
After trekking in Vallecitos we popped back down to Mendoza for restocking and getting paper work together for backpacking in Aconcagua Pack. We rushed

around then had a huge steak dinner and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (?) (with a steak? Sheri’s choice) at about 11 pm which is the normal eating time. Next day we bussed it up to a place called Puente del Inca (Bridge of the Inca). Puente del Inca is a natural bridge over the Horcones River plus there is a natural hot springs right at the bridge. A hotel was built there back in the day and a railroad served the hotel. The whole thing is about 12 miles from the crest of the Andes and Chile. The hotel was wiped out by an avalanche in the sixties, the railroad went out in the 80’s and is totally falling apart, people are prohibited from entering the hot springs, and the bridge is closed and blocked by a fence.
Puente del Inca village is a ramshackle of tin shacks and dilapidated buildings (except for an army base). So a tourist arriving there parks in a lot by the highway, walks through a gauntlet of tables and shacks selling junk from Peru and crappy wine and rocks, and then peers over a fence down to the river at a natural rock bridge, a closed hot spring, and some foundations. But making up for this is Snack Bar Aconcagua. This multi-celled tin building with a sun tarp by the highway is w

here anybody who is anybody waits for the bus or unwinds and devourers huge sandwiches before or after hiking (or both), or just drains some ‘Andes’ beers or enjoys endless sips of mate. From Puente del Inca we paid for a ride up to the trailhead on the ‘normal’ route for climbing Aconcagua. Aconcagua is an ancient volcano perched atop massive layers of sedimentary rock that has been pushed up to be the highest point in the Americas at 6926 meters (22,723 feet) (higher than Denali). We had a seven day permit for trekking. Starting at 2950 meters we backpacked on a stellar day up to a camp at Confluencia at 3400 meters (11,150 ft). Everything on the ’normal’ route for Aconcagua is tightly controlled. You must check in and check out at camps and at the trail head. You’re issued a numbered trash bag that must be presented at check out. Upon entering base camp you must purchase the services of an outhouse provider and the provider will sign your permit. Everybody’s saturated blood oxygen levels, pulse rate, and blood pressure

are measured by a doctor and recorded on your permit at Confuencia and at base camp. There are no options as to where to camp.

Everybody is herded together in large established camps.
But ignoring all this, it is a beautiful and challenging walk. From Confluencia we day hiked to a place called Plaza Francia. The route follows a rock covered glacier and then ends at the precipitous, glacier covered, 6000 foot, south face of Aconcagua. Upon return we enjoyed the change from dry barrenness to small flowering plants and interesting geology. Next day we picked up and headed to base camp, a place called Plaza de Mulas. The distance is about 18 kilometers.

We started and soon came upon a stiff fresh wind that blew in our face all day. Walking along braided alluvial stream beds for about 5 hours we came to a discouraging sign “Plaza de Mulas – 4 hours”. Fortunately along the way we met a friendly young Argentine called Frederico.
He had worked in the park in the previous years and returned to climb the mountain. He walked slowly and gave good encouragement. From the trail sign we started to climb and the trail undulated. There were no good water sources along the way, only muddy side streams that choked our filter. After eight hours we arrived at a steep switch back section going up a rocky face. The packs felt especially heavy and it was discouraging when we arrived at a false summit and realized we had to go down and back up again.
With slow steady steps and after more than nine hours we arrived at the alpine carnival known as Plaza de Mulas (4300 meters) (14,100 ft). We set up the tent and

Curtis made dinner and we fell into our sleeping bags just as the wind began to build. It was steady and strong, and punctuated with terrifying gusts. Our four season tent seemed wimpy. Occasionally the poles flexed so much that they bopped Sheri in the head. Curtis got up in the dark and rigged a few more guy lines to stabilize the tent. There wasn’t much more to do than put in ear plugs and ride it out. Interesting we had set up near the porters tents and they had a late night drumming and flute session that filled in the lulls in the wind with boisterous laughter and bad drumming and flute. In the morning nothing happen until the sun hit the tent and finally the wind dropped and we managed to have our coffee and feel human again. We trudged around base camp which is a collection of tents and a couple hundred folks involved in the industry of climbing Aconcagua. Guided groups from Europe or states or Brazil, etc. were making merry in large permanent tents, mules and mule drivers dashed through the camp, cooks and guides and workers cooked up food, sipped mate, and had the occasional futbol game. Hearty independent climbers strutted around along with folks who were totally worn out. I think a number of people were just sitting in tents feeling ill. We could buy a bed, a beer, a burger, or visit the world’s highest art galley (how do you get a painting out?). We selected a company (a tent) called Nuestra Tierra as out-house provider and we dipped our drinking water out of a stale barrel in their tent. We hiked up on a rock

covered glacier and found a small lake where the water was pure, flowing, and wonderful. We trudged over to a small hotel and had tea and cookies. After some rest and acclimatization we felt much stronger. We day hiked to a peak, Cerro Bonette (16,500 ft), where there was a wonderful view of Aconcagua and over to Chile.
We chatted with the girl (Vicky) who worked as the cook in the Nuestra Tierra tent.

At 24 she has spent four months per year cooking at base camp for the past several years. No breaks or days off. Her boyfriend is a porter and he carries loads up and down for climbers. We day hiked up the first part of the normal climbing route. First to Camp Canada at 4900 meters (16,000 ft). The wind dropped and after lunch we moved up to a camp called Nido de Condores at 5500 meters (18,000 feet). Fortunately we had just day packs. The climbers had full on winter backpacks loaded to the gills. It is interesting that as we moved slowly along the world narrowed down to concentrating on where to place your foot, taking a breath, and 5 seconds later doing it again. We made the camp and it was quite cold and people were arriving totally worn out and at their limits.

A common poise was a climber bent over, resting on their walking poles, catching their breath, and pushing the bile back down to their stomach. I believe that climbing Aconcagua is totally underestimated by most people (the Cordoba paper said that 15 percent of those attempting the summit succeed). People think it’s a non-technical walk up, which it is, but a climber must be extremely fit and be able to carry heavy loads at altitude which means acclimatization which means taking time. And of course there is the cruel wind that can vanquish anyone.

Sheri and Curtis left all that freezing misery for others. We opted to load our packs onto a mule and have it carry them to the road (only $2.00 per kilo). We walked out with daypacks. Sheri got her wish and we stayed at the army base in Puente del Inca, Cazadores de Alta Montania 8. We stayed in a run down dorm and had our own room for breakfast. We talked to a friendly guy who was going to attempt Aconcagua with a an army group. We saw them form up at 8 am, get there instructions, and load on to a truck. We hopped on a bus to Mendoza and reentered summer down below. 