|
Aconcagua
|
|
With our packs loaded up we set off in the shadow of the mountain at 7:30 am for the first carry to Camp 1. The journey is 2,060 ft. nearly straight up. At the top of the first cliff band I was readjusting my pack and teetered backwards hanging out over 50 feet. I nearly needed new underpants. It was a slow walk but when we reached our camp, lunch was a triumph. At 16,168 ft, the elevation of Camp 1, a storm decided to come through but it was nothing to worry about. Because we are climbing a different route, all of our camps are different, away from the people on the normal route. I’m excited to try this route, because it has only been climbed once, by Willie’s twin, Damian. After lunch we traversed to the normal Camp 1 and did a small clean up. We got a full bulging sack of trash and a stray dog. We decided to rescue the dog and he thought that that was a good idea, so he followed us back down to base camp. We named this skinny fellow “Gordo” (the fat one). Willie finds himself becoming attached to the fuzzball but as of now I don’t know where he is. The cold temperaturas tonight have also dropped to where my “pee bottle” is frozen. Yikes.
|
