Steve Bonowski & Team Tackling Aconcagua

[climbing_rob]

Nice pics Kman and MH ! Brings back great memories. Perversely enough, since my wife wants to climb this peak, I will be climbing it again, or I should say attempting it as part of the 7-summit CMC thing in 2015 (leave late 2014). We're going to go up the Vaccas valley this time, then over the polish traverse.

[MyFeetHurt]

Last year I stayed at camp colera, coming from the vacas valley. Having stayed at both, I would stay at colera again for sure. Even though the name was the butt of all our jokes, the views are incredible. Both options seem viable. The difference being that leaving from Nido means leaving slightly earlier on summit day, which means more time in the cold before the sun comes up. With good gear and good weather, it was still damn cold waiting for sunrise.

Of all the crappers I got to try on the mountain, the one at casa de piedras was by far the worst. It's only at like 8-9000' or so, but it's tilted way backwards, does not have a seat proper, and the door wont stay shut. One hand holds the door, other hand against the back wall so you can support yourself while leaning back and not falling in. Use your third hand to wipe. It's a crowded camp, doing business behind a rock would be frowned upon as you don't have your plastic bag yet. Watch out for a certain large mouse there too, for those in the know.

P.S. Grajales sucks.

[MountainHiker]

Plaza de Mules


Berlin


Inpendencia


Summit

[uwe]

Aconcagua Trip update - Team ran into a winter storm and high winds, and have returned to Plaza de Mulas, the 14K camp.

[uwe]

Nice pics Kman and MH ! Brings back great memories. Perversely enough, since my wife wants to climb this peak, I will be climbing it again, or I should say attempting it as part of the 7-summit CMC thing in 2015 (leave late 2014). We're going to go up the Vaccas valley this time, then over the polish traverse.

That was the route I did in 2008.
You will love it.

The CMC 2015 Year of the Mountaineer program created by the CMC High Altitude Mountaineering Committee has relabeled their climb series to: "World Summits Series". Is anyone out there interested in self-funding their own Everest trip? This is now a long shot, since the 'Chinese Connection' bid failed. Back to square one - need a team of 3 or 4. This would be well provisioned (including a Sherpa per climber), but self-guided adventure. If that is not going to work, then Plan C is Cho Oyu for an 8K Himalaya peak. This was successfully climbed by CMC'ers John, Wayne and Debbie in the spring of 2013. We already have trip leaders for Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus and Kosciuszko. There has been talk about several teams climbing Aconcagua. If anyone is interested, contact Greg Long at at_90@yahoo.com. You'd need to have some big climb experience for some of the peaks, and would have to sign up for CMC membership to be eligible. It is going to be a great campaign. We will also have a RMNP Centennial Anniversary climbing program, and an International Mountaineers Exchange Project between CMC and the China Kunming Mountaineering and Exploration Association - in the works, but not yet finalized. Idea is we host the Chinese delegation on Colorado climbs and we send a team there to do some climbs in Yunnan Provence.

[climbing_rob]

Aconcagua Trip update - Team ran into a winter storm and high winds, and have returned to Plaza de Mulas, the 14K camp.

Any word on them going up for another try??? Sure hope they do....

If this attached, here's our summit photo from almost 10 years ago... that beer-can cross still there!

[uwe]

No word on that.

Great summit shot!!

[climbing_rob]

No word on that.

Great summit shot!!

Keep us posted if you hear anything. You probably know everyone in that shot, right?

[jbchalk]

If this attached, here's our summit photo from almost 10 years ago... that beer-can cross still there!

Rob, unfortunately the cross is not there anymore. It was in 2006 when I was up there but not last year (January 2013).

[climbing_rob]

Rob, unfortunately the cross is not there anymore. It was in 2006 when I was up there but not last year (January 2013).

bummer about the cross... Hey! I thought you were heading very, very south??? Soon, I guess. good luck!

[jbchalk]

Rob, unfortunately the cross is not there anymore. It was in 2006 when I was up there but not last year (January 2013).

bummer about the cross... Hey! I thought you were heading very, very south??? Soon, I guess. good luck!

Yep, I was bummed to see it gone last year. Heading out this Saturday!

[MyFeetHurt]

Yeah I was bummed as well not to see it. One of the guides mentioned that it often reappears, as if it is some kind of game they play as the seasons pass. Weird.