Wednesday 30^th January – Day 1

When the alarm went off at 05:30 I started reviewing the wisdom of the decision to stay up late the night before watching documentaries about Everest.  No not really, it was worth it!

Hauling myself out of bed I pulled back the curtains to see that it was raining.  Every trip I have ever started at Halewood train station has always been in the rain.  Today would be no different.

Having left the house I trudged through the rain and spent the next two hours getting on and off various trains, with Manchester Airport the final destination.  Carrying 45Kgs of equipment in three huge bags on packed commuter trains is always a challenge and I was relieved to arrive at the airport.

Check in went smoothly (thanks to ringing beforehand to warn them about the additional weight!).  I made a few last phone calls and was then ready to go.

Having boarded the flight I passed the eight hours or so reading ‘Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know’ by Ranulph Fiennes (borrowed from a friend at work) and eating the vast amounts of superb food and drink served up by Continental Airlines.

Arriving in Newark Airport, feeling quite full (rare for me!), I went through the rigmarole that is US immigration and collected my baggage.  The next challenge would be getting to JFK Airport on the other side of town in just under three hours.  Given the time constraints I decided it would be better to get a shuttle bus rather than the subway.  However, once my baggage was loaded the driver realised he had locked the keys in the bus, which had had its doors locked shut!

After nearly an hour worrying and trying many half-baked ideas we’d cracked it.  The driver and I had found a bamboo pole and a tennis ball, which we stuck on the end of the pole, that we used to stick through a small gap created by the other travellers (who only appeared to speak Spanish) who heaved on the front doors and separated the shuttering a little.  After a few failed attempts we hit the right lever and with a huge cheer the doors opened.  Feeling rather embarrassed the driver made sure the journey passed quickly, catching some incredible views of New York’s waterfront along the way.

The bus screeched to a halt at JFK Airport and after a very undignified sprint with my heavy baggage I’d made it to the check in desk – just in time.

The good thing is that my baggage is going through to Mendoza so I don’t need to worry about it in Santiago.  The other good thing is that the trip is now underway and I am at least fit enough to carry the baggage, which is no mean feat!

The Santiago bound flight left on time as we headed for another continent.  As with Continental Airlines I settled down to enjoy the service (wich was in Spanish only) and tried my best to get some sleep.

Thursday 31^st January – Day 2

Another sleepless night on a plane.  That said, seeing the sun rise casting a shadow over the Andes was worth it!

We landed on time and the first thing that hit me was the incredible heat.  It was over 35º and was only 09:00!  Clearing immigration was easy.  What took nearly an hour in New York took less than a minute here in Santiago.

With a few hours to spare I decided to jump on a shuttle bus into the city.  Our Tur-Bus driver Luis didn’t speak any English but took a long route around the town to give me a mini city tour.  In my short time in the country I had already started to enjoy myself and became fond of the Chilean people.

Starting out at Los Heroes I headed towards the nearby parliamentary buildings.  Somehow I’d managed to end up past security and found myself inside the buildings with soldiers smiling at me and showing me where to go.  Who did they think I was?  I looked bedraggled after the two long flights but I ended up getting a guided tour from an English speaking soldier!

After that surprise I set off through the baking heat again for the Centro Cultural Palacia La Moneda as I had seen on the Internet they had a special ‘pre Columbian’ exhibition on.  It didn’t disappoint but time was pressing on and I still wanted to visit O’Higgins Park (named after an Irish philanthropist who helped establish the city).  A two mile walk doesn’t sound much but in 42º it certainly is.  I consumed a lot of water on the walk but I suppose it served as good training for the upcoming climb!

As with the exhibition the park didn’t disappoint and gave great views of Santiago from its elevated position.  I also experienced something that has only happened to me once previously in a park in Picton, New Zealand.  That is, seeing a complete blue sky without a single cloud.

Sadly after hiking back to Los Heroes it was time to board my shuttle bus back to the airport.  At least I now know that Santiago will be on my list of places to visit again properly in the future.

Having quickly gone through immigration again it was time to board my plane for Mendoza.  Sadly we were delayed for an hour due to a technical fault and sat on the runway for what seemed an eternity.

Eventually Mendoza came into view and after going through immigration again I collected my baggage (that I hadn’t seen since New York) and was met by Carlos from Aconcagua Expeditions.

Carlos had lived in Lincolnshire for a year and knew the UK very well.  He certainly liked Skye!  After checking into the youth hostel we sprinted through the torrential rain (in ten minutes it went from scorching heat to hammering down!) to find a bank to change my dollars into pesos and find somewhere to eat.

Having dried off in a nice restaurant I started to relax now that I had finally arrived.  I even had the luxury of the entire hostel dorm all to myself!  Tomorrow would require me to check into Hotel Aconcagua before midday and have an expedition meeting at 17:00 with our guides.  For now though the priority was sleep!

