Chad Kellogg Completes New Route On Aconcagua

American climber Chad Kellogg has completed a new route on Aconcagua, going up solo and in alpine style, up the South Face. According to this story, courtesy of ExWeb, the new route took 42 hours to complete, covering more than 2000 meters (6561 feet) of new terrain in the process.

According to ExWeb Chad went to Argentina, along with a good friend, back in December with an eye on climbing Aconcagua, which is the tallest peak in South America at 22,841 feet. The pair acclimatized on the normal route along the Northwest Ridge, taking a week to complete that climb, but in the process, Chad's friend picked up a lung infection that sent him off the mountain.

Not content with just reaching the summit along the usual route, Chat was looking for something more challenging and interesting. Before making their summit bid, he and his friend did a recon of the South Face, where he spotted a potential new route that he felt he could do. On Dec. 22nd, he received word of a three-day weather window, and he set off to take advantage of it. ExWeb reports that he carried just a down jacket, synthetic insulated pants, a pair of mittens and gear including a 30m rope, 4 screws, 4 pins, and 4 cams. 20 bars, a 300-calorie freeze dried meal, and a stove with one canister.

Kellogg says that he initially thought he could complete the route in just 24 hours time, provided conditions were right higher on the mountain. Obviously it ended up taking longer than that, as he had to deal with a number of issues, including very technical sections, avalanches, and the usual issues that come with route finding along a new line. In the end, he stood on top, but not before dealing with quite a few challenges including running out of all of his supplies. ExWeb's story comes mostly from Chad himself, and it is a great read all around.

The Aconcagua climb was meant to be a warm-up for Everest, where Chad will be going this Spring. From the sounds of thins, he's more than ready.

Note: To all the Chad Kellogg bashers out there, I don't want to hear any comments or e-mails regarding his claims at speed records. The story has been beat to death, and I don't want any part of it. Any comments will be deleted. Please move along to a different blog/forum.

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Aconcagua Speed Run Retreats, Tries Again

I've mentioned Diane Van Deren's speed run attempt on Aconcagua a couple of times already, and there was an update on their progress over the weekend. According to the Never Stop Exploring Blog, the team retreated back to base camp following four consecutive nights stuck at 18,000 feet amidst high winds and -20º temperatures. Reportedly, the winds were holding steady at 50-60 miles per hour. Fortunately, not all has been lost however, as the weather forecasts for the next few days indicate that the winds will drop off, and although temperatures are set to remain cool, they'll be moving back up the mountain today to make another summit bid.

Diane, along with mountain guide Willie Benegas, both climbed up to 20,000 feet as part of their training and acclimatization process. And they both seem strong and ready to go for the 22,841 foot summit. Once they've completed that, they'll descend back to BC once again, then hike an additional 20 miles down the trail, where they'll begin their endurance run to the top of the mountain once again. Van Deren, who is an accomplished endurance athlete, is being monitored for a study by the Mayo Clinic that is examining the effects of altitude on climbers, with updates being posted to their blog as well.

Last week when I posted on this a couple of readers left comments, rightly pointing out that they weren't sure what the Mayo Clinic was hoping to accomplish from this study, considering the sample size is just one person. In those discussions we decided that this wasn't so much a study of the effects of altitude on climbers, but instead the effects on Diane Van Deren. What they hope to learn from following just her is a bit vague, and since she's already a freak of nature when it comes to endurance events, their findings are likely to not have much of a reflection on the rest of us. I guess we'll wait and see.

If the current weather window holds, as planned, we should hear more about the summit bid within the next few days.

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Aconcagua Speed Run Expedition Begins

A few weeks back I posted a story about North Face athlete Diane Van Deren as she was preparing to head off to South America to take on Argentina's Aconcagua, the highest mountain on the continent. But unlike most climbers making a bid on the mountain, Diane's goal was to complete the initial climb as a warm-up, then make a speed attempt on the mountain, running to the summit for a second time.

The latest update on the expedition, posted to the Never Stop Exploring Blog, indicates that as of two days ago, the team was finished with their acclimatization process and would begin their actual assault on the summit yesterday, with an eye on reaching the top on Friday, provided the weather holds. They don't expect to make any more dispatches until after they've returned to BC, which could be late on Friday night or Saturday morning.

