Happy New Year's from Camp I (9,100 ft.)

Scott called to wish us a Happy New Year from Camp I on New Year's Eve.  They had moved up to Camp I that day, and they were planning to overnight there and spend a rest day at Camp I on New Year's Day.  Provided that the weather holds, they expected to climb to High Camp today (Jan. 2).

He said there was a nice light snowfall but that it was still sunny and that he had actually been pretty warm climbing in just a long-sleeved shirt.  The sun reflecting off the snow generates a lot of heat.

Because of their location so close to the South Pole and due to the time of year (it is mid-summer there now), they are in the midst of a 2-week period of 24-hour daylight.  Scott said that he had trouble sleeping at first because of the constant sunlight, but he is starting to get adjusted to it.

As they ascend to higher elevations and the wind increases, they will need more of their polar gear.  Here's a picture of Scott in his mountaineering boots and his down gear as he was packing for this trip.  Our daughter Emma Pearl was excited that they had "matching puffer coats."

Happy New Year everyone!

Touchdown at Vinson Base Camp

Scott called to tell me that they arrived safely at Vinson Base Camp as planned on Saturday (12/29) and that they're planning an acclimation climb up to Low Camp on Sunday (12/30).

It's important to allow your body time to adjust to altitude slowly, which is what acclimation is all about.  Proceeding too quickly without allowing your body to adapt to higher elevations can result in altitude sickness and even life-threatening illness such as high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or high altitude cerebral edema (HACE).  Unrelated to physical fitness or demographics (like age or gender), some people are simply more susceptible to altitude sickness than others, but at extreme altitudes, the risk is higher.

One important way that mountain climbers help their bodies adjust to the elevation is to "climb high and sleep low."  That means that they climb up to a higher elevation during the day and then descend to a lower elevation to sleep.  This is why Scott and his fellow climbers will climb up to (or near) Low Camp and then climb back down to Vinson Base Camp to sleep on Sunday.

The Polar Express 2012/13: Mt. Vinson Expedition

Scott is climbing the 5th of the Seven Summits (highest point on each continent) over the next 2 1/2 weeks, and I will be updating news about his expedition here.  He arrived safely in Chile late on the 26th after a few delays state-side.  During the past couple days in Punta Arenas, Chile, he attended a briefing on Antarctica and the polar conditions, including information about environmental and safety procedures. He is traveling with a guided group for this expedition due to the costs involved for the logistics (private plane to the glacier and specialized 4x4 shuttle to Vinson Base Camp).  Since his arrival in Punta Arenas, the team has been through extensive gear checks to ensure they have the appropriate polar clothing and also a bio-security check to ensure that the pristine environment of Antarctica will not be compromised.  Due to strict limits on the weight of their baggage on the charter flight, there is also a luggage weigh-in.  Flight conditions are very unstable due to the weather, so once everyone has completed the necessary steps, they are on "standby" for the flight to Antarctica.  They are expected to depart on Saturday, December 29.  (Note: only 4 hours ahead of Pacific Time Zone.)

More information to come but for now here is a map that gives you a sense of Mt. Vinson's location in relation to the continent.  The Ellsworth mountain range where the Vinson Massif is located is within West Antarctica.

Home at last - photos from Aconcagua '11

After 28 hours of travel, they made it home safely on Sunday, January 16th.

Here are just a few pictures from summit day:

Sunrise in the Andes

Aaron on the way up

Sick View!

Summit 22,843-FT

Man it's bright up here with the shades off

View of gnarly South Face from the summit

Back at Camp 2

Back at Base Camp (Plaza de Mules)

Scott called yesterday to let me know that they arrived at Plaza de Mules just before dark at 8pm.  [Can you believe it stays light so late?!  That's what happens when you're so close to the equator, I suppose!]

He was exhausted after the long hike down with their heavy packs filled with all their gear.  He said it was a relief to get down to 14,000 ft. where it was so much warmer and where they could sleep so much better at lower elevation.

They were both excited to have someone else cook their dinner for them and glad to have something other than what they could make on the Jet Boil.

Today they were able to relax and enjoy their last day in the park and check out views of the gnarly South Face of Mt. Aconcagua (only a handful of climbers each year attempt this very dangerous route).

Tomorrow they will offload most of their packs and gear to the mules and hike out of the park to Penitentes.  There they will stay in a hostel and take the shuttle on Saturday to Mendoza where they will fly home and arrive in Portland late Sunday afternoon.

It's a huge relief to know that they are back down at a lower elevation, and we are excited for them to come home.  Thank you to everyone for all your prayers, love and support!

Safely Resting at Camp II

Scott called this afternoon to put my mind at ease that they made it back to Camp II where they made themselves something to eat and boiled hot water for tea before they bundled up in the tent and called it an early night.  They will get their rest tonight after the grueling climb today, and tomorrow will be a long day of trekking back down to Base Camp on the Normal Route.  Base Camp on this route is called Plaza de Mules since this is where climbers meet up with their muleteers and mules carrying their gear.  The hike out on the Normal Route is about 8 miles shorter than the Polish Glacier Route that they took on the way in.

Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers for the guys on their expedition.  I will post another update before they leave Argentina on the 15th and will post a link to photos sometime fairly soon after they return safely in Portland on the 16th.

Summit Success!

Scott called me this morning from the top of South America!  They made it there around 11am (local time) and spent 45 minutes enjoying the view and their accomplishment.  He said that the last hour was a real push due to the altitude and the cold.  They were ascending the west side of the NW ridge, so they were in the shade the whole way up.  It's hard to imagine that in a few days they will be back down to lower elevations (it is 91 degrees in the city of Mendoza today!).

I will be sure to post another update once they have safely reached Camp II, where they will rest and spend the night.

Climbing Mt. Aconcagua presents all kinds of challenges since mountaineers have to handle rock, ice and snow, in addition to high winds and extreme temperatures.  Since it is the highest mountain outside of Asia, it is also very challenging due to its high elevation at 22,841 ft.  Some expert climbers also argue that because of its geographical location, the atmosphere is thinner and humidity is lower, making it even more physically challenging than other mountains.  Vegetation in the Central Andes Mountain range only reaches 13,000 ft., while Asia's Himalayan Mountain range has vegetation up to 16,400 ft., which is a testament to the sparse and severe conditions of Aconcagua.

Great job, guys!  Now descend safely please.