Dispatches

February 16, 2006

Greetings from Basecamp. Due to extrememly high winds, demolished tents, and poor visibilty, we decided to head back down to basecamp today and call the trip. Everyone is happy with this decision and are looking forward to getting back to civilization. Camp Nido was completely destroyed last night and even basecamp was hit hard by this latest storm. There is camp carnage everywhere! The descent back to basecamp wasnt easy either with members of the group being completely knocked off their feet by wind gusts of up to 80mph!! Needless to say our decision not continue was wise one. We wish everyone at home well and will get back with you when we are safe in Mendoza. Cheers!
Dylan

February 14, 2006

Happy Valentines Days from Camp Canada! Today we made an acclimatizatoin hike and load carry to Camp Nido. The weather here has been deteriorating and it is now quite windy and cloudy, however, we have had news that it will hopefully better in the next few days. Pablo has returned back to basecamp and will join us up at Camp Nido tomorrow. Wish us luck! Cheers, Dylan

February 13, 2006

Hello from Camp Canada (Camp 1) on Aconcagua! Unfortunately Joe has had a bad respitory infection and has decided not to continue the climb. Today he will hike out back to the road with Pablo, we wish him luck! The rest of the group has moved up to Camp Canada (Camp 1) and will prepare for a carry up to Camp Nido tomorrow (Camp II). The weather is splitter and there is just a small breeze to freshen the air. We give everyone our love back home! Cheers, Dylan

February 12, 2006

Greetings from Plaza de Mulas BC on Aconcagua! We are enjoying our 2nd rest/acclimatization day here in basecamp before beginnign our final push to the summit! We report with great sadness that Tom and Kathy Kelley have left the expedition. Although strong as an ox, Tom left for medical reasons. Kathy, being the vibrant spirit that she is, elected to join her husband. You two brough so much energy to our group! We will miss you!!! Eric accompanied Tom and Kathy to the safety of the highway - 20miles away. He is planning to return some time today. We have no doubts thathe will arrive soon. He is a machine at altitude. While most of us struggle to survive on the dearth of oxygen molecules up here, Eric seems to thrive on the space between them. He chews up thin air and spits out a vacuum in his wake. Suzanne, Chuck, and Joe accompanied Pable and I on an acclimatization hike/climb yesterday to Canada camp, at 16,200 feet. We traveled efficiently up the flanks of Aconcagua for exactly 4 hours before arriving in Canada camp, where we cached some of our upper mountain provisions. We also spend some leisure time sitting down up there, and marveling at the rugged and contorted desert topography that is laid bare for all to see. The mountains around here are a complex melange of twisted and folded volcanica and (barely) metamorphosed sediments (Joe found the first fossile in confluencia). Their color and form is best described by using the Starbucks color palette. Layers of Americano and carmel machiato sediments are cut by a wild display of soy latte volcanic dikes. Steep gullies empty out on to slopes of orange mocha frappucino talus and scree. Here and there, grey cliffs looking like yesterday's drip coffee with a touch of skim stick out of the talus. We took in the view for a while before Suzannes' "Yalla Yalla" motivated us to get moving back to Base Camp, where we had steak for dinner. Today's rest was well earned. Tomorrow we are excited to begin our final ascent! Keep fingers crossed for continued good weather! Cheers, Dylan

February 10, 2006

Greetings from 14,300 feet on Aconcagua! Our team of 8 is now comfortably resting in Plaza de Mulas, our base camp for this expedition. On board for this expedition we have Suzanne from Dubai, Joe from New Jersey, Chuck from Michigan, and Tom and Kathrine Kelley from Washington. I am joined by Pablo and Eric as guides.

We had a 14 mile hike from confluencia yesterday, and the team styled it. We had to get used to some colder conditions while eating dinner, but watching the alpinglow on the upper parts of aconcagua made enduring the evening chill worth it.

Today is a rest day for us. We are all taking it easy today (all the gear arrived successfully by mule-even our post-expedition wine survived). Some folks are walking around, checking out the art gallery, I believe Suzanne anounced her intentions to take a hot shower. What makes it all amazing is that basecamp here is located on the rapidly retreating remnants of a glacier descending from Aconcagua and El Cuerno. I am writing from one of several internet "cafes" (realy just big dome tents).

Today the other guides and I will finish sorting out food and equipment for the upper mountain in preparation for tomorrow, when we will carry a bit of gear up to camp canada. On monday we will rest, and on tuesday we will begin our ascent towards the summit of Aconcagua. Hopefully we will be ready to summit by next Sunday (feb 18). We will be keeping in touch by phone, so stay tuned. Before I sign off, here are a few messages that the climbers in our group wish to send:

"Miss you all big time and especially you Tammy and Zainah" -Suzanne

"Chuck says hi to Russ and Andrew and everyone in Chicago - everything is going great"

"Hola from Aconcagua! Brothers, wish yo were here. I am havign a great time. Love you family! Love-Joe"

"Tom and Chris: We're at 14,000 and climbing! All is OK. See you soon. Love, Mom and Dad"

Thanks for checking in on us, keep your fingers crossed for more good weather, and we will call in sometime soon!

-Dylan Taylor

February 8, 2006

Hello again from camp confluencia! After a great day hike yesterday to the base of Aconcaguas immense south face, we are now taking a well deserved rest day. Some highlights of the trip so far are that we found a remote boulder with thousands of fossilized sea shells. Amazing. There is some mild weather passing threw now but should be clear by tomorrow. Everyone is feeling great and we are having a great time, cheers!

Dylan

February 6, 2006

Hello from camp Confluencia! After some logistical problems and a bit of lost luggage in Mendoza, it is finally nice to get on the trail and start our trip. Everyone is doing great and are optimistic about the climb ahead. Tomorrow we will take an acclimatzation hike to the base of the south face of Aconcagua, one of the largest sheer mountain faces in the world. Weather here at camp and on the mountain has been a bit iffy, with high winds down low and deep snow up high. However, we have been hearing that the weather is about to change for the better so lets keep chanting to those weather gods. We give our best to everyone at home, cheers!

Dylan