AUGUST 3-5, 2004
Stein Divide - The Movie
The weather in Vancouver wasn't great but after humming and hawing I finally decided to head for the Stein Divide. I drove up Highway 99, through Pemberton and onto the In-SHUCK-ch Forest Service Road until I reached the Lizzie Lake Road. I drove up the Lizzie Lake Road to km 1 (where a secondary road branches off to the left uphill), parked my car and started my hike just after 6:00 pm on Tuesday, August 3. About 50 metres upstream was Washout #1. The floods of 2003 had done some serious damage to the Lizzie Lake Road. At Washout #1, I waded across the creek and walked up stream about 100 metres where I re-crossed via a large log back to the road. Not too bad, just wet feet. Washouts #2 & 3 were very minor and Washout #4 had a make-shift log bridge making it easy to cross. The 11 km hike to Lizzie Lake was relatively easy with most of the elevation gained in the last 3 km. I hiked quickly to beat the sunset and reached the lake in about 2.5 hours... but not before an unexpected wildlife encounter.
Near Washout #4 (at about 8:15 pm) I ran into a small(ish) black bear feasting on the abundant berries on the side of the trail. We startled each other but the bear continued to eat berries and block the trail. But after a few moments he wandered off into the bush and I was able to continue up the trail (after my heart started beating again!). I saw much fresh bear scat on the Lizzie Lake Road but that was the only bear I actually saw. To avoid any unnecessary food smells, I had a dry dinner at the Lizzie Lake campground and fell into a disturbed (bear-paranoid) sleep...
I awoke to cold weather, low clouds and misty rain. I got hiking a little late since I never like breaking camp with everything wet but really didn't have a choice. The 3 km hike from Lizzie Lake to Lizzie Cabin was on deteriorating trail and quite slippery and steep in parts, especially when wet and muddy! Near the gates of Shangri-La the rain stopped and I saw blue sky! But of course that also meant the mosquitoes came out. The area around Lizzie Cabin was very picturesque! Beautiful wild-flower meadows, clear streams, sandy pools and ideal camping spots... but I was headed higher. The cabin itself was small yet functional although it did appear to be falling apart slightly. And I was told that it was inhabited by a territorial mouse!
From Lizzie Cabin the trail climbed steadily, 200 metres up to Arrowhead Lake above the treeline where the views started becoming magnificent and endless! It started to rain again around noon. There were some nice camping spots around Arrowhead Lake also. I trekked on and upwards... and stopped at Heart Lake for lunch. While I ate it stopped raining again and the sun came out! Several mountain peaks appeared between the thinning clouds and I met two hikers (the only others I'd see in 3 days) coming down from Arrowhead Mountain. The mosquitoes began to swarm so I packed up and kept going.
From the saddle between Arrowhead Mtn and Tabletop Mtn I got my first view of the actual Stein Divide. Iceberg Lake was below me to the right, Tabletop Mtn and Cherry Pip Pass off to the left and straight ahead (across the deep valley of Rogers Creek) was Caltha Lake and Caltha Peak. Most of heavily-glaciated Mount Skookum Jim was still hiding in the clouds but many of the other neighbouring peaks were visible. I traversed high above the brilliant blue-green waters of Iceberg Lake, across a couple of snowfields, and down the ridge to Cherry Pip Pass. At this point the weather started to change quickly... for the worse! Huge clouds blew in up Rogers Creek and soon I was standing in a world of white! I had planned to camp at Caltha Lake or even go all the way to Tundra Lake but the ever-worsening weather made me decide to turn around and look for a camp spot on the ridge below Tabletop Mtn. I hiked back in the rain for about an hour and set up camp near some little tarns high above Iceberg Lake. The rain stopped shortly thereafter and the clouds thinned so I decided to summit Tabletop Mtn while the weather was ok. An easy scramble led me to the top of the mountain (2225m) with some stunning 360 degree views of the area. But before I had been at the top for 5 minutes the rain started again, but this time with some serious wind! I quickly snapped some photos and as I turned to head back down I saw something running across the snowfield at the base of the mountain towards Cherry Pip Pass. I zoomed in with my video camera and pressed record. I think it was a lone wolf unless coyote travel that high up in the alpine! Either way, I now had something to keep my mind occupied as I fell asleep that night alone in my tent - ha!
On Day 3 I awoke to low clouds, wind, rain and hail... so that meant it was time to go home! I pushed hard and made it back to my car in 5 hours just before the sky opened up and it really started to come down hard. But all-in-all it was a great solo-trip!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
South America 2001
JANUARY TO MARCH 2001
SANTIAGO DE CHILE - January 17, 2001
More than 5 million Chileans call this huge sprawling city home. Backdropped by the 5000-6000 metre peaks of the central Andes, the city could be quite picturesque if it wasn't for the thick layer of smog that rarely clears. Yet on a nice day, the view from atop Cerro San Cristobal near the huge statue of The Virgin Mary, is quite stunning.
The incredible hospitality of our friends Chris and Izzi highlighted our visit! We stayed in Residencial Londres in an amazing old European section of town - highly recommended! Santiago has a very good Metro system too. Santiago (and most of Chile) restaurant's leave something to be desired as no matter where you go, they all seem to have the exact same menu: beef topped with ham and egg on flat bread is the speciality! But we did have some great fresh seafood further south.
MONTE TRONADOR (3554m)
The "Thunder Mountain" was the site of the 1999 Eco-Challenge. No fewer than seven glaciers carve the sides of this huge volcanic peak. Huge chunks of glacial ice calve off and crash down loudly into the surrounding hanging valleys, thus giving the name Monte Tronador -- Thunder Mountain!
Several tall waterfalls flow from the melting glaciers into the valleys far below, resembling the Yosemite Valley in California.
We camped near Refugio Otto Meiling, right beside one of the glaciers and we could hear the crashing ice in the middle of the night! Incredible panoramic views of the Southern Andes and the Patagonian Lake District.
We stayed in Bariloche, the urban centre of the Lake District. Bariloche is a picturesque, lakeside mountain city that reminded me of Whistler. Amazing hiking, great food, gorgeous weather and an awesome youth hostel (Ruca Hueney Albergue - $8/night and smoke-free!) made for a perfect visit!
PENINSULA VALDES
Colonies of huge Elephant Seals congregate on the rocky beaches of the Atlantic Patagonian coast of Argentina. Flat, barren and brutally wind-swept -- eastern Patagonia is a complete contrast to the lush slopes of the western Patagonian Andes. But while the harsh landscape limits the human settlements to a few resource-based towns along the coast, the wildlife is abundant and thriving, especially on the Peninsula Valdes Wildlife Reserve.
Along with Elephant Seals are large Sea Lion colonies, Magellanic Penguins, Guanacos, Rheas and several whale species including the Southern Right Whale and Orca... a wildlife photographer's dream!
PATAGONIA
Torres del Paine - Chile's most spectacular national park, featuring towering peaks, huge glaciers, crystal clear lakes and cascading rivers.
The Torres Circuit offers an ideal hiking route through the most scenic areas of the park, with some spectacular sidetrips up to breathtaking viewpoints.
But once again, the weather was the limiting factor and heavy rains, strong winds and cold temperatures cut our visit a couple of days short. Gladly, there are several hostel-like shelters throughout the Torres del Paine National Park, where we waited out some of the wetter days playing cards beside a warm stove!
At 3441m Cerro Fitzroy's pinnacled ridge occasionally peeks through the clouds.
We hiked in heavy rain and strong winds, literally wading through some of the trail on our way back down to El Chalten - a quaint little town in the valley below the Fitzroy Range.
As the massive southern icefield slowly advances forward, huge chunks of the Moreno Glacier calve off into the lake (Lago Argentina) every few minutes with a tidal-wave inducing splash!
The tiny tourist town of El Calafate is a perfect headquarters to explore this amazing area. The Albergue des Glaciers youth hostel and restaurant in El Calafate are both highly recommended.
The Bottom of the World - Southernmost Patagonia (Tierra del Fuego)
We visited Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan... quite chilly even in the southern hemisphere summer.
And the Patagonian Penguins visiting from Antarctica!
The accessible upper slopes of Aconcagua expose climbers to wind and storms that move in quickly from the nearby Pacific Ocean. The northwest ridge of the Normal Route is particularly vulnerable to high winds, cold, electrical discharge and blinding whiteout conditions which can make retreat very difficult. Precautions must be taken to avoid hypothermia and frostbite.
But if you are reasonably fit and exercise good judgment, you can very likely climb Aconcagua. The number one reason people fail to summit is a failure to acclimatize properly to altitude. Weather, of course, has the final say but with clear skies and a good plan the "summit of the Americas" awaits you!
ACONCAGUA - THE PLAN:
The climbing season for Aconcagua is late December to mid-March, with the peak period being late January to early February when prices for permits, mules and rentals will be the highest.
MENDOZA
In Mendoza, Argentina, food and fuel can be purchased and extra equipment rented. There are several North American-style supermarkets and sporting good shops in Mendoza. Permits must be purchased and last minute plans are settled. Extra gear not used for the climb can be locked up. Guides and mules can be obtained here as well.
Campo Base HI youth hostel in Mendoza (located near Plaza Independencia on Avenue Bartolome Mitre) is a great place for information and assistance in planning a trek up Aconcagua.
CLIMBING PERMIT
Purchase your climbing permit - price ranges from 350-1000 Argentine pesos (approx. US$100-275) depending on the time of year - in Mendoza prior to the climb (allow 24 hours processing time) at the downtown tourist office on San Martin Avenue. Many Aconcagua tour operators have booths set up at this tourist office as well. The park ranger at the tourist office will ask you for your passport, medical insurance policy number and your climbing itinerary. There are no other special requirements for obtaining a permit. They accept cash only.
Do not attempt to purchase a permit at the Ranger Station in Aconcagua Provincial Park.
GEAR AND MULES
1) Bring an ice axe. A steep snow field crossing near the summit can generally be negotiated without crampons, but the ice axe gives needed security. Rental of ice axes, crampons and walking poles can be obtained in Mendoza at Pire, on Av Las Heras. We also purchased white gas here. There are several other sporting good stores.
