|
|
Aconcagua
Summit
of
South
America,
6962m
On
the
new
7summits
site
we
will
place
trip reports
to
the
7summits,
so
send them in and
we
will
add
them!
Below
is
the
report
of
7summits'
Harry
Kikstra
climbing
the
Falso
de
los
Polaccos
route.
Happy
reading
:-)
|
Click
the
pictures
below
to
enlarge:
|
28/12/2000
In
the
morning
the
winds
are
still
blowing
like
crazy
and
Erik
does
not
want
to
move
up.
Normally
it
is
fun
for
a
man
to
pee
when
the
wind
is
blowing
(as
long
as
you
do
it
in
the
sensible
direction
of
course),
but
when
the
wind
is
literally
blowing
you
over
the
fun
turns
into
embarrassment
and
annoyance...
But
the
skies
are
a
lot
clearer,
the
winds,
although
strong,
are
more
constant
and
I
suspect
that
this
is
the
last
part
of
the
storm
and
use
my
power
of
leadership
to
decide
to
go.
We
pack
our
tent
and
the
rest
of
our
gear
and
head
into
the
wind.
We
have
to
wear
our
windstopper
gorilla
facemasks
and
ski
goggles
today,
so
no
part
of
our
skin
is
exposed
to
the
freezing
wind.
Last
night
has
adjusted
our
bodies
a
bit
more
and
until
the
col
we
make
good
time.
I
am
happy
to
see
that
the
skies
are
getting
clearer
and
clearer,
but
the
winds
only
seem
to
be
getting
stronger.
The
moment
we
get
close
to
the
col
it
is
blowing
so
hard
that
we
have
to
wait
for
it
to
calm
down
a
bit,
take
a
few
steps
and
then
quickly
use
our
poles
for
stability,
head
and
upper
body
leaning
forward
against
the
wind,
trying
not
to
get
blown
off
our
feet.
As
there
is
not
that
much
calming
down
around
it
takes
us
quite
a
while
to
round
the
exposed
corner
of
the
col
and
I
begin
to
understand
the
stories
of
our
friend
Robert
who
climbed
the
mountain
a
few
years
ago.
He
already
warned
us
that
the
wind
sound
more
like
a
freight
train
that
is
driving
an
inch
from
your
face
and
totally
out
of
control...
After
making
the
turn
left
on
the
col
to
continue
up
the
ridge
towards
camp
II
the
wind
alternates
between
blowing
straight
from
the
side
and
blowing
from
behind.
Even
though
it's
extremely
hard
work
getting
up
here,
I
feel
a
lot
better
than
yesterday
though
and
make
some
nice
shots
of
Erik
fighting
his
way
up
the
mountain
as
well.
I
notice
that
if
I
time
the
switchbacks
right,
the
wind
will
actually
blow
me
up
the
mountain,
which
takes
the
load
off
the
actual
ascending.
On
the
other
hand
it
costs
energy
just
to
keep
my
balance,
but
I
guess
that
is
my
distorted
idea
of
fun...
|
Polish
glacier
from
camp
II
(5900m)
|
Keep
hydrated!
Harry
getting
water
after
chopping
a
hole
in
the
frozen
pond...
|
We
see
some
other
climbers
ahead
but
they
seem
to
be
looking
for
Camp
II
as
well
and
we
decide
to
go
for
the
GPS
waypoint
straight
away.
This
takes
us
past
the
bags
we
have
cached,
but
I
don't
take
anything
out
except
my
plastic
boots,
crampons
and
camera.
The
waypoint
leads
us
straight
up
one
of
the
scree
faces
beneath
a
few
large
rocks
that
are
too
steep
to
scramble
up
to.
After
a
hundred
meters
the
scree
is
covered
by
a
large
ice
and
snowfield
that
runs
all
the
way
from
the
big
rocks
until
way
below
the
col
camp,
many
hundreds
of
meters
down.
As
Erik
has
no
real
experience
with
crampons,
I
put
on
mine,
take
my
ice
axe
and
check
out
the
route.
Although
steep,
there
seem
to
be
no
nasty
surprises
and
I
decide
to
give
Erik
the
2-minute
crash
course
about
crampon
walking.
(Some
useful
advice:
"Just
don't
slip
here,
cause
you
will
end
up
way
below!"
and
some
other
practical
info
as
well.)
