Wednesday 6^th February – Day 8

I managed to get six hours sleep last night, which at this altitude is quite good.  Waking up around 07:00 it was still incredibly cold outside the sleeping bag.  With breakfast not until 09:30 I decided to read ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ by Michael Palin until it was time to eat.

My stomach upset was also beginning to show some very early signs of recovery too.  I’m still not out the woods yet though!

At breakfast we had a veritable feast and washed it down with lashings of black tea.  At this altitude we need at least five litres of water a day.

After breakfast, with a whole day of rest ahead of us, we spent time in the mess tent getting to know each other and discussing previous climbs.

As midday approached I headed back to my tent to read and try to use my solar charger to top up my camera batteries.  The solar charging went with some reasonable success and after a huge lunch I headed back to my tent again to read for a few hours.

Before long it was 17:00 and time for the dreaded medical checks.  Quite a high proportion of summit attempts fail at this point due to failing their high altitude medical.  Typically, I was last to be called in.  The oxygen saturation test read 89% (normally 65% at 4,200m!), heart rate 87 and my blood pressure was 120/80.  These were very encouraging signs indeed at this altitude.

The good news was that everyone in our group passed the medical checks (although just in some cases!).  We could now turn our attention to an ascent to camp 1 and then back again to base camp tomorrow.

As 18:00 approached the first few snowdrops of the day started falling.  We were definitely going to need warm gear for the trek tomorrow.  Fortunately the snow started to ease off.  The mess tent had become a book club throughout the day and we stopped shivering once the snow stopped falling.  We dispensed with the books once our tea was served, which again was another carb-related feast.  It was hard work eating it all!

Pepe, our head guide, gave us a briefing in preparation for the hike up to camp 1 tomorrow and advised us all to get early nights as it would be a tough day.  We spent some time after tea enjoying the usual mess tent banter but by 22:00 everyone had gone back to their tents for the night.

Thursday 7^th February – Day 9

Not a great night’s sleep again.  I think was due to having to drink five litres a day, meaning that I had to pee several time during the night!  Waking up around 07:00 I took a while to get going but eventually had everything ready for the hike up to camp 1 today.  After finishing another huge breakfast we were ready to depart just after 10:00.

The sun was out which made carrying our large backpacks with 15Kgs in them a little challenging.  We were treated to great views along the Relinchos Valley as we progressed along the steep scree slopes and some rather dodgy ledges.  The group was moving well up the mountain and before long we could see the steep traverse that leads up to camp 1.

Whilst having a quick water break Rob and Izak threw snowballs at each other.  It was the first time they had ever walked through snow – well I don’t suppose they would get much in South Africa!

The rocky ground under feet soon became slippery scree again making the last hour up to camp 1 hard work and very frustrating.  Nevertheless we arrived at camp 1 just on 14:00.  It had only taken us just under four hours to reach camp 1, which is quick progress to say the least.

We unloaded all the food and cooking gear we had bought up with us and enjoyed our packed lunches.

Sadly the weather closed in and we found ourselves in thick cloud and heavy snowfall.  We picked up our now empty backpacks and headed off back to base camp at 15:00.

Pepe set off like a bat out of hell and started scree running quicker than I thought possible.  We all tried our best to keep up but Pepe was a hard act to follow.  We zoomed passed the nearby penitentes (icicles that grow upwards and sometimes up to eight feet from the ground) and after just over an hour found ourselves back at base camp.  Junin said he had never seen a group get up and down so fast before as it normally takes five or six hours just for the ascent to camp 1!

The afternoon turned to evening whilst it snowed heavily at base camp.  I braved the elements and ran towards the mess tent to top up my thermos (five litres per day don’t forget!) and read my book.  On arriving at the mess tent Martin was talking about his previous travels.  We spent the next three hours, including during tea, talking about travelling and future plans that we had.

At 21:45 I went back to my tent and found my doorway zipper had broken.  Not something you want on a snowy night!  Now I have to fix my tent and have my second medical check tomorrow…

Friday 8^th February – Day 10

Apart from waking up a couple of times during the night (those five litres again!) I slept fairly well and woke up around 07:30.

With today being another rest day I decided to snooze until daylight, which was around 08:30.  The snow that fell last night ensured it was cold outside the tent with everything being covered in a two inch thick powder.

Having breakfast at around 09:30 the usual process of time killing was enacted.  Most of us stayed in the mess tent for a couple of hours chatting and consuming vast amounts of liquid.  Those in the group that had headaches yesterday were feeling better and were eagerly anticipating the move up to camp 1 tomorrow.  The next two days would be tough as we would move up to camp 1, then up to camp 2 to deposit food and cooking equipment, and then back to camp1.