2) Bring a minimum of 2 litres of fuel per person. Above base camp, you must melt snow to provide the recommended 4-5 litres of water per person each day. Butane cartridge stoves are not adequate above Base Camp (4370 m/14,337 ft), use MSR-type liquid fuel stoves. You must remain well hydrated, breathing hard in the cold, dry air requires a tremendous amount of moisture.
3) Expect extreme cold (-30 C is not uncommon) and violent winds. An expedition quality tent and appropriate clothing are required.
4) Most climbers hire a mule at Puente del Inca, the trailhead on the Santiago-Mendoza highway, to carry food, fuel and equipment. Do not rely on finding any of these necessities at the Plaza de Mulas base camp. Pack your gear in VERY STRONG bags prior to giving them up to the muleteers, it is a rough trip. Cost varies from about $US100 - $US180, for one mule which carries 60 kg. (132 lbs.), or approximately gear and food for 2 climbers. You can also hire mules in Mendoza through one of the many tour operators at very similar prices. We hired our mule through Campo Base for US$120 which also included the use of their camp facilities (cook tent and outhouse) at Confluencia (camp one) and the Plaza de Mulas Base Camp.
PUENTE DEL INCA
We arranged shuttle bus and accommodation in Punete del Inca through Campo Base. Accommodation in Puente del Inca is at the Campo Base-affiliated hostel. Puente del Inca is a small town with a couple of restaurants and a small store. No climbing supplies are available, although used equipment might be purchased from (or sold to) other climbers.
Puente del Inca (Bridge of the Inca) gets its name from the incredible natural bridge formed by the geothermal action of the sulphur hot springs.
THE CLIMB
1) Allow 2 -3 weeks for the approach, climb and return from the mountain via the Normal Route - Horcones Valley / Northwest Ridge. Check out the Route.
2) Allow at least 2 full days for the approach to Base Camp, called Plaza de Mulas at 4370 metres (14,337 ft) ... it is a long 30 km walk from Puente del Inca starting at 2720 metres (8,924 ft). And allow 2-4 acclimatization days at Base Camp.
3) What follows is the most crucial advice concerning acclimatization; specific to climbing Aconcagua. There are 3 principal camps above Plaza de Mulas, named Canada (4910 m/16,100 ft.), Nido de Condores (5350 m/17,550 ft), and Berlin (5780 m/18,960 ft). It is best to use all of these camps, in sequence, while moving progressively towards the summit.
Attempting to climb to the summit from Nido de Condores is too long unless you are very fit. It is much better to spend at least 2 nights at each camp before attempting the summit from Berlin; and then to return to camp at Berlin after the climb.
PUENTE DEL INCA 2720m/8924ft
1a +130m/426ft, 6 km
Trailhead/Ranger Station 2850m/9350ft (Permit check)
1b +470m/1542ft, 7 km
CONFLUENCIA CAMP 3320m/10892ft (Water)
2 +640m/2100ft, 10.5 km
IBANEZ CAMP 3960m/12992ft (Water)
3 +310m/1017ft, 5.3 km
PLAZA DE MULAS 4270m/14009ft (Base Camp; water)
4 Acclimatization Day
5 Acclimatization Day
6a +640m/2100ft, ~4 hours
Camp Canada 4910m/16108ft (Heavy carry)
6b -640m/2100ft
PLAZA DE MULAS 4270m/14009ft
7 +640m/2100ft, ~4 hours
CAMP CANADA 4910m/16108ft
8a +440m/1444ft, ~4 hours (No water, maybe snow)
Nido de Condores 5350m/17552ft (Heavy carry)
8b -440m/1444ft
CAMP CANADA 4910m/16108ft
9 +440m/1444ft, ~4 hours
NIDO DE CONDORES 5350m/17552ft (Water and snow)
10a +430m/1411ft, ~3 hours
Berlin Camp 5780m/18963ft (Heavy carry)
10b -430m/1411ft
NIDO DE CONDORES 5350m/17552ft
11 +430m/1411ft, ~3 hours
BERLIN CAMP 5780m/18963ft (Snow)
13 Summit Days
14 Summit Days
+1182m/3878ft, ~7-10 hours
The Summit! 6962m/22841ft
-1182m/3878ft
BERLIN CAMP
15 -1510m/4954ft
PLAZA DE MULAS
16 -1420m/4659ft, 22.8 km
+6 km road to Puente del Inca – bus to Mendoza or Santiago
*LOCATIONs in CAPITAL letters indicate overnight camps.
ACONCAGUA - THE REALITY
I awoke the morning of February 20 at base camp, short of breath with my head pounding painfully. After failing in my attempt to raise myself up from my sleeping bag, I found that I had no strength and just moving slightly induced waves of nausea.
This wasn't good and even my oxygen-deprived brain knew it.
We were on day 4 of our trek up Aconcagua. Plaza de Mulas, at over 14,000 feet, was our base camp, some 30 km from the trailhead at Puente del Inca. Only one day earlier we had been told of the death of an experienced climber due to high altitude pulmonary edema. Getting severe altitude sickness here was very serious and potentially life-threatening.
Day 0 - Puente del Inca (8924 ft.)
Our trek began on February 16, 2001. To aid our acclimitization, we slept one night in this small town just a few kilometres from the Argentine-Chilean border. In fact, we hiked right past the border customs station on day 1 of our trek. We stayed at the hostel affiliated with Campo Base (Mendoza), a simple dorm style building run by a very nice man named Thomas. Many other climbers were coming or going from here also, which probably means this could be a good place to sell or trade gear if you desired.
Day 1 - Puente del Inca to Confluencia Camp (10,900 ft.)
We hiked for about an hour on a dirt road, partially along the highway past the border patrol building, to the Provincial Park Ranger Station at the entrance to Aconcagua Provincial Park. The rangers checked our permits and issued us trash bags. There is a US$100 fine if you don't return the trash bag full on the way out.
Our hike to Confluencia took about 4 hours on a brilliant sunny and warm day with the massive snow-laden south face of Aconcagua in view straight ahead. We took an early lunch stop beside the tiny Laguna Horcones. About 30 minutes later, the trail climbing very gradually, we came to our first crossing of the Horcones River over a large permanent bridge.
The Horcones River is so heavily laden with clay and sediment, it resembles chocolate milk. Therefore we had to search a little to find fresh drinking water from little streams flowing down from the sides of the valley. Shortly after we crossed to the right side of the river, the trail began to climb steadily and became increasingly hot and dusty as it wandered further away from the river. We took shelter from the hot sun in the shade of a small gully through which a muddy stream flowed. But our juicy green apples hit the spot!
Not too much further on the trail became red and sandy and the grade evened out. Briefly we were above 11,000 feet before descending to cross the river again twice before reaching Confluencia Camp.
Confluencia Camp is located on a small, flat area beside the muddy-brown Horcones River. To our delight there were several crystal clear springs flowing down the green grassy slopes. It was quite a picturesque setting for our first night's camp. We set up tent between two huge boulders that provided us a little precious shade, as the sun was significantly more searing at this high altitude. Several tour operators had seasonal tents and outhouses set up at Confluencia.
Day 2 - Acclimitization hike to near Plaza Francia (~14,000 ft).
We hiked four hours steadily up towards Plaza Francia past the huge, dirty Lower Horcones Glacier. The views of the south face of Aconcagua became more incredible with every step and we took many photos. Besides being a little short of breath, we both felt fit and clear of mind the entire day. Later that evening, a spectacular lightning and thunder storm lit up the sky and echoed through the valley! Oddly, only a sprinkle of rain fell on our camp and we would discover later that most of the rain had fallen higher up on the mountain.
Day 3 - Our day began late. The comfort of our sleeping bags was too much to resist and we slept in a little. The clouds had completely cleared and the bright, blue morning sky greeted us as we slowly packed-up. After a quick breakfast, we gorged ourselves with water from the last fresh stream we would see and set off towards Plaza de Mulas base camp at just after 10 am. Immediately past the beautiful cold clear stream, the trail began to climb via switchbacks out of the river valley and up the steep gravely banks to a plateau about 500 ft. above the river at Confluencia. We passed several small forks of the stream which flowed into last night's camp and we filled our bottles repeatedly. After a brief rest to catch our oxygen-depleted breath at the top of the switchbacks, we continued on into the heart of the massive Horcones Valley.
The trail climbed a small rise before it actually descended slightly towards the first of several wet crossings of the Horcones River this day. As we topped the small rise we got our first view of the entire Horcones Valley: a massive u-shaped valley, devoid of vegetation, filled with red-orange rocks (almost Mars-like) of all sizes and housing the many braided channels of the brown Horcones River as it meanders its way out of the Andes on its course to the Atlantic Ocean.
I took off my boots to wade across the river at a particularly sandy spot where it wasn't more than shin-deep. The river water was surprisingly cold considering the air temperature was well above twenty degrees Celsius with the searing heat of the sun shining through the thin atmosphere making the day feel very hot. Back in our boots, we continued on the trail towards the Piedra Grande (photo). Piedra Grande is a huge red boulder lying in the middle of the valley, an ancient reminder of glacial deposition and the last major landmark in the valley for several kilometres. In the shade of the big rock we stopped briefly for a drink of water, but only a mouthful as we didn't expect to find fresh water until Ibanez camp still seven kilometres further and we had no intention of drinking from the thick, silty Horcones river.
In the upper Horcones Valley, the trail meandered along side the river for several kilometres gaining altitude so gradually it was almost imperceptible. The view up the valley appeared endless as we could see other hikers and mule trains in the distance, mere specks on the horizon back-dropped by the mountains, many kilometres away. We walked for a couple of hours up this featureless valley flanked by numerous huge unnamed peaks that were dwarfed by the snowy giant of Aconcagua, which, at this point of the trail, was out of sight behind the high ridge to our right. Unfortunately there wasn't much breeze on this day so we searched for shade to take a break. Thankfully the steep valley walls provided a little shade and a cool rest spot to drop our packs and have a bite to eat. Once again our crisp green apples hit the spot!