I
don't
want
him
to
walk
with
his
heavy
backpack
though
to
avoid
risking
losing
his
balance
and
after
we
both
crossed
the
largest
part
of
the
field
together,
I
return
to
get
his
pack
as
well.
I
like
to
walk
through
snow
and
Ice,
but
at
5800m
the
ascending
of
this
little
part
3
times,
of
which
2
times
with
a
heavy
pack
makes
me
loose
my
breath
for
a
while.
But
the
GPS
indicates
that
the
camp
is
only
about
80
meters
up
and
I
try
to
find
out
the
most
sensible
way
to
get
past
the
rocks.
I
notice
some
piles
of
trash,
so
unfortunately
humans
will
not
be
far
away;
the
rock
leading
towards
the
spot
is
totally
covered
by
an
inch
of
ice
and
although
fun
and
exciting,
not
really
safe
and
I
tell
Erik
to
pass
the
rock
on
the
other
side.
He
moves
well
on
his
crampons,
even
on
this
mixed
terrain
and
soon
I
see
him
appear
on
the
other
side.
Now
it
really
should
be
close,
but
where
is
it?
I
scramble
a
few
meters
up,
look
all
around
and
spot
the
3
TNF
VE-25
tents
of
Willy's
group.
Seems
we
have
found
what
we
have
been
looking
for!
The
campsite
is
at
the
moraine-covered
end
of
the
Polish
Glacier
and
there
are
some
nice
spots
available
as
we
are
the
only
people
here
besides
the
AAI
group.
Some
ice
chopping
has
to
be
done,
but
then
our
tent
is
neatly
behind
a
firm
stonewall
and
close
to
one
of
the
nicest
views
imaginable.
Although
the
wind
has
continued
to
cease,
it's
still
cold:
even
with
the
sun
still
up
the
temperature
inside
the
tent
drops
quickly
below
-5
and
while
cooking
the
outside
temperature
falls
beneath
-20
degrees
centigrade.
Time
to
get
in!
Our
dehydrating
trick
with
the
camelback
hanging
inside
the
tent
that
worked
out
nicely
in
the
first
week
is
no
use
as
you
can
see
the
contents
freeze.
So
we
fill
up
our
thermoses
and
go
to
sleep,
feeling
good
about
today’s
accomplishments.
29-12-2000
Today
is
a
relatively
rest
day,
the
only
thing
that
needs
to
be
done
is
to
pick
up
our
cached
luggage.
The
weather
is
really
nice,
it's
almost
warm
and
we
decide
to
take
the
long
detour
route
on
top
of
the
rocks
back
to
our
cache
so
we
don't
need
to
take
our
crampons.
It
takes
us
less
than
half
an
hour
to
get
to
our
bags
and
after
loading
everything
in
our
packs
we
slowly
start
our
way
back.
We
still
haven't
seen
the
official
camp
II
so
when
another
climber
asks
us
for
it
we
can
only
tell
him
the
direction
in
which
we
suspect
it
to
be...
We
have
to
decide
which
traverse
route
we
will
be
taking
tomorrow.
We
are
now
at
5900m
altitude
at
the
base
of
the
Polish
Glacier,
but
as
we
want
to
summit
from
the
normal
route
we
have
to
round
the
mountain.
There
are
2
possibilities:
we
can
go
straight
up
to
a
place
below
the
Independencia
shelter
at
around
6400m
or
make
a
longer
but
less
steep
traverse
to
the
Piedras
Blancas,
the
White
rocks
at
6000m.
Even
the
first
route
has
the
advantage
that
summit
day
will
be
much
shorter,
we
must
think
about
all
of
our
gear
(we
will
have
to
do
the
traverse
twice
and
prefer
to
do
this
on
one
day)
and
decide
to
go
for
White
Rocks.
Willy
returns
with
his
group
from
a
little
acclimatization
walk
and
recommends
us
to
go
and
see
a
place
beneath
the
'Piedra
Bandera'
the
rock
on
the
Glacier
that
resembles
the
Argentinean
flag.
Even
though
it's
just
an
easy
walk,
I
can
feel
my
heart
rate
go
wild
and
have
to
take
it
very
easy.
But
it
is
worth
it
as
we
end
up
at
an
amazing
view
from
a
1-kilometer
high
ice
and
rock
cliff
down
the
route
between
base
camp
and
camp
I.
On
Denali's
2nd
base
camp
you
have
a
place
called
'the
end
of
the
world'
and
this
is
clearly
the
southern
hemisphere
counterpart
of
it.
