tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62577883090858691682024-03-18T21:36:00.762-07:00JaredVagyYour Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-74951298773542394312013-07-01T13:15:00.003-07:002013-12-20T10:58:38.559-08:00Close Call on Venusian Blind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDKVZfcEu6KOxodhlevYy3MZJp9q9Hz2B5fVxfeuA2r9NWLZu8wtjC-PF7gY8d-rrfluogKQMgsL_GQNLpoVyAKJRbGEFA6Is0kT1AZ8ASnD5QDl2_g7otKmU06FoBksGhTmG728SOj5e/s1600/IMG_0342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDKVZfcEu6KOxodhlevYy3MZJp9q9Hz2B5fVxfeuA2r9NWLZu8wtjC-PF7gY8d-rrfluogKQMgsL_GQNLpoVyAKJRbGEFA6Is0kT1AZ8ASnD5QDl2_g7otKmU06FoBksGhTmG728SOj5e/s400/IMG_0342.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
"Oh no...Loose rock" Reed shouted.<br />
<br />
"Jared, quickly move out the way...move quick to your right, there is a giant loose block that's about to blow."<br />
<br />
I nervously looked up and saw Reed stemmed across the dihedral with his chest pressing and holding a television sized rock.<br />
<br />
I anxiously shifted five feet to the right, which was as much as my tether would allow. <br />
<br />
"Its slipping" Reed says. "Are you clear?" "I'm going to let it go."<br />
<br />
Reed opened up his body and a giant rock came plummeting down. It crushed atop the ledge where I had just been standing. It shattered into several pieces and thundered down the gully.<br />
<br />
I wiped the sweat form my forehead and took a deep breath. Once Reed was secured, I continued climbing.<br />
<br />
We were high up in the Sierras on a route called Venusian Blind. It was a long route and the guidebook had recommend a full day, but for our skill level and experience we thought we could cruise it. We had strayed off route and were in some challenging and loose terrain, where a single slip could or miscalculation could lead to serious consequences.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9Y38Ns2gk4lZthqtV4Zmtv63JueZpFMoVa9NWOpCb5FNv9nL7e9Tozwy5zF5xoMbWoIZZoaAHBmR6Dl6jbiPVKLgCZ9vlK1qfFwAOAvqSLnZXz4nk5sD8Hl-Os5ZpbL43-TLKp4TWaKN/s1600/P1040724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9Y38Ns2gk4lZthqtV4Zmtv63JueZpFMoVa9NWOpCb5FNv9nL7e9Tozwy5zF5xoMbWoIZZoaAHBmR6Dl6jbiPVKLgCZ9vlK1qfFwAOAvqSLnZXz4nk5sD8Hl-Os5ZpbL43-TLKp4TWaKN/s400/P1040724.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYuVCK7gmYF5pEazR9xWA2nZEGgqxnr5Vdn2Q99uQ8vygPZYCQMzgOw43QPXZ4fF9p_JKQBFcbREysaXxHM8GWukdIygn8x5DanxoeIMzJbr0DpkZSFrXR7vzzrYXBSHJ5oTVeSUsQXAZ/s1600/P1040727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYuVCK7gmYF5pEazR9xWA2nZEGgqxnr5Vdn2Q99uQ8vygPZYCQMzgOw43QPXZ4fF9p_JKQBFcbREysaXxHM8GWukdIygn8x5DanxoeIMzJbr0DpkZSFrXR7vzzrYXBSHJ5oTVeSUsQXAZ/s400/P1040727.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRzQaDfiXRYJt5bC1RdRMu9S46ZaMkFdKnuFCyQ4OC9HgfcvefPNsDZ2hK98JgBHa5BoQeb7FX9XKRTpwJihL00pzfKiR2DFIsIPPext-BudSQcIuIdTy16yUPMlScKudBUSi1G_6v7NE/s1600/IMG_0348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRzQaDfiXRYJt5bC1RdRMu9S46ZaMkFdKnuFCyQ4OC9HgfcvefPNsDZ2hK98JgBHa5BoQeb7FX9XKRTpwJihL00pzfKiR2DFIsIPPext-BudSQcIuIdTy16yUPMlScKudBUSi1G_6v7NE/s400/IMG_0348.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q2ntFA1j-s2v97i8IVdeNZcr87QY1CThbxAXiMHhOsCVn1kMcN1V10StYOZ-QY8X51NL7fN_Q_q0hGizcOf_TTi8Dhh3FTWbZQVHOEpJCaR9xhLOXZ9vGA_ziifUWHg7_3Zoqu9QWlKo/s1600/P1040738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q2ntFA1j-s2v97i8IVdeNZcr87QY1CThbxAXiMHhOsCVn1kMcN1V10StYOZ-QY8X51NL7fN_Q_q0hGizcOf_TTi8Dhh3FTWbZQVHOEpJCaR9xhLOXZ9vGA_ziifUWHg7_3Zoqu9QWlKo/s400/P1040738.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
It is crazy how a single event could alter or even end your life. I think back on so many close calls that I have had in my life and think what would have happened if something went wrong.<br />
<br />
1. Slipping on a thin icy ridge on Mount Baldy and sliding into the only patch of snow before a drop off.<br />
<br />
2. Being the passenger in a car going 55mph that flipped three times and landed into oncoming traffic<br />
<br />
3. Getting off route and having to down climb slabs while free soloing Tenya Peak<br />
<br />
4. Free climbing a difficult loose pitch on Mount Watkins in Yosemite with 20 pounds of aid gear on my waist and placing only one camalot<br />
<br />
5. Climbing dangerous avalanche prone mountains in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru<br />
<br />
6. Soloing an 18,800 foot glaciated peak<br />
<br />
7. Penduluming on a rope on Spaceshot that became frayed from the friction and impact.<br />
<br />
8. Rope jumping 100 feet off the Monkey Face in Smith Rock<br />
<br />
9. Sky diving over the swiss alps and Bungee jumping off the Bridge to Nowhere<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br />
The list goes on...</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