Back on the trail, no sooner had we strapped on our packs when we encountered several wet crossings of the Horcones River's many channels. Splashing through in our boots, enjoying the cool water, most of these crossings were very shallow. But a little further on we ran into what would be the last and most difficult crossing of the day.
Just before Ibanez Camp, the valley narrowed just enough to force most of the smaller river channels into two or three wide, swiftly flowing river branches. A couple of guys heading down the mountain were walking up and down the banks of the river on the opposite side searching for a safe place to cross with no success. After a quick assessment, Christy and I decided to split up and search the banks of the river for the best place to cross. I looked upstream where the river was less wide, but flowing fast and deep as it was pressed through the narrow valley walls while Christy looked downstream, where the river was wider yet shallow as it escaped the narrows and began to braid out. The two guys attempting to cross the river from the other side were also downstream when I noticed that they were about a quarter of the way across the river, moving very cautiously across a wide, shallow spot. But the river was still flowing quickly and even from my vantage point nearly 100 metres upstream, I could tell that they were having difficulty staying balanced in the knee-deep water on the unstable footing. Christy waited and studied their progress, preparing herself for her attempt once they had made it across.
I continued further upstream to a spot where the main channel of the river suddenly narrowed as the water violently bounced and thrashed over its riverbed. Without my full pack and oxygen-depleted lungs, I could have leapt across with relative ease, but now instead I stood and stared at this potential crossing with anxious dread. I looked back to the struggles of the two guys crossing downstream and my heartbeat quickened as my mind decided that I would attempt to jump across here. First things first, I took off my pack, cinched the straps tight and with an enormous effort, heaved it awkwardly towards the opposite bank. With a sigh of relief, I watched my pack land safely, if not a little clumsily, on the other side. Now for me.
I moved away the larger rocks next to the river to create a small clearing for my approach. "How long should my runway be?" I pondered to myself. Too long and I risked mis-stepping on my take-off, but too short and I compromised my acceleration. I decided on three steps and tested the footing several times. As I stood and stared at the river, summoning my courage, I was breathing hard already as my heart raced. With a final surge of determination I sped forward and hurtled myself up and over the raging Horcones. My footing proved sound and my takeoff was better than I had hoped allowing me to fly through the thin air. As if in slow motion, I mocked the frustrated river below me as it tried to impede my progress. I landed safely on the other side with at least two feet to spare and with a shout of joy signalled to the others downstream that I had made it! I gathered my pack and walked back to make sure Christy made it across safely as well. She used her hiking poles, left her boots on and made her way at a slow, steady pace. As Christy waded through the swift water, a mule train heading down the mountain crossed the river just a short ways downstream. Even the mules slowed their pace to ensure solid footing as they splashed through the river. Now safely across, Christy's boots were waterlogged so she changed into sandals to walk for the next few kilometres.
Shortly after crossing the river we came to what looked to be Ibanez Camp, where we had planned to overnight on our original itinerary. To our horror there was no fresh water to be found anywhere near Ibanez and we were forced to press on as the trail now climbed up the edge of the valley away from the river. We were nearing the end of our water supplies and needed to stop for lunch so we checked our map and noticed that there appeared to be a few streams flowing down from the ridge to our right a little further up the trail. We pushed on and within a half hour came upon a small, muddy rivulet flowing across our path. Last night's heavy rains had obviously filled all flowing water from the higher elevations with debris making the water undrinkable and our water filter quite useless. Nearing exhaustion, we dropped our packs for a short rest, a rejuvenating bite to eat and a precious mouthful of our remaining water.
During our stop, we were passed by a couple of German guys who told us they were hiking up to Ibanez to camp for the night. Confused, we said that they had just passed Ibanez about one kilometre back, but they pulled out their altimeter and claimed that it was not possible as we were not at a high enough elevation. We debated our location for a minute and although I was almost sure of our bearings, the digital readout on his altimeter made me doubt myself. Now our concern was not only water, but also the approaching nightfall if we were still so far from Base Camp! The trail's grade had become steeper and with the day's exertion and higher elevation, we had slowed our pace somewhat, but I was alarmed to think that we could be so far behind schedule. We finished our lunch break prematurely and hastily continued up the trail.
Less than 30 minutes later we caught up to the German hikers sitting atop a crest in the trail. As we climbed the ridge they sat shaking their heads, pointing at something out of our line of sight on the trail ahead. As Christy and I crested the rise, we finally could see what the Germans were so troubled about. Last night's storm had transformed the once small stream that crossed our path into a massive, overflowing mudslide! The mud ebbed and flowed, sometimes surging forward so powerfully it carried huge boulders downstream! We met a third hiker, a young man from Israel, halted by the mudslide as well. And we all stood staring in wonder at how we would pass this unforeseen obstacle!
We walked up and down the side of the former creekbed looking for any possible route across as the mud flowed down in dangerous surges but it was too wide, deep and fast so we waited... and waited... and finally the mudflow slowed and the volume eased slightly. We took advantage of the slower flow (in case it was only a lull before another wave) and began building a rock-bridge across a lower section of the mud-creek. The day was getting late and clouds were starting to form over the mountains surrounding the Horcones Valley so we worked with a hurried urgency since we were also still unsure of our distance from Plaza de Mulas base camp. After tossing several large boulders we managed to rock-hop across the mudflow with no more than our toes getting dipped into the muck.
We continued on, proud of our successful crossing of the mudflow, thinking that we had overcome the mountain's best efforts to stop our ascent until only five minutes later we came upon Mudflow #2! But this mudflow was not quite the ominous surge of Mudflow #1 and we managed to rock-hop across with relative ease and were back on our path in no time.
Several minutes later we passed the ruins of Lower Plaza de Mulas and we knew that we were on the right on track! Upper Plaza de Mulas base camp was only a short distance away at the end of the Horcones Valley up one last climb according to our map. Our pace quickened as dark, threatening clouds thickened in the sky foretelling an approaching storm. We reached the end of the valley just below base camp only to have to scale the Subida Brava (the hardy climb) passing by several dead mules, up a steep and exhausting climb of 200 metre elevation gain to Plaza de Mulas.
Short of breath, we came over the rise at the top of the Subida Brava and Plaza de Mulas base camp came in to view...finally! Base camp was spread out at the foot of the Upper Horcones glacier. A small village of tents of all sizes, shapes and colours: very impressive and fulfilling to have finally arrived after a long and strenuous day. We dropped our packs and got some much-needed fresh water from the little streams that flowed from the melting glacier.
We set up camp and made a delicious dinner of rice and pasta. We both had voracious appetites and felt good. We spent the rest of the evening visiting with other climbers from all over the world, some on their way up, some on their way down, but all full of tales of adventure! The clouds cleared and the night sky was an incredible star-studded canvas. The night was almost warm even at over 14,000 ft, although we were told it had snowed the night before when we had seen the thunderstorm from Confluencia. I fell asleep easily and slept quite soundly.
Day 4 - I woke up on day 4 at Plaza de Mulas with a very bad headache, my head pounding painfully. I had experienced this before when acclimatizing on Kilimanjaro and it had gone away after drinking a litre of water and popping a couple tylenols.
But this was different. It was much worse.
Acute Mountain Sickness:
Extreme Fatigue - I was so incredibly tired I could barely prop myself up out of my sleeping bag to take a drink of precious water. Nausea - If it wasn't for my powerful aversion to and control of my vomit reflex, I might have thrown-up several times. Numbness - My hands and feet both went a little numb and tingly, likely due to lack of oxygen.
So I lay in my sleeping bag for about 2 hours trying to will myself to feel better as the sun rose in the clear blue sky and the tent became quite warm. But when I got up to get some air and almost passed out I knew I needed help so I asked Christy to go get the base camp doctor. He came over and examined me and told me that I had the early stages of pulmonary edema. He measured my O2 levels at well below 70 percent which meant my blood was carrying far less oxygen that it had at sea level. My body was suffering and I could feel it! I didn't notice any wet sounds when I breathed, but the stethoscope heard the fluid that had started to form in my lungs and the doctor said that I had to be evacuated from the mountain right away! I tried to remain brave, but tears betrayed my disappointment and my oxygen-depleted brain didn't have the time or clear-thinking to rationalize my situation. Down is where I had to go.
But since I could barely stand up and an approaching storm had kept any rescue helicopters from getting up to base camp this day it meant that I would be riding out on a mule! So with the amazing help of Christy, I got packed up and within 20 minutes of being diagnosed I was on my way down to a safer elevation. What took Christy and I two days to climb up took the mules only 4 hours to descend: a very bumpy, leg-cramping, butt-aching, precarious-edge walking, scary river-crossing ride down from Aconcagua. And the pain in my head, nausea in my stomach and fluid in my lungs improved with every step of the way down. By the time I was back at the ranger station near the road I was feeling almost completely better, besides the ache in my body from the gruelling mule ride.
Meanwhile, the Amazing Christy packed up all the rest of our gear and hired some mules to carry all of our heavy gear and extra food back down and then she walked the entire way down all by herself on foot! She met me just after sunset at the hostel in Puente del Inca and I gave her a BIG hug! She smelled. I love her. As we looked back up towards Aconcagua which was enshrouded in the dark clouds of a powerful mountain storm, I pondered to myself, maybe we weren't meant to climb that mountain...
Post-Aconcagua thoughts: How disappointed am I?
When the base camp doctor first diagnosed me with pulmonary edema and told me that I had to be evacuated from the mountain immediately, I was scared, very disappointed and quite upset. All of our planning, preparation, money spent: gear and food and permits; all for nothing! I didn't even get a chance to leave base camp (going up anyway). It sucked!
But I did the right thing (I had to tell myself this a few times). Going down was the best and really only thing for me to do. My health is the most important thing and as I bumped and bounced down the mountain on the back of my mule, the more I thought and realized that getting to the top of Aconcagua (or any mountain) should never jeopardize my life. I love the mountains and hiking but do I really need to get to the top of the biggest mountains? No, not really.
I won't say never, but my reasons for hiking and climbing are freedom and fun, not extreme, risk-taking, competition. I love exploring the world by the power of my own two feet!
