Aconcagua Days #8 & #9

Have to start this post with a big apology for going MIA mid story. This whole endeavor has been about putting myself out there and taking risks. When I got back from this trip and went back to work something didn’t feel quite right. Taking the lessons I learned on Aconcagua I quit my job to throw the dice on new opportunities. My former employer was fantastic but there was something in me needing some change. I’m still sorting through the change and this has diverted my attention but I’m in a place again where I can focus back on climbing the 7 and keep this story going. Thank you for the patience.

Feb 7, 2018- The winter wonderland we woke up to yesterday had melted off through the night causing the commotion I wrote about in my previous post. Seriously though if you have time scroll down and see the picture from Day #7 compared to the one below.

Absolutely crazy how much snow melted off through the day and night leaving the hill exposed. We packed up camp and began the move to Camp #2. The hike was uneventful since we had done it the day prior lugging our supplies to Camp #2. When we arrived at Camp #2 I was told that Jay, one of the guides, would be bunking up with me since Mike had gone down the mountain due to altitude sickness. We set up and then had some down time to chill out. Two of the other climbers, Tom and Annabel, plus myself hung out rummaging through our food sharing snacks and trying to eat what we could to cut down the weight we would carry up to Camp #3. The three of us had a great time acting like elementary school kids trading snacks at recess. After a bit it was time for dinner where the team would review the “loose” plan for continuing up the mountain. I say “loose” because no matter how well you plan the mountain always has something else in mind. Tomorrow morning (Day #9) we would carry to Camp #3 and then rest the day after (Day #10) before moving to Camp #3 (Day #11) and then starting early the following morning for the summit (Day #12). After the team dinner and briefing we all settled into our tents prepping to go higher on the mountain. That night as soon as I got settled into my sleeping bag I realized that of course I had to pee. It was still light enough out that I decided to go out and use the restroom proper in stead of peeing in a bottle. Yes, we all peed into our own bottles at night when nature called so we didn’t have to leave our tents. Gross for sure especially with another team mate inches from you but trust me you would do it too given how cold it got at night. Moving on, I went outside to use the “restroom” and witnessed one of the most awe inspiring sunsets I have and probably will ever see in my lifetime.

Seriously the picture doesn’t begin to do it justice and I can’t begin to describe what it was like to be there in that moment while I may have been answering the call of nature. After a bit it was too cold to stand any longer and I slid back into my tent. I went to sleep that evening pumped for the day ahead. We would be continuing our assault up the mountain and the next camp at approx. 20,000ft would be the highest I had ever been on a mountain.

Feb 8, 2018- At some point in the early morning I woke up freezing cold while having severe tooth pain. I had forgotten to take my antibiotics and the infection came back with a vengeance. I threw down four ibuprofen along with the missed antibiotics and laid in my sleeping bag trying to get warm. There was a storm raging outside and the tent was flapping all over the place. I could see snow flakes accumulating on the tent walls weighing them down as the storm continued. I was laying on my back trying to get comfortable and get a little more sleep before we had to get up. As I exhaled a deep breath I felt snowflakes hitting my face. I opened my eyes trying to search for a hole in the tent but couldn’t see anything. I laid down again and exhaled thinking it was a fluke to only feel snow on my face again. Perplexed I laid still looking all about trying to find the source of the snow. As I exhaled again I immediately saw the source, it was me! It was so cold that my breath would condense above me and fall back onto my face as snow! I had never experienced anything like this before but being as cold as I was in my sleeping bag it made sense. After marveling at this for a second I rolled onto my side and passed out forgetting about the tooth ache, the cold, and the human powered snow storm in my tent.

At breakfast that morning the storm was still going and we were told that instead of carrying to Camp #3 today and resting tomorrow we would swap the days and have a day of rest. We all piled back into our tents to get out of the winds laying around all day in our sleeping bags only getting out occasionally during a brief lull in the storm to stretch our legs. That evening for dinner we all met at the guides tent and heard that things would be changing again. The forecast was looking worse and like a move tomorrow wouldn’t be possible. Instead we would be hunkering down at Camp #2 for the next two days (Days #10 &11) hoping that things would get better. This meant that in addition to the rest day today we would be in our tents waiting for two more days! I was already bored out of my mind from one day in the tent and after three I figured I’d definitely loose my mind.

Stayed tuned to find out how long the storm raged and if I lost my mind or not…