You wonder if you have nine lives. If you are invincible. Or if you are just getting lucky. And there is a stage when you have to be realistic and realize that you are playing a numbers game. You ask yourself if it is only a matter of time until you have a true accident.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Climbing has taken a lot away from me. It has stolen time, crushed relationships and taken friends from this earth. Although climbing has taken from me, it has also given so much back. It has filled my life with passion, taught me valuable lessons and has fostered amazing connections with people, the mountains and myself. It has taught me the power of living in the moment and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything in the world. </div>
</div>
<br />
I topped out Venusian Blind with Reed, snapped a photo and began our descent down the back side. It was one of those rare times that I was fully present. I wasn't thinking about pressures from work or stresses from life. All I knew was that when it came down to it; the moment was all that I had.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqvRXikd3oCmaRi-RSX2QL9dqyn2KgKuD52uCuTQZZwcNouEpIgbrGxm3BN1qCcrRz9JRYQwzETZKJjhp3G0dYoFBDKl-zyRlGjccC2KtI-4JCX6fiYY5J6B3LEqQ66yoV-qvSsMuC_-t/s1600/IMG_0354.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqvRXikd3oCmaRi-RSX2QL9dqyn2KgKuD52uCuTQZZwcNouEpIgbrGxm3BN1qCcrRz9JRYQwzETZKJjhp3G0dYoFBDKl-zyRlGjccC2KtI-4JCX6fiYY5J6B3LEqQ66yoV-qvSsMuC_-t/s400/IMG_0354.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
I looked at the beautiful sky with the sun setting on the summer solstice and the deep blue lakes that contrasted color against the towering granite cliffs. I curled up in my sleeping bag stared into the stars and thought how lucky I am to be on this earth.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eJmenPaZCYwgFUdMzSN6STL1lcVttVTm_V9jAnmqGJnZTxWIdPe6tEnLSzH-_o_jckGTTKbdBmvjWvx4s6-gnMYY6wlkkuDVG8M2KJU9bethGpFVXoXpwLTZrLMtkJmUAt6dqoNoh42H/s1600/P1040767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eJmenPaZCYwgFUdMzSN6STL1lcVttVTm_V9jAnmqGJnZTxWIdPe6tEnLSzH-_o_jckGTTKbdBmvjWvx4s6-gnMYY6wlkkuDVG8M2KJU9bethGpFVXoXpwLTZrLMtkJmUAt6dqoNoh42H/s400/P1040767.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-77520417180449462992013-04-14T11:41:00.001-07:002013-04-15T18:04:23.340-07:00Walking AwayI was up until midnight packing and repacking for my first solo big wall in over 9 months. I knew the system as I had done it so many times before. But this time it felt different. I didn't have the excitement of picking the perfect set of cams or of meticulously reviewing the beta to make sure I knew it by heart. I felt like I was just going through the motions. But I tossed those ideas aside and felt like once I was in the Valley and in front of the route that I would get the excitement back.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctyDsWKJfRVEaxfmssBq7AwLZHB6mB-v1hj2vQ6iQASgfUGK7vhaQdgWxVWn6sbaHyApzQKgPDrWXDpGZ-kW5U6u8Eu8NoTOT_peP0AArJLGOFfGhVMOpaV7QYG6ZRgsDnkmvODqFq8Ol/s1600/IMG_0230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctyDsWKJfRVEaxfmssBq7AwLZHB6mB-v1hj2vQ6iQASgfUGK7vhaQdgWxVWn6sbaHyApzQKgPDrWXDpGZ-kW5U6u8Eu8NoTOT_peP0AArJLGOFfGhVMOpaV7QYG6ZRgsDnkmvODqFq8Ol/s400/IMG_0230.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfhTk7hovR_JBWUUOJsa-Hh_Pr4qk4IBHRjW8McqykJVgjomuq8EPiqHyFxRA4YlVy8j1y_idlum-9jKOcNvLSiXYDUCmFDUf_E8FxLf45NQfw_SA7DLcuGtwATpXPPeE4a1Hdo2SR7Gq/s1600/IMG_0228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYfhTk7hovR_JBWUUOJsa-Hh_Pr4qk4IBHRjW8McqykJVgjomuq8EPiqHyFxRA4YlVy8j1y_idlum-9jKOcNvLSiXYDUCmFDUf_E8FxLf45NQfw_SA7DLcuGtwATpXPPeE4a1Hdo2SR7Gq/s400/IMG_0228.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I drove up to Yosemite with my friend Joven after work and we opened bivied at a random campsite in the pines.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7M9lX1d3GDkow7_MmS5tXT9siDNyED2YktuM6E-_NwFbRma1KXL6OWTjdadx8zs9WU7MRxsUzk3XWGhc3Jv0efoXNWsO6ik8HJzrYwawju0DYmHzMHqtkIPnBXGvtcmnA1L3S9UDhw47D/s1600/IMG_0647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7M9lX1d3GDkow7_MmS5tXT9siDNyED2YktuM6E-_NwFbRma1KXL6OWTjdadx8zs9WU7MRxsUzk3XWGhc3Jv0efoXNWsO6ik8HJzrYwawju0DYmHzMHqtkIPnBXGvtcmnA1L3S9UDhw47D/s400/IMG_0647.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We packed up the next morning before the rangers could bust us and we drove to the trailhead. I packed up my haulbag to the brim with 80+ pounds worth of wall gear and I hobbled off to the base of the route with Joven accompanying me for support. I had forgotten how much work soloing was. We got to the base of the leaning tower and I threw my bag off my shoulders in exhaustion. I sat down and I looked up at the route. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUn3JmWQtryK0aDHRDR96kHM7kSxw-vRjsE4tDuQEvnzN5dzPZOq6Jo4_mTy5snTueGUf0HvsbSngGkh8yQtkWc9dguOuVznBAEEapiljV-Oh4NjJWGpR079oAecaVXJTxz8qaS0-HhcL/s1600/IMG_0670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCUn3JmWQtryK0aDHRDR96kHM7kSxw-vRjsE4tDuQEvnzN5dzPZOq6Jo4_mTy5snTueGUf0HvsbSngGkh8yQtkWc9dguOuVznBAEEapiljV-Oh4NjJWGpR079oAecaVXJTxz8qaS0-HhcL/s400/IMG_0670.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I had climbed leaning tower before with a partner and I had the route dialed. I knew all of the crux moves, the rope beta and the descent. But as I sat staring at the route, I found myself in an unfamiliar situation. I wasnt motivated at all to climb it. <br />