So I am not as disappointed as I initially thought I would be. I am happy that I am healthy and I have learned (a little more) what is and isn't important in my life. I can be the champion of my own life...it doesn't have to be of the world.
And I will keep hiking and climbing in Canada, where the mountains are a little lower, but the beauty is endless. I might try a big mountain again someday, maybe, if I am truly motivated. We'll see.
A second attempt at Aconcagua? I don't think so.
And that's okay.
CORDOBA - Due to the premature conclusion to our Aconcagua trek, we made an unscheduled trip to Cordoba. Cordoba is the second largest city in Argentina and competes with Buenos Aires for the cultural crown of Argentina. With a relatively uninteresting, compact city centre surrounded by many old colonial buildings and historical monuments, Cordoba requires little time to visit.
BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's huge capital city with over 12 million people.
A very cosmopolitan, European-feeling city; they even have the Torre de los Ingleses (the English Tower), a Big Ben clone!
The city is filled with amazing architecture and historical sites, such as the presidential building Casa Rosada (the Pink House) where Eva Peron greeted the people of Argentina from its balcony.
The city is separated into several distinct neighbourhoods (barrios), each with its own unique Buenos Aires experience. The parks, craft fair, museums and good restaurants in Retiro and Recoleta made them my favourite barrios. The Annual Tango Festival happened while we visited allowing us to experience some authentic and very entertaining Buenos Aires dancing and music, sometimes right in the streets!
IGUAZU FALLS - Massive & spectacular multi-tiered jungle waterfalls.
At over 70 metres high at the Garganta del Diablo (the Devil's Throat) and spanning over 2 kilometres along the Rio Iguazu gorge at the point where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay all meet; Iguazu Falls is one of nature's must-see wonders of the world!
One morning we hiked a few kilometres on one of the lesser known jungle paths of Parque Nacional Iguazu in Argentina to a secret jungle waterfall and pool!
We passed many huge 2-step spiders hanging right above the path! Jungle lore says they get their name from a poisonous bite that leaves you only 2 steps before you fall down dead! Luckily, we never found out if it was true.
After exploring Iguazu Falls, it was back to Buenos Aires briefly where we would say goodbye to South America and catch our flights home.
SANTIAGO DE CHILE - January 17, 2001
More than 5 million Chileans call this huge sprawling city home. Backdropped by the 5000-6000 metre peaks of the central Andes, the city could be quite picturesque if it wasn't for the thick layer of smog that rarely clears. Yet on a nice day, the view from atop Cerro San Cristobal near the huge statue of The Virgin Mary, is quite stunning.
The incredible hospitality of our friends Chris and Izzi highlighted our visit! We stayed in Residencial Londres in an amazing old European section of town - highly recommended! Santiago has a very good Metro system too. Santiago (and most of Chile) restaurant's leave something to be desired as no matter where you go, they all seem to have the exact same menu: beef topped with ham and egg on flat bread is the speciality! But we did have some great fresh seafood further south.
MONTE TRONADOR (3554m)
The "Thunder Mountain" was the site of the 1999 Eco-Challenge. No fewer than seven glaciers carve the sides of this huge volcanic peak. Huge chunks of glacial ice calve off and crash down loudly into the surrounding hanging valleys, thus giving the name Monte Tronador -- Thunder Mountain!
Several tall waterfalls flow from the melting glaciers into the valleys far below, resembling the Yosemite Valley in California.
We camped near Refugio Otto Meiling, right beside one of the glaciers and we could hear the crashing ice in the middle of the night! Incredible panoramic views of the Southern Andes and the Patagonian Lake District.
We stayed in Bariloche, the urban centre of the Lake District. Bariloche is a picturesque, lakeside mountain city that reminded me of Whistler. Amazing hiking, great food, gorgeous weather and an awesome youth hostel (Ruca Hueney Albergue - $8/night and smoke-free!) made for a perfect visit!
PENINSULA VALDES
Colonies of huge Elephant Seals congregate on the rocky beaches of the Atlantic Patagonian coast of Argentina. Flat, barren and brutally wind-swept -- eastern Patagonia is a complete contrast to the lush slopes of the western Patagonian Andes. But while the harsh landscape limits the human settlements to a few resource-based towns along the coast, the wildlife is abundant and thriving, especially on the Peninsula Valdes Wildlife Reserve.
Along with Elephant Seals are large Sea Lion colonies, Magellanic Penguins, Guanacos, Rheas and several whale species including the Southern Right Whale and Orca... a wildlife photographer's dream!
PATAGONIA
Torres del Paine - Chile's most spectacular national park, featuring towering peaks, huge glaciers, crystal clear lakes and cascading rivers.
At the entrance to the park
The Torres Circuit offers an ideal hiking route through the most scenic areas of the park, with some spectacular sidetrips up to breathtaking viewpoints.
Crossing the rickety Indiana Jones-like Torres bridge
But once again, the weather was the limiting factor and heavy rains, strong winds and cold temperatures cut our visit a couple of days short. Gladly, there are several hostel-like shelters throughout the Torres del Paine National Park, where we waited out some of the wetter days playing cards beside a warm stove!
Cerro Fitzroy - a wet, rugged hike to the base of the tallest peak in the Southern Patagonian Andes.
At 3441m Cerro Fitzroy's pinnacled ridge occasionally peeks through the clouds.
We hiked in heavy rain and strong winds, literally wading through some of the trail on our way back down to El Chalten - a quaint little town in the valley below the Fitzroy Range.
The Moreno Glacier - One of Mother Nature's most incredible performances.
As the massive southern icefield slowly advances forward, huge chunks of the Moreno Glacier calve off into the lake (Lago Argentina) every few minutes with a tidal-wave inducing splash!
The tiny tourist town of El Calafate is a perfect headquarters to explore this amazing area. The Albergue des Glaciers youth hostel and restaurant in El Calafate are both highly recommended.
The Bottom of the World - Southernmost Patagonia (Tierra del Fuego)
We visited Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan... quite chilly even in the southern hemisphere summer.
And the Patagonian Penguins visiting from Antarctica!
ACONCAGUA
Cerro Aconcagua, 6962m, the Sentinal of Stone, a soaring mass of rock and ice, is the highest mountain in the western and southern hemispheres and the crown of the Andes. Located in Argentina close to the border with Chile, the peak can be seen from the road between Santiago and Mendoza. At just under 7000 metres (22,841 feet), the mountain attracts climbers from all over the world.
Many have heard that Aconcagua is one of the highest non-technical routes in the world, and requires little special equipment other than warm clothing and good boots to climb the Normal Route. This is true... if you can put one foot in front of the other you may reach the summit with only determination, never needing a belay, an ice screw, carabiners, rope, crampons or other gear and techniques normally associated with ascents of the world's highest peaks.
This is also the catch - to underestimate the dangers and rigours of Aconcagua and become one of the more than 60 percent who never reach the summit goal. Most become weak or sick due to altitude sickness and must rest or retreat to a lower elevation for relief. But for a few others it is the far more serious onset of pulmonary edema that requires immediate evacuation from the mountain.The accessible upper slopes of Aconcagua expose climbers to wind and storms that move in quickly from the nearby Pacific Ocean. The northwest ridge of the Normal Route is particularly vulnerable to high winds, cold, electrical discharge and blinding whiteout conditions which can make retreat very difficult. Precautions must be taken to avoid hypothermia and frostbite.
But if you are reasonably fit and exercise good judgment, you can very likely climb Aconcagua. The number one reason people fail to summit is a failure to acclimatize properly to altitude. Weather, of course, has the final say but with clear skies and a good plan the "summit of the Americas" awaits you!
ACONCAGUA - THE PLAN:
The climbing season for Aconcagua is late December to mid-March, with the peak period being late January to early February when prices for permits, mules and rentals will be the highest.
MENDOZA
In Mendoza, Argentina, food and fuel can be purchased and extra equipment rented. There are several North American-style supermarkets and sporting good shops in Mendoza. Permits must be purchased and last minute plans are settled. Extra gear not used for the climb can be locked up. Guides and mules can be obtained here as well.
Campo Base HI youth hostel in Mendoza (located near Plaza Independencia on Avenue Bartolome Mitre) is a great place for information and assistance in planning a trek up Aconcagua.
CLIMBING PERMIT
Purchase your climbing permit - price ranges from 350-1000 Argentine pesos (approx. US$100-275) depending on the time of year - in Mendoza prior to the climb (allow 24 hours processing time) at the downtown tourist office on San Martin Avenue. Many Aconcagua tour operators have booths set up at this tourist office as well. The park ranger at the tourist office will ask you for your passport, medical insurance policy number and your climbing itinerary. There are no other special requirements for obtaining a permit. They accept cash only.
Do not attempt to purchase a permit at the Ranger Station in Aconcagua Provincial Park.
GEAR AND MULES
1) Bring an ice axe. A steep snow field crossing near the summit can generally be negotiated without crampons, but the ice axe gives needed security. Rental of ice axes, crampons and walking poles can be obtained in Mendoza at Pire, on Av Las Heras. We also purchased white gas here. There are several other sporting good stores.
2) Bring a minimum of 2 litres of fuel per person. Above base camp, you must melt snow to provide the recommended 4-5 litres of water per person each day. Butane cartridge stoves are not adequate above Base Camp (4370 m/14,337 ft), use MSR-type liquid fuel stoves. You must remain well hydrated, breathing hard in the cold, dry air requires a tremendous amount of moisture.
3) Expect extreme cold (-30 C is not uncommon) and violent winds. An expedition quality tent and appropriate clothing are required.
4) Most climbers hire a mule at Puente del Inca, the trailhead on the Santiago-Mendoza highway, to carry food, fuel and equipment. Do not rely on finding any of these necessities at the Plaza de Mulas base camp. Pack your gear in VERY STRONG bags prior to giving them up to the muleteers, it is a rough trip. Cost varies from about $US100 - $US180, for one mule which carries 60 kg. (132 lbs.), or approximately gear and food for 2 climbers. You can also hire mules in Mendoza through one of the many tour operators at very similar prices. We hired our mule through Campo Base for US$120 which also included the use of their camp facilities (cook tent and outhouse) at Confluencia (camp one) and the Plaza de Mulas Base Camp.
