6 January 2005 (SMS Update)
At last, we are safe and sound in Chile!!!
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7 January 2005
So we are back! After safely summiting Vinson Massif in Antarctica... and one of the most truly spectacular experiences of our lives. Antarctica is truly beautiful. Sometime in the next week we will upload full descriptions of our experiences over there so stay tuned for that. Sorry that they were not complete while we were over there, but we had to leave the satellite phone at high camp, because carrying everything on our back meant every ounce of weight counts.
We plan to start climbing Aconcagua on the 14th, and will have daily dispatches from there. Lots of details about all things soon!!
The next three days we will be away on a kayaking trip from Torres del Paine to Purto Natales... taking a different form of adventure to give our blistered feet a break. But we will probably climb some glaciers on the way. After that, we will be back online :) Speak to you all soon.
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14 January 2005 (SMS Update)
Well after having visited the vast deserts of ice, we are now facing the actual desert and it is absolutely boiling! The Andes are towering above us with majestic splendor. The Vacas River runs alongside the trail, its thunderous roar is almost hypnotic in sending us to sleep. Last night’s sunset revealed the full “Andean Glow” full of deep reds and purples – something truly spectacular.
Tonight the Mulleros invited us to a traditional dinner under the stars. It involved endless barbeque meat, potatoes and plenty of fun! A magical experience to say the least.
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16 January 2005
Well today we arrived at base camp 3,800 metres above sea level – about 1,500 metres above the highest point in Australia! We also got a first glimpse of our goal rising ever so slightly higher than the rest of the Andes. Tomorrow we will have our first single carry to camp 1.
Today also saw us say goodbye to some travelling companions – the mules! They had been carrying gear but also helped us cross the Vacas River. Rather than get wet in waist-deep water we were carried across by our new-found animal friends! Now we have to rely solely on ourselves to climb further.
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17 January 2005 (SMS Update)
Another awesome day – it’s always amazing what a good night’s sleep and acclimatisation will do! We started at 6am and rocked up the mountain to camp 1 for our second carry. We are both feeling strong. At the moment we can look up the mountain and see camps 2 and 3 way in the distance – something to look forward to in the coming days!
18 January 2005
And then disaster struck!
Yesterday we made it to camp 2 in a blizzard with howling winds. Yet halfway up, just before the headwall we had a dental emergency: Nikki broke her tooth. In the frigid minus 40°C of Antarctica, one of Nikki’s teeth had cracked. Out once again on Aconcagua, the altitude and other factors combined to cause quite a bit of pain. The decision was made to return to the warmth of our tents at camp 1 and re-evaluate our position.
After discussions on the sat phone with our dentist back at home (thanks David Spiegel) and consulting our worried guide we were adamantly told that we had to turn around. From what we know there is a large risk of infection.
We haven’t as yet made the final decision as to what will happen next. We will let people know as things unfold. Watch this space!
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19 January 2005 (SMS Update)
Yesterday we hauled huge loads down to base with everything that we were going to use in the next ten days. It was depressing seeing other climbers going up. Today we are being evacuated on mules. It will take six hours and then a bus to Mendoza. Spirits are low.
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23 January 2005
Late breaking news... we are going to have another crack at this big mama!!!
So exciting. After a few pretty forlorn days involving turning around on the mountain, nine-hour mule rides, Mendozan dentists and various other challenges to body and soul, we have organised ourselves and are heading back up the mountain tomorrow morning!!!! Yay!!!! More on the details in a moment...
The decision to turn around was made first by our guide Clark ("This is the hardest part of my job") in the middle of a cold and windy blizzard up at camp 2 (5000m). We headed back to camp 1 (carrying all of the gear we had just lugged up the headwall in the blizzard) and couldn't get hold of the specialist, but consulted with our own dentist. The decision was made that even the remote risk to Nikki's health, particularly at high altitudes to come, just wasn't worth it.
Coming down a mountain is not so straightforward, or fast. One sad night at camp 1, packing up the next morning, and hiking down with mega-full loads to base camp, absolutely miserable. And of course apart from Nikki being cosmetically challenged, we were feeling so strong, so good. Bummer!!!!
