And it was an epic trip (Aconcogua)

Despues de drunkbiking, Kate and I decided to go trek in Aconcagua National Park for 6 days. This was both a brilliant and absolutely awful idea. The good part: This is where Brad Pitt filmed 7 years in Tibet. (go figure) The bad part: It was incredibly difficult. Below is a quick recap... photos will be posted around christmas time.

First night was Campo Criminal (as dubbed by Kate) - a poached site nestled a 15min hike inbetween both the road and the ranger station... The next day we hiked up to Confluenzia, which looked like a space station and stands at around 11,200feet. Kate got altitude sick. awesome.

We cook an absolutely horrendous lentil meal and headed to bed, and set up to head to Plaza Francia, the base camp for the 4 most technical routes - on a good year, 2 teams attempt the south face. Most of the time, they are french. Plaza Francia was sick, and also a 9 hour day hike. ouch.

Day 4 we headed up to Plaza de Mulas - named for the endless mule trains that bring wealthy older white American/European´s gear up the long trek. To summit the 21,700foot mountain you need at least 14days. But almost anyone can do it - we met all sorts of people. The extremes being a 19year old German boy who decided to solo the ascent bringing only 20 kilos of pasta and a 65+ year old man and his son from Italy going with a guide company.

Day 4 was death... imagine 15mile an hour head winds, a slight incline on a rocky beach for 4 hours. And then you are told you have 6 more hours to go. By the end of the ascent Kate was practically in tears. The last 1/4mile took over 1.5hrs and we were walking at about 3 seconds a step, straight up the side of a mountain. brutal. It was Camp Collapse for me. After crying in the Medical Office, I spent 14 hours in the fetal position while Kate made us dinner (I ate 2 spoons and went back to sleep).

We both slept for 12 hours before deciding NOT to summit Cerro Bonete (at 16,400feet) but instead to hike another 9 hours all the way back down to Campo Criminal. Liz nearly cried at the last part of Day 5. And we both drank soup broth for dinner before collapsing for another 12 hour sleep.

In other news, we were slightly early to the bus on Day 6 and got to see the Puente Del Inca (bridge of the Incas). There used to be a spa in the rocks, but the crazy bright yellow minerals are eating the building. sick!

Anyway, the non-ascent of Aconcagua was probably the most epic trek either I or Kate have done. I have decided I love the color green and hate high altitude mountaineering.