It’s mountaineering season in Utah! Anyone have plans to hit some fun couloirs this weekend? …there are lots of options to choose from: Mt. Timpanogos Cold Fusion Forked Tongue Grunge Everest Ridge, although that’s getting thin up high from recent pics I saw Mt. Olympus Memorial 1 Memorial 2 Apollo Tolcat, maybe there’s still enough…
Echo Flask Hydrogen Water: Next Level Hydration?
I pre-ordered an Echo Flask water bottle in early January hoping to get this in time for my Aconcagua Expedition. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen but was just as excited to get it when I returned home. My wife is always on the lookout for ways to optimize our health and discovered this new product from…
Bagging Bierstadt from the Winter Route
After being home only 10 days from my Aconcagua Expedition, I was back on a plane headed for Denver to try a few winter ascents with my local hiking club. The original plan was to hit Grays and Torreys on one day and then Bierstadt and possibly Evans on another. I had already done Grays…
Aconcagua Day 13: Summit Day!
Day 13 – Summit Day Camp began to stir around 4am in the cold darkness of early morning. Some of us managed to catch a few zzzz’s, but nothing great. At this point in the trip, most of our energy was fueled by anticipation and adrenaline. The remaining distance to the summit was short—only 2…
Aconcagua Day 12: Move to Camp 3
DAY 12 – Move to Camp 3 The day started as usual–cheese quesadillas, a cup of hot chocolate, and salami with assorted cheeses for breakfast. Afterwards, we loaded up and began the arduous climb to Camp 3. Spirits were high! Elevation gain kicked in right out of Camp 2, with 1,500 more feet to climb…
Aconcagua Day 11: Rest at Camp 2
DAY 11 – Rest at Camp 2 Gotta love a good day of rest–especially after the past two days! Sleep is not getting any better, food is slowly diminishing, and the air is definitely thinning. It starts to add up, each contributing to the level of difficulty here. But today was breezy with the bright…
Aconcagua Day 10: Move to Camp 2
DAY 10 – Carry Move to Camp 2 Inka’s proposed itinerary would’ve had us carrying to Camp 2 on Day 10. However, weather watchers were seeing a better window on Tuesday–one day ahead of schedule. That prompted a decision to move to Camp 2 instead, which meant all gear up in a single push. Doing…
Aconcagua Day 9: Move to Camp 1
DAY 9 – Move to Camp 1 We moved to Camp 1 at 16,400 feet today, bringing the rest of the gear and food needed for the next 5 days. It was a repeat of the 2nd toughest day we did on Wednesday (Day 7), so I guess it was another tough day. It’s only…
Aconcagua Day 8: Another Day of Rest and Recovery
DAY 8 – Another Day of Rest and Recovery Part of the process of “carrying” is to help acclimate to the elevation — climb high, sleep low. Do that a few times and your body adjusts. We were also constantly being reminded to drink water; 3-4 liters per day on the lower section and now…
Aconcagua Day 7: Carry to Camp 1
DAY 7 – Carry to Camp 1 With no further mule support, our job now was to move as much gear to Camp 1 as physically possible. For some who hired a porter, that meant a lighter load. For others who didn’t, it meant carrying a pack weighing anywhere between 15-17 kilos (33-37 lbs) for…