Frodo & Arm tackling Aconcagua!

[Mr. X]

Frodo, Arm & MountainGirl tackling Aconcagua!

Mr. Frodo, Arm & MountainGirl are on a 3 person team trip up Aconcagua starting today (flight leaves today at least)! We'll hear the dirt when they get back (approx 3 weeks from today).

 

[sli74]

Mr. Frodo and Arm are part of a 3 person trip up Aconcagua starting today (flight leaves today at least)! We'll hear the dirt when they get back (approx 3 weeks from today).

A little birdie told me you might hear something sooner than 3 weeks from now . . . that is all I will say for now Stay tuned.

sli74

 

[mavs00]

MountainGirl (on VfTT) is the 3rd one, she'll be with em too.

Arm wrote me a few days ago and told me to they hope to summit as early as the 5, via the Polish Glacier (the more technical route), but they have built in a few extra days in order to hit the summit on the best weather day.

I'll be sending positive vibes southward for a great trip for them and hope you'll all do the same. I'm envious and can't wait to here all about it on their return.

Go get em'

 

[Mr. X]

A little birdie told me you might hear something sooner than 3 weeks from now . . . that is all I will say for now Stay tuned.

sli74

It could happen...

 

[RoySwkr]

Some county highpointers just returned from a successful climb, there is pricey Internet access at base camp as they sent periodic reports.

 

[gaiagirl]

I too got an email from Arm a few days ago and he was hopeful that they might be on the summit by the 5th. Good vibes are indeed flowing in excess from here ! Can't wait to hear all the details when they return, as I've never hiked outside of New England and therefore live vicariously through others .

 

[giggy]

They are heading up the polish glacier route. Can only imagine the laughs and fun! That will be a tough trip. 22K or 23K - high!

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I would not be surprised if they summit by March 5th, based on Frodo's speedy ascent of Denali in May 2004. I reached the summit of Aconcagua on our 10th day on the mountain via the Horcones valley (normal) route last February 21st, on the second try from our 17,600 camp (5300 ft summit day). On our return to the 14,400 basecamp the next day, most of the huge tents set up by the guides (literally a tent city, with dozens of porti-johns, etc.) were being dismantled and very few people were heading up (season essentially over). So, Frodo, Arm, and MountainGirl hould have a fairly uncrowded ascent, I think, especially on the Polish glacier side. We had two sources for Internet access at the Plaza de Mulas basecamp, the one in the hotel quite reasonably priced (i.e., cheaper than Kinkos!). Believe it or not, Aconcagua is probably the cheapest of the Seven Summits, when one includes round-trip airfare from the States and goes self-guided.

 

[Jean]

Good luck Arm, Frodo and Mountaingirl! We'll be sending positive vibes your way!

Hope the conditions have improved for the Polish Glacier. There was a lot of snow on that route in late January.

 

[Head]

Good luck down there all!

 

[darren]

Update

Just got word from Frodo's wife. She talked to him last night and "all is well they are a day ahead of schedule for now and today they start their assent to base camp."

I wish them the best of luck!!!

- darren

 

[pks4000]

Arm's Aconcagua web site

Yes they're 3 "good uns" as they say. We wish them well.
Arm sent me the web site URL detailing their trip and proposed route.
http://armmon.tripod.com/id13.html
Climb on Frodo, MountainGirl and Arm!!

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Good luck Arm, Frodo and Mountaingirl! We'll be sending positive vibes your way!

Hope the conditions have improved for the Polish Glacier. There was a lot of snow on that route in late January.

Jean, How were the snow/ice vs loose rock conditions on the Polish Glacier route when you were there?

 

[Jean]

Jean, How were the snow/ice vs loose rock conditions on the Polish Glacier route when you were there?

There was a lot of unconsolidated snow. All the parties that I heard of turned back because it made progress very slow with high avalanche risks (especially on the direct route).
Apparently, they had more snow this year than usual.
That been said, that was a month ago, so conditions should have improved since then. It is late summer there now.