PUENTE DEL INCA
We arranged shuttle bus and accommodation in Punete del Inca through Campo Base. Accommodation in Puente del Inca is at the Campo Base-affiliated hostel. Puente del Inca is a small town with a couple of restaurants and a small store. No climbing supplies are available, although used equipment might be purchased from (or sold to) other climbers.
Puente del Inca (Bridge of the Inca) gets its name from the incredible natural bridge formed by the geothermal action of the sulphur hot springs.
1) Allow 2 -3 weeks for the approach, climb and return from the mountain via the Normal Route - Horcones Valley / Northwest Ridge. Check out the Route.
2) Allow at least 2 full days for the approach to Base Camp, called Plaza de Mulas at 4370 metres (14,337 ft) ... it is a long 30 km walk from Puente del Inca starting at 2720 metres (8,924 ft). And allow 2-4 acclimatization days at Base Camp.
3) What follows is the most crucial advice concerning acclimatization; specific to climbing Aconcagua. There are 3 principal camps above Plaza de Mulas, named Canada (4910 m/16,100 ft.), Nido de Condores (5350 m/17,550 ft), and Berlin (5780 m/18,960 ft). It is best to use all of these camps, in sequence, while moving progressively towards the summit.
Attempting to climb to the summit from Nido de Condores is too long unless you are very fit. It is much better to spend at least 2 nights at each camp before attempting the summit from Berlin; and then to return to camp at Berlin after the climb.
The Map
Map courtesy of RJ Secor: Aconcagua - a climbing guide
ACONCAGUA CLIMBING ITINERARY
The Normal Route – Horcones Valley/Northwest Ridge
DAY LOCATION* ELEVATION (NOTES)
Elevation Change (+/-)
__________________________________________________________PUENTE DEL INCA 2720m/8924ft
1a +130m/426ft, 6 km
Trailhead/Ranger Station 2850m/9350ft (Permit check)
1b +470m/1542ft, 7 km
CONFLUENCIA CAMP 3320m/10892ft (Water)
2 +640m/2100ft, 10.5 km
IBANEZ CAMP 3960m/12992ft (Water)
3 +310m/1017ft, 5.3 km
PLAZA DE MULAS 4270m/14009ft (Base Camp; water)
4 Acclimatization Day
5 Acclimatization Day
6a +640m/2100ft, ~4 hours
Camp Canada 4910m/16108ft (Heavy carry)
6b -640m/2100ft
PLAZA DE MULAS 4270m/14009ft
7 +640m/2100ft, ~4 hours
CAMP CANADA 4910m/16108ft
8a +440m/1444ft, ~4 hours (No water, maybe snow)
Nido de Condores 5350m/17552ft (Heavy carry)
8b -440m/1444ft
CAMP CANADA 4910m/16108ft
9 +440m/1444ft, ~4 hours
NIDO DE CONDORES 5350m/17552ft (Water and snow)
10a +430m/1411ft, ~3 hours
Berlin Camp 5780m/18963ft (Heavy carry)
10b -430m/1411ft
NIDO DE CONDORES 5350m/17552ft
11 +430m/1411ft, ~3 hours
BERLIN CAMP 5780m/18963ft (Snow)
13 Summit Days
14 Summit Days
+1182m/3878ft, ~7-10 hours
The Summit! 6962m/22841ft
-1182m/3878ft
BERLIN CAMP
15 -1510m/4954ft
PLAZA DE MULAS
16 -1420m/4659ft, 22.8 km
+6 km road to Puente del Inca – bus to Mendoza or Santiago
*LOCATIONs in CAPITAL letters indicate overnight camps.
ACONCAGUA - THE REALITY
I awoke the morning of February 20 at base camp, short of breath with my head pounding painfully. After failing in my attempt to raise myself up from my sleeping bag, I found that I had no strength and just moving slightly induced waves of nausea.
This wasn't good and even my oxygen-deprived brain knew it.
We were on day 4 of our trek up Aconcagua. Plaza de Mulas, at over 14,000 feet, was our base camp, some 30 km from the trailhead at Puente del Inca. Only one day earlier we had been told of the death of an experienced climber due to high altitude pulmonary edema. Getting severe altitude sickness here was very serious and potentially life-threatening.
Day 0 - Puente del Inca (8924 ft.)
Our trek began on February 16, 2001. To aid our acclimitization, we slept one night in this small town just a few kilometres from the Argentine-Chilean border. In fact, we hiked right past the border customs station on day 1 of our trek. We stayed at the hostel affiliated with Campo Base (Mendoza), a simple dorm style building run by a very nice man named Thomas. Many other climbers were coming or going from here also, which probably means this could be a good place to sell or trade gear if you desired.
Day 1 - Puente del Inca to Confluencia Camp (10,900 ft.)
We hiked for about an hour on a dirt road, partially along the highway past the border patrol building, to the Provincial Park Ranger Station at the entrance to Aconcagua Provincial Park. The rangers checked our permits and issued us trash bags. There is a US$100 fine if you don't return the trash bag full on the way out.
Our hike to Confluencia took about 4 hours on a brilliant sunny and warm day with the massive snow-laden south face of Aconcagua in view straight ahead. We took an early lunch stop beside the tiny Laguna Horcones. About 30 minutes later, the trail climbing very gradually, we came to our first crossing of the Horcones River over a large permanent bridge.
The Horcones River is so heavily laden with clay and sediment, it resembles chocolate milk. Therefore we had to search a little to find fresh drinking water from little streams flowing down from the sides of the valley. Shortly after we crossed to the right side of the river, the trail began to climb steadily and became increasingly hot and dusty as it wandered further away from the river. We took shelter from the hot sun in the shade of a small gully through which a muddy stream flowed. But our juicy green apples hit the spot!
Not too much further on the trail became red and sandy and the grade evened out. Briefly we were above 11,000 feet before descending to cross the river again twice before reaching Confluencia Camp.
Confluencia Camp is located on a small, flat area beside the muddy-brown Horcones River. To our delight there were several crystal clear springs flowing down the green grassy slopes. It was quite a picturesque setting for our first night's camp. We set up tent between two huge boulders that provided us a little precious shade, as the sun was significantly more searing at this high altitude. Several tour operators had seasonal tents and outhouses set up at Confluencia.
Day 2 - Acclimitization hike to near Plaza Francia (~14,000 ft).
We hiked four hours steadily up towards Plaza Francia past the huge, dirty Lower Horcones Glacier. The views of the south face of Aconcagua became more incredible with every step and we took many photos. Besides being a little short of breath, we both felt fit and clear of mind the entire day. Later that evening, a spectacular lightning and thunder storm lit up the sky and echoed through the valley! Oddly, only a sprinkle of rain fell on our camp and we would discover later that most of the rain had fallen higher up on the mountain.
Day 3 - Our day began late. The comfort of our sleeping bags was too much to resist and we slept in a little. The clouds had completely cleared and the bright, blue morning sky greeted us as we slowly packed-up. After a quick breakfast, we gorged ourselves with water from the last fresh stream we would see and set off towards Plaza de Mulas base camp at just after 10 am. Immediately past the beautiful cold clear stream, the trail began to climb via switchbacks out of the river valley and up the steep gravely banks to a plateau about 500 ft. above the river at Confluencia. We passed several small forks of the stream which flowed into last night's camp and we filled our bottles repeatedly. After a brief rest to catch our oxygen-depleted breath at the top of the switchbacks, we continued on into the heart of the massive Horcones Valley.
The trail climbed a small rise before it actually descended slightly towards the first of several wet crossings of the Horcones River this day. As we topped the small rise we got our first view of the entire Horcones Valley: a massive u-shaped valley, devoid of vegetation, filled with red-orange rocks (almost Mars-like) of all sizes and housing the many braided channels of the brown Horcones River as it meanders its way out of the Andes on its course to the Atlantic Ocean.
I took off my boots to wade across the river at a particularly sandy spot where it wasn't more than shin-deep. The river water was surprisingly cold considering the air temperature was well above twenty degrees Celsius with the searing heat of the sun shining through the thin atmosphere making the day feel very hot. Back in our boots, we continued on the trail towards the Piedra Grande (photo). Piedra Grande is a huge red boulder lying in the middle of the valley, an ancient reminder of glacial deposition and the last major landmark in the valley for several kilometres. In the shade of the big rock we stopped briefly for a drink of water, but only a mouthful as we didn't expect to find fresh water until Ibanez camp still seven kilometres further and we had no intention of drinking from the thick, silty Horcones river.
In the upper Horcones Valley, the trail meandered along side the river for several kilometres gaining altitude so gradually it was almost imperceptible. The view up the valley appeared endless as we could see other hikers and mule trains in the distance, mere specks on the horizon back-dropped by the mountains, many kilometres away. We walked for a couple of hours up this featureless valley flanked by numerous huge unnamed peaks that were dwarfed by the snowy giant of Aconcagua, which, at this point of the trail, was out of sight behind the high ridge to our right. Unfortunately there wasn't much breeze on this day so we searched for shade to take a break. Thankfully the steep valley walls provided a little shade and a cool rest spot to drop our packs and have a bite to eat. Once again our crisp green apples hit the spot!
Back on the trail, no sooner had we strapped on our packs when we encountered several wet crossings of the Horcones River's many channels. Splashing through in our boots, enjoying the cool water, most of these crossings were very shallow. But a little further on we ran into what would be the last and most difficult crossing of the day.
Just before Ibanez Camp, the valley narrowed just enough to force most of the smaller river channels into two or three wide, swiftly flowing river branches. A couple of guys heading down the mountain were walking up and down the banks of the river on the opposite side searching for a safe place to cross with no success. After a quick assessment, Christy and I decided to split up and search the banks of the river for the best place to cross. I looked upstream where the river was less wide, but flowing fast and deep as it was pressed through the narrow valley walls while Christy looked downstream, where the river was wider yet shallow as it escaped the narrows and began to braid out. The two guys attempting to cross the river from the other side were also downstream when I noticed that they were about a quarter of the way across the river, moving very cautiously across a wide, shallow spot. But the river was still flowing quickly and even from my vantage point nearly 100 metres upstream, I could tell that they were having difficulty staying balanced in the knee-deep water on the unstable footing. Christy waited and studied their progress, preparing herself for her attempt once they had made it across.