<br />
Soloing walls takes a lot of motivation and it is a lot of work. It carries extra risk because of the belay systems and the fact that if you get hurt, there is nobody there to help you. You need to be able to get yourself out of any situation that you get into. <br />
<br />
For the other two big walls that I had soloed, I had more motivation than you could ever believe. For both climbs, I was sick and coughing, only had three hours of sleep and felt like total shit. But it was willpower that propelled me up the routes climbing at almost the same speed as the partner teams. <br />
<br />
But this time was different. I questioned why I was there and what was motivating me to climb. I have always been passionate about climbing and always striving for the next big goal. I can't remember the last time I walked away from a climb for no reason except that I didn't feel like climbing it. This was definitely a first. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0suhu3hx6ObrEFAfb-kcQdym2sbe3cLLKtccC7QTR_2vomw4ZvVnKmcTbudpLLkK_9S5ZkiNtFqOIsGJQUENPB8dwSk4iQpoI3uRg3SpaPfhxcPCYuGt-oB68FFApPx0XkLjnVsJAcN-/s1600/IMG_0707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0suhu3hx6ObrEFAfb-kcQdym2sbe3cLLKtccC7QTR_2vomw4ZvVnKmcTbudpLLkK_9S5ZkiNtFqOIsGJQUENPB8dwSk4iQpoI3uRg3SpaPfhxcPCYuGt-oB68FFApPx0XkLjnVsJAcN-/s400/IMG_0707.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But I walked away without regrets. I knew I had made the right decision. And it wasn't difficult to turn around. Sure, it hurt my ego and planted questions in my head as to whether I would ever solo El Capitan. But I think that the decision showed a lot of growth and maturity in my life and in my climbing. It was new for me to have the ability to make big decisions and to walk away instead of pushing through it when something didn't feel right. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSXNEdIf2FbEFBQ_XGcr9vN4P6K7eQ3G_p9f4fukY9xZ0utNKZQJGYpDqXk-x1p1HSMgV1Sxi_AjSayiupu1YT5OOFKZjKXmt1N07Jk0qeEKJi1DpV12NPWsFD34SukgfLeyoFkFYlYEB/s1600/IMG_0709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSXNEdIf2FbEFBQ_XGcr9vN4P6K7eQ3G_p9f4fukY9xZ0utNKZQJGYpDqXk-x1p1HSMgV1Sxi_AjSayiupu1YT5OOFKZjKXmt1N07Jk0qeEKJi1DpV12NPWsFD34SukgfLeyoFkFYlYEB/s400/IMG_0709.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I spent the day drinking beer and napping in the meadow with El Capitan looming over me. It was an odd feeling just relaxing in the valley. I was always climbing and I never really took the chance to slow things down and look around. I couldn't believe how much I was missing. I sat motionless and in awe staring at the massive chunk of rock before me. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtj0HMLkfQCZOC0Bp64VrapBou-YEnjLG5wZ8VejtLpaZ8EM_-YPHHXtjQD0ftjRFpUAnT6xzwz4BWIm0l_a__JaDuzdKMfNoosPpaleTgONUnYq6PFMAEWipD7mXeCc-B4YyoeFA3f_H/s1600/IMG_0845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtj0HMLkfQCZOC0Bp64VrapBou-YEnjLG5wZ8VejtLpaZ8EM_-YPHHXtjQD0ftjRFpUAnT6xzwz4BWIm0l_a__JaDuzdKMfNoosPpaleTgONUnYq6PFMAEWipD7mXeCc-B4YyoeFA3f_H/s400/IMG_0845.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<br />
The next day I took a quick hike up to the top of half dome. As I pulled over the cables a huge smile came across my face. I realized that I still love climbing and being in nature. It was just that I had been so goal oriented before that I had missed the real reason why I climb; freedom and adventure. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiix1AkKOo9VcHqWfnT6np3KYn5R9ME-R_-m1P2FDrVkn8_YMo6OH0ZyJFkC3zaC7Xd53JQ4uaZq7HmwpQwJdWVDFTbqEKOx8qN8AIuUFGelekv6pJcOabt0aPr4KNgHtAJARJaYBZqLQYr/s1600/IMG_0654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiix1AkKOo9VcHqWfnT6np3KYn5R9ME-R_-m1P2FDrVkn8_YMo6OH0ZyJFkC3zaC7Xd53JQ4uaZq7HmwpQwJdWVDFTbqEKOx8qN8AIuUFGelekv6pJcOabt0aPr4KNgHtAJARJaYBZqLQYr/s400/IMG_0654.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEcd-OUKIzr5pHuBxQiUx-WlbF-9xGgFlsksUfGoBZzn0LzmCGIiYd6y4ULd-KY7j5dGUbB5eYyCoXiPWJ8y9rwyZ0ilXLmmSnICmMSxAtW8VOkH30DRUae5_dVZBndjW3LoRinvpzLLA/s1600/IMG_0850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEcd-OUKIzr5pHuBxQiUx-WlbF-9xGgFlsksUfGoBZzn0LzmCGIiYd6y4ULd-KY7j5dGUbB5eYyCoXiPWJ8y9rwyZ0ilXLmmSnICmMSxAtW8VOkH30DRUae5_dVZBndjW3LoRinvpzLLA/s400/IMG_0850.