After
a
lot
of
picture
taking
we
slowly
return
and
I
still
don't
feel
too
well;
a
few
new
guys
we
already
met
at
camp
I
have
arrived
and
I
know
that
they
have
a
little
oxygen
saturation
meter.
I
check
my
oxygen
saturation
level
and
see
my
fears
about
the
lack
of
acclimatization
translated
in
cold
hard
numbers:
although
my
level
at
base
camp
was
between
80
and
90,
it
has
dropped
to
70
here.
A
rule
of
thumb
says
that
below
75
you
should
no
longer
ascend
and
even
though
we
only
plan
to
ascend
100m
tomorrow,
I
am
worried.
30-12-2000
We
wake
up
in
another
day
of
nice
weather,
make
some
extra
chocolate
and
warm
water
and
head
for
the
White
Rocks.
First
we
have
to
go
down
and
cross
the
icy
part
of
the
glacier;
but
this
can
be
done
without
crampons
in
about
10
minutes
by
carefully
picking
out
the
rocky
and
soft
snowy
parts.
Even
after
another
night
at
this
camp
my
body
does
not
feel
strong
and
I
cannot
get
my
famous
diesel
pace
going.
Erik
feels
better
and
warns
me
I
am
going
to
fast.
We
slow
down
a
bit
and
enjoy
the
magnificent
views
over
this
side
of
the
Andes
mountain
range
while
crossing
large
scree
fields
and
some
more
snowy
parts.
Just
when
I
am
filming
Erik
crossing
an
icy
patch
he
shouts:
"He,
check
out
how
deep
down
this
ice
field
goes!",
so
I
reply:
"
You
better
watch
out
that
you
don't
check
it
out
yourself!"
We
go
off
track
to
see
if
there
is
a
way
to
cache
our
gear
at
Berlin
or
a
lower
part
of
the
normal
route
without
having
to
go
up
to
White
Rocks
first,
but
all
I
can
see
is
a
loose
and
very
steep
scree
slope,
so
we
decide
to
let
that
idea
go.
While
Erik
is
still
going
strong
I
feel
myself
getting
weaker
while
slowly
stepping
up
the
switchbacks
to
White
Rocks
and
decide
to
return
to
camp.
It's
either
on
to
White
rocks
now
and
too
exhausted
to
do
it
again
today,
or
cache
my
load
here,
so
I
can
do
it
again
this
afternoon.
Erik
decides
to
continue
the
last
part
up
and
I
will
go
down
to
start
taking
down
our
tent.
The
way
up
took
a
bit
more
than
2
hours
and
the
slightly
downhill
return
beat
this
with
almost
an
hour.
While
I
am
busy
making
some
more
water
and
taking
down
the
tent,
Erik
returns
as
well
and
tells
me
it
was
only
about
another
half
an
hour
to
a
perfect
campsite.
We
finish
our
packing
together,
drink
some
more
and
leave
for
the
Rocks
again,
taking
everything
we
have.
The
second
time
goes
a
little
faster
as
we
both
discovered
some
tracks
on
our
way
down
and
while
the
sun
is
slowly
setting
we
arrive
at
White
Rocks.
This
is
a
very
nice
place
Erik
has
found,
quite
sheltered
and
near
a
nice
patch
of
really
clean
and
packed
snow,
perfect
for
water.
We
put
up
our
tent
and
enjoy
the
evening
sun;
after
eating
dinner
we
take
a
little
walk
to
the
edge
of
the
plateau
from
which
we
can
see
Berlin
camp:
an
exposed,
crowded
an
polluted
piece
of
rock,
filled
with
tents.
It
makes
me
feel
very
glad
that
we
ascended
the
other
side
of
the
mountain
and
makes
me
wonder
why
no
one
takes
the
extra
30
minutes
of
effort
to
get
to
this
clean
and
safe
site.
Even
the
approach
to
the
summit
track
is
easier
from
White
Rocks.
Anyway,
although
very
tired
we
decide
to
wake
up
at
2
to
get
up
and
make
some
water,
around
3.30
we
should
be
ready
for
our
summit
attempt.
Although
I
feel
far
from
optimized
for
a
heavy
summit
attempt,
I
can
see
some
changes
in
the
weather
patterns
in
the
distance
and
think
we
should
grab
our
chances
while
they're
hot.