After that, the second phase of the expedition will get underway, in which Diane, along with guide Willie Benegas, will move 20 miles down the road from base camp, and begin a long run back to BC, and all the way back up the mountain. They expect the journey to take roughly 95 hours to complete, and they're doing it as part of a medical study, conducted by the Mayo Clinic, on how altitude effects performance. The Clinic is also posting updates on the expedition on their blog as well.

Most people would come off of Aconcagua, which stands 22,841 feet in height, and be exhausted. These ultra-fit athletes are using it as a warm-up for a bigger test. Crazy.

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Running Up Aconcagua

Speaking of Aconcagua, I was listening to National Geographic Weekend, on Stitcher Radio a few days back, and host Boyd Matson was interviewing ultrarunner and North Face athlete Diane Van Deren as she prepares to make a speed attempt on Aconcagua in a few weeks time.

In the interview, Diane talked a lot about her training and the extreme races she takes part in, including doing the Yukon Quest trail on foot in the middle of February. That's a 430 mile long run, in the dead of winter, which she completed in just 10 days time. Think about that folks. She averaged 43 miles per day, through snow, in arctic conditions. Very impressive.

Anyway, Diane is now preparing to leave for Argentina as part of a research study put on by the Mayo Clinic, to examine the effects of altitude on performance. She'll start by climbing the mountain in typical fashion, spending a number of days acclimatizing and making a summit bid. After that, she'll return to base camp, then descend 20 miles further away from the mountain, where she'll start the real challenge, running to the summit of Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America.

Accompanying Diane on the climb will be Willie Benegas, who is very familiar with Aconcagua, having gone up the mountain himself more than 20 times. The well known mountain guide has climbed all over the world, including Patagonia and the Himalaya. Also a North Face athlete, Willie will make a perfect partner for Diane on this expedition.

I had a hard time finding much info on this speed climb. If anyone has a link to an expedition page, please send it my way.

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The Epic Riding The Spine Journey Is Complete!

I've mentioned the Riding the Spine expedition several times in the past, but it has been quite a long time since I posted an update. It is the epic journey by mountain bike from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina, that was undertaken by Jacob Thompson, Sean Monterastelli and a man named Goat (I kid you not!). After three and a half years on the trail, covering more than 21,000 miles, passing through 14 countries in the process, the boys have finally arrived at their destination, reaching Ushuaia this past Sunday. Their online journal declares: "We Did It!"

Riding the Spine derives its name from the fact that they made most of the journey by peddling through mountain trails and over passes, rather than on established roads and highways. Jacob, Sean, and Goat spent more time in the Rockies and Andes, the mountain spines of their respective continents, then they did on paved roads and in civilization. They also managed to work in a couple of paddling trips, kayaking some whitewater along the way, and even used kayaks to transport their bikes through a remote section along the Panama and Colombian border.

Needless to say, the past three years have been quite an adventure for this trio, who were occasionally joined out on the road by some guest riders too. I want to extend a hearty congratulations to the entire crew on reaching their goal. What an amazing journey this has been, and I'm sure they're having a lot of bittersweet emotions at the moment. Three and a half years is a long time to devote to a project, and to see it end has to be both very rewarding and kind of sad at the same time.

Thanks to Adventure World Magazine for the tip on this story.

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(Mis)Adventures on Aconcagua

Standing 22,841 feet in height, Aconcagua is the tallest mountain in South America, earning it the distinction of being one of the Seven Summits. Each year, hundreds of climbers make their way to the mountain, looking to reach the summit, and add a big peak to their resume. We're told that this is a non-technical mountain, that requires no special mountaineering skills, but that it is indeed a very long, and challenging hike to the top. And of course, we're regaled each climbing season with stories of the view from the top, often accompanied by photos of smiling climbers who look amazingly happy, while the Argentina countryside splays out for miles below them.

But what if you don't reach the summit, despite making a public display of your intentions, blogging your progress, and sending audio dispatches back to a captive audience back home? That's exactly what happened to writer David Ferris back in 2007, when he joined an expedition to Aconcagua, with the intention of climbing the mountain, and sharing his journey on the web. But a funny thing happened on the way to the summit. David found the climb to be more challenging than he thought, and as a result, he was unable to complete the climb, much to his own chagrin. Afterwards, he then had to face his friends and family, while dealing with what he considered was a failure on the tallest mountain outside of the Himalaya.