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvNQIbhV4GxJWqPJv3QLsnSybL55pfRgyI1WWCAfdrcua5OgTcIRcr3udXT8aSr2ixkPyqYFFtzcUNTWQcboa6H-c75AMsAnRGrM64-5GAAgsENrvxgUcDtNyy9CGbWngK5NaJShvcWdY/s1600/IMG_0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxvNQIbhV4GxJWqPJv3QLsnSybL55pfRgyI1WWCAfdrcua5OgTcIRcr3udXT8aSr2ixkPyqYFFtzcUNTWQcboa6H-c75AMsAnRGrM64-5GAAgsENrvxgUcDtNyy9CGbWngK5NaJShvcWdY/s400/IMG_0851.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGvz8fr3gsx5m45wzkdfzQygTOIEUjaOCQK-LeDnTX7fH9XKP4Gl7b04dgGuyEaNuErJ2cz_nNYsePHcS0mrcLH3k1-6NC6k5qiT_AxSPLvy0DWeSMdXUBG40rJISCMkla4GDQb3MRmYO/s1600/IMG_0853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidGvz8fr3gsx5m45wzkdfzQygTOIEUjaOCQK-LeDnTX7fH9XKP4Gl7b04dgGuyEaNuErJ2cz_nNYsePHcS0mrcLH3k1-6NC6k5qiT_AxSPLvy0DWeSMdXUBG40rJISCMkla4GDQb3MRmYO/s400/IMG_0853.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrp4-_JFM6L5IPMg9PskkURYCCV_HFEurjPzzrL5XkO_YTK0u1aIWx-6gEi-PMoEqpkeAd_9_11ukGPGCm2e9foy2CVLz9PXzGXJWRCcPAt07DYyzVfwcTcPeTXNtyfQKGk-zQacewVNN/s1600/DSC00508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZrp4-_JFM6L5IPMg9PskkURYCCV_HFEurjPzzrL5XkO_YTK0u1aIWx-6gEi-PMoEqpkeAd_9_11ukGPGCm2e9foy2CVLz9PXzGXJWRCcPAt07DYyzVfwcTcPeTXNtyfQKGk-zQacewVNN/s400/DSC00508.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpd6a7qsx9-68mPcelb-VqrcqbrDcnxt6i3Za9xtjflSu_IsHOjxMnhfQpXexHil9Q38V9eDwN90cEzVnv2gYwiV2aV-1qHayreM3KVQ9GCn4Si7vNSDnqd4b5aawu3OvIfk-qn6KJcD5/s1600/IMG_0865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpd6a7qsx9-68mPcelb-VqrcqbrDcnxt6i3Za9xtjflSu_IsHOjxMnhfQpXexHil9Q38V9eDwN90cEzVnv2gYwiV2aV-1qHayreM3KVQ9GCn4Si7vNSDnqd4b5aawu3OvIfk-qn6KJcD5/s400/IMG_0865.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTreYPEgfRZRquo9j31bq0U38ue8B4UamZrRQkXKk0KlU9br6lMONXrTR-V5rRiDbRc7KC2BM2RW-2kPYTeWH0TLx5ax-E9tmBzvNxi0XzPMBMgixIqcSWSAtdjreMqAqLKQhb_TrkQPx-/s1600/IMG_0852.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3Dd5c95d0fba980b0a%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1368557212%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D4FD227ACA590A211A66121DC8EEDC32A746B3956.BA403FA98686A48ED798C758156CCD79EE75AA6D%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3Dd5c95d0fba980b0a%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1368557212%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D4FD227ACA590A211A66121DC8EEDC32A746B3956.BA403FA98686A48ED798C758156CCD79EE75AA6D%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Leaning tower had felt more like a chore than a climb. Something that I needed to complete. I lacked the freedom to choose another climb and lacked the adventure because I had already climbed it with a partner.</div>
<br />
It finally all made sense. As I sat atop half dome, I looked around at all of the towering walls in the valley that I had climbed and wondered if my climbing career had just started or was coming to an end. Either way, it didn't matter. I was happy. For the first time in a long time, I was free to just sit with an empty mind and admire the beauty of nature.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKpuUyCmAHjwMMmPpu5kWuHta4tPLnaWP3aqJ9ceYjS0C7rAVJCVs1Ty1pyw__PZLYCqtZH3hhxLLKhrPjrKau2QevRPMDsiGfoCpa6sAeGzFIfl6U_zw1xCRqev7aoXCiuggguARU32D/s1600/IMG_0242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKpuUyCmAHjwMMmPpu5kWuHta4tPLnaWP3aqJ9ceYjS0C7rAVJCVs1Ty1pyw__PZLYCqtZH3hhxLLKhrPjrKau2QevRPMDsiGfoCpa6sAeGzFIfl6U_zw1xCRqev7aoXCiuggguARU32D/s640/IMG_0242.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-35035894295150204472013-04-09T20:45:00.002-07:002013-04-15T10:34:39.996-07:00Holstee Testomonial<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
A testimonial that I wrote for Holstee Company:<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Click <a href="http://mylife.holstee.com/post/47708355705/i-tore-down-the-posters-from-my-wall-moved-out-of" target="_blank">here</a> to see the linked page</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXduznqJJ5QUpTQ9izr1gEvzO4B3XWfOscagQZKCdAdGFDBf8u3qLGNfWUplLg_QwXjrWT2ImxQ6phGK9V7XOaf_36ftBZNx1TuNoH0nitWxMJWbzxui6KzZcl1-GdyEIPAvwPjTb6zEK/s1600/Holstee-Manifesto-Poster-Original-Hold-LG.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXduznqJJ5QUpTQ9izr1gEvzO4B3XWfOscagQZKCdAdGFDBf8u3qLGNfWUplLg_QwXjrWT2ImxQ6phGK9V7XOaf_36ftBZNx1TuNoH0nitWxMJWbzxui6KzZcl1-GdyEIPAvwPjTb6zEK/s400/Holstee-Manifesto-Poster-Original-Hold-LG.JPG" width="310" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">This is my life:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I tore down the posters from my wall, moved out of a beautiful apartment four blocks from the beach, <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">quit</span></b> an amazing <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">job</span></b> that I had enjoyed for three years, packed up all of my belongings, put them into storage and <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">traveled</span></b> down to South America for six months. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"><b>Why? </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I realized that<b> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">life is short and I needed to live my passion</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I had been climbing for the