I continued further upstream to a spot where the main channel of the river suddenly narrowed as the water violently bounced and thrashed over its riverbed. Without my full pack and oxygen-depleted lungs, I could have leapt across with relative ease, but now instead I stood and stared at this potential crossing with anxious dread. I looked back to the struggles of the two guys crossing downstream and my heartbeat quickened as my mind decided that I would attempt to jump across here. First things first, I took off my pack, cinched the straps tight and with an enormous effort, heaved it awkwardly towards the opposite bank. With a sigh of relief, I watched my pack land safely, if not a little clumsily, on the other side. Now for me.
I moved away the larger rocks next to the river to create a small clearing for my approach. "How long should my runway be?" I pondered to myself. Too long and I risked mis-stepping on my take-off, but too short and I compromised my acceleration. I decided on three steps and tested the footing several times. As I stood and stared at the river, summoning my courage, I was breathing hard already as my heart raced. With a final surge of determination I sped forward and hurtled myself up and over the raging Horcones. My footing proved sound and my takeoff was better than I had hoped allowing me to fly through the thin air. As if in slow motion, I mocked the frustrated river below me as it tried to impede my progress. I landed safely on the other side with at least two feet to spare and with a shout of joy signalled to the others downstream that I had made it! I gathered my pack and walked back to make sure Christy made it across safely as well. She used her hiking poles, left her boots on and made her way at a slow, steady pace. As Christy waded through the swift water, a mule train heading down the mountain crossed the river just a short ways downstream. Even the mules slowed their pace to ensure solid footing as they splashed through the river. Now safely across, Christy's boots were waterlogged so she changed into sandals to walk for the next few kilometres.
Shortly after crossing the river we came to what looked to be Ibanez Camp, where we had planned to overnight on our original itinerary. To our horror there was no fresh water to be found anywhere near Ibanez and we were forced to press on as the trail now climbed up the edge of the valley away from the river. We were nearing the end of our water supplies and needed to stop for lunch so we checked our map and noticed that there appeared to be a few streams flowing down from the ridge to our right a little further up the trail. We pushed on and within a half hour came upon a small, muddy rivulet flowing across our path. Last night's heavy rains had obviously filled all flowing water from the higher elevations with debris making the water undrinkable and our water filter quite useless. Nearing exhaustion, we dropped our packs for a short rest, a rejuvenating bite to eat and a precious mouthful of our remaining water.
During our stop, we were passed by a couple of German guys who told us they were hiking up to Ibanez to camp for the night. Confused, we said that they had just passed Ibanez about one kilometre back, but they pulled out their altimeter and claimed that it was not possible as we were not at a high enough elevation. We debated our location for a minute and although I was almost sure of our bearings, the digital readout on his altimeter made me doubt myself. Now our concern was not only water, but also the approaching nightfall if we were still so far from Base Camp! The trail's grade had become steeper and with the day's exertion and higher elevation, we had slowed our pace somewhat, but I was alarmed to think that we could be so far behind schedule. We finished our lunch break prematurely and hastily continued up the trail.
Less than 30 minutes later we caught up to the German hikers sitting atop a crest in the trail. As we climbed the ridge they sat shaking their heads, pointing at something out of our line of sight on the trail ahead. As Christy and I crested the rise, we finally could see what the Germans were so troubled about. Last night's storm had transformed the once small stream that crossed our path into a massive, overflowing mudslide! The mud ebbed and flowed, sometimes surging forward so powerfully it carried huge boulders downstream! We met a third hiker, a young man from Israel, halted by the mudslide as well. And we all stood staring in wonder at how we would pass this unforeseen obstacle!
We walked up and down the side of the former creekbed looking for any possible route across as the mud flowed down in dangerous surges but it was too wide, deep and fast so we waited... and waited... and finally the mudflow slowed and the volume eased slightly. We took advantage of the slower flow (in case it was only a lull before another wave) and began building a rock-bridge across a lower section of the mud-creek. The day was getting late and clouds were starting to form over the mountains surrounding the Horcones Valley so we worked with a hurried urgency since we were also still unsure of our distance from Plaza de Mulas base camp. After tossing several large boulders we managed to rock-hop across the mudflow with no more than our toes getting dipped into the muck.
We continued on, proud of our successful crossing of the mudflow, thinking that we had overcome the mountain's best efforts to stop our ascent until only five minutes later we came upon Mudflow #2! But this mudflow was not quite the ominous surge of Mudflow #1 and we managed to rock-hop across with relative ease and were back on our path in no time.
Several minutes later we passed the ruins of Lower Plaza de Mulas and we knew that we were on the right on track! Upper Plaza de Mulas base camp was only a short distance away at the end of the Horcones Valley up one last climb according to our map. Our pace quickened as dark, threatening clouds thickened in the sky foretelling an approaching storm. We reached the end of the valley just below base camp only to have to scale the Subida Brava (the hardy climb) passing by several dead mules, up a steep and exhausting climb of 200 metre elevation gain to Plaza de Mulas.
Short of breath, we came over the rise at the top of the Subida Brava and Plaza de Mulas base camp came in to view...finally! Base camp was spread out at the foot of the Upper Horcones glacier. A small village of tents of all sizes, shapes and colours: very impressive and fulfilling to have finally arrived after a long and strenuous day. We dropped our packs and got some much-needed fresh water from the little streams that flowed from the melting glacier.
We set up camp and made a delicious dinner of rice and pasta. We both had voracious appetites and felt good. We spent the rest of the evening visiting with other climbers from all over the world, some on their way up, some on their way down, but all full of tales of adventure! The clouds cleared and the night sky was an incredible star-studded canvas. The night was almost warm even at over 14,000 ft, although we were told it had snowed the night before when we had seen the thunderstorm from Confluencia. I fell asleep easily and slept quite soundly.
Day 4 - I woke up on day 4 at Plaza de Mulas with a very bad headache, my head pounding painfully. I had experienced this before when acclimatizing on Kilimanjaro and it had gone away after drinking a litre of water and popping a couple tylenols.
But this was different. It was much worse.
Acute Mountain Sickness:
Extreme Fatigue - I was so incredibly tired I could barely prop myself up out of my sleeping bag to take a drink of precious water. Nausea - If it wasn't for my powerful aversion to and control of my vomit reflex, I might have thrown-up several times. Numbness - My hands and feet both went a little numb and tingly, likely due to lack of oxygen.
So I lay in my sleeping bag for about 2 hours trying to will myself to feel better as the sun rose in the clear blue sky and the tent became quite warm. But when I got up to get some air and almost passed out I knew I needed help so I asked Christy to go get the base camp doctor. He came over and examined me and told me that I had the early stages of pulmonary edema. He measured my O2 levels at well below 70 percent which meant my blood was carrying far less oxygen that it had at sea level. My body was suffering and I could feel it! I didn't notice any wet sounds when I breathed, but the stethoscope heard the fluid that had started to form in my lungs and the doctor said that I had to be evacuated from the mountain right away! I tried to remain brave, but tears betrayed my disappointment and my oxygen-depleted brain didn't have the time or clear-thinking to rationalize my situation. Down is where I had to go.
But since I could barely stand up and an approaching storm had kept any rescue helicopters from getting up to base camp this day it meant that I would be riding out on a mule! So with the amazing help of Christy, I got packed up and within 20 minutes of being diagnosed I was on my way down to a safer elevation. What took Christy and I two days to climb up took the mules only 4 hours to descend: a very bumpy, leg-cramping, butt-aching, precarious-edge walking, scary river-crossing ride down from Aconcagua. And the pain in my head, nausea in my stomach and fluid in my lungs improved with every step of the way down. By the time I was back at the ranger station near the road I was feeling almost completely better, besides the ache in my body from the gruelling mule ride.
Meanwhile, the Amazing Christy packed up all the rest of our gear and hired some mules to carry all of our heavy gear and extra food back down and then she walked the entire way down all by herself on foot! She met me just after sunset at the hostel in Puente del Inca and I gave her a BIG hug! She smelled. I love her. As we looked back up towards Aconcagua which was enshrouded in the dark clouds of a powerful mountain storm, I pondered to myself, maybe we weren't meant to climb that mountain...
Post-Aconcagua thoughts: How disappointed am I?
When the base camp doctor first diagnosed me with pulmonary edema and told me that I had to be evacuated from the mountain immediately, I was scared, very disappointed and quite upset. All of our planning, preparation, money spent: gear and food and permits; all for nothing! I didn't even get a chance to leave base camp (going up anyway). It sucked!
But I did the right thing (I had to tell myself this a few times). Going down was the best and really only thing for me to do. My health is the most important thing and as I bumped and bounced down the mountain on the back of my mule, the more I thought and realized that getting to the top of Aconcagua (or any mountain) should never jeopardize my life. I love the mountains and hiking but do I really need to get to the top of the biggest mountains? No, not really.
I won't say never, but my reasons for hiking and climbing are freedom and fun, not extreme, risk-taking, competition. I love exploring the world by the power of my own two feet!
So I am not as disappointed as I initially thought I would be. I am happy that I am healthy and I have learned (a little more) what is and isn't important in my life. I can be the champion of my own life...it doesn't have to be of the world.
And I will keep hiking and climbing in Canada, where the mountains are a little lower, but the beauty is endless. I might try a big mountain again someday, maybe, if I am truly motivated. We'll see.
A second attempt at Aconcagua? I don't think so.
And that's okay.
- - -
CORDOBA - Due to the premature conclusion to our Aconcagua trek, we made an unscheduled trip to Cordoba. Cordoba is the second largest city in Argentina and competes with Buenos Aires for the cultural crown of Argentina. With a relatively uninteresting, compact city centre surrounded by many old colonial buildings and historical monuments, Cordoba requires little time to visit.
BUENOS AIRES - Argentina's huge capital city with over 12 million people.
A very cosmopolitan, European-feeling city; they even have the Torre de los Ingleses (the English Tower), a Big Ben clone!
