To promote a greater climbing culture among Singaporeans, Adventure Quests is launching a series of high altitude climbing expedition. First in the line-up is Mount Aconcagua, and I have the privilege to be the leader of this expedition.
Standing at 6,962m above sea level, Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside the Himalayas. Lies on the border of Chile and Argentina, rises high on the Andes Mountain range, Aconcagua is one of the icons of the appraised Seven Summits circuit and attracts climbers from all over the world.
Cerro means Hill in Spanish. Cerro Aconcagua is definitely more than a hill. It has scree slopes as daunting as the slope up to Camp 1 of Cho Oyu (8,201m, the 6th highest in the world), and to bring you closer to understanding the scree, imagine climbing the slopes leading to the top of Mount Rinjani multiple times. The steep 2.5km high south face offers extreme mixed routes, which are amongst the most difficult on earth. Climbers that had resulted to serious injuries and even death often underestimate Aconcagua. The extreme cold, stormy winds and altitude make this Cerro a serious undertaking.
According to some expert mountaineers that have climbed the Himalayas, Aconcagua represents an even greater physiological distance. For instance, the Himalayas have vegetation up to 4,900m while in the Central Andes Mountain range the vegetation reaches only to 3,900m.
Traditionally, there are three guided routes on Aconcagua: Normal Route (the North West ridge, also the first ascent route), Polish Glacier and the Guanacos Glacier Route; there are also up to 33 routes on different faces & ridges leading to the summit with variety of difficulties where only few in the world are able to climb it. From the technical point of view, Aconcagua presents all types of difficulties on rock, ice and snow. Anyone who wants to confront the ascent should have excellent physical fitness, good climbing technique with considerable experience, and most importantly, a lot of enthusiasm and perseverance.
Having climbed several peaks above 6,000m and with clear knowledge about the effects of altitude on climbers, I have chosen to make an attempt via the Normal Route (supposedly easier) and will follow the philosophy of climb high sleep low strategy. The Normal Route will take us along the North West Ridge of the mountain that is not too technically demanding. However, the demand on our physical and mental toughness will not diminish with climbing a less technically challenging route. Aconcagua will stand as tall as it has been, we will be as deprive of oxygen as those climbing on the other side of the mountain, the cold remains and the stormy wind will continue to howl.
Our Brief Itinerary
This will be a 24 days climbing expedition starting from 5th to 28th February 2011.
To arrive at the base camp of Aconcagua, we will start from Mendoza. Mendoza is 760m above sea level in western Argentina. The city of Mendoza is an important hub for land transportation. The city’s bus station has several daily services to all Argentinean provinces, as well as to Chile. We will spend one day exploring the charming city of Mendoza, and being in the heart of wine country, it is wiser not to get too high before getting high on the mountain.
We will leave Mendoza early the following day and be driven to Los Penitentes at 2,580m above sea level. Another day of short distance drive will bring us to the trailhead. We will start our approach walk to Confluencia Camp at 3,360m. All expedition food and equipment will be carried by mules allowing us to enjoy the trek with a daypack. We will spend an additional day at Confluencia Camp for active acclimatization. The trek to our base camp at Plaza de Mulas (4,250m) will take about 8 to 9 hours. This is a long and difficult day but we will enjoy the impressive views of Aconcagua and the surrounding peaks.
We will establish our high camps from Plaza de Mulas and will practice faithfully the philosophy of climb high sleep low as we ascend. There are three high camps before the summit and we will have to ferry our personal gear to the high camps during the acclimatization phase.
Altitude at each Camp:
Base Camp – Plaza de Mulas – 4,250m
Camp I – Plaza Canada – 4,900m
Camp II – Nido de Condores – 5,400m
Camp III – Camp Berlin – 5,900m
Regardless the choice of our climbing route, it is the high altitude and the potentially extreme weather that challenge our climb. While we cannot fully predict the weather, we can better prepare ourselves with adequate training and be vigilant with our health and be aware of altitude sickness.
Training
Being fit at sea level do not necessary mean that one will be as fit at a higher elevation. As we climb higher, we consume lesser oxygen; this is stressful to our body, and yet we have to force our body to get used to working with limited oxygen intake. The best way to get our body adjusted to the higher elevation is to get our body working actively. To stay active at high altitude, it means our body must be able to recover fast after a hard day’s ascend. To be able to perform in the mountain, we need to build strong and high endurance fitness.
The best training for mountaineering is to carry a weighted pack up and down stairs or hills several days a week and spending an average of 3 to 4 hrs each time. Begin slowly with increasing weights and hours. Supplement this with long endurance run focusing on how long you can last and not how fast you can complete. Often then not in the mountain, we are not able to move very fast with diminishing oxygen intake as we ascend, the ability to keep moving is essential. Cycling can be very helpful as it is a good form of aerobic conditioning. While strength is important, endurance training should be our primary focus.
Have discipline with your training. Remember, when you miss a training session, you miss a chance to train, when you miss a chance to train, you miss a chance to get closer to the summit.
Health
Staying healthy in the mountain is important. When we train well, our body is able to fight better. Ensure proper hydration during the climb. One of the best ways to gauge if you are well hydrated is to check on the color of your urine; the clearer the better, it is possible to have your urine crystal clear – just drink up and then pee as often as you wish.
Talk to your doctor, and ask for specific medication for general ailment. Cough, flu, sore throat, diarrhea are common during long expedition. Prepare vitamins to support your immune system, e.g Vitamin C.
Go for a medical check up to be sure that you are medically fit to climb. Visit a dentist at least 2 to 3 weeks before the departure date; it is no fun to suffer from toothache at high altitude.
Ensure that you have sufficient rest leading to the departure. Plan your work properly to avoid having to work late and be deprived of adequate rest. Insufficient rest prior to the climb can have strong effect on your performance in mountain. When you don’t sleep well at sea level, the harder it will be for you to sleep well at high altitude.
Altitude Sickness
No one is immune to the effect of altitude; even the climbing Sherpas in the Himalayas may get thrown off the mountain because of mountain sickness. It is normal to have headache, temporary loss of appetite, shortness of breath and nausea during the approach trek, especially during the first 5 days of gaining altitude. What is important is to monitor the severity of the effects on us.
Acute Mountain Sickness, commonly known as AMS, is caused by a lack of oxygen when we travel to higher elevations. We cannot fully prevent AMS, but we can apply strategies to reduce the severity of it. Part of the strategies include:
- Adequate training – though being fit is no guarantee against developing AMS, good fitness will enable us to recuperate fast and avoid developing sever symptoms like loss of coordination, vomiting
- Have sufficient rest & be well hydrated before embarking on the climb; do not just consume plain water, add isotonic drinks or electrolytes during the climb
- Avoid fast ascend, no rushing of climbing schedule, no more than 1000m ascend within a day when climbing above 3000m
- Allow proper acclimatization cycle by engaging in active acclimatization – climb high sleep low strategy
- Avoid dynamic movement when arrive at altitude; jumping and running around the camps are a strict no no. Getting up fast when at rest can induce headache
- Descend to a lower elevation if symptoms persist or get worst
- Do not be shy to inform your climbing mates that you are not well
The climb will be challenging for the novice and experience climbers alike. With the right attitude on altitude, the chance on reaching the top will increase. When the mountain allows us to sneak up, we have to be ready for the climb. If you have been looking at climbing a peak, consider joining us on this expedition.
Let’s climb on!
Contact Adventure Quests for more information about climbing Aconcagua:
Adventure Quests
187 Sims Avenue
#02-02
Singapore 387497
Tel: +65 6841 3314
Joanne's climb 