Friday 1^st February – Day 3

Needless to say I slept well night.  Having set my alarm for 08:00 I clambered out of bed and had a scorching hot shower.  Despite that it was still a wonderful sensation after going a long time without one!

Feeling human again I went for some breakfast only to be told it wasn’t now 09:00 but actually 10:00!  My watch had stopped last night for exactly one hour so I was out of synch with everything.  Anyway, I said my farewells to my wonderful hosts and headed towards Hotel Aconcagua.

Having arrived with my huge bags I was informed that my reservation had been moved to another hotel.  The Hotel Huentala was another eleven blocks away, which in the heat posed quite a challenge.  Anyway, after a while I made it and checked into my room.

I spent just over an hour transferring my equipment from one bag to another in preparation for our 17:00 team meeting.  Just as I was finishing off sorting out my equipment my roommate came in.

Izak from South Africa was keen to compare equipment that had been brought along and was also very enthusiastic when we got talking about previous expeditions.  Another ‘Kili’ veteran Izak was keen to test himself at 23,000ft.

With time pressing on I thought it best to go out and see as much of Mendoza as possible.  Izak kindly loaned me his street map and I set off.

The heat was incredible but I persevered (and thankfully I drank a lot of water in the hotel) and managed to see Plaza Independencia, Plaza San Martin, Plaza Espana and Parque Civico in just under two hours.  The parks were beautifully designed with mosaics, fountains and plenty of trees providing shelter from the sun.  The architecture was incredible too but as I headed along Avenue San Martin it soon approached the time to return to the hotel and have my 17:00 meeting.

At the meeting we met up with some of the other climbers (with the others already on the mountain through the early acclimatisation programme).  Afterwards it was back to the rooms for our equipment checks.  Thankfully I passed the checks, with Izak needing to hire an ice axe and crampons.  On the way to the equipment store we managed to change our remaining dollars into pesos in preparation for paying the Aconcagua National Park climbing fees.  We were all set!

In the evening time we decided to go out for something to eat and asked one of the other climbers, Mark from the UK, to join us.

We spent the evening getting to know each other better and sharing war stories about previous climbs.  Mark is committed to the Seven Summits challenge, although this is his first of them.

Afterwards it was back to the hotel where I fell asleep within seconds!  The travelling had obviously started to catch up with me.

Saturday 2^nd February – Day 4

I slept brilliantly well and took a long time to properly wake up.  Having showered we headed down for breakfast ready for our trip up to Puenta del Inca.

After breakfast I checked out of the hotel and handed over my luggage which wouldn’t be required on the climb.  The next task was to try and collect my climbing permit.  The process involved trekking halfway across the city to complete forms, then trek to another office building to pay the fee.  Having paid the fee we were somewhat surprised that we had to go all the way back to the first office to collect our permits!  What initially appeared a simple task had started to become a Monty Python sketch.

Finally we loaded up our bus and headed out towards Puenta del Inca.  The next four hours took in tremendous views of the Andes.  The heat was still incredible but at least we had a good breeze.

Arriving in Puenta del Inca we checked into our hostel and had a late lunch.  With time free before organising our equipment for the mules we went on a walk to see a nearby sulphur rock with a church and cave close by.  Afterwards, whilst enjoying the cool breeze Izak, Mark, Raf (a Belgian climber making his second attempt on Aconcagua) and I decided to enjoy an ice cold water and enjoy the views.

Before long it was time to organise our equipment in our duffel bags ready for the mules tomorrow.  Inside the metal shed where the preparation took place everyone was sweating bucket loads!  With the equipment packed and weighed we all breathed a sigh of relief.

With a couple of hours to spare before tea I teamed up with Jacek and Katie (a married couple from Canada) and Raf and went for a walk along an old disused railway track.  It was an unforgettable trip as the views were superb as a pack of fully laden mules passed by.  I have a lot of respect for what the mules can carry.

During tea we spoke with a couple of guides and other climbers about the trip and what to expect over the next couple of weeks.  After all the build up to the expedition everyone was keen to get started tomorrow.  With this in mind everyone had gone to bed in our dorm before 23:00.

Sunday 3^rd February – Day 5

I didn’t sleep too well as what I thought was the early effects of altitude was actually just an upset stomach.  A little relieved I still wished I had slept better.

Never mind, the climbing starts today!  We had our breakfast in the hostel and tried to ignore the tales of death and tragedy from climbers who had recently tried to summit Aconcagua!  Before long we were all ready to go and boarded our bus for the Vacas Valley.

After a short trip we disembarked, were wished all the best by our guides Junin and Lorena and made a start.  The pace was quite brisk and we soon overtook another group starting their climb.  The temperature was again in the mid thirties.  I was finding the walk quite easy and enjoying the scenery but the heat was quite draining.

The trek took us through 14Kms of gullies and up and down steep knolls.  The group was doing well in the conditions and enjoying each other’s company.  After a while Izak, who was carrying a 25Kg backpack was starting to slow down.  I don’t blame him!  I think tomorrow he’ll let the mules take most of the weight.

