2014 Aconcagua Expedition Dispatch 4 Falso Polaco / Upper Guanacos Traverse

Dispatch 4 December 31st 2014 - Casa de Piedra 10,720ft (3,250m)


The team ascended to their next camp Casa de Piedra at 10,720ft this afternoon. Windy conditions were encountered along the way with potential for 50+ MPH winds in camp tonight and possibly tomorrow. Despite the breeze the team is still in high spirits and doing well.

2014 Aconcagua Expedition Dispatch 1

Falso Polaco / Upper Guanacos Traverse

Trip Dates: December 28, 2014 to January 18, 2015

Guides:

Richard Riquelme
Aiden Loehr

Team Members:

Eric Johnstone
Kim Olson
Larry Cochrane
Robert VanEtten
Doug Roberts
Mark Smith

Join our climbing team on their 21 day expedition to summit Aconcagua (22,842ft, 6962m), South America's highest peak and the second highest of the 7 Summits. Follow their progress through the Delorme inReach Explorer Share Page. They will be sending messages to check in throughout the trip, so check back daily for updates on their progress!

The Falso Polasco / Upper Guanacos, is an excellent combination of two routes that starts off ascending the Valle de Vacas, from Punta de Vacas (7,755ft / 2,350m ). Several camps will be established as the climbers move up the valley. At Casa de Piedra (10,725ft / 3,250m) the trail turns west and from here the route continues through the Quebrada de Los Relinchos to the Plaza Argentina (13,860ft / 4,200m) located at the base of the upper peak. The route to the summit wanders through easy rock and occasional snow and a finish on the less technical, upper north side of the mountain via the Guanacos Traverse to a spectacular view of the Andes from 22,842ft / 6,962m. The descent route winds down and to the west side of the mountain following the Quebrada de los Horcones on the way out. The combination of these two routes allows the climbers to experience all aspects of this hulking mountain.

View the teams most recent location in Google Earth by downloading the teams Google Earth KML Feed. (Download the KML file, open in Google Earth and click on Richard Riquelme in your temporary places in the left menu.)