David wrote a two part article on his Aconcagua experience for Smith Magazine, which is both a celebration of adventure and an insightful look at how it feels to have to turn back from your goals, and the feelings that come along with that choice. Part I of the story, entitled "Tough Call", is found by clicking here, while Part II is found here. Better yet, you can check out David's blog page on his climb, which can be found here. On that page, you can find an audio stream of the author reading his own article, as well as a link to a video file that mixes great photographs from the climb with the same audio.

Listening to David's tale, it was easy to relate to my own experiences on Kilimanjaro, another mountain that is said to be a "walk-up", and require no technical skills to summit. But altitude can do funny things to you, and while both of these mountains are tall enough that no matter the skill level, you can't just discount their height. Of course, you always need to use good judgement on any mountain, but that doesn't always take the sting out of not reaching the top, especially when it's something that you've really been wanting.

This is a great story about what it's like when you don't get to stand on top, and the feelings that climbers and adventurers deal with when they come back down. Good stuff, and definitely worth a read or a listen.

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Aconcagua: The Everest for the Rest of Us

If all of this summit talk on Everest, and throughout the Himalaya, the past few days has you inspired to climb a mountain, then perhaps you should consider Aconcagua, which Men's Journal calls the Everyman's Everest.

The 22,834 foot mountain is located in Argentina and is the tallest mountain in South America. Considered one of the Seven Summits, it also happens to be the tallest mountain in the world not found in the greater Himalaya range. It offers an actual mountain expedition, spread out over a couple of weeks, that is more of an alpine style approach, but still offers a mountaineering experience that is challenging and rewarding.

In this case, the author, Tim Sohn, had a some expert help getting to the top. He climbed with Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker (who just summitted Everest earlier today), along with ten time (soon to be 11!) Everest summitteer Dave Hahn. Who could ask for a better crew to shuttle you up the mountain? The expedition was an early test for the new line of First Ascent gear from Eddie Bauer.

The article does a good job of showing the approaching to climbing Aconcagua through the eyes of a guy who is in reasonably good shape, but had never been higher than 14,500 feet before. He also had just one month to prepare for the expedition, when typically 3 or 4 would be better. It's interesting read for armchair mountaineers to understand what goes into this type of climb before they set out for one themselves. Reading this may have you plotting a trip of your own soon enough. :)

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Aconcagua Controversy: Was The Rescue Team Negligent?

There is another controversy that has been brewing in the mountaineering community, this time in regards to a death on Aconcagua back in early January. The reports were that Federico Campanini, an Argentinean climbing guide, and one of his clients, Elena Senin, had died on the mountain. The pair, along with the rest of their team, reached the summit of South America's highest mountain along the usual route, but while they were at the top, a fast moving storm moved into the area. Suddenly blinded by a snowstorm, the team attempted to descend, but accidently went down the more technically challenging Polish Route. According to the story, Federico and Elena fell to their deaths, and the remainder of the team was eventually rescued by a helicopter that plucked them off the mountain.

Early last week a video made its way out onto the Internet that cast a completely different light on the incident. Appearing on YouTube, the video purportedly shows an Aconcagua Search and Rescue Team standing around, doing little to help, while Campanini struggles for his life. There are some indications that he is being cursed by his "rescuers" and at one point, one of them radios back to base to ask permission to leave him behind. Federico also has a rope tied to him and is dragged through the snow, while he crawls on all fours.

Needless to say, I won't link to the video, but you can find out more about it in this post from ExWeb and this story from the National Geographic Adventure Blog.

Of course, the story has once again divided the mountaineering community. There are some who say that the video shows just a small slice of the attempt to rescue Campanini, and that at that point the rescue team was exhausted after hours of trying to assist the Italian climber. In order to get him down, the team was going to have to take him back up the mountain, and down the normal route, and it was proving very difficult to do so. Some would say it was impossible for them to save him at all. These defenders also say that while they do appear to be cursing Campanini, that that is just the manner of their speech and not specifically directed at him.

