"At this altitude you are struggling to breathe and merely tying your shoe laces is a huge effort as you struggle for air"

see more pictures in the Aconcagua photo album

The Stone Sentinel by Ronnie Muhl
A. S. W. C. News February 2005 edition, S. A. Mountain Magazine. June 2005

In my quest to summit the highest mountain on each of the seven continents, I found myself heading off to South America in January 2005, to climb Cerro Aconcagua which is located in the Andes range, forming the border between Argentina and Chile and located at 6 962m above sea level.

I flew to Buenos Aires, the home of the tango and then on to Mendoza, the wine making province of the country. It was here that I met my ten other team members from around the world, 5 from the United States, 2 from Australia, 2 from England and one other from South Africa.

After acquiring the necessary permits we drove to Penitentes and then on to Punta del Inca for the start of our walk into base camp, known as Plaza de Mulas. This is the turning point for the muleteers and their mules who carry all the high altitude equipment to this point.

We spent 3 days getting to base camp situated at 4 300m with the focus being on acclimatising along the way. The walk in is via the Horcones valley, which is dry and desolate, but decidedly beautiful.

Once we had arrived in base camp we spent another 4 days carrying loads to higher camps, acclimatising, working on our snow and ice climbing techniques, eating, drinking, resting and generally building up our strength for what lay ahead. The day finally arrived for us to begin our assault on the mountain and we left the relative comfort of base camp for at least the next 5 days.

Climbing a mountain of this magnitude requires a steady, patient and cautious approach, taking many factors into account such as weather, equipment, the health and fitness of the climbing party and the overall well-being of everyone involved in the expedition. As you start progressing up the mountain, you sleep higher and higher until you eventually reach the high camp after 3 days. Berlin, as it is known, is situated at 5 850m, which is a fraction lower than the height of Kilimanjaro.

At this altitude you are struggling to breathe and merely tying your shoe laces is a huge effort as you struggle for air. By now you are barely managing to stomach a cup of soup or a mug of tea, as your appetite has been virtually suppressed by the pressures that your body is being subjected to at this height.

Our summit bid began on the 25th of January at 3:30am. The temperature was –30ºC as the eleven climbers and our three guides left the relative comfort of our two man tents, wearing layers of warm gear, three pairs of gloves and double-layered boots. There is not a part of you that is exposed to the elements, as you would get frostbite in an instant. The zig-zag ascent up to Independencia (6 400m) became increasingly more difficult with each step higher as the air got thinner and thinner. It was here that we put on crampons and took out our ice-axes. As we crossed a snowfield, it starting getting light, but this was no comfort for four of our team members who had already turned back to the safety of our camp.

What now lay ahead was a steep traverse, the treacherous Canaletta and the final summit ridge. At 1:21pm I finally stood on the summit of Aconcagua. At that very moment I was in all likelihood the highest person on this globe, as all the other higher mountains are situated in the Himalayas and they are all closed for climbing at this time of the year. What an awesome moment to comprehend! The weather on the summit was perfect, with 360º views and magnificent photographic opportunities.

As we left the summit, two of our team members developed cerebral oedema and they needed rope assistance on the way down. In that moment I realised that climbing a big mountain demands an enormous amount from someone, but above all, besides having the strength and resolve to reach the summit, it demands that you have the reserve to get back down to safety. Statistics clearly reveal that most people who die on big mountains, do so on the descent and not the ascent.

I finally arrived back at the high camp at 6:05pm – a 14½ hour summit day. I managed a cup of soup before getting into my sleeping bag for the night. The following day we walked off the mountain and once the celebrations were over, we took up the task of returning back to everyday life, which provided hurdles and challenges all of its own. In that moment I realised that on the other side of each mountain, there lies a valley that needs to be walked and often the higher the mountain the more desolate, dry and arid the valley can be. But deep down I was made whole again, as I was embraced by the mountains and touched by the warmth, passion and down to earth honesty of the Argentinean people. I hear their call to go back for more.