Yes yes, part of being a good mountaineer is being zen in these circumstances. The vagaries of health, the sudden powerful faces of nature amongst other things... all are part of the journey and experience of mountaineering. Having said that, we were childishly depressed. Big bummer. Not even Clark's pancakes, all the hot chocolate drinks we wanted (because we no longer had to ration) or four Snickers bars could alleviate our misery.
After a funny night in base camp, the three of us in a tent together reading a novel torn in sections so we could share the one book, we prepared to leave.
Then things took a turn for the worse!!! It had been decided to get the mules out. We would save valuable time in getting down the mountain and back to Penitentes and then to Mendoza to see if there was even a chance of fixing Nikki's tooth...
The mules arrived at midday. Loaded up the bags. Then we hopped on (we, the "chicas", had the little mules).
As we left the Guacanos Route and headed down the Upper Vaccas Valley we were very sad, but actually started having a lot of fun again. In City Slicker style riding the mules was a great hoot! We got to see the awesome Andes, the magical views without lugging heavy loads and watching where we put our feet. Then riding through the rivers, mules thigh deep, rapids raging around us and areallos whistling and urging the mules on... big fun. Sometimes we walked, sometimes trotted, or even a slow canter. Being mules, sometimes they ground to a sudden and unexpected stop.
Mule Fact No. 1 - They are a cross between a horse and a donkey. They are sterile, i.e. as mutants, they can't breed between themselves.
Mule Fact No. 2 - If you ever have a choice, NEVER EVER EVER ride a mule... especially not for nine hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
After the first fun hour, the pain set in. Bum, knees, bum, back, bum, lower back, BUM!!!! OUCH!!!! It was Hell!!!! Crossing endless plains, up, down, precarious eroded soil ledges which we would be scared crossing with our own two legs, the mules had to do with four hoofed legs. One false hoof and mule and "señor passajero" would have fallen ten or twenty metres. At first we were scared. After many hours, we just didn't care... just get me off the mule!!!!!!
Finally, as dark fell, around 9pm we arrived at the van (yay) at the trailhead. Our knees buckled as we got off...
Arrived back in Mendoza around 1:30am and after a big bowl of comfort pasta fell into a soft cushy bed...
Friday - early start. Fernandito (the mule/expedition company Grajales) had kindly sourced a periodontist and booked an appointment. Off we all went with Lorraine the translator. Anxious at what we were going to find in terms of dentist, facilities, etc. and ready to run if necessary, we were pleasantly rewarded with a charming and professional dentist (albeit in premises full of workmen and tiles and cement). She glued in Nikki's cracked tooth, but unfortunately the first bite of dinner at 1884 that night and out it came again!!!
Saturday - back to the dentist. This time she made a brand new temporary tooth to fit on the implant post. That tooth is not going anywhere! We had also had long conversations with Dr. David Grossberg, our specialist at home who assured us that all was well and what to do even if the tooth cracked again.
So, with that behind us, we started to examine our available options and whether we could have another crack at the mountain.
Unfortunately for us, our sensational guide Clark Fyans (of the Alaskan Co. Mountain Trip) had commitments in Alaska. We have just spent a whole month with Clark. First guiding us on Vinson, Antarctica and now Aconcagua (or part thereof), we have had the most glorious adventure under the watchful eye of clark. He has guided us, taught us, dressed us (he kindly bought on our behalf all of the cold weather gear we needed for Antarctica and was impossible to buy in sunny Australia), chided us, cooked for us, organised us. He is a professional and exceptional guide. And a great guy!
We'll miss you Clarky!!!!! Thank you very much!!!!!
And so it continues. We will leave tomorrow morning. Given our time constraints we will attempt a speed ascent. Hopefully being partially acclimatised and feeling pretty fit we will have a chance. Of course, the altitude may be too much. And then who knows how the weather and the mountain will treat us...
But we are excited to be off again. And will certainly give it our best shot!!!
Now heading off to carbo load and have a much needed massage on mule weary bones...
More on Telstra (thanks again!) satellite phone from tomorrow!!!!
