Aconcoqua Expedition
February 2001
Slate Stern

I summited Aconcogua in Argentina: 23,000 feet. It is one of the seven summits and the highest in South America. It was a spectacular expedition and from beginning to end and took approximately three weeks. The trek to base camp at 14,000 feet took three days. I remained at Base Camp for two days and then took my first load up to Camp One on the Polish Glacier side of the mountain. The climb from Base Camp to Camp One at approximately 16,500 feet is treacherous. There is a slope a scree that is like trying to climb up greased wax paper. After the first load to Camp One, I returned to Base Camp the same day for a good nights sleep and returned the following day again to Camp One with another load. Again, after dropping the load off I returned to Base Camp for another nights sleep at a lower altitude. The following day I moved-up to Camp One. The day after I arrived at Camp One I took two days of rest. I did lots of reading and trekking around 16,500 to 17,000. Incidentally, during my second day at Camp One there was an incredible avalanche. While reading one afternoon, I heard an explosion and just off to my right the whole side of the mountain was engulfed in an avalanche. It is quite impressive to see first hand. Following my two days of rest I at Camp One, I took my first load to Camp Two and returned to Camp One to sleep. The following day I took another load to Camp Two and again returned to Camp One to sleep. I then moved up to Camp Two at just over 19,000 feet the following day and thereafter took two rest days again. Days of rest are very important at such high to acclimatize. I met dozens of climbers that failed summit because of HAPE (high altitude Pulmonary Edema) and regrettably a young 23-year-old woman died at base camp. After my two days of rest days at Camp Two, one of which was so windy that the gusts of wind could actually blow me over, I woke at approximately 3:30 in the morning for my attempt at the summit via the False Polish route. I made the summit in an excellent time of 6 hours. It was an amazing adventure and a spectacularly beautiful climb. I climbed with two friends from Russia and I am happy to say we had no major problems. After the climb I spent a week in Patagonia with Marianne Martinez (TSF Support). Patagonia is an unbelievably beautiful place!!!! I feel in love with it and we hope to go back next year to spend some time there.

My adventure racing this summer will unfortunately be taking a back seat to my climbing endeavors. I am off to Denali (i.e. Mt. McKinley) on May 7th for an expedition anticipated to last three to four weeks. Then in July , Marianne and I are heading to Africa to climb Kilimanjaro and to spend some time in Zanzibar. In September, I am planning an expedition to Russia to climb Elbreus, which is in the Caucus Mountains. If all goes as planned --- God willing --- I will have climb four of the seven summits by the end of September.

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This segment teammate, Slate Stern, trains for North Pole adventure