On the other hand, those critical of what they saw in the video say that the SAR team wasn't doing enough to help Federico, and point to high altitude rescues on Everest, K2, and other major Himalayan peaks to show that it can be done. They also say that more could have been done to help his condition, and no matter what, he didn't need to be cursed or treated poorly.

Over the past few years, following these events, I've learned to not be quick to judge, which is part of the reason why I haven't posted on this story until now. When high on a mountain, with dangerous conditions, things are never black and white, and usually it takes awhile to get the complete story of what happened. I do agree that this video is just a tiny slice of the events, and it doesn't really show us the whole picture, but it doesn't show us a good picture either. At the very least, the SAR team could have tried to make Federico comfortable and showed him so more dignity.

The events that occurred on Aconcagua back on January 8th were indeed tragic, and it's a shame that two people lost their lives on the mountain. Hopefully, at the very least, this incident will shed some light on the need for better rescue training on the mountain, and work to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

My condolences to the families of the two fallen climbers. It is a shame that they have had to suffer this loss, and then to find out this controversy a month later.

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Aconcagua News: South Africans on Top!

Great news from Aconcagua today, the South African team of Andrew Raubenheimer and Dobek Pater have reached the summit of the mountain today, completing the Polish Traverse Direct Route. They had intended to do the more technically demanding Polish Direct, but conditions on the glacier were reportedly unsteady.

According to the latest dispatches from the home team, Dobek reached the summit earlier today, but they note that it appears that Andrew turned back two meters from the top. He seemed to be suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness, and decided it was prudent to turn back a bit sooner.

My first reaction on hearing that he turned back just two meters from the top was "Why couldn't he go that last little way?" But at this point we don't know exactly how sick he was, so he made the right choice to go back. I hope he gets off the mountain fine and is soon resting, and celebrating at lower altitude.

Congrats to Dobek for reaching the summit, but clearly this was a great team effort, and Andrew deserves much credit and adulations as well. It's a shame that he couldn't stand on top with his friend, but this was a job well done. Now get down safe boys.

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News From Aconcagua: South African Team Eyes Summit

There is some interesting news from Aconcagua today, with the highest mountain in the Americas still garnering plenty of attention late in the season.

First up, the South African Team that is climbing via the Polish Direct Route, has been out of contact for the past few days, but the home team keeps us updated with the latest news on where Andrew and Dobek are on the mountain. If everything stays on schedule, the boys should be looking at making a summit bid sometime in the middle of the week, although high winds and cold temperatures may have an impact on that. Right now, things look good for a go at the summit along this technically challenging route though.

In other Aconcagua news, the Ecuador Adventures website has a good article up on Carla Perez and Esteban Mena, who reached the summit of the mountain on the 1st of February via the Southern Face. Carla became the first Latin American female to summit from that route, and Esteban became the youngest person to do so at the age of 19. The Southern Face is also a technically challenging route with mixed ice and rock, and is considered one of the toughest routes on any of the Seven Summits. Congrats to Carla and Esteban, as well as Joshua Jarrín, the third member of their team.

Thanks to Antonio for sending this my way!

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Aconcagua End of Season Report

The climbing season on Aconcagua, the highest peak in the world outside of the Himalaya, is winding down, and ExWeb has a solid report on some of the recent happenings on the mountain this year.

As the story notes, Aconcagua is a popular destination in the last few months or first few months of any given year. Many climbers use it as a training climb for the bigger peaks to come later in the spring, such as Everest. While the 6962m (22,841 feet) mountain doesn't offer the same altitude as the Himalaya, it does present a nice opportunity to gauge your physical conditioning and test gear. The fact that it is also one of the Seven Summits increases its attraction to climbers looking to bag all of the peaks on the different continents as well.

The end-of-the-season report indicates that traffic was quite heavy on the mountain this year, with more climbers than usual. Sadly, there were also more fatalities on Aconcagua too, with six people losing their lives, double the average number of deaths in any given year.

On the positive side though, four disabled military personnel from Columbia reached the summit this month, after overcoming a variety of injuries in the past few years. Also, ten year old Matthew Moniz, from the U.S., summitted as well, making him the youngest person to ever do so. Matthew is out to give Jordan Romero a run for his money, as he's also going after the Seven Summits, and now has Kilimanjaro and Elburus on his resume, in addition to Aconcagua.

