The Team successfully summited Aconcagua yesterday.
Updates to follow
The Team successfully summited Aconcagua yesterday.
Updates to follow
Upon arrival at camp one Dec 8 three days ago we got settled in and the next day took a hike to 17050 feet and it was a successful acclimatization hike.
That evening the winds picked up in a big way and our tents were hit by gusts up to 80 miles an hour
This wind storm has continued unabated ever since.
Last night and this morning we had wind gusts that pushed a hundred miles an hour.
When we arrived at camp one on Dec 8, I calibrated my Suunto Core altimeter watch to 16700 feet it has since risen over two hundred feet and this morning it was reading 16965 feet. This would indicate a substantial drop in barometric pressure. The good news is, the team remains in great spirits and we are using this opportunity to acclimatize while remaining strong and healthy in anticipation of more favorable climbing weather to come.
We received a weather forecast calling for drastically reduced winds as soon as tomorrow. Assuming this is the case we anticipate moving up to camp two sometime in the next couple of days and preparing for a summit attempt soon after.
Thanks to everybody at home for your prayers and positive thoughts, we can feel the love all the way here at 16700 feet on Aconcagua.
The team made it to camp one on Tuesday Dec 8 at 16700 feet.
We set up tents and settled into camp and everybody was feeling great at dinner that night.
Today, we woke up and took a acclimatization day hike to 17700 feet.
Everybody on the team did an excellent job and everybody is acclimating very well.
This hike put us in position for our next move, which will be to carry loads to camp 2 at 19127 feet.
If weather remains good we anticipate sleeping at camp two some time in the next two to three days.
We will assess a summit attempt after that.
Currently we are back at camp one after our acclimatization day hike and April is preparing a cheese tortellini dinner for the team.
Thanks to every body at home for all your support and we will check in again sometime soon.
The team left the Vacas valley trailhead on Dec 2 and had a beautiful 3 day hike into Aconcagua base camp at 13,747 feet
On Dec 5th we rested and acclimated and on Dec 6 we took our first acclimation day hike to 15300 feet.
Dec 7th we carried loads to camp 1 at 16,700 feet
Tomorrow our plan is to move up and sleep at camp 1.
Everybody on the team is doing great we miss everyone at home. Bill Fred and Ralph say hello to their spouses Cindy Olga and Danielle
Thanks you everybody for your thoughts and prayers
We will update again in a couple days.
This morning the team had breakfast then packed up and drove from Mendoza to the resort village of Los Penitentes located at 8465’ / 2580m. The drive took approximately three hours. Upon arrival we spent the afternoon organizing all our food and equipment for the trek into Base Camp. The trek will take three days to reach Base Camp at 13,747’/4200m. Our equipment needed to be packed into loads to be carried by mules onto the mountain.
After finishing all our organization and packing we had some time to relax before having dinner. The team enjoyed a nice pizza and salad dinner.
After all the planning and preparation leading up to this trip the time has come to start our climb. We are all psyched and ready to start walking!!
Thanks to everybody for at home for your prayers and support. We will try to update this blog when we can.
A couple pictures from today are below.
The team arrived in Mendoza, Argentina today after leaving on flights that originated in the United States yesterday. The flights took us to Santiago, Chile where we changed planes for a quick flight over the Andes to Mendoza. April and Kurt arrived yesterday and spent the day taking care of last minute logistics and purchased food for the expedition. Today they finished up logistics then went to the airport to meet Bill, Fred, and Ralph for their arrivals. After getting settled in the hotel we payed a visit to the Ministry of Tourism where we secured our climbing permits. It is now required for every team member to be present to receive your climbing permit.
With permits secured we had time to relax in this laid back South American city that strictly observes such rituals as “siesta”. Virtually all merchants are closed between 1:30 – 5:30 PM. Siesta provided a nice time for the team to relax at an outdoor cafe and enjoy appetizers and a drink while soaking in the afternoon sun. Temperatures are pleasant this time of year allowing us to comfortably wear shorts and t-shirts even in the evening.
We ate dinner across from La Plaza de Independencia and took a stroll through the park before retiring to bed.
Tomorrow we will drive to Los Penitentes, which is a resort village located at the base of Aconcagua. Here we will unpack our luggage and prepare our food and equipment for the climb.
A couple pictures from the day are below.
Our first Aconcagua expedition for the 2010/2011 season is on its way! Ralph Drollinger, Fred Simmons, and Bill Simon will be joined by April Mayhew and Kurt Wedberg.
The team will fly from the United States and meet as a group in Mendoza, Argentina on November 30. After securing climbing permits we will drive to Los Penitentes where we will organize our gear to be carried by mules for the 3-day trek into Base Camp.
The team spent the last couple of days organizing last minute details in Los Angeles before flying.
A couple pictures are below. Stay tuned for updates to our expedition!!
Our yearly trip to Mexico’s Volcanoes was another huge success. We climbed two volcanoes in a 10 day period, visited the pyramids at Teotihuacan, and got to experience the warmth and hospitality of the Mexican people.