past eight years but I never was able to fully immerse myself in the sport
because of other obligations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
had an amazing life but for some reason it didn’t seem real to me; something
was missing.</span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOX4duayzR52W9eYVxskUmNPzYxdEt9c9JjPGuPy3HgFawC9H6vlZC8zU2w9zjaF6BIerWDDLtL9GEFTEctHBrVPmbYdvqraVqHfZNtUOlMDTbIrPaWPMsQt2tJY9lKBOKA7faZHMYf6h/s1600/IMG_3590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOX4duayzR52W9eYVxskUmNPzYxdEt9c9JjPGuPy3HgFawC9H6vlZC8zU2w9zjaF6BIerWDDLtL9GEFTEctHBrVPmbYdvqraVqHfZNtUOlMDTbIrPaWPMsQt2tJY9lKBOKA7faZHMYf6h/s400/IMG_3590.JPG" width="301" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I
had become too comfortable.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I
needed something fresh and something different.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">There were parts of my life that </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">I didn’t like</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span>and that I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-weight: bold;">wanted
to change.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b> I </b></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">knew the only way
to change was to restart. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">So I decided to commit first and figure out
everything else later.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I said
goodbye to beautiful sunny Santa Monica and I booked a flight to South America.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>The
plan was simple: </b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">Pack up all of my mountaineering gear and spend six months
traveling and climbing throughout South America.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I knew the only way to </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">find
myself was to get lost.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I had
no structure and no obligation; I cut the cord and took off.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjJxLACWNDnON5ZP-296oVc6I6cM-Z_ib0vIPp4TvbpZilcn3hXRJ2erhvrJi925LRrz8O5b_n7pPxCVZO-VSprZUEi3jObYUEmStj25rmMKozOS8QGknRa_KUMZSoGH1khd_qQgwisQv/s1600/img_dload29274-0.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjJxLACWNDnON5ZP-296oVc6I6cM-Z_ib0vIPp4TvbpZilcn3hXRJ2erhvrJi925LRrz8O5b_n7pPxCVZO-VSprZUEi3jObYUEmStj25rmMKozOS8QGknRa_KUMZSoGH1khd_qQgwisQv/s320/img_dload29274-0.jpeg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I
had a life changing trip.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">It was
filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I spent an entire weeks worth of
time vomiting out of both ends, I lost 15 pounds of weight from my already
skinny body, I failed trying to climb my first two objectives, I was stuck in
my tent in a horrific storm of -40 degrees and 100km winds. Most tragically, I had two
friends die while climbing in the same mountain range.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">But
the tragedy pushed me to dig deep inside. It forced me to reflect on my own life and see how ephemeral and precious it is. It made me realize that life is about living now. I knew that <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">some
opportunities would only come once.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span>
</span>So I <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">seized the moment.</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The remainder of the trip
was filled with dreams to last a lifetime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Climbing 20,000 foot peaks in alpine style, technical ascents
of 2,000 foot big walls high in the Andes, soloing an 18,500 glaciated mountain and journeying back to the US to climb the 3,000 foot granite