The report wraps up with some interesting historical information about the ancient Incas going quite high on the mountain, and possibly to the summit.

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South African Team Climbing Aconcagua via the Polish Glacier Direct Route

Two South African climbers are making final preparations to climb Aconcagaua, the tallest mountain in South America, via the technically challenging Polish Glacier Direct Route. If successful, they'll be the first mountaineers from their country to successfully top out on the mountain using this approach.

The two climbers, Andrew Raubenheimer and Dobek Pater, are already in Argentina, where according to the latest news on their website, the are attempting to get all the necessary permits they need to climb the mountain. With that little detail out of the way, they intend to set out for the mountain itself in the next few days, where they'll establish base camp and make their final preparations for the climb.

The Polish Glacier Direct Route was first opened back in 1934 and is known for it's hazardous, and technically difficult, ice climbs up the Polish Glacier. The route is rather gear intensive, requiring both traditional mountaineering equipment as well as a full compliment of ice climbing gear, which means that Andrew and Dobek will have heavy packs when the make their assault on the summit.

Standing 6962 meters (22,841 feet) in height, Aconcagua is the tallest peak in the Western Hemisphere and the tallest outside of the Himalaya. It is part of the Andes mountain range, and sits in the far western regions of Argentina, close to the border with Chile. As one of the Seven Summits, the mountain sees plenty of traffic, and is generally considered a non-technical climb along it's most popular route. Alternative routes like the Polish Glacier Direct offer a much more challenging climb for experienced mountaineers.

You can follow Andrew and Dobek as they make their attempt on Aconcagua on their website, where you'll find their planned itinerary, and their gear. Good luck guys!!

Thanks to Lisa from AR.co.za, an excellent site on adventure racing in South Africa specifically and the sport in general.

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Buenos Aires

The obelisk.

Not "the" obelisk.

The excellent "Cuidad Baigon" playing at the San Telmo street fair.


Congress.

The Palacio Barolo was inspired by Dante's Divine Comedy and just so happened to be directly across the street from my hostel.

The colorful La Boca neighborhood.

These "residents" look festive in the daylight, but I imagine once the sun sets, they become the stuff of nightmares.

The Recoleta Cemetery: home to ex-presidents, Evita and a healthy number of cats.

My plans for Buenos Aires were simple. I was going to finish the cruise, spend an evening exploring the city and board a flight home the following day. But, of course, the best laid plans, etc. and so forth... A couple of things happened. (1) I went to the wonderfully bohemian San Telmo street fair, a weekly gathering of antique collectors, artists, street performers and assorted on-lookers of all ages. (2) I learned that my hostel was on a historic street, Avenida de Mayo, that is until today the sight of the almost daily political protests; that it is run by a super friendly bunch of guys and that they have the best roof-top view in town and (3) I realized I was not ready to come home, had no reason to come home and still had plenty of days off to play with. So with all this in mind, a one day stay became a one week stay. At first, I foolishly worried that this might be too much time in one place and started looking for ways to get to Iguazu Falls, but after a couple of days exploring Buenos Aires, I realized that a week was not even enough to scratch the surface, at least not at the leisurely mode I was in. Instead of trying to see everything all at once, as I normally do, I took my time getting to know the distinct but various neighborhoods. I devoted an entire day to walking through the massive Recoleta cemetery, where I took a fascinating tour detailing the history of some of the better known residents and later sat in the nearby park, reading a book and enjoying the sun. On two other days, I took free walking tours, one focusing on the city's rich political past and the other on its aristocratic foundation, which has resulted in the lavish European-inspired architecture that is so prevalent today. Both tours, which I highly recommend, are the products of BA Free Tours. This company is owned and operated by Gaston and Sol, a remarkable brother and sister duo, who share a passion for revealing both the good and bad their city has to offer. I'm particularly grateful to Sol, who insisted on giving her tour, even though I was the only person who showed up that day. On yet another day, I took a city bus to the slightly rough but decidedly colorful La Boca. This former Italian neighborhood (or at least 3 blocks of it) has become a tourist haven due to its brightly-hued building, a tradition that began when the first inhabitants used paint left over from ships at the nearby dock to paint their homes. There was never enough of one color to fully cover a house, so some mixing and matching ensued. Today, the most photogenic part is home to souvenir stores, sidewalk cafes and more tango dancers than you can shake a stiletto at. When not dancing, they entice tourists into striking dramatic tango poses for the camera (and a small fee, of course). Not to be outdone, was a stout, curly-headed Argentinian in a soccer jersey who offered "fotos con Maradona". Gotta love a guy who turns a slight resemblance to a national hero into a career. One evening, inspired by all these tango-ers (tango-ists ?), I convinced Maria, my new hostel friend, to join me in taking tango lessons. We went to the historic Confiteria Ideal (site of at least one scene from Madonna's Evita) and clomped all over our hapless instructors for about an hour before watching in awe as the regulars took the floor. Yet another evening, Maria and I went to a rooftop bar-b-que at the hostel, where I befuddled our hosts by arriving with a box of frozen veggie burgers. To their credit they gamely grilled and served them, I'm sure in violation of a number of Argentinian laws. Of course, since old habits die hard, I did take a day trip to Uruguay, which I will blog about later, but the point is that even with the relaxed pace I had adopted, the week simply flew by. Before I knew it, I was back where I had started, facing a quickly approaching return to reality. This time I did board my flight, weary but happy, mostly grateful for the extra unexpected week I got to spend in Argentina.

