Blog Update 31 December 2009

I think it was on an episode of ‘Ellen’ that I saw a women enter what looked like a phone booth, with a thousand dollars laying on the floor, a fan was switched on underneath the booth and whatever she could grab in one minute was hers to keep. Well do remember that plush little bathroom booth I showed you yesterday, well instead of dollar bills, picture toilet tissue…..get the idea? With winds gusting 35 – 40 km past these steel booths it would make for a terrific game show, but you’re not trying to grab or catch anything, actually quite the opposite…..just ask Glenn!

Brad celebrates his birthday today at 16000ft and with winds even stronger up the mountain at Camp One; I don’t think he’ll be having any candles on his cake today. Happy Birthday Brad! Team members that rested yesterday have carried today to Camp Two, but the wind has been very strong which makes it really tough going. Those that carried yesterday have battened down their tent and are enjoying a day off. The team will enjoy a brief respite with the wind Friday evening, which could possibly see them all at Camp Two that same day, however that window is very small and the forecast has a substantial increase expected over the weekend, it really is just like a game of chess.

Every Morning here at Base Camp, a local helicopter heralds the start of each day at 7.45am. It brings in new personnel or evacuates sick climbers or brings in new barrels for those plush bathroom booths that seem to feature so much in this blog. Each booth is on a hill because it rests on top of one of these barrels and obviously after a period of time they fill up. So there you have it, the myth is busted, it’s not just at your place of work that s*#t flies!

Blog update by Jerry.

Blog Update 30 December 2009

I spoke with the team at 8am and all are well, apart from a couple of minor headaches which is to be expected after a first night at 16000ft. This afternoon I was informed that about 4 of the team will do a carry to Camp Two, taking advantage of the excellent weather and low winds.

With all the team away, it’s very peaceful at Base Camp and I’ve now time to show you some of the facilities that they’ve left behind…..and I can still enjoy! The shower is a real morale booster despite the cost. With a plastic tray, barrel for soap and clothes, water bladder and pieces of shriveled hose, it would give any Kohler product a run for it’s money.  Furthermore, if you stand on and trample your dirty laundry, it doubles as a washing machine….great product!

The steel cabinet on the hill, despite looking like Dr Who’s Tardis, is actually the bathroom and take it from me, it doesn’t get much more basic than this! Unfortunately due to minors having access to this blog, I’m unable to show the interior, lets just say an oval shaped hole, furnished with a grab handle on either side of the interior complete this plush little beauty. The 35km wind whistling between the ground and the base…..speed up the drying process!

The internet and phone tent are rather civilized, if you’ve received a call over Christmas, this was where the call came from. Internet costs around US$30 per hour and the phone US$2 per minute.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this short tour of Base Camp and it helps you picture what’s going on here. The guys are safe and all doing well. I’ll keep you updated as things progress. The last photo is simply called, Dream On!

Blog Update by Jerry

Blog Update 29 December 29, 2009

Well today was the big move, by 1100am all 12 climbers were on the way up to Camp One. Don and Kevin were the last to leave and are pictured traversing a ridge up towards the ice field.

The other picture shows a view looking across base camp and up the route towards the ice field and Camp One about 3.5hrs beyond. A 1pm radio check confirmed all climbers were still doing well, a breezy hike today with winds around 30km but blue sky with a standing cloud over the mountain.

It’ll be a cool night for the team with the forecast low -10C, but they’re all well prepared with their Sherpa gear, Mountain Hardware tents, MSR stoves and as a last resort each other to snuggle up to…..and that’s why I’m staying at base camp!

Blog Update by Jerry Mason

Blog Update - Dec 28, 2009

Carry to Camp One. If you were watching the Spot GPS yesterday, you would have tracked the team on the carry to Camp One. Hiking through the spectacular ice field up to about 16000ft and for me, the highest I’ve ever climbed. It took around 3.5 hours in bright sunny conditions but with a very fresh breeze which picked up as the day progressed with a noticeable drop in temperature during the ascent.

It’s a long slow but steady pace that gets you there (along with a power bar or two) with enough energy for the 1.5 hour hike back to Base Camp. I think one of the main lessons learnt on this particular hike, was to wait until the wind drops before having a pee, otherwise you tend to get rather damp!

With all the team remaining fit and healthy, tomorrow is the big permanent move from Base Camp to Camp One, the wind is forecast to decrease somewhat making for a more pleasant climb and the forecast remains good for the next week with the wind reducing substantially for the weekend, well that’s the forecast anyway and we all know that can change.

Blog update by Jerry Mason

Blog update Dec 26

Blog update 26 December 2009

As the early morning sun changed the colour of the high peaks around base camp and I struggled with my contact lenses frozen into their solution, 7 of the team prepared for an early morning hike and fly before breakfast and before the wind got too strong preventing any possible paragliding.

The early rise and cold hike were rewarded by a fantastic scenic flight, taking off at 14,800ft and heading straight towards Mt Aconcagua while the rest of the camp slept below, but not for long as the whole area was soon echoing to the ‘whoops’ and ‘yeehas’ of the pilots as they passed over base camp towards the landing area kindly staffed by Ken acting as airport manager passing wind reports as requested by the pilots…..and all this before breakfast too!

During the afternoon, some of the team felt strong enough to tackle a carry to camp one, stockpiling essential supplies such as food, fuel and warm clothing for the climb ahead. Tomorrow the whole team will head off on the main carry to camp one, but return to base camp for supper. Don’t forget to watch the progress on the Spot GPS. All the team remain healthy, in high spirits and eager to start the main climb in 2 days.

Blog update by Jerry Mason

Blog Update 25 December 2009

It’s a beautiful Christmas day here, around 30 C with a clear blue sky. A great Christmas breakfast with pancakes and toast was followed by a relaxing morning. Some of the team have taken advantage of the onsite shower, US$20 seemed a small price to pay for a bag of hot water and hosepipe for that tremendous deep clean feeling! If the wind remains light, we may try some paragliding tomorrow around base camp…..watch this space. I think we have chicken on the menu tonight, we’ll just close our eyes and dream of the turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce.

Blog update by Jerry

Merry Christmas - (New Blog Update from base camp)

Blog Update 24 December. First of all, Merry Christmas everybody from Mt Aconcagua base camp at Plaza Argentina at 4200 metres.

Sadly we’ve been out of communication since we left Puenta Del Inca and our satellite phone refused to work. But here at base camp we have internet….hooray!

Its been 30C plus degrees for our hiking, but sometimes down to 5C at night, tonight it’s sure to be colder here as we are right on the snow line. All the team are fit and healthy and looking forward to a days rest. It’s very windy though at the moment, some of the returning climbers are reporting winds up to 60 mph on the summit.

Everybody says "HI" to their friends and family, have a great Christmas, next report in 2 days, but please don’t forget to follow us on Spot on this blog.  (click on the map to the right)