Aconcagua Teams In Good Spirits

February 11, 2012

Mike Hamill called today to check in from Aconcagua. His team is at Base Camp and doing well. They elected to take a rest day today and will carry to Camp 1 tomorrow.

Everyone is healthy and happy!

Greg Vernovage called to check in at 2:00 pm PST. His group is slated to move up to Camp III (High Camp) tomorrow. It has just started to snow on them .

If all goes according to plan, theyâ€™ll move up to high camp tomorrow, then summit on the following day. The team is doing well.

George Dunn

All Is Well On Aconcagua

February 10, 2012

Rocks of Aconcagua. (Photo by Phil Ershler)

IMG Guides Mike Hamill and Greg Vernovage called in from two separate camps on Aconcagua this afternoon.

Mike & team had just pulled into Plaza Argentina (base camp) and Greg & Co. had just returned from a tough carry to High Camp. Both teams are doing just fine. A couple headaches for sure but nothing out of the ordinary.

Both teams will take a rest day tomorrow before moving up higher on the mountain. Mike’s team will carry to C1 on Sunday and Greg’s crew will move up to High Camp.

Tye Chapman

20 Kilimanjaro Climbs

February 10, 2012

IMG Kilimanjaro guide Craig John said goodbye to his team at the airport last night, and headed back to Moshi for a well-deserved rest day before his third and final Kili trip this season.Â We asked Craig to send us a short retrospective after his 20th Kili trip:

â€œI was sitting in my living room in Olympia, WA back in November 1995 when the phone rang. It was Eric. He said “hey CJ, do you want to go to Africa in January?” That first trip was an eye opener. First off, part of the group was delayed by a couple of days because of a huge snow storm on the east coast that forced tons of flights to be cancelled.Â To deal with that, we flip flopped the program and did the safari first and the climb after the rest of the group got there. It rained every day except for the day we went to the summit. I was surprised by how cold it was on the roof of Africa….here on the equator. It was incredibly satisfying to finally stand there on the summit and be in a place that I had only seen pictures of. Those shots I got from summit of the sun coming up behind Mawenzi, Kilimanjaro’s other summit, still bring back great memories for me. Back then, we descended by the Marangu route, which was a long way down:Â all the way from Uhuru Peak to Gillmanâ€™s Point to the Kibo huts, and then on to the Horombo Huts for the night. It’s now 2012 and last Saturday I reached the summit of Kilimanjaro for the 20th time along with eight others in our group. We had a great climb. It was cold and a bit windy, but the sun coming up behind Mawenzi still touched and warmed a place inside me that brings back that first climb. It is always satisfying to me when the people with me marvel at that sunrise just as I did 20 climbs ago.Â It has been my privilege to work with the great local guides from the Kilimanjaro area, the wonderful staff from the hotel, great IMG customers, and the other guides from IMG. Tomorrow my next Kili group arrives and climb number 21 will be underway….the numbers aren’t important except for looking back to remember who I was with, on the roof of Africa. So here’s to starting on the next 20 climbs….wait a minute…what did I just say? â€œ

Craig John

IMG Climbers reaching Stella Point as the sun rises. (Photo by Adam Angel)

Orizaba Wins This Fight

February 9, 2012

Life in the clouds can be a bit fuzzy.

Phil called in from the hut on Orizaba after “given’ it one heck of a go” this morning. Despite the teams effort they were forced to turn around 500ft short of the summit. 500ft doesn’t sound like much, but if you’ve climbed at all you realize that 500ft can be an eternity in the mountains.

With close to a foot of new snow on the upper mountain, blowing ice and snow in their faces and just generally being surrounded by a ‘black cloud’ Phil, made the tough decision to turn around.

The group is all smiles and anxious to get downhill to ‘wash the stink off’, grab a bite to eat and relax before making the journey home later this week.

Tye Chapman

Rockin’ & Rollin’

February 9, 2012

Camp 2. (Photo by Nick Haward)

Greg called in this morning from Camp 2. The team crushed it today making the move from C1 to C2 in good time and in good form.

Now that they’re situated at C2, Greg can start thinking about the next few days which includes their summit day. What’s the weather look like? What about the forecasted winds? Any precip in the forecast?

Things change in the mountains minute to minute but the weather models show a pretty good forecast over the next 3 days. Anything beyond that is pretty much hearsay.Â Cold temps, light winds and light snow are forecasted, none of which is out of the ordinary for Aconcagua.

They’ll continue to take it one day at a time. Tomorrow they’ll carry to High Camp.

