Aconcagua Team Pulls Into Base Camp

January 25, 2013

Plaza Argentina is just around the corner.

IMG Senior Guide, Greg Vernovage, called in from Plaza Argentina today.Â Lots of new snow on the upper mountain and the weatherâ€™s good.Â Forecast looks reasonable, too.Â All members are in camp and a hot drink is on the stoves.Â Tomorrowâ€™s a rest day and a check in with the Park officials.Â Then, the work begins.Â Aconcagua is one of the more underrated peaks in the world.Â Not technical but quite physical.Â Time for the guys to put on their game faces, but not until day after tomorrow.Â Tomorrow is all about relaxing, eating and drinking.

Phil Ershler

Lots Of Critters

January 24, 2013

Elephants on safari (Eric Simonson)

The first day of our safari was so amazing I wondered how day two would measure up. It did not disappoint. More lions (including 3 sleeping in a tree), hundreds of thousands of wildebeest, hundreds of zebras, gazelles and impalas, hyenas, mongoose, jackals, ostriches, flamingos and a rare black rhino. There is currently a herd of elephants just outside our camp!!

Jenni Fogle

An Everest Love Story

January 23, 2013

Below is an article published in the New York Times featuring Jason van Dalen,Â one of our Everest climbers from 2010, and his wife Alejandra.Â We don’t do too many love stories on the IMG blog, but this one is pretty cool.

When I asked Jason if it was alright for us to use this on our blog his response was: absolutely, if you can, please slip in that I am still very grateful to Eben,Â Hamill, and the rest of the 2010 Hybrid Team for getting my ass to the top. I could not have done it with out those two guys.

There you go Jason, while not so subtle, I did slip it into the blog post.

Enjoy the read.

Tye Chapman

——————–

Vows – Alejandra Villagra, Jason van Dalen

By Margaux Laskey
Published: January 17, 2013

Jason and Alejandra (Photo by Tina Fineberg for New York Times)

Among mountaineers itâ€™s known as the E-bomb, letting it drop that you have climbed Mount Everest â€” an accomplishment with an unassailable mystique, occupying a higher plane than, say, running with the bulls in Pamplona or scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef.

Eventually, Jason van Dalen did use the E-bomb to impress women. Yet after reaching the summit of Everest on May 23, 2010, he returned home and descended into gloom. He had climbed some of the worldâ€™s tallest and most dangerous peaks and by conquering the highest of them fulfilled a goal that he set for himself years earlier.

Now what? Mr. van Dalen, an architect who lives in East Hampton, N.Y., and New York, plunged headfirst into two other harrowing pursuits: riding motorcycles and online dating.Â (Read more…)

Meanwhile In Africa…

January 23, 2013

Wildebeest.

George just called from the bush to let us know that the teamâ€™s first day on safari has been hugely successful.Â The weather is fantastic and the team is getting ready to sit down to dinner at their private camp.Â George said the team had seen practically every kind of animal in just the few short hours since they touched down in Serengeti National Park.

Tonight theyâ€™ll listen to distant animal calls as they rest in their deluxe tents and in the morning theyâ€™ll head out for a full day of game viewing.Â We look forward to hearing more about the â€œactionâ€ soon!

Clarissa Morford

A Perfect Trip To Ecuador

January 23, 2013

Slopes of Cayambe. (Phil Ershler)

Most of our team flew home yesterday.Â That ended a pretty much great trip.Â Weather really couldnâ€™t have been better.Â Hike day on Pasochoa was pretty much perfect, training day on Cotopaxi was pretty much perfect, climb day on Cotopaxi was totally perfect, training day on Cayambe was perfect and climbing day on Cayambe was a bit colder and windier but with totally clear skies.Â We were lucky.Â And, crampon conditions truly could not have been better.Â We headed straight for the hot springs of Papallacta after Cayambe and figured cold beer, soaking in the hot springs and a big dinner was the right way to end the summit day.

Plus, the crew was great.Â Always great to see a group of mostly complete strangers bond, work together and come away friends.Â Guess thatâ€™s why we keep doing this stuff.Â IMG customers are great!

Next trip departs in June with Luke Reilly at the helm.Â Soon, weâ€™ll be posting a story of Lukeâ€™s time in Ecuador the last couple of years and his ascents of Ecuadorâ€™s big peaks.Â He know the trips wells and is anxious to get back there in June.Â Join him and our partner, Romulo Cardenas.Â You will be in for a treat.

Phil Ershler

Kilimanjaro Climbers Prepare For Safari

January 22, 2013

Up next... Safari!

George and Jenni report that the team’s descent to Moshi went smoothly, and that everyone is doing well.Â Tonight the team enjoyed a big celebration BBQ dinner, before heading to bed for some well earned rest.Â Tomorrow morning they will travel to Arusha, for the 45 minute flight out to the Serengeti.

Once in the bush, the team will be staying at our luxury tented camps, for an authentic safari experience.Â We’ll look forward to getting some good animal viewing stories!

Eric Simonson

Aconcagua Ups & Downs

January 22, 2013

Vernovage Crew in Penitentes. Trailhead tomorrow!

Peter Anderson checked in from Plaza de Mulas (Base Camp) yesterday evening after pulling the plug on summit day. They woke up to some super cold temps, a good bit of fresh snow, some wind to complicate matters, and a forecast calling for ‘more of the same’. It’s always a tough decision to pull the plug on a climb, but given the conditions & forecast, it was for the best.Â Today they’ll relax and rest up at Plaza de Mulas. Tomorrow it’s just an 18-mile hike (yes 18 miles!) down the valley to Penitentes and then a few hours in the van to Mendoza.

Back in Penitentes right now is Greg Vernovage and his team. They spent the day putting the finishing touches on their gear and weighing the mule loads. Tomorrow they’ll head to the trailhead.

Tye Chapman

Next On Aconcagua: Team Vernovage

January 21, 2013

Los Penitentes

Just received word from IMG Guide Greg Vernovage in Mendoza that the next Aconcagua team has arrived with all their gear.

Today was spent securing the climbing permit and doing gear checks.Â Tonight the crew will enjoy a nice steak dinner and a glass of wine, then off to bed.Â When the sun rises, they’ll depart for Los Penitentes.Â All is well!

Becky K

Cayambe Summit

January 21, 2013

Wrapping up in Quito (Tye Chapman)

Phil & Co. checked in yesterday from Ecuador.Â Â After tagging the top ofÂ Cayambe, the crew made their way down to Papallacta for a relaxing and rewarding soak in the hot springs.

Everyone is back in Quito now and getting ready to head home.Â Congrats to the team on a great trip!

Becky K

100% on Uhuru Peak!

January 21, 2013

The new (improved?) summit sign on Uhuru Peak, which was replaced this past year. (Eben Reckord)

George called on the sat phone to report that the whole team made it to Uhuru Peak, the true summit of Kilimanjaro.Â The weather was good and they were getting ready to start their descent.Â First they will go back down to Barafu for some rest and lunch, then continue on down to the Mweka Camp at the treeline.Â It makes for a long day, but everyone will feel so much better to get down to 11,000 feet, where the air is much thicker.Â Way to go, team!

Eric Simonson