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Puerto Madryn and the Valdez Peninsula

Port of call #6, Puerto Madryn was the one that made me scream "I'm going on this cruise!". While mulling over the idea of a South American cruise, I did a quick google search on "Puerto Madryn, attractions" and the result was pages and pages of photos showcasing whales, orcas, elephant seals, guanacos and of course, penguins.

After that, there was no room for debate. I kept picturing the elephant seal from "Happy Feet" and for some reason, felt that I had to, had to, had to see these creatures for myself. With that thought firmly in mind, I booked (a) the cruise and (b) a tour with Nestor of CuyonCo to the Peninsula Valdez.

The peninsula, about an hour's drive from Puerto Madryn and a UNESCO world heritage sight, is home to all the aforementioned wildlife and is thus, quite understandably, a big eco-tourism destination. People come from all over to stay in Puerto Piramidas and watch southern right whales frolic in the Golfo Nuevo and the Golfo San Jose during their mating season. They come to catch the ghastly spectacle of orcas in Caleta Valdez and Punta Norte momentarily beaching themselves in order to catch seal and sea lion pups (one of only two places in the world where this is known to take place).

And of course, there are the Magellanic penguins. Had we had more time, we could have visited nearby Punta Tombo, the largest colony in all of South America (approximately 500,000 penguins!!). As it was, our time and timing wasn't exactly the best. The whales were slowly leaving the Gulf and making their way back out to sea, meaning that a boat trip to see them would take the better part of the afternoon. The orcas were too far to the north to cover during our short time in port.

The adult male elephant seals, the ones I envisioned from Happy Feet had just concluded their mating season and were out to sea feeding and regaining weight lost during their amorous pursuits. Left behind were the females, pups and the teen-age males, who had yet to develop the prominent proboscis that gives them their name. The penguins in this region were few, but boisterous, engaging in aggrieved territorial disputes in spite of the fact that, compared to their brethren in Punta Tombo, they had more than enough land to call their own. Fortunately, things went slightly better when we headed inland.

We did see guanacos (which are llama-like creatures with an uncanny ability to stay just beyond camera range at all times), maras (over sized rodents, very similar to the Venezuelan capybaras) and a couple of tarantulas that enjoy basking in the middle of the road. It was not the wildlife extravaganza that I had hoped for, but by this point, the cruise had so exceeded my expectations, that I did not really mind. I felt we had seen as much as we could have given our limited stay.

It was clear the potential that Puerto Madryn held, if one had enough time to enjoy it, and as with so many other places, I decided I would like to someday return....with more time and hopefully better timing. But for now, I would consider the trip a nice preview and put the score at NCL 2, Indie Traveller 4.

A Darwin's Rhea


A Magellanic Penguin... with an attitude.









Elephant seals at play













A family of Maras

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