And
besides,
wouldn't
just
be
nice
to
summit
on
New
Year’s
Eve
;-}
|
...and
drinking
the
tea
he
made
from
it
(camp
II).
|
The
traverse
to
White
rocks
as
seen
from
the
Glacier
(camp
II)...
...and
as
seen
from
below
white
rocks,
looking
back
to
camp
II
|
Summit
route
as
seen
from
White
rocks
camp
(6000m)
|
Erik,
just
after
joining
normal
route
(6200m)
|
31/12/2000
Although
I
never
really
sleep
before
a
summit
attempt
(good
old
nerves
combined
with
the
fear
to
oversleep)
I
wake
up
because
2
minutes
before
the
alarm
goes
off.
It
is
freezing
inside
the
tent
and
I
start
putting
on
some
clothes
and
warming
some
others
inside
my
sleeping
bag.
I
try
to
wake
up
Erik,
but
he
doesn’t
want
to
give
up
his
warm
sleeping
bag
that
easily.
As
our
stoves
and
the
snow
for
melting
water
are
out
of
reach
and
it
is
really
cold,
I
have
to
get
dressed
completely
before
I
can
start
the
stoves.
The
cold
(estimated
–25/-30)
hurts
my
body
and
makes
my
already
uneasy
stomach
feel
even
worse.
It
also
makes
the
melting
of
water
a
long
task
and
after
1.5
hours
I
decide
to
eat
no
breakfast,
take
warm
water
only
and
propose
to
leave.
Erik
is
dressed
as
well
and
we
head
off
into
the
dark
night.
There
are
billions
of
stars
but
no
moon
and
there
is
no
visible
trail.
My
stomach
is
starting
to
feel
worse
and
I
can
also
feel
my
heart
rate
go
up
to
too
fast.
After
only
5
minutes
I
decide
that
I
will
never
make
it
under
these
conditions
and
I
tell
Erik
that
I
need
to
return
to
the
tent
quickly.
He
is
a
bit
disappointed
as
he
is
feeling
all
right,
but
together
we
crawl
back
into
our
warm
sleeping
bags.
Inside
I
feel
already
a
bit
better
and
while
Erik
returns
to
sleep
I
keep
on
thinking
about
summit
day.
I
don’t
think
that
my
situation
will
improve
much
while
I
am
at
6000m
but
on
the
other
hand
I
know
that
if
we
decide
to
go
down
for
a
night
it
will
be
very
hard
to
get
the
(mental)
strength
to
get
up
again
the
next
day.
Also
the
weather
seems
to
be
perfect
today,
but
I
am
sure
that
it
will
change
soon.
While
these
thoughts
are
keeping
me
awake
the
first
light
enters
the
tent
again
and
around
8am
I
wake
up
Erik.
“
He
Erik,
this
is
plan
16b
(we
had
changed
our
plans
frequently
the
last
week,
adapting
them
to
circumstances):
let’s
get
up
now,
the
weather
is
nice
and
the
temperature
is
rising
again.
I
want
to
cook
some
water
without
any
time
pressure,
eat
some
breakfast
and
see
how
I
feel
afterwards.
If
I
feel
any
better
before
11.00am
we
should
give
it
another
try.
It
will
mean
a
late
summit,
but
the
weather
looks
good
and
I
think
we
should
take
our
chances.”
Erik
agrees
and
together
we
slowly
start
our
daily
chores.
I
still
do
not
feel
good
but
at
least
my
stomach
has
eased
a
bit
and
around
10am
I
tell
Erik
that
I
want
to
give
it
another
try.
We
pack
our
bags
again:
down
jacket,
extra
gloves
and
mittens,
water,
tea
and
some
candy
bars
and
of
course
my
cameras.
Around
10.30
we
slowly
start
walking
up
the
slope
besides
White
Rocks.
There
is
no
real
track
at
this
point,
but
the
slope
has
an
easy
gradient
and
we
both
make
our
separate
switchbacks
at
the
angle
we
are
each
most
comfortable
with
until
we
reached
the
track
coming
from
Berlin
simultaneously.
I
feel
that
my
body
offers
a
very
narrow
margin
in
which
I
could
probably
push
it
for
a
long
time
but
I
have
to
take
care
no
to
cross
the
borders
of
that
margin.
This
means:
steady
pace,
not
too
much
rests,
plenty
of
fluids
on
a
regular
basis
and
no
food
as
I
was
sure
that
my
stomach
would
not
like
it.
