January 31, 2018

As Clean as They’re Going to Look (Luke Reilly)

Luke, Jay, Martin and team started walking today.  Pampas Lenas by this evening.  The 3 day approach to base is pretty much perfect from an acclimatization standpoint.  Mules carry all the gear so each member has basically a day pack to carry at this stage of the trip.  Packs get heavier above base camp.  Terrain is not super steep and the elevation gain is gradual.  Just what’s needed to work out the kinks and starting making more red blood cells.

Phil Ershler

January 30, 2018

Dinner in Mendoza (Luke Reilly)

The team left Mendoza this morning, heading to Penitentes.  It’s a 3-4 hr drive to where the trail begins.  They’ll make final gear decisions and sort loads for the mules.  Then it’s one more sit down dinner and a final night (for a while) in a bed.  The walking starts tomorrow morning.

Phil Ershler

January 22nd, 2018

Nickel, Rikki, Martin and crew are at Plaza Mulas, base camp on the Horcones Valley side of Aconcagua.  The summit and traverse are complete and they are down.  Living is large at this lower altitude with Grajales Expeditions, our service provider on Aconcagua (and long term friends) are doing all the cooking.  Life is good.

They’ll do some serious gear sorting and readying loads for the mules.  Tomorrow is the walk out to the road with light packs.  Another ‘gear shuffle’ in Penitentes and then the ride back to Mendoza.  It’ll be a long one tomorrow but no one cares.  These horses are heading for the barn.

We’ll call it a wrap for this expedition.  A safe, successful and fun expedition.  Everyone did their part and gave it all they had.  By any measure, that’s success.

Team 4 finalizes prep in Seattle this week and then meets up in Mendoza this weekend.  Luke Reilly, fresh from a successful Vinson expedition, Jay Lyons and Leandro Villegas will be meeting their team of IMG climbers in Mendoza.

One more time – congratulations to all the climbers and guides on this trip.  Just another great job.

Phil Ershler

January 21, 2018

Just what we wanted (and expected) to hear: the team had a safe and successful climb today. They are all back at high camp. Weather held, and they put one foot in front of the other and got the job done. What can you say except, Congratulations.

View from the top (Peter Bilodeau)

As you’ve often read in the IMG posts, Aconcagua is a very physical climb. One of the more demanding. Deceptive because there really are no technical difficulties, but make no mistake, 23,000’ is high. Couple that with two weeks on the mountain, and the cold, windy weather for which Aconcagua is famous, and it all adds up to a real test of a climber’s strength, endurance and just plain old willingness to hurt.

Everyone made good decisions and kept in mind our three priorities: safety, success and enjoyment. This team did well.

Phil Ershler