The city is separated into several distinct neighbourhoods (barrios), each with its own unique Buenos Aires experience. The parks, craft fair, museums and good restaurants in Retiro and Recoleta made them my favourite barrios. The Annual Tango Festival happened while we visited allowing us to experience some authentic and very entertaining Buenos Aires dancing and music, sometimes right in the streets!
Ombu Tree in Recoleta
IGUAZU FALLS - Massive & spectacular multi-tiered jungle waterfalls.
At over 70 metres high at the Garganta del Diablo (the Devil's Throat) and spanning over 2 kilometres along the Rio Iguazu gorge at the point where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay all meet; Iguazu Falls is one of nature's must-see wonders of the world!
One morning we hiked a few kilometres on one of the lesser known jungle paths of Parque Nacional Iguazu in Argentina to a secret jungle waterfall and pool!
We passed many huge 2-step spiders hanging right above the path! Jungle lore says they get their name from a poisonous bite that leaves you only 2 steps before you fall down dead! Luckily, we never found out if it was true.
We did a day-trip to the Brazilian side of the falls too, where we were able to get up close and personal with the falls via well-connected pathways.
San Ignacio Jesuit Ruins - Amazing restored ruins of the Jesuit Mission founded in 1609 and abandoned in 1767. At its peak, San Ignacio had a population of nearly 4000. The site contains such highlights as the huge cathedral, kitchen facilities, teaching area and many living quarters; all so incredibly well-preserved you almost feel like you have gone back in time! The movie The Mission (with Robert Deniro) was actually filmed in this area near Iguazu Falls!
After exploring Iguazu Falls, it was back to Buenos Aires briefly where we would say goodbye to South America and catch our flights home.
Friday, September 4, 2009
John Muir Trail 2000
JULY 4 - 19, 2000
Tuesday, July 4, 2000 - Yosemite Valley
After our 27 hour bus ride from Vancouver we were exhausted and badly in need of a shower. We had some lunch in Yosemite Valley village, used the nearby showers and set off on the John Muir Trail (JMT) around 3PM.
DAY 1 - The bright blue sky and the incredible beauty of Yosemite motivated our tired bodies up the steep ascent out of the valley amongst the throng of dayhikers. An abundance of horse manure on the trail had us holding our breath while climbing the canyon...not nice! But the views of the valley and waterfalls got more and more rewarding as we climbed. Shortly after a late afternoon snack above Nevada Falls and a visit with the local park ranger we ran into our first (and ONLY) bear!
Some other hikers were cooking dinner and the very brave bear was just hanging out in the middle of the trail between myself and the other hikers. They were throwing rocks at it but it didn't seem to mind, until it noticed me standing on the trail behind it and bolted off into the trees. It didn't go very far before it turned around to watch me slowly walk up the trail pounding two rocks together noisily. Christy was a couple of minutes behind me, so I waited with the dinner-cooking hikers and warned her of the bear lurking in the woods to her left.
We tried to hike as far as we could to put distance between us and the bear, but it got dark within an hour of our bear encounter (maybe 2 miles) so we stealth camped right beside a huge boulder a few hundred metres away from some other camped hikers. After a quick, cold dinner away from our tent, we crawled into bed very tired from a long day of traveling and hiking...but we wouldn't get any sleep yet!
Shortly after dark the sound of banging pots and yelling from the campers below alerted us to the return of the bear! (I am assuming it was the same bear from earlier that evening but I can't be sure.) At least an hour went by with no sign of the bear and our stealth camp was looking very good when suddenly the dark silhouette of the bear silently passed just a few feet away from our tent! The bear didn't smell us and in fact, didn't even seem to take notice of us just a few feet away, and just kept walking away into the night and out of our lives...but not out of my mind! It was very hard to get a good sleep that night!
DAY 2 - We slept in late after being up late on our bear-watch and didn't get started on the trail until around 11:30 AM. We hiked about 9.5 miles today with a long lazy lunch break at Sunrise Camp. It was much cooler and windier today.
Lots of elevation gain today including an out-of-breath climb around 2 PM getting us above 10,000 feet. Beautiful alpine meadows meant a few mosquitos too. We camped high up (I think above 10,000 feet) on a ridge with an incredible panorama view as the sun set into the purple sky. Christy found the elevation gave her a fitful sleep (due to sleep apnoea) but at least no bears!
DAY 3 - 7.5 miles downhill into Tuolumne Meadows by 11:30 AM. Our first stop was the camp store and grill: burger, hot dog, Coke, fresh fruit and Ben & Jerry's ice cream! We picked up our food package and set up camp in almost the exact same spot as I had 4 years earlier during my PCT trek. We took the rest of the day off and lazed around by the river. In the afternoon, we took the free shuttle to Tuolumne Lodge for showers, it's a long walk! Note: Showers were only open from 12-3:30 PM to hikers and cost $2.
DAY 4 - Big day today: 18 miles up and over 11,056 foot Donahue Pass and out of Yosemite National Park.
Easy first 9 miles of the day in Lyell Canyon. No mosquitos or bears, but some fresh scat and some howling coyotes. Nice lunch stop at Lyell Camp anticipating the big ascent up the pass after lunch.
DAY 5 - Chilly morning with ice on our tent fly and on the puddles on the trail. We hiked up and down between several picturesque alpine lakes with Thousand Island Lake being the highlight of the bunch.
Half way through our day we decided to hike 1 mile down (nearly straight down!) to the River Trail in the canyon below the ridge on which the John Muir Trail was following. After a wet crossing of the San Joaquin River we headed off down the hot and dusty river trail towards Reds Meadows and a day off!
The mosquitos were out in full force but listening to my walkman kept me dancing down the trail. After about 14 miles, near Devil's Postpile, we caught the "free" shuttle bus down to the Mammoth ski area where we easily hitched a ride the rest of the way down into Mammoth Lakes town and Motel 6. We took a night off in what felt like luxury: hot showers, HBO, pizza delivery, big bed...ahhh! Life only feels this good after being on the trail. Trail Magic! Super sweet.
DAY 6 - Day off in Mammoth Lakes. Slept in and walked around town. Shopped at Vons where I talked to Jedi, who was planning a 7 day speed-hike of the entire John Muir Trail. Whew!
We lunched at Base Camp Cafe where we turned fast food into slow food before we hitched back up to the ski village and took the $5 bus back to Red's Meadows. The campground at Red's is a rip-off at $14 for car camping or hikers (although you can use the hot spring showers for free). So instead we saddled up our gear and hiked 3 miles to Red Cones where the mosquitos were thick but the sunset was amazing!
DAY 7 - We hiked a tedious 15 miles today along a high ridge above Cascade Valley; a hot, up and down, mosquito-infested, mule crap-laden trail. Thank god for our walkmans and the beautiful breeze at our lunch break. I might recommend the lower, less tedious Cascade Valley trail with the very pleasant Fish Creek hot springs as an alternate route.
We stopped for dinner at the picturesque Virginia Lake, where the mosquitos eased their attack long enough for us to enjoy a good dinner and a short nap. But then we continued on to camp for the night at Tully Hole where the mosquito-insanity reached its maximum during our hike. Any longer there and I'm sure I would have gone crazy. (How do you go to the bathroom with so many mosquitos around?!?)
DAY 8 - 14 miles to Lake Edison and ferry to Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR).
The morning of continued mosquito-madness was made ever more torturous by a hot climb to Silver Pass while wearing our jacket and pants as mosquito-armour. There was very little snow on Silver Pass and Silver Lake was bright blue in the gorgeous summer sun. Amazingly, the mosquitos disappeared past Silver Pass, making our descent to Mono Creek fast and peaceful.
We caught the 4:45 pm ferry at Lake Edison and 20 minutes later we were sipping our free beer at the friendly Vermilion Valley Resort.
DAY 9 - 0 miles. We decided to take a day off at the resort and adjust our hiking plans so that we could meet up with our friends in Las Vegas on time. This meant that we would miss several days of the JMT from Muir Pass to Crabtree Meadows, but since I had hiked that section of the trail a few years ago I wasn't really disappointed. We met several PCT thru-hikers at VVR, including Flatfoot, aka Gene the hiking machine, who was hiking the PCT for the Sunshine Foundation charity. We also ran into Dan and Sara Rufner from San Diego, whom I had hiked with on the PCT in 1996! Small world. We sat and talked over dinner and planned to meet up again in a few days in Bishop.
DAY 10 - Back on the trail. Another hot, sunny day of hiking in the California Sierras, but very few mosquitos today made for a much more enjoyable walk. We camped near the Muir Trail Ranch and nearby hot springs, but we were so exhausted after a long day that we never even went in the hot springs.
DAY 11 - Another long day up and over Piute Pass on our way out to North Lake and beyond to Bishop. The morning began very nice with gorgeous hiking weather and beautiful scenery hiking up the Piute Creek canyon. But in the late afternoon, the mosquitos showed up again in large numbers and our long, gradual ascent of Piute Pass became torture. Thankfully once we reached the pass, the mosquitos had subsided and we camped just a mile or so beyond the pass beside one of several small crystal-clear alpine lakes.
DAY 12 - We hiked the last few miles steeply down from Piute Pass past many day-hikers from North Lake where we hitched a ride 18 miles into Bishop. Motel Rancho Relaxo, a huge dinner and some cold beer made for a great evening in Bishop.
DAY 13 - We met again with Dan and Sara for breakfast. They had completed there Sierra trek and were headed back home so we caught a ride with them to Lone Pine where we would get our Whitney climbing permits and finish our trek.
DAYS 14-16
We obtained a Whitney Mountaineers' Climbing Permit at the Ranger Station in Lone Pine, spent one night in town and set off to summit the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, Mt. Whitney, at 14,494 feet.
The rangers provided us with details and information on the route and advised us that no technical equipment would be necessary to reach the top. The trail is a basic one-day hike with some minor scrambling up to the high camp at Iceberg Lake (see map below). From this point, the mountaineers' route heads straight up a snow-filled gully with some serious scrambling on steep terrain, to reach a saddle on the north side of the Whitney ridge. From there the grade levels out as the route winds around the more gently sloped west side of the mountain towards the summit.