Tye Chapman

Grilled Steak & A Nice Malbec

February 8, 2012

Our lower trekking camp.

Mike Hamill called in from Pampa de Llenas, our first trekking camp en route to Plaza Argentina on Aconcagua. Perfect weather and great scenery made for a wonderful day on the trail.Â They finished off the day with some Asado (grilled steak) and a nice Argentinian Malbec. Not too shabby for Aconcagua.

Day 2 on the trail awaits!

Tye Chapman

Aconcagua Team Back At C1

February 8, 2012

: The approach to C2 (Photo by Tye Chapman)

Greg called in to report that all is well back at Camp 1. The team had a solid carry to Camp 2 today, dropping off some of items they don’t necessarily need now, but will need up higher on the mountain. Common items carried and cached are ice axes, crampons, extra food and fuel. “Climb high, sleep low” is the mantra in the mountains – especially on Aconcagua.

Camp 2 sits a stones throw under 18,000ft, likely a high point for most of the team, but they’re not done just yet. They’ll make the return trip to C2 tomorrow and move in for the night.

Tye Chapman

Mexico Team Acclimatized And Ready

February 8, 2012

Orizaba from a distance.

Phil called this afternoon to report that they had a little more snow overnight at the hut, but the team still had a good acclimatization hike today.

They’re calling for some more snow later this week so they’ll head up tonight and see if they can sneak in a climb before this front moves in.Â Everybody is doing great and plans on climbing tonight.

Tye Chapman

Orizaba Team Acclimatizing Well

February 7, 2012

Orizaba (Photo by Phil Ershler)

Phil Ershler called to check-in this afternoon. They have had nice hiking up through the forest the past two days and have climbed above treeline to reach the Piedra Grande Hut where they will spend the next two nights.

The team is strong and healthy and Phil is looking forward to leading them all to the summit in two days. Tomorrow they will take an acclimatization hike up from the hut and then an early departure for the summit the following day if all goes according to schedule. There is a new covering of snow on the mountain which brightens everything up and Phil says conditions look good.

George Dunn

Ice Climbing With Perry

February 7, 2012

It has been a couple of years since I made it out to Ouray, CO. Not by choice, just by circumstance. Iâ€™ve missed it. I love the scene here and the way the town embraces ice climbers and makes them feel like favored guests.

So I agreed to meet up with my long time friend Perry Julien. Heâ€™s been out of action for about 6 years with a serious leg injury. He really did a number on it. Skiing, not climbing just to be clear. He can only bend the leg a limited amount.

Most people in this situation would give up on all outdoor activities. Not Perry. He is not one to listen to anyone who tells him he canâ€™t do what he wants to. He likes to travel, have adventures and see the world. Perry is a fun guy to hang out with! Anyway, we agreed to meet in Ouray this year to see what we could do. Me, to get back on the ice after a time away. Perry to see if it was still possible.

: Let er rip! Perry goes for the top.

: Hanging in Ouray. (left to right) Perry, guides Max Bunce, George Dunn and Justin Merle

The first day the big test was hiking down the climbersâ€™ approach into the â€œSchoolroomâ€, a classic top-roping area. I was nervous at first, but Perry relied on his past climbing skills and was able to lower himself and work his way down the steep descent using the fixed hand lines and lots of careful steps down the icy â€œtrailâ€. We both agreed that just being in the Ice Park made it a successful trip and it was a beautiful day. The understanding was that Perry would test his leg with a couple of short steps on the ice. My job was to provide a ready belay and keep him from any drops if he slipped. So we geared up. I set up a top rope on a 75 foot route of WI III-IV difficulty. Not too stiff for a good climber, but hard enough.

The first time up about 20 feet was a bit of a struggle. Try to kick in crampon front points with a leg you canâ€™t bend! Perry figured out he had to set up his leg so he could take short steps on it.

It wasnâ€™t pretty, but it didnâ€™t hurt and he was game for another go. So he went up again. Looking a lot smoother this time and just a bit higher. After a brief rest, he wanted to give it another go. He worked up to his previous high point and rested for a bit. Then he kept going. I knew he was going for the top. Not to prove anything mind youâ€¦ just to set it out there that as far as he is concerned, anything and everything is possible.

It was a fun couple of days in Ouray. We already have more plans on the table. Ouray for sure, next year. Maybe a climb of Rainier in the summer. Most definitely Kilimanjaro in January 2013. For our wives, mind you. They want in on the fun too. I canâ€™t wait. It is always a fun time with Perry.

George Dunn

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