The
track
from
Berlin
is
an
easy
walk
and
slowly
we
gain
altitude.
The
moment
we
approach
the
slope
beneath
the
ruins
of
the
Independencia
huts
we
see
the
second
AAI
group
starting
from
their
tents
as
well.
We
continue
together,
go
past
Independencia
and
across
the
little
ridge
towards
the
beginning
of
the
infamous
canaleta.
The
track
splits
up
here
and
although
the
AAI
group
takes
the
left
part,
I
hesitate,
as
it
seems
that
they
have
to
scramble
up
rocks
and
then
cross
a
snowfield.
But
one
climber
that
just
comes
down
the
other
track
smiles
and
says:
“
you
better
follow
them,
this
right
track
is
only
suitable
for
going
downhill
as
it
is
the
beginning
of
the
Canaleta
and
the
longer
you
can
stay
off
that
one,
the
better,
trust
me…”
The
Canaleta
is
the
name
of
the
narrowing
part
of
the
enormous
screefield
that
in
fact
already
starts
at
Plaza
de
Mulas,
the
base
camp
of
the
normal
route.
Although
the
route
manages
to
avoid
the
largest
part
of
this
so-called
‘Gran
Acarreo’
the
last
500vertical
meters
to
the
summit
you
will
have
to
use
it.
The
Canaleta
consists
of
a
collection
of
rocks
with
their
size
varying
between
a
few
millimeters
and
over
a
meter
in
diameter.
But
they
all
have
one
thing
in
common:
they
are
in
complete
balance
on
the
steep
slope,
which
means
that
whenever
somebody
touches
them,
they
will
slide
down
until
they
refound
their
delicate
balance.
In
practice
this
mean
that
every
step
up
in
the
Canaleta
is
immediately
followed
by
a
slide
down,
sometimes
more
than
the
original
step
takes
you
up.
Combined
with
the
altitude
of
nearly
7kms
it
means
that
you
will
have
to
use
a
lot
of
energy
to
climb
up
just
a
few
meters.
This
is
really
as
tough
as
it
sounds
and
many
climbers
don’t
make
it
up
here
as
it
is
mentally
and
physically
very
demanding.
We
follow
the
group,
cross
the
snowfield
and
start
the
struggle
against
gravity.
4steps
up,
1step
down,
2steps
up,
3steps
down
etc
etc…
We
can
tell
that
we
have
started
out
late
as
many
climbers
are
already
on
their
way
down.
Some
share
their
tips
and
advice
with
us:
“From
here
it
is
another
2
hours”
“The
track
on
the
right
is
the
best”
“From
here
it
is
another
4
hours”
(10
meters
further)
“The
track
on
the
left
is
the
best”
“From
here
it
is
another
‘couple’
of
hours”
(same
spot)
“It
is
a
fairy
tale
that
the
Canaleta
ends…it
does
not,
the
moment
your
feet
have
stopped
sliding
down,
it
means
you
are
on
the
summit.”
“Going
down
is
even
tougher
and
takes
about
the
same
time”
All
very
comforting,
but
the
only
way
to
find
these
facts
out
for
ourselves
is
to
continue
walking
and
scrambling.
I
do
find
out
that
the
right
side,
where
some
snow
patches
and
larger
rocks
can
be
found
is
the
easiest
way,
but
Erik
prefers
the
center
track.
Willy
and
his
group
come
down
and
wish
us
luck
for
the
last
part.
Slowly
we
continue
but
the
rest
stops
have
to
come
every
few
steps
now
as
the
altitude
is
working
it’s
way
into
our
bodies.
“Are
you
strong
enough
to
get
to
the
summit?”
Erik
asks.
“No,
but
I’ll
get
there
one
way
or
the
other”
I
reply,
“how
about
yourself”
“No,
but
if
you
can
make
it,
then
so
can
I!”
The
summit
seems
close
and
when
the
clouds
blow
away
we
can
see
people
standing
on
it.
But
what
would
be
a
5-minute
scramble
at
the
foot
of
the
hill
means
another
hour
up
here.
We
pass
the
last
people
on
their
way
down
50
meters
below
the
summit.
I
take
another
rest,
but
Erik
manages
to
continue
and
starts
filming
me
from
just
below
the
summit.