People also had the final medical checks on their minds too, which was one of the main topics for discussion during the afternoon.  I decided it would be better not to get drawn into such discussions and went back to my tent.

I spent a couple of hours organising my equipment for tomorrow and using my solar charger to recharge my camera and camcorder batteries.  The charger worked much to my satisfaction and general annoyance of other group members whose batteries had already gone flat!

As the afternoon wore on thoughts inevitably turned to the medical check at 18:00.  Would I be passed fit enough to go?

Before long the medical check arrived.  I wasn’t called forward last like the previous time and was told that my oxygen saturation was 91%, heart rate 70 and blood pressure 120/80.  The results were better that last time and I was allowed to make my summit bid!

With that out the way, and having failed to fix the broken zipper on my tent, the only thing left to worry about was the weather.  It was very cold and snowing heavily.  This could potentially threaten our move to camp 1 tomorrow.

After our enormous tea of Spaghetti Bolognese Pepe announced that we would be travelling to camp 1 tomorrow after all.  The weather forecast is not good but it apparently won’t be bad enough to prevent us making our move.

By 22:00 everyone had braved the elements and run back to their tents for an early night.  It was -6º in my tent as I put layers on whilst clambering into my sleeping bag.  Tomorrow would be a challenging day.

Saturday 9^th February – Day 11

It was bitterly cold last night and I had trouble sleeping.  I woke up at 06:00 and tried to snooze until daylight broke.

At around 07:45 I got up and started packing away my equipment.  After an hour or so everything was ready to go and I helped people pack their tents away.  Because my tent was badly weather beaten it would be staying at Plaza Argentina.  Sneakily, I left my tent up so I can get straight into it on my return to base camp after the summit bid.

Our departure for camp 1 was delayed until after 11:00 due to farcical organisation with our tents.  We needed six tents for twelve climbers but it took a long time for our guides to grasp this concept.  Whilst they were dithering I put some luggage into the base camp storage facility and prepared drinks for the trek.

Eventually on our way, each carrying 24Kgs of equipment and tents, we slowly made our way from Plaza Argentina to camp 1.  The sun had come out but it was still cold as we trudged our way up the mountain.

Everyone was quiet and concentrating on their own battle against altitude and the weight on their backs.  Just as 16:00 was approaching camp 1 came into view.

The next thirty minutes was spent trying to put up our tents in a 60mph wind.  Through teamwork we managed it and jumped into our tents as soon as we could to escape the cold.

Still needing five litres of liquid per day I ventured out to fill up my thermos (for litre number three of the day) and attempted to go to the toilet.  This consisted of squatting over a piece of newspaper held down by rocks, performing my business and putting the newspaper into a bin sack.  Not recommended in a 60mph wind though!

I spent the next few hours in my tent hoping it doesn’t get ripped apart by the wind.  My tentmate Andrzej was also very anxious for the wind to subside.  At 20:00 Mark came around collecting bowls for our rice for tea.  We were pleased we didn’t have to leave tent!  Sadly though our optimism diminished when the wind ripped off the door zipper to our tent.  We spent twenty hellish minutes trying to fix it and eventually, to much relief, did manage to get the door shut.

With the light failing there appeared to be no let up in the poor weather.  I made one last dash to the toilet and tried my best to get warm.  It was going to be a long night.

Sunday 10^th February – Day 12

It was indeed a very long night and neither Andrzej or I slept well.  Getting up somewhat wearily we checked our equipment.  It looked like the tent had taken the biggest beating and our gear had somehow survived.  That said, my contact lenses had been frozen in their solution, which took a while to warm up enough for them to be put in my eyes!

Breakfast was taken in the tent due to the bitter cold outside.  Whilst breakfast was being taken there was some confusion as to what we were going to do today.  Eventually we left camp 1 with equipment with instructions to drop off everything at the col, which is halfway to camp 2.  Apparently the wind was too strong above the col.

After a couple of hours hard trekking up the steep scree we arrived at the col and were met with still but cold weather.  Pepe took the decision to press on to camp 2 as the forecasts had been wrong.

Just after 16:15 we staggered into camp 2 and deposited our equipment, which we will need on Tuesday for the summit push.  We were treated to incredible views of the Polish Glacier leading up to the summit of Aconcagua.  Some of the group members had struggled to make it to camp 2 but the views seemed to replenish their reduced energy levels.

