December 12, 2022
IMG climbers nearing Camp 2 (Harry Hamlin)
IMG climbers ascending to Camp 2 (Harry Hamlin)
Our first Aconcagua team of the winter season has arrived at Camp 2. IMG Senior Guide Nickel Wood reports that the team is doing well and is getting ready for more climbing!
Keep checking back here or on our Instagram for more updates from our Aconcagua teams!
Audrey Simonson
Dec 9, 2022 – Led by IMG Senior Guide Nickel Wood, IMG Aconcagua Team 1 departed Base Camp this morning for Camp 1, the first of 3 camps on the way to the summit. Today the team will ascend nearly 2,500ft, from Plaza Argentina Base Camp situated at 13,800ft to Camp 1 located at 16,100ft. Yesterday, Nickel and the team completed their first “carry” to Camp 1, carrying up supplies in an effort to lighten their load for their move today.
An IMG Aconcagua Team approaches Camp 1 in 2020 (Harry Hamlin)
The team will spend the afternoon resting and acclimatizing and resting for the days ahead.
December 7, 2022
The IMG Aconcagua team lead by Senior IMG Guide Nickel Wood has arrived at Plaza Argentina (13,800ft) with excellent weather and views of the mountain. The group will now rest and acclimatize before moving higher. In the coming days they will start to carry gear higher on the mountain to acclimatize and prepare for the eventual summit push!
Photo: An IMG team approaches Basecamp with Aconcagua in the background. (Harry Hamlin)
December 5, 2022
IMG Senior Guide Nickel Wood checked in to let us know that the first Aconcagua team has arrived at Casa de Piedras. The team is performing well and having a great time while at the same time!
Aconcagua peaks out of the clouds down the valley from Casa de Piedras (Harry Hamlin)
Looking down the velley en route to Casa de Piedras (Harry Hamlin)
December 4, 2022
IMG Aconcagua Team 1 at the Gran Hotel in Uspallata (Nickel Wood)
IMG senior guide Nickel Wood and our first Aconcagua team of the season departed Mendoza on schedule yesterday, and moved up to the Gran Hotel in the town of Uspallata, about 60 miles to the west at about 6700 feet in the foothills of the Andes. After enjoying their last night in beds and eating in restaurants, this morning the team continued by highway up to the Punta de Vacas at about 9800 feet, which is the trailhead for groups heading to the Relinchos Valley on Aconcagua. After several days of traveling, they were all looking forward to lashing their duffel bags on to the mules and finally starting the three day hike to the Plaza Argentina Base Camp. They are off!
Eric Simonson
December 2, 2022
IMG Senior Guide Nickel Wood reported that the whole team has arrived safely in Mendoza. They are checked into the Nutibara Hotel and are working on sorting and checking their gear one last time before heading to the mountain! All is well in Argentina!
The IMG Aconcagua team in the Nutibara Hotel (Nickel Wood)
On the summit! (Romulo Cardenas)
We had good news over the weekend from Ecuador when IMG leaders Timm Phillips and Romulo Cardenas report that the team had a good climb of Chimborazo  (20,561′), with 100% on the summit!  This is the highest mountain in Ecuador, and the highest on the Earth, if you measure from the center of the globe (due to the oblate spheroid shape of the planet). The climbers have now all returned to Quito and are heading for home. This wraps up our November Ecuador trip, which was a good one!
Next up for Ecuador is Our January 7, 2023 Trip. If you are looking to climb some fun volcanoes and get some great altitude practice, you can’t beat climbing in Ecuador!
Eric Simonson
November 16th, 2022
2022 Ecuador Team eating a post-Antizana breakfast this morning.
Our Ecuador Team checked in today! They had a great meal and rest at IMG Senior Guide Romulo Cardenas’ home last night and today they had a lovely post-Antizana breakfast at Mechahuasca Refugio. Tomorrow the team is traveling to the Whymper Hut at 15,744′ to stage for their climb of Chimborazo, the highest peak in Ecuador.
Wishing the team good luck on their final climb of the trip!
Audrey Simonson
Nov 15, 2022 – Senior IMG Guide Timm Phillips called in to report that the Ecuador climbing team was unable to summit Antizana this morning. Despite the team’s best efforts, the weather closed in with high-winds and blowing snow making travel challenging. IMG Guides Timm and Romulo elected to turn the team around and returned safely to high-camp.
The IMG Ecuador team looks up at Antizana before their summit attempt (Timm Phillips)
The team returned to the lowlands this afternoon in high spirits and enjoyed a local meal at IMG Guide Romulo Cardenas’ house and is on to Chimborazo in the coming days. All is well in Ecuador!
November 14, 2022
IMG climbers climbing Cotopaxi (Jorge Ignacio Anhalzer)
The IMG Ecuador Volcanoes team has had an excellent trip so far, and they are preparing for their ascent of Antizana. Due to the active status of Cotopaxi, the team has rearranged to Antizana, a nearby volcano with similar caliber climbing to Cotopaxi. Tonight, the team will stage and do their final preparations before attempting the 19,000′ peak.
All’s going well in Ecuador!
Audrey Simonson