This trip was also used as a fundraiser for Big City Mountaineers. This organization takes underprivileged urban teens on seven and eight day backpacking trips during the summer months. They hold a series of climb each summer the call Summit For Someone which raises money for Big City Mountaineers. SMI has worked with Big City Mountaineers since they began doing fundraising climbs. We lead several trips each year for this worthy organization. Besides Mexico’s Volcanoes we also lead climbs to Mt. Whitney, North Palisade Peak, and Mt. Langley each year for BCM. In February 2011 we will also be leading one to Kilimanjaro!!
After meeting up in Mexico City we drove to the town of Amecameca which sits at the base of our first mountain Iztaccíhuatl (17,158’/5230m). A couple days of acclimatization hikes would put us in to position for a summit attempt on “Ixta”. Iztaccíhuatl is the name the Aztec’s gave this mountain, which translated means “white woman”. This mountain resembles a women laying on her back when viewed from a distance. “White” refers to snow that covers the upper reaches during certain parts of the year.
We ascended “The Knees Route” which climbs past Ixta’s knees onto her belly where the summit is located. On summit day we were treated to a clear crisp morning. Snow conditions were excellent. We got a predawn start and found ourselves high on the peak as the sun rose giving us a beautiful backdrop as we ascended the partly snowy and rocky terrain that leads to the summit.
After successfully reaching the summit we descended back the same way with views of neighboring volcano Popocatepetl in front of us and our next objective Orizaba visible to the east.
Orizaba is the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in all of North America at 18,410’/5611m. Only Mt. McKinley in Alaska (20,320’/6194m) and Mt. Logan in Canada (19,550’/5959m) are higher than Orizaba on this continent. It is a classic cone shaped volcano flanked by glaciers on all sides.
Our team drove south and east to the small town of Tlachichuca near the base of El Pico de Orizaba.
Here we geared up and took a 4-wheel adventure drive through the rural Mexican countryside then ascended through pine tree forests before emerging above timberline to the Pierdra Grande Hut at 14,000’/4267m. Our route was the Jamapa Glacier that ascends the cone’s north side to the crater rim. We traverses a short distance west to the highest point on the rim.
After our climbs the team drove back to Mexico City by way of the Teotihuacan pyramids. Teotihuacan is located 25 miles north of Mexico City and contains some of the largest pyramidal structures in the Pre-Columbian era. The pyramids are thought to have been completed between 200 BC and 100 AD and this city is believed to have had up to 200,000 inhabitants at its height in the 7th to 8th centuries. We took some time to climb the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, see some of the paintings that are still preserved here, tour some of the archeological sites, and walk the Avenue of the Dead.
We then returned to Mexico City for dinner. We happened to be there during Mexico’s bicentennial celebration. The center of the city was filled with an elaborate well done light show and music. Seeing the celebration was icing on the cake to a wonderful and very memorable trip!
The entire photo gallery can be found here: Mexico’s Volcanoes November 5-14, 2010
Mt. Gould is accessed through the beautiful Onion Valley trailhead above the town of Independence. It is located above Kearsarge Pass along the crest of the Sierra. This is a fun scramble above the Kearsarge Pass trail that ends at the final summit block where a couple 3rd class moves are encountered to reach the top.
Bruce Millar and Michael Tate are long time friends of SMI and it was a pleasure to see them return for a fall peak ascent. After a recent storm has left a few inches of fresh snow temperatures warmed up significantly causing most of the fresh snow to melt and give way to dry ground on sun exposed south facing slopes leaving behind only patches in between sections of dirt, rock, and scred. Warm weather prevailed on this day allowing us to wear short sleeved shirts all the way to the summit of this fun peak. The views from the summit are spectacular offering vistas deep into Sequoia / Kings Canyon National Park to the west, and Sardine Canyon directly below to the east.
A few highlights are below. The rest of the pictures can be found here: Mt. Gould from Kearsarge Pass November 2, 2010.
The normal erratic fall weather pattern in the Sierra has continued to bring us intermittent warm weather followed by cold snaps and light snow. Earlier in October as much as 2 or more feet of snow had fallen along the crest of the Sierra. Warm weather would melt the snow that deposited on sun exposed slopes but anything in the shade has remained. This made Thor Peak a good choice for a climb. It is a nice day trip requiring much lighter packs than an overnight trip would and the Stemwinder route is south facing meaning it received a lot of sun exposure so the rock would be free of snow. Stemwinder is a nice entry level alpine rock climb. The moves are rated up to 5.5 with easier sections in between. The rock quality is superb with firm white granite and little loose terrain to be concerned about.
Richard Piotrowski and Kurt Wedberg teamed up to make a nice day of it. The weather included high clouds and some winds that signaled an approaching storm. That evening the area received several inches of snow and effectively made this route much more of a mixed climb for the next few months.
A few highlights are below. The rest of the pictures can be found here: Thor Peak via Stemwinder October 29, 2010.