After half an hour at camp 2 we started our descent to camp 1.  Pepe set off at speed again and I struggled to keep up on the icy scree.  Remarkably after only sixty six minutes we were back at camp 1.  It had been a long, hard day and we were exhausted.  That said, a tent pitch protected by large boulders had become available so Andrzej and I moved our tent there.  Hopefully the wind won’t affect us too much tonight and we can relax for our final rest day.

Just before 19:30 Raf started to vomit violently whilst hanging out of his tent.  It appears the rapid descent today had badly affected Raf and his acclimatisation.  If his state doesn’t improve tomorrow he might end up being sent down to base camp.  Needless to say I tried to help Raf as if he doesn’t get better his summit chances are gone.

Tea was served at 20:00 and we all ate as one group despite the cold.  Raf and Jacek didn’t make it to tea.  It appears that Jacek has also suffered today.  Hopefully tomorrow’s rest day will do them some good.

With the temperature falling even further everyone turned in for the night at 21:00.  Hopefully we will have a still night and catch up with the sleep we lost yesterday.

Monday 11^th February – Day 13

I had a terrible night and hardly slept.  Andrzej was the same and we think the bitter cold outside had something to do with it.  My lips and chin had also started to peel.  With my hair that hadn’t been washed for nearly ten days I was beginning to look a right state – or at least like a mountaineer!

Having mopped up my face I went round the tents filling up everyone’s thermos flasks with hot water.  I decided to wear my beloved Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC scarf to cover my mouth from the sun, which prompted the interest of most other climbers and especially the guides.

This was our last rest day before the summit push and we were instructed to do virtually nothing to conserve our energy.  This suited Raf and Jacek who were making recoveries.  Raf was looking at the option of using a porter tomorrow to help him along.  Hopefully Raf will cope better tomorrow with the porter.

The morning passed by fairly quickly with everyone having breakfast and an early lunch together sitting on rocks outside their tents.  Nico, the fourth guide on the expedition, had an iPod with speakers so we spent our time listening to assorted jazz and Coldplay.

Morale was quite high although people were clearly beginning to focus on the trek to camp 2 with fully laden backpacks tomorrow.  The weather forecast for Wednesday was looking good.  Our summit push for Wednesday was looking very likely, which meant we would be going straight up from camp 2 without a rest day.

In the afternoon we performed final equipment checks and had a briefing with Pepe about what to expect on summit day.  As is always the case I prefer to be doing the climbing rather than talking and was eager for tomorrow morning to come in order to get to camp 2.  As afternoon turned to evening I kept looking after my sunburn and trying to talk about anything other than the impending summit bid.

At tea I had two enormous portions of pasta and felt ready for tomorrow.  Some other group members struggled to eat one helping, which won’t do them any favours tomorrow.

With tea finished Raf waited for news that wouldn’t come as to whether he would have a porter tomorrow.  It will be an anxious night for him tonight.  He has been told if there is no porter he can’t go up tomorrow.  With tomorrow being a long hard day, and the cold affecting everyone, we all went to bed at 21:45.

Tuesday 12^th February – Day 14

Not too much sleep again during the night.  I kept needing to get up and go out for a pee in the freezing cold.  I definitely need a pee bottle for my next climb!

Somewhat wearily I got up and woke up Andrzej who had annoyingly slept well.  There was ice inside the tent again making it very cold as we prepared our equipment for the move to camp 2.  By 09:00 we had dismantled our tent and were sat on some rocks eating our breakfast and basking in the sun that had just come up.

Soon enough we were helping others dismantle their tents and were feeling ready to go.  At 10:50 we were finally ready and made our way slowly up the mountainside.  The aim of today was to take our time so as not to be too exhausted having reached the camp.  Sadly, Raf had got up the worse overnight which meant that the group heading up the mountain was one member short.  His presence will be missed but we will at least see him at base camp in a couple of days.

Walking with my scarf over my mouth to prevent further sunburn  found the pace good and got into an efficient rhythm with Mark.  The two of us were feeling the trip today was easier than had previously been expected.  As the day wore on the gain in altitude saw several group members slow down.  This was only to be expected but it was surprising to see who was starting to struggle.  I think tomorrow I will try to stick closely to the first guide to ensure I keep a good rhythm like I had done today.  I’m certain that affect people’s performance.

Arriving at camp 2 at 15:55 (after five hours and five minutes) we set about erecting the tents in the wind – not an easy job!  Eventually Andrzej and I had our tent up and set about organising equipment for tonight and especially for tomorrow.  It was also crucial that we drank as much as possible, so we downed as much tea as we could.

The evening meal was plain spaghetti, which was obviously an attempt to cram as many carbs as possible into our final feast.  Feeling somewhat bloated I waddled back to my tent to finish off my thermos of tea.

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