monolith known as El Capitan- just to name a few.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXHPL5ECM2hYx-iubgcViVqE7t5CSiTqT1WrLMcFhlRfU8zlfaqyTFGwe-96_k06mPifunCigl2rQnCP_ukxpmZ_TVbR9DPn7C52MafvagoX-dTW87ZtU4mP9-7ifLzcr_Rnr0abuVxOi/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXHPL5ECM2hYx-iubgcViVqE7t5CSiTqT1WrLMcFhlRfU8zlfaqyTFGwe-96_k06mPifunCigl2rQnCP_ukxpmZ_TVbR9DPn7C52MafvagoX-dTW87ZtU4mP9-7ifLzcr_Rnr0abuVxOi/s320/26.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCafafgCQYFmRB56siSY00VTBUhTs-2o8dCo4f3Ch1OVCs0rHAUJWbUuZuHONM7_CwSS44fUDCemL-RAR28pmLs11SQUTNrd4zxG8mPfkc-lJ9Lb1-laBciDkDOFgEDCH39aXYb-IJt1xf/s1600/IMG_4051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCafafgCQYFmRB56siSY00VTBUhTs-2o8dCo4f3Ch1OVCs0rHAUJWbUuZuHONM7_CwSS44fUDCemL-RAR28pmLs11SQUTNrd4zxG8mPfkc-lJ9Lb1-laBciDkDOFgEDCH39aXYb-IJt1xf/s320/IMG_4051.JPG" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EGRJVK5q_fm964inOmb-FkcLo59kFyoUBzEHkQThYuqK7bKjgI9Ai7tdtX6PxHKgIsjtR8KE05T2JUvSKh45ykslhTTYD25pu5vewrfKOsxVBz7udS5HoWWkhTJAK3Qjpcp0v1du6S7M/s1600/P8060147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EGRJVK5q_fm964inOmb-FkcLo59kFyoUBzEHkQThYuqK7bKjgI9Ai7tdtX6PxHKgIsjtR8KE05T2JUvSKh45ykslhTTYD25pu5vewrfKOsxVBz7udS5HoWWkhTJAK3Qjpcp0v1du6S7M/s320/P8060147.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFtchESwik9tE9x0u6YglXFuqtwKpoQCqfWlOh8PBMMylUwKm3fqO3j1qd03K9zT0qy5k36qJZupNg-lX4LV1enhQpY2UdqwY_HIG3DKyj_udbckJ9l0C7KzS0AAyjBCJGIFS-9GMJk9i/s1600/340878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdFtchESwik9tE9x0u6YglXFuqtwKpoQCqfWlOh8PBMMylUwKm3fqO3j1qd03K9zT0qy5k36qJZupNg-lX4LV1enhQpY2UdqwY_HIG3DKyj_udbckJ9l0C7KzS0AAyjBCJGIFS-9GMJk9i/s320/340878.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6V4OvXeJ7pks_yDEULe0CPVKIad10uepWc3tBh7H2Lr7YLE8y50Jg1O64qNO3UF6Lek-UKOSMshn_sPwFGBxldknds0fZlMRtL5ZApL3OXDAgKsgwmNrZ2d-MibhgslFbefXrfqGfNCwr/s1600/Leaning_Tower,_Yosemite_Valley,_Yosemite,_California.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6V4OvXeJ7pks_yDEULe0CPVKIad10uepWc3tBh7H2Lr7YLE8y50Jg1O64qNO3UF6Lek-UKOSMshn_sPwFGBxldknds0fZlMRtL5ZApL3OXDAgKsgwmNrZ2d-MibhgslFbefXrfqGfNCwr/s320/Leaning_Tower,_Yosemite_Valley,_Yosemite,_California.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDSEuZEXElEa8QriYBf5WXTayS9g1In_8ixFJiYEuGJD4Yx1uJOMljb1GvF9blSvlU6d6Gq783CLCljOMNl1zl7gtxfJo3VONnYDMUnUc9OxFkxHbZqBIDede0wwpc8E_lwbV6co7SagL/s1600/P12+day+3+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDSEuZEXElEa8QriYBf5WXTayS9g1In_8ixFJiYEuGJD4Yx1uJOMljb1GvF9blSvlU6d6Gq783CLCljOMNl1zl7gtxfJo3VONnYDMUnUc9OxFkxHbZqBIDede0wwpc8E_lwbV6co7SagL/s320/P12+day+3+.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn_FRfplK3US9xoN3cCeDZ6-EGbOFDWfly1e4-fMnqAcql3tchd-UjhLVQwBex6P8a54zPxd-Mb1vYgcHD9rcbXPH5wqCNIIfGrtGw0uml9gO6YBHmNrjybcjg8jGFgKIx-gMbQm2YWjk/s1600/P8140044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsn_FRfplK3US9xoN3cCeDZ6-EGbOFDWfly1e4-fMnqAcql3tchd-UjhLVQwBex6P8a54zPxd-Mb1vYgcHD9rcbXPH5wqCNIIfGrtGw0uml9gO6YBHmNrjybcjg8jGFgKIx-gMbQm2YWjk/s320/P8140044.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">I climbed all over the country stopping in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina and Brazil. Over the next six months I realized that<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> <b>life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them</b>. </span> I created life-long friendships and sacred bonds along the way. I didn’t know what I was missing until I started<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> <b>doing the things that I loved.</b></span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the end, I realized that </span><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Life is simple</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">When
I arrived back, small things began to confuse me like: What month is it again,
why are people going to work, why can I not relate to my friends' Facebook
status updates, how is it possible to have one stick of toothpaste last six
months, how do you say that in Spanish, why are stores closed on Sunday, what's
a siesta, what is that cow doing in the middle of the road and many other
unanswered questions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">But
I realized that continued <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">travel</span></b>
opened my <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">mind and heart</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span>to so many
differing cultures. With every realization comes remarkable insight into my
life and others as well as amazing friendships and experiences.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span">If I never took the chance, I also would have never found <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">love:</span> s</b></span>he was sitting right across from me at my local cafe and I was <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>inspired</b></span> to tell her that she was beautiful. We are still together to this day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;">I
