The experience begins at Puente del Inca, entrance to the Aconcagua National Park (1,900 mts.). From there, trekking to Confluencia awaits us, an intermediate camp at 3,380 mts., A couple of excursions are made, one of them to Plaza Francia (4,400mts), the base camp of the much-feared South face of Aconcagua Ascents, a 3,000 m vertical wall. Of ice, glaciers, rocks, and many avalanches.
From Confluencia, through Playa Ancha, after many kilometers and the final Cuesta Brava, we arrive at Plaza de Mula (4,370 mts.), The first effects of the altitude begin to be felt: headache, nausea, fatigue, lack of appetite, insomnia, dyspnea. As I now understand the ironic response of a great English climber, who was asked what training he did for his ascents to the Himalayas: “When I’m at home I try to go to a bar every day, and I try to get drunk, because that’s the feeling. that I have every time I exceed 5,000 meters. “… and it’s true, even hangover when I wake up after a sleepless night.
Already in Plaza de Mulas, after a few days of rest and two excursions: Glaciar Horcones Superior and Cerro Bonete (5,100 mts.), We began to prepare “the attack to the summit.” In the usual route or North Face of the Aconcagua treks, there are several intermediate camps, areas with slight slopes where you can camp and make the different scales of the ascent: Plaza de Mula (4,370 mts.), Canada (5,000 mts.), Change of Slope. or Alaska (5,300 mts.), Nido de Cóndores (5,500 mts.) and Berlin (5,960 mts.).
The attack “begins with a portage to the first high camp (tents, food and something significant, the elements to make water, hydration is essential, you have to drink up to 7 liters of water per day and this melting ice from the small glaciers). Return to Plaza de Mulas, a rest, and the beginning of the final stage. Return to high camp No. 1, where you spend a day or two, depending on the weather situation, from there to high camp No. 2, Berlin, and everything. Under one, fantastic views begin to appear, an endless horizon and the sun in the Pacific. How great are these Aconcagua Mountain guides !!
We started in Berlin very early, around 2 in the morning, with the preparations, as it is difficult to dress, make water, try to eat something. It is 5 o’clock, and we start the march; we must try to reach the summit before 2 in the afternoon; then, the Pacific winds make the situation very unstable.
How brave it is to start, how cold I feel the -26 degrees that my watch marks, and how I feel the height. We make the ascent very slowly, a few steps, a few steps on the stones and rest … the first stop is in the old Refugio Independencia (6,300 mts.), From there with light, we enter “La Travesía,” passing through the ” Portezuelo del Viento “where the Pacific currents cross, which winds 60/80/100 or more km. Per hour, it isn’t easy to walk and stand upright.