Another
20
steps,
19,
…10,
…3,2,1
|
Ruins
of
Independencia
hut,
6400m
|
Erik
on
ridge
above
Independencia,
6450m
|
Erik
on
the
traverse
to
the
Canaleta
(6500m)
Looking
down
into
the
canaleta
(6800m)
Harry:
5down,
2
to
Go!
|
|
Views
from
the
summit:
Click
above
to
see
the
video
from
the
summit
(17secs,
950kB)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Erik
on
the
summit!
Salami
for
Charity
|
We
made
it!
We
start
hugging
and
congratulating
each
other,
but
it
takes
me
a
minute
before
I
can
get
enough
breath
back
to
say
anything
on
camera.
Erik
has
been
bugging
me
since
the
beginning
of
the
trip
to
ask
me
if
of
the
hard
parts
are
harder
than
climbing
Denali
and
for
the
first
time
I
must
admit
that
it
was:
this
summit
day
was
for
me
tougher
than
my
Denali
summit
day.
Aconcagua
is
known
as
a
‘walk-on’
mountain,
but
clearly
deserves
a
lot
more
respect.
After
a
minute
or
two
I
notice
that
we
are
still
not
at
the
real
summit
and
we
scramble
up
the
last
two
meters
to
get
there.
There
is
the
famous
little
metal
cross,
covered
with
stickers
and
photographs.
6962m,
the
highest
point
of
South
America,
the
western
and
southern
hemisphere!
The
weather
is
great,
there
are
still
a
lot
of
clouds,
but
somehow
they
drift
away
really
fast
giving
us
enough
opportunity
to
capture
the
beauty
of
the
Andes.
We
also
take
some
pictures
of
me
depicting
‘5
down,
2
to
go’,
and
of
some
of
the
stuff
we
brought
up:
a
magazine
I
want
me
to
sponsor
my
next
trip,
a
salami,
that
will
bring
in
$40
for
charity
if
we
serve
it
in
Amsterdam,
some
stickers
from
3FM
radio
station
and
the
single
of
Eric
Dikeb.
We
met
him
in
the
radio
studio
and
he
complained
about
the
lack
of
high
rankings
of
his
singles.
Well,
this
is
the
highest
position
it
will
reach
;-}
|
DJ
Fred's
T-shirt
|
We
keep
it
cool...
|
Reading...
|
Eric
Dikeb's
single!
|
|
Our
sponsor
Suunto!
Their
watches
rule
|
Another
climber
has
come
up
and
we
take
some
pix
for
him
as
well.
As
no
one
is
coming
up
and
it
is
6.45pm
on
31st
December,
we
realize
that
we
are
in
fact
the
last
3
climbers
of
this
millennium!
I
shoot
some
more
video
and
we
get
ready
to
descend,
as
we
will
have
to
hurry
to
get
down
before
dark.
I
gesture
to
the
other,
Japanese,
climber
that
he
should
be
getting
ready
as
well;
he
nods,
but
does
not
move.
I
try
to
make
it
clear
that
it
is
really
time
to
get
down,
especially
if
he
is
going
back
down
to
Berlin
camp,
but
he
does
not
want
to
leave
yet.
Well,
we
do
and
slowly
we
start
our
descent.
Down
the
canaleta
does
cost
a
lot
of
energy,
but
if
you
can
work
your
poles
well
and
you
are
not
afraid
to
make
some
involuntary
cool
slides
every
now
and
then,
then
you
can
get
down
the
canaleta
within
1.5
hour.
As
we
near
the
point
where
we
now
we
must
make
a
turn
or
we
will
go
down
the
wrong
way,
(into
the
Gran
Acarreo)
we
spot
another
Japanese
man,
bent
over
his
poles
with
his
back
into
the
wind.
He
looks
sick
and
confused
and
we
walk
up
to
him.
“What’s
up?”
“
ehhhh?….”
“Why
are
you
standing
like
this?
You
have
to
go
down
right
away
as
it
is
getting
dark
soon;
where
is
your
tent?”
“I
don’t
know”
he
whines
back.
Don’t
know?
What’s
happening
here?
Who
is
this
guy
and
why
is
he
on
this
mountain,
by
himself?
“
You
don’t
know?
But
where
is
your
campsite?”
“I
camped
at
Berlin,
but
am
lost
and
do
not
know
where
Berlin
is….”
Erik
and
I
exchange
amazed
looks.
What
if
we
would
not
have
stopped
to
ask
this
man
some
questions?
Would
he
than
still
be
standing
here
in
the
bottom
part
of
the
Canaleta
until
his
memory
came
back?