came back a changed man.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tossed
my smart phone in the trash,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">stopped
watching TV and movies</span>, </b>vowed to check email only twice per day, made sure
not to work more than 40 hours each weak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And always saved time to live life with passion.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLR0xSOMkOnNPKaoygRrqF_hA4ArarBW9TTTkbJy7_RugszTGPxu-37VFb0Hah6BPdWbDo-wsQdTGCGo7_Fcj0h-rUuTntBOhPG_lbqMZ8UhixnMWiW0PMM_2mwip29_Erl6sCGFWKWBw/s1600/60.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLR0xSOMkOnNPKaoygRrqF_hA4ArarBW9TTTkbJy7_RugszTGPxu-37VFb0Hah6BPdWbDo-wsQdTGCGo7_Fcj0h-rUuTntBOhPG_lbqMZ8UhixnMWiW0PMM_2mwip29_Erl6sCGFWKWBw/s320/60.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Arial;"><b>What's your passion?</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-30707983872730959282013-03-19T13:13:00.001-07:002013-03-20T15:35:57.145-07:00Spaceshot 2013-3-15 to 16 <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Background:</span></b><br />
It had been over four months since I last rock climbed outside and over six months since my last big wall, so I felt like it was time to get back on the rock. My time away from rock climbing was a purposeful sabbatical. I had previously spent six months traveling through South America climbing all the time and always being on the go. My friends in the states would tell me how they craved adventure and anything to take them out of their monotonous nine to five. I craved some type of structure to my life and was actually excited to start working again. I just wanted my life to slow down and be "normal." But after four months of normalcy, I was itching to get back on the rock. I talked with Tara and we agreed to head over to Zion and attempt Spaceshot. <br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856918714536274338"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qlQr_f29MbA/UUf0iiJFqaI/AAAAAAAAJ4Y/3xhz5ltlXEw/s400/32.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The night before:</span></b><br />
I didn't sleep well the night before, spent 11 hours at work and then did a lecture at rei on big wall climbing. Tara had just got back from Yosemite, couldn't find her car keys the night before and only had two hours of sleep during the ordeal. Somehow we thought that driving through the night was a good idea and we both met at Rei and were exhausted even before our seven hour car ride. We took turns driving and arrived at 6:45 in the morning. Crashed for three hours and then started fixing pitches.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The ghost van:</span></b><br />
Tara had just bought a Sportsmobile and has been obsessed with living in it these days. We decided to take it out to Zion. We loaded it up with gear and food and set off. There was so much room. It had a sink, fridge, two beds, an upstairs and downstairs, stove, gear storage in the back, a swivel captain seat, an inverter, reading lights, a grill for storage, solar panels, and an awning. It was a total dude magnet. If you call sixty something overweight balding men as your prime demographic.<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856918761198294002"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nbsu9s10-EY/UUf0lP-Lk_I/AAAAAAAAJ4o/gB_N1WcFBUQ/s400/10.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Day 1:</span></b><br />
After a lazy morning, we hiked five minutes to the base of the route and started climbing around 2pm. We only had to fix four pitches and most of them went free, so we were okay on time. After a minor miscommunication, we ended up not taking any food or water, but it worked out okay. <br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Pitch 2:</span></b><br />
This was a cool looking chimney that Tara lead. Good pro and some creative footwork made this memorable. <br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856918796175237410"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UduzBBtnY8A/UUf0nSRVYSI/AAAAAAAAJ4w/lVQzSLNWUYE/s400/18.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Pitch 3:</span></b><br />
I scrambled into a loose blocky vertical ramp that lead to a chimney. I free climbed this section then made my way up to the belay. <br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Pitch 4:</span></b><br />
