ll keep you posted as we get reports in regarding progress. And as we always say, ‘no news is good news’. They’re all off and running.
Phil Ershler