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January 26 2005 (SMS update)
Hello from Plaza de Mullas at 4,300m. We can’t believe we are back in a tent again. Outside it is snowing, windy and very cold. Tomorrow we climb to 5,300m! We did a Pachamama ceremony with a slight difference as we sacrificed a chocolate bullet – a most sacred beast in the Bart family culture!
Most of all we are hoping that the weather will improve! Being holed in our tent now shows us how quickly the weather changes – yesterday we walked for 7 hours in perfect sunshine and had spectacular views of the huge mountain that rises before us.
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January 29 2005 (SMS update)
The weather has taken a devastating turn and we are miserably huddles in our tent. Last night the wind picked up and ravaged base camp. Our tent kept on collapsing in on itself and making tearing noises! We just lay there scared and sleepless. In the morning when we emerged, the wind was gusting so strongly it knocked us off our feet. Camp was a complete wreck – endless broken tents, some with snapped poles, missing flies, gaping holes. The toilet house was even flipped upside down!
We also saw a man being carried out on a stretcher! People at higher camps are stuck and can’t escape down! It’s all very full on. This mountain is a beast! Now the wind has died down but heavy snow has moved in. We will have to dig our submerged tent out!!! At the moment we can’t move up or down the mountain due to this weather.
It’s very very cold even in all our down gear. Luckily though we are in the relative safety of our tent.
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January 30 2005 (SMS update)
This wind storm is truly powerful and very scary. We are also going a little crazy sitting it out and hoping the tent doesn’t tear!
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January 31 2005 (SMS update)
Hello from Nido del Condores at 5,300m! We woke up this morning to an unfamiliar sound: silence. No wind!!! We emerged to find the whole of base camp submerged it snow with thick flakes still falling. The wind storm meant that we had many days to make up for.
We broke trail in deep snow. The mountain was deserted. It was really eerie actually. Camp 1 no longer existed, everyone had fled due to the storm. Above Alaska camp we saw a rescue team bringing a man down on a sled. He had been stuck at high camp. It was really scary to see and we hope he is ok. Luckily at 5000m, the sun began to shine. Now we are a few lonely tents at camp 2: Nido.
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February 1 2005 (SMS update)
After another huge day we are at camp 3. The views from here are truly spectacular. Hundreds of towering peaks, and they are all below us. It’s like looking out from a plane window! So special… It is truly a memorable view.
We are now just below 6000m. To give you a reference, this means we are sleeping at the altitude of the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro. Just to sit here you feel sick: pounding head, nausea, breathlessness. Lying here sending this dispatch is making my heart beat as if I have run a 400m sprint! It is especially difficult because we have moved up the mountain so fast. But we feel so lucky and thankful to have the chance to see these views!
It is nearly 5pm at camp3. At 3:30 am this morning – not far away- we will begin our summit bid. It’s going to be a huge push for our exhausted bodies and we have over 1000m of difficult climbing ahead. We will write as soon as we have access to the phone. Hopefully public enemy number 1 – the wind – will be kind to us.
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February 2/3 2005 (SMS update)
Yay! Summit. Summit. Summit. On the 2nd of February we stood at just below 7,000m – the highest point in the whole of South America and the highest point in the world outside of the Himalayas! Now we have done 2 of the 7 summits in just 2 months and we have completed 5 of the 7!
We are sitting in our tent at high camp beside ourselves with excitement!!! Yesterday was an extremely difficult summit day. Our bodies are absolutely destroyed from all the hard work we have put them through in the last 8 weeks. We’re also really feeling the altitude due to our speed ascent which was made dangerously rapid due to days lost in the storm. As such we climbed from base camp to the summit in 3 days! That’s a vertical distance of 3,000m!!! I think we are so excited because we didn’t think we could do it, but somehow we did!
On summit day we felt altitude sick from sleeping so high and being very tired. It was a matter of one foot in front of the other over ice, snow and scree. It also was about simply supporting and encouraging each other. The nice thing about our summit day was we had the mountain to ourselves because everyone had fled during the storm.
And of course the summit: Aconcagua is 1,000m higher than any of its counter parts. So you stand there and watch the sea of towering and beautiful Andes spread out below you at every possible angle. Cameras do no justice to the magnitude of it all!
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