January 18, 2022
Panorama at High Camp showing Mt. Shinn on the right. (Photo by Rob Marshall)
Jonathan Schrock checked in from High Camp on Vinson just now. The team did great climbing to High Camp and are all feeling good. They are making dinner and will head to bed for a good night sleep. Jonathan will double check the weather and team in the morning and if everything lines up they will head to the summit!
All is well and we are sending our best to the team!
January 17, 2022
Climbing to Camp Canada1 on Aconcagua (Nickel Wood)
The Aconcagua Team checked in after returning from a great day of climbing to Camp Canada (16,500′). Nickel Wood said the team did well and everyone looks strong. Some of the best news is that everyone had a big appetite when they got back to Plaza De Mulas and enjoyed spaghetti with beef marinara for lunch!
Sunset from Plaza De Mulas (Nickel Wood)
This was a big day to see how everyone was feeling and moving. The team also took the opportunity to get some personal and group water moved up the mountain. The Team is planning on making the move up to Camp Canada tomorrow.
It is nice to see everyone acclimatizing and all is well on Aconcagua!
January 15, 2022
Looking down to low camp from high camp (Photo: Pat McCrann)
IMG Senior Guide Jonathan Schrock sent a message this afternoon to let us know the team is doing great and our camp has been fortified to handle any of the wind that might come through tonight. The word from High Camp was “strong winds and no movement today.” Our Team at Low Camp experienced light winds but did see lenticulars forming around the summit of Vinson. Low Camp is a great place to hold tight and be patient for this very reason. No need to head uphill, build camp and suffer in the wind when we can hang tight down low, acclimatize and prepare for the move.
The team is in great spirits and we will look forward to hearing an update tomorrow and the plan for the coming days.
All is well on Vinson!
January 15, 2022
January Ecuador Team on the summit of Cotopaxi (Kim Sieradzki)
Fresh snow on the route of Cotopaxi (Kim Sieradzki)
IMG Guide Kim Sieradzki checked in to let us know the weather was amazing and the team had a great climb of Cotopaxi this morning. With a light blanket of fresh snow on the route, worked their way up the mountain with next to no wind and beautiful skies.
Last break before the summit on Cotopaxi at sunrise (Kim Sieradzki)
Right on schedule, the sun started coming up at the last rest break before the summit. With the sun coming up and perfect weather, the team gathered together and celebrated their success while enjoying the views and the crater of Cotopaxi (19,347″).
Cotopaxi Summit looking into the crater (Kim Sieradzki)
Congratulations to the team on their summit of Cotopaxi!
January 15, 2022
Sunset at Camp Confluencia (Nickel Wood)
Plaza de Mulas (Jonathan Farnsworth)
IMG Senior Guide Nickel Wood checked in this afternoon to let us know the team did great today and are now settling into Base Camp at Plaza De Mulas (13,976). Nickel said the team made great time and pulled into Base Camp from Concluencia in 8 hours and had nice weather for the trek. Taking that additional day to acclimatize at Confluencia certainly payed off for the team. Everyone is in great spirits and Nickel mentioned this team is really getting along well.
The team will get a good night sleep and evaluate the team and route conditions in the morning. Getting to Base Camp is a big step and we can now look more closely at how the team will approach carries and moving up the mountain.
All is well on Aconcagua!
January 14, 2022
IMG Senior Guide Nickel Wood along with our first class guide team of Tincho and Leo checked in last night and again this afternoon to let us know the team is doing great. They decided to take an additional day of acclimatization at Camp Confluencia. This is a great decision! Yesterday afternoon, they had a heavy rainstorm and more was predicted for today. The heavy rain will create less than ideal conditions for trekking to Plaza De Mulas. That combined with having other teams on the route helped make the decision. Right now, our team is one of very few at Camp Confluencia and are enjoying some home cooking from Leo and Tincho.
The team will move uphill in the morning and we will look forward to hearing from them once they arrive to Plaza De Mulas!
January 14, 2022
Low Camp on Vinson
Jonathan Schrock checked in this morning to let us know the team is doing well and going to take a much deserved rest day at Low Camp. The team did great climbing to Low Camp yesterday and after setting up and digging in camp, they decided to pump the breaks and take some rest. The weather forecast has some wind up high for the next few days, so they will continue to monitor and be ready to make a move when the mountain allows. Low Camp is great for training, hiking and acclimatizing, so plenty to do while the upper mountain calms down.
All is well on Vinson!
January 13, 2022
After a nice trek to Low Camp yesterday, IMG Senior Guide Jonathan Schrock reported the the Team is up and ready to move into Low Camp today. The climb to Low Camp on Vinson is just fantastic. Doing the physical preparation before the trip is important. If you have done your homework the day on the trail is as enjoyable as any day in the mountains. The scenery never gets old and the route to Low Camp is over mellow terrain. Half way point is notably called “Half Camp.” Climbers rarely if ever use Half camp these days but is it a great landmark and after climbing a short incline, the team slowly rolls over the hills into Low Camp. On Vinson, we always say; “once you see Low Camp, don’t stare at it too long, it could move further away!” In short, you can see camp for a long time before arriving.
The team will get settled in tonight and take a rest day tomorrow before making plans for the next section of the climb.
All is well on Vinson!
January 13, 2022
Aconcagua Team at Horcones Valley Park Entrance (Nickel Wood)
The Aconcagua Team spent the day trekking towards Plaza Francia today. This hike is great for acclimatization getting the team close to 13,200 feet. Nickel checked in to let us know the team did very well today and were escorted back to camp with a little precipitation, not a bad thing down low on the mountain to keep things cool and also to knock the dust down on the trail!
The team is now back at Confluencia Camp, resting before dinner and preparing for a longer day on the trail tomorrow. The team will get an earlier start and head to Plaza De Mulas (13,976′). This will be a nice trek that should take between 6-8 hours. There is no rush and as we say, the beginning of the climb is very important to maintain strength and prepare for higher elevations.
All is well on Aconcagua!
January 12, 2022
The January Ecuador Team reached the summit of Cayambe (18,990′) just after sunrise this morning. A beautiful night for climbing and the reward of a magnificent sunrise from the summit of Cayambe! The team has now descended from Cayambe, packed up and are heading for a little town called Papallacta. Why are they moving so fast you ask? Great question! Papallacta is a little secret of ours that we like to visit between Caymabe and Cotopaxi because they have natural hot springs. What better way to enjoy our successes than to soak in the hot springs and plan for the climb of Cotopaxi!
All is well in Ecuador and congratulations to our team!