With an hour or so to go Mark asked if he could go ahead of the group as he wanted to go at a quicker pace.  I have to bow down to his fitness levels when I saw him shoot off.

Just as 16:00 was approaching Pampa de Lenas came into view.  Even the heat had started to disappear a little.  We met up with Mark who had arrived at camp a while before us.  The other group had set up their tents and were enjoying some food and music.  We on the other hand ended waiting until nearly 21:00 with the light beginning to fail.

The other group offered us some hot drinks and some company whilst we waited anxiously for the mules to arrive.  The prospect of a night in the open with no shelter did not appeal.

To a huge cheer the mules arrived leaving us just enough time to put the tents up before it went dark.  Erecting the tents was a challenge but we need to practice for when we’re higher up the mountain in high winds.

Having finished all our preparatory camp work we enjoyed a barbeque in the dark.  The meat was exquisite although we had no idea what it was!  We were hungry and it went down well.

After tea it was time for bed as we had an earlier start tomorrow.

Monday 4^th February – Day 6

I slept remarkably well last night and only woke up intermittently due to being too hot in my sleeping bag.  Izak said he had a mixed night.

Getting up just before 08:00 we packed the tents away and prepared our equipment for the mules.  There was barely a cloud in the sky suggesting it was going to be another hot day.  My upset stomach had not completely recovered so I made sure to pay a visit before moving on today.

Due to the problem with the mules yesterday Junin decided to stay back with the Muleteers to make sure they left on time whilst Lorena led our group.  We set off at a blistering pace for at least two minutes until Lorena realised she had forgotten our base camp permits!  After a short wait we were on our way again and at a fast pace.

After an hour or so, whilst taking on some water, Raf announced that it had already hit 30º.  It would still be another hour or two until the sun was at its highest point so we pressed on until 13:30 when we stopped for lunch.  Hiding from the sun under a large rock that was, at one stage, part of a riverbed we sheltered from the sun.

After an hour we moved on and before long Aconcagua came into view.  What a view it was too.  We saw the whole of the Polish Glacier and all the way up to the summit.  Tomorrow we are scheduled to arrive at base camp and should be treated to even better views along the way.

After a brief pause to admire Aconcagua we arrived at Casa de Piedra at 15:45.  The supposed six hour trek took less than five hours and covered 18Kms.  Just as we arrived at camp the mules turned up very closely followed by rain and wind, which made erecting the tents quite a challenge.  Still, it’s more good practice for higher up the mountain.

Enjoying the views (in the sun again – the rain stopped as soon as the tents went up) and eating Izak’s biltong it really did seem like there was no better place to be than at Casa de Piedra right now.

That feeling soon changed though as the weather closed in and Izak and I were confined to our tent.  Still, I was enjoying my book and the next three hours passed by quickly enough.  Just before 21:00 the rain subsided just long enough for us to surface from our tents and enjoy some pasta and chocolate with Junin and Lorena.

Before long though the rain close in again and it was off to bed at 21:45.  Tomorrow is our biggest gain in altitude yet and will see us finally arrive at base camp.

Tuesday 5^th February – Day 7

Sadly I didn’t sleep too well last night.  It rained all night and became very cold as it approached 03:00.

Waking up at 07:00 Izak and I got up and started to dismantle our tent.  We shook the ice off the fly sheet and packed it away.  It was still bitterly cold and everyone wanted to get on with the day’s trek.  Junin and Lorena would not be rushed with breakfast and it was just on 09:00 before we were on our way.

Very quickly we came across a problem in that the first river, that led us into the Relinchos Valley, was in speight due to the weather yesterday.  We managed to get a Muleteer to take us across on one of his mules.  Everyone took the mule except Izak who took off his walking boots and tried to wade across the river.  He soon started to review the wisdom of his decision!

We pressed on and soon started to shed layers as the temperature began to rise.  The group was progressing well apart from Izak was lagging behind.  I think the river crossing took a lot out of him.  At every turn in the valley we were treated to different views of Aconcagua, which had a lot more snow on it than normal this year.

After another river crossing, which I used my trekking poles to jump over, we were told we were progressing well.  This was good news.  However, we had to ask Lorena to slow down as she was going far too fast for us.  Just after 14:30 Plaza Argentina, our base camp, came into view with its multicoloured tents flapping in the wind.

Just as we were entering base camp Rob, Jan and Martin (Izak’s three South African friends) and Andrzej, Bart and John (three Polish climbers) met up with us from an acclimatisation trek they had been on.  We headed into camp after five and a half hours of hiking what should have been an eight hour trip.  We had arrived at Plaza Argentina at 4,200m.

In the heat we decided to erect our tents to find some shelter.  Izak and his South African friends had paid extra for private tents so I ended up having one all to myself!  The rest of the day passed reading and getting to know the other team members that we had met up with today.  Time at base camp can sometimes be largely uneventful but it is always good for boosting team morale ahead of the ‘big push’.

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