Even
though
he
was
wearing
a
down
jacket,
he
would
be
frozen
solid
during
the
evening.
“
Are
you
with
that
other
Japanese
man,
who
is
still
on
the
summit?”
“
No
I
am
alone”.
Smart
move…
He
is
clearly
suffering
from
acute
mountain
sickness
and
seems
a
few
rocks
short
of
a
mountain.
I
tell
him
to
stay
close
behind
me
and
that
we
will
take
him
down
to
his
camp.
He
seems
really
relieved
and
slowly
follows.
We
make
the
turn
at
the
right
spot,
(something
that
this
man
never
would
have
remembered
on
his
own)
and
leave
the
scree
for
the
better
track.
The
Japanese
guy
keeps
on
lagging
behind
and
we
have
to
wait
for
him
every
few
hundred
meters.
He
keeps
on
telling
us
that
we
are
strong
guys,
but
I
rather
have
him
use
his
energy
to
hurry
up
a
it
as
I
don’t
want
to
arrive
in
camp
when
it’s
dark.
We
pass
Independencia,
wait
for
our
Japanese
and
head
down
to
the
crossing
of
the
normal
path
and
the
slope
towards
our
White
Rocks
camp.
We
gesture
to
our
follower
what
we
have
explained
to
him
before:
we
go
right
here,
you
continue
to
Berlin
on
this
track.
It’s
just
another
two
hundred
meters
along
a
straight
track
and
we
are
confident
that
he
will
be
ok
from
here.
We
hurry
down
our
slope
and
arrive
at
our
tent
just
when
the
sun
disappears
behind
the
horizon.
Time
to
sleep!
1/1/2001
New
Year’s
day!
We
start
off
our
day
with
a
little
new
years
video message
for
our
friends
and
family,
while
lighting
the
little
fireworks
Erik’s
sister
has
given
him
in
his
‘survival’
package.
We
are
very
glad
we
summited
yesterday,
but
there
is
no
time
to
really
celebrate
yet
as
today
will
be
another
hard
day.
We
have
to
pick
up
the
cache
I
left
about
100
meters
lower
while
traversing,
take
down
our
tent
and
get
everything
we
have
been
carrying
up
in
two
parts
down
to
Plaza
de
Mulas
in
one
time.
This
means
a
fully
loaded
80pound
backpack
all
the
way
from
6000m
to
4200m,
just
one
day
after
summiting.
We
finish
our
packing,
check
for
rubbish
and
leave
camp
around
14.00hr.
The
first
part,
down
the
shortcut
to
the
track
to
Berlin
is
a
bit
tricky
and
we
have
to
get
used
to
the
heavy
weights
on
our
backs.
But
then
the
track
eases
and
we
make
good
progress,
although
it
costs
a
lot
of
energy
and
we
have
to
take
a
lot
of
small
rests.
We
take
a
little
break
at
Nido
de
Condores
(5600m
camp
on
the
normal
route)
and
are
very
glad
that
we
did
the
route
we
did.
Although
it
means
carrying
up
and
over
all
our
gear,
it
is
so
much
more
beautiful
on
the
other
side
of
the
mountain.
The
normal
route
is
really
an
exposed,
polluted
and
overcrowded
mess
and
I
would
not
have
like
to
spend
2
weeks
here.
Although
very
tired
we
manage
to
get
down
to
the
circus
know
as
Plaza
de
Mulas
around
18.00
and
notice
over
a
hundred
mountaineering
tents,
lots
of
muleteer
services,
guide
services
a
restaurant
and
more.
Another
half
an
hour
of
actually
going
up
with
our
heavy
packs
finally
brings
us
to
the
Plaza
de
Mulas
‘Hotel’,
where,
after
some
discussion
about
our
reservation
we
get
our
room.
Dinner
will
be
served
in
an
hour!
That
gives
us
time
to
sort
out
our
gear
for
the
mules
that
will
take
it
down
from
here.
Dinner
is
nice
and
afterwards
we
sleep
like
kings…
|
|
eCash
on
top!
|
Berlin
as
seen
from
White
rocks
|
Yes,
Harry's
pack
was
heavy...
...just
like
Erik's
|
Looking
down
the
normal
route,
5100m
|
'Circus'
de
Mulas,
4200m
|
Hotel
Plaza
de
Mulas
|
1/2/2001
When
we
wake
up,
it’s
cold,
but
we
go
down
to
get
our
breakfast.