Unfortunately, a large icy snowfield lies between the saddle and the summit and was a little dangerous to negotiate without an ice axe or crampons, wearing only approach shoes. Therefore, our summit attempt fell about 400 feet short of the top, but the views from the ridge were still very spectacular!
Mount Whitney Mountaineers' Route:
Picture above is taken beside Iceberg Lake, near the high camp, looking up the east face of Mt. Whitney.
The topographical map detailing the hikers' route (in black) as well as the mountaineers' route (in red).
For comprehensive trail information, check out http://www.pcta.org/about_trail/muir/over.asp
Tuesday, July 4, 2000 - Yosemite Valley
After our 27 hour bus ride from Vancouver we were exhausted and badly in need of a shower. We had some lunch in Yosemite Valley village, used the nearby showers and set off on the John Muir Trail (JMT) around 3PM.
DAY 1 - The bright blue sky and the incredible beauty of Yosemite motivated our tired bodies up the steep ascent out of the valley amongst the throng of dayhikers. An abundance of horse manure on the trail had us holding our breath while climbing the canyon...not nice! But the views of the valley and waterfalls got more and more rewarding as we climbed. Shortly after a late afternoon snack above Nevada Falls and a visit with the local park ranger we ran into our first (and ONLY) bear!
Some other hikers were cooking dinner and the very brave bear was just hanging out in the middle of the trail between myself and the other hikers. They were throwing rocks at it but it didn't seem to mind, until it noticed me standing on the trail behind it and bolted off into the trees. It didn't go very far before it turned around to watch me slowly walk up the trail pounding two rocks together noisily. Christy was a couple of minutes behind me, so I waited with the dinner-cooking hikers and warned her of the bear lurking in the woods to her left.
We tried to hike as far as we could to put distance between us and the bear, but it got dark within an hour of our bear encounter (maybe 2 miles) so we stealth camped right beside a huge boulder a few hundred metres away from some other camped hikers. After a quick, cold dinner away from our tent, we crawled into bed very tired from a long day of traveling and hiking...but we wouldn't get any sleep yet!
Shortly after dark the sound of banging pots and yelling from the campers below alerted us to the return of the bear! (I am assuming it was the same bear from earlier that evening but I can't be sure.) At least an hour went by with no sign of the bear and our stealth camp was looking very good when suddenly the dark silhouette of the bear silently passed just a few feet away from our tent! The bear didn't smell us and in fact, didn't even seem to take notice of us just a few feet away, and just kept walking away into the night and out of our lives...but not out of my mind! It was very hard to get a good sleep that night!
DAY 2 - We slept in late after being up late on our bear-watch and didn't get started on the trail until around 11:30 AM. We hiked about 9.5 miles today with a long lazy lunch break at Sunrise Camp. It was much cooler and windier today.
Lots of elevation gain today including an out-of-breath climb around 2 PM getting us above 10,000 feet. Beautiful alpine meadows meant a few mosquitos too. We camped high up (I think above 10,000 feet) on a ridge with an incredible panorama view as the sun set into the purple sky. Christy found the elevation gave her a fitful sleep (due to sleep apnoea) but at least no bears!
DAY 3 - 7.5 miles downhill into Tuolumne Meadows by 11:30 AM. Our first stop was the camp store and grill: burger, hot dog, Coke, fresh fruit and Ben & Jerry's ice cream! We picked up our food package and set up camp in almost the exact same spot as I had 4 years earlier during my PCT trek. We took the rest of the day off and lazed around by the river. In the afternoon, we took the free shuttle to Tuolumne Lodge for showers, it's a long walk! Note: Showers were only open from 12-3:30 PM to hikers and cost $2.
DAY 4 - Big day today: 18 miles up and over 11,056 foot Donahue Pass and out of Yosemite National Park.
Easy first 9 miles of the day in Lyell Canyon. No mosquitos or bears, but some fresh scat and some howling coyotes. Nice lunch stop at Lyell Camp anticipating the big ascent up the pass after lunch.
Great climb! Beautiful scenery and very little snow made our climb a breeze.
We rock-hopped across a tricky creek crossing, lost the trail briefly over a few larger patches of snow and traversed one large snowfield near the top before we reached the incredible views at Donahue Pass; north into Yosemite and south towards Ansel Adams Wilderness.
The descent from the pass was long and tiring on weary feet but the alpine valley was lined with many nice meadows and lakes. We continued on down to Rush Creek trail where the 3 creek crossings were easy (no wet crossings). Then an exhausting 500 foot climb over our last mile of the day to camp at windy Island Pass (10,200 ft). Again we stealth camped; so no bears, and I slept like a baby after a long day but the altitude affected Christy's sleep again.
DAY 5 - Chilly morning with ice on our tent fly and on the puddles on the trail. We hiked up and down between several picturesque alpine lakes with Thousand Island Lake being the highlight of the bunch.
Half way through our day we decided to hike 1 mile down (nearly straight down!) to the River Trail in the canyon below the ridge on which the John Muir Trail was following. After a wet crossing of the San Joaquin River we headed off down the hot and dusty river trail towards Reds Meadows and a day off!
The mosquitos were out in full force but listening to my walkman kept me dancing down the trail. After about 14 miles, near Devil's Postpile, we caught the "free" shuttle bus down to the Mammoth ski area where we easily hitched a ride the rest of the way down into Mammoth Lakes town and Motel 6. We took a night off in what felt like luxury: hot showers, HBO, pizza delivery, big bed...ahhh! Life only feels this good after being on the trail. Trail Magic! Super sweet.
DAY 6 - Day off in Mammoth Lakes. Slept in and walked around town. Shopped at Vons where I talked to Jedi, who was planning a 7 day speed-hike of the entire John Muir Trail. Whew!
We lunched at Base Camp Cafe where we turned fast food into slow food before we hitched back up to the ski village and took the $5 bus back to Red's Meadows. The campground at Red's is a rip-off at $14 for car camping or hikers (although you can use the hot spring showers for free). So instead we saddled up our gear and hiked 3 miles to Red Cones where the mosquitos were thick but the sunset was amazing!
DAY 7 - We hiked a tedious 15 miles today along a high ridge above Cascade Valley; a hot, up and down, mosquito-infested, mule crap-laden trail. Thank god for our walkmans and the beautiful breeze at our lunch break. I might recommend the lower, less tedious Cascade Valley trail with the very pleasant Fish Creek hot springs as an alternate route.
We stopped for dinner at the picturesque Virginia Lake, where the mosquitos eased their attack long enough for us to enjoy a good dinner and a short nap. But then we continued on to camp for the night at Tully Hole where the mosquito-insanity reached its maximum during our hike. Any longer there and I'm sure I would have gone crazy. (How do you go to the bathroom with so many mosquitos around?!?)
DAY 8 - 14 miles to Lake Edison and ferry to Vermilion Valley Resort (VVR).
The morning of continued mosquito-madness was made ever more torturous by a hot climb to Silver Pass while wearing our jacket and pants as mosquito-armour. There was very little snow on Silver Pass and Silver Lake was bright blue in the gorgeous summer sun. Amazingly, the mosquitos disappeared past Silver Pass, making our descent to Mono Creek fast and peaceful.
We caught the 4:45 pm ferry at Lake Edison and 20 minutes later we were sipping our free beer at the friendly Vermilion Valley Resort.
DAY 9 - 0 miles. We decided to take a day off at the resort and adjust our hiking plans so that we could meet up with our friends in Las Vegas on time. This meant that we would miss several days of the JMT from Muir Pass to Crabtree Meadows, but since I had hiked that section of the trail a few years ago I wasn't really disappointed. We met several PCT thru-hikers at VVR, including Flatfoot, aka Gene the hiking machine, who was hiking the PCT for the Sunshine Foundation charity. We also ran into Dan and Sara Rufner from San Diego, whom I had hiked with on the PCT in 1996! Small world. We sat and talked over dinner and planned to meet up again in a few days in Bishop.
DAY 10 - Back on the trail. Another hot, sunny day of hiking in the California Sierras, but very few mosquitos today made for a much more enjoyable walk. We camped near the Muir Trail Ranch and nearby hot springs, but we were so exhausted after a long day that we never even went in the hot springs.
DAY 11 - Another long day up and over Piute Pass on our way out to North Lake and beyond to Bishop. The morning began very nice with gorgeous hiking weather and beautiful scenery hiking up the Piute Creek canyon. But in the late afternoon, the mosquitos showed up again in large numbers and our long, gradual ascent of Piute Pass became torture. Thankfully once we reached the pass, the mosquitos had subsided and we camped just a mile or so beyond the pass beside one of several small crystal-clear alpine lakes.
DAY 12 - We hiked the last few miles steeply down from Piute Pass past many day-hikers from North Lake where we hitched a ride 18 miles into Bishop. Motel Rancho Relaxo, a huge dinner and some cold beer made for a great evening in Bishop.
DAY 13 - We met again with Dan and Sara for breakfast. They had completed there Sierra trek and were headed back home so we caught a ride with them to Lone Pine where we would get our Whitney climbing permits and finish our trek.
DAYS 14-16
We obtained a Whitney Mountaineers' Climbing Permit at the Ranger Station in Lone Pine, spent one night in town and set off to summit the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, Mt. Whitney, at 14,494 feet.
The rangers provided us with details and information on the route and advised us that no technical equipment would be necessary to reach the top. The trail is a basic one-day hike with some minor scrambling up to the high camp at Iceberg Lake (see map below). From this point, the mountaineers' route heads straight up a snow-filled gully with some serious scrambling on steep terrain, to reach a saddle on the north side of the Whitney ridge. From there the grade levels out as the route winds around the more gently sloped west side of the mountain towards the summit.
Unfortunately, a large icy snowfield lies between the saddle and the summit and was a little dangerous to negotiate without an ice axe or crampons, wearing only approach shoes. Therefore, our summit attempt fell about 400 feet short of the top, but the views from the ridge were still very spectacular!
Mount Whitney Mountaineers' Route:
For comprehensive trail information, check out http://www.pcta.org/about_trail/muir/over.asp
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