It’s
just
a
few
cups
of
tea
and
some
bread,
but
combined
with
the
thick
air
it’s
enough
energy
to
get
us
started.
Today
is
another
heavy
day,
we
have
lost
the
weight
of
our
backpacks,
but
we
have
to
go
down
to
Puente
de
Inca
today,
which
is
a
walk
of
over
35km
over
the
rocky
sides
of
the
Horcones
valley.
Although
some
of
the
views
are
nice
and
going
down
is
not
too
bad,
in
general
this
valley
is
boring
as
well
and
we
are
again
glad
that
we
went
up
the
other
side
of
the
mountain.
|
Penitentes
near
the
Hotel
|
Erik
in
front
of
Horcones
valley
|
Going
down
the
valley
|
Mules
coming
up
the
valley
looking
strong...
|
...Though
some
are
broken
|
The
mighty
South
Face
from
Horcones
|
Down
boring
Horcones
valley
|
Erik
on
Confluencia
bridge
|
Harry
near
Confluencia
|
Harry
&
Erik
|
Sign
near
park
entrance,
below
you
can
see
the
south
face
|
The
Park
guards
and
helicopter
at
the
park
entrance
|
|
Erik
relaxing
in
Mendoza
Harry
near
the
pool
Erik
in
Santiago
One
of
the
nice
squares
in
Santiago
Harry
in
Santiago
|
We
walk
almost
non-stop,
but
we
don’t
reach
the
park
gate
until
after
6pm.
Another
few
kilometers
bring
us
back
to
the
Hosteria
where
we
manage
to
arrange
the
final
room
available:
showers
and
dinner!
We
each
shower
for
at
least
half
an
hour,
the
first
time
in
two
weeks.
Although
my
skin
is
sun
burnt,
it
feels
great
and
I
have
to
pull
myself
out
of
the
cabin
to
get
ready
for
dinner.
We
celebrate
with
a
little
bottle
of
wine
and
enjoy
our
simple
but
nice
food.
On
the
large
table
next
to
us
that
is
used
by
a
large
international
group
I
discover
the
two
guys
I
met
while
climbing
Elbrus
last
year
and
we
spend
some
time
listening
to
each
other’s
stories.
Erik
is
already
sleeping
and
soon
I
head
off
to
bed
as
well.
I
am
very
satisfied
about
the
trip.
It
was
a
bummer
that
Don
was
taken
out
by
a
virus,
but
Erik
and
I
have
done
well.
We
have
not
been
in
real
danger
at
any
time
(relatively
speaking)
and
have
worked
well
as
a
team,
even
though
it
was
Erik’s
first
time
above
3000m.
The
next
week
we
spent
eating
and
drinking,
relaxing
at
the
pool
of
hotel
Carollo,
dancing
with
the
beautiful
Argentinean
girls
until
the
early
morning
in
the
Apeteco
discotheque
and
sending
out
the
first
reports.
We
took
the
night
bus
to
Santiago
($20
each,
7
hours)
and
spend
another
nice
day
in
this
enormous
metropolis.
I
hope
you
have
enjoyed
these
reports,
when
the
story
will
appear
in
a
book
they
might
have
changed
a
bit,
so
hold
on
to
these
collector
items
;-}
Check
this
site
regularly
for
new
items &
special
offers.
You
can
let
me
know
you
have
enjoyed
the
reports
by
sending
me
email
(or
just
sign
the
guest
book
)
or
by
making
a
donation
to
SOS
Children’s
villages,
check
out
the
form
and
the
info
on
the
site
or
send an email(100%
of
proceeds
go
to
the
charity).
Next
trips
will
be
Mt
Vinson
(Antarctica)
and
Everest,
with
maybe
some
practice
climbs
in
between.
As
these
trips
are
expensive
I
need
corporate
sponsors
for
this,
so
if
you
or
your
company
can
help,
let
me
know.
You
will
be
repaid
with
lots
of
publicity,
mentioning
on
the
site,
mailing list,
exclusive
pictures
etc.
Thanks,
until
next
time
(which
might
be
sooner
than
you
think)
and
keep
climbing,
Best
regards,
Harry
http://7summits.com
This
trip
is
sponsored
by
the
North
Face
outdoor
gear:
http://www.thenorthface.com
and
Suunto
wrist top
computers:
http://www.suunto.fi
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