This pitch involved a bolt ladder with some C2 above it. The second bolt was about ten feet above the first. I tried top stepping on my tip toes with a carabeaner above my head and was just unable to reach it. So I resorted to the often placed cliffhanger hook move in a bomber placement. Once I got to the C2 section, I was stuck. There was an obvious tricam placement but we had none, so in some frustration I lowered down to have Tara aid past it. An umbrellad number five offset cam and two shitty micro nuts later got her past the section.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856918849971782722"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qcpGgA_OA98/UUf0qarbhEI/AAAAAAAAJ5A/YMTGG-ZmGSM/s400/20.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856918903894639746"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-plEtN9jx1IY/UUf0tjjpBII/AAAAAAAAJ5Q/yw7RkCYWayM/s400/17.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856918943771803282"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-z6pqyxenyMg/UUf0v4HGPpI/AAAAAAAAJ5Y/QIzOvv3keL4/s400/25.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856918983786749042"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Vwi4AiNeF7E/UUf0yNLZ3HI/AAAAAAAAJ5o/HB4aF-YyIok/s400/24.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
We were able to fix the first four pitches with only two ropes. We bought a 70 meter rope for P3 and 4 and an 8 mil 60 meter rope for P1 and 2. <br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919036166126338"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-idgJWJxaGUg/UUf01QTnuwI/AAAAAAAAJ5w/GyAxD7Kl6aE/s400/23.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Day 2:</span></b><br />
After the shenanigans of the previous day, we decided to bring an entire rack of tricams to ensure we would have success on the route. We ended up using none; so they were good training weight. But we felt they were essential to have just in case because it is very difficult to bail past pitch 5. We took three liters of water, a few bars and goos and a sandwich. We set off. We jugged the lines and I racked up for pitch five, which was the crux pitch.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919066833157410"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KDyOCwdddpg/UUf03CjNfSI/AAAAAAAAJ6A/CNdbd4y-MVA/s400/39.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919102615194962"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X1R7--oGaMQ/UUf05H2UDVI/AAAAAAAAJ6I/4OqIl_KVAQo/s400/33.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Pitch 5:</span></b><br />
The pitch started off cruiser C1 then got into some thin C2 with blown out pods. I tried placing tricams but had no success (I am terrible at placing them) so I resorted to placing three offset micros in a row. My third overhead placement blew while weighing it and my second one blew from the fall sending me soaring over 15 feet down the route. It was quite exciting. I batmaned back up the rope and placed an umbrellad offset cam and I was good to go.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919142762323570"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-3ZnZiQ3gIO4/UUf07daInnI/AAAAAAAAJ6Q/wMsvVX9O-aY/s400/34.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Pitch 6:</span></b><br />
I arrived at pitch 6 and started short fixing. I was cautiously making progress up the route gaining about 20 feet when Tara reached the belay. I had rigged the short fix just like I would while solo aiding but we couldn't figure out how to put me back on belay since I was leading with the other end of the rope. So I clipped the top three pieces, lowered down on my original lead end and unclipped the rope from my lower solo pieces. I then re lead the pitch. Looking down while short fixing p6<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919170328102082"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-HYnKF24qtEA/UUf09EGVBMI/AAAAAAAAJ6Y/eEerpw_kqLs/s400/38.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919250141095906"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JZB98SsVp28/UUf1BtbOp-I/AAAAAAAAJ6o/8UMwZqlvAQI/s400/37.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919220555665714"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-52IWJsHXB24/UUf0__Ng0TI/AAAAAAAAJ6g/az_eWw2xG3Q/s400/35.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Pitch 7:</span></b><br />
Tara took over on pitch seven leading some chill C1. We arrived at the belay ledge and started flaking the rope. As we flaked it through, we noticed a huge sheath/core shot. We had no idea how it happened. So just to be safe, we belayed with both ropes on the final pitch.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919279162604610"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-4zukFJW_j7A/UUf1DZifvEI/AAAAAAAAJ6w/-yFo8oMOpF4/s400/40.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919310030139826"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8eQEFVCCDIY/UUf1FMh48bI/AAAAAAAAJ64/EqKPOn5GlWk/s400/41.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Pitch 8:</span></b><br />
Tara lead the final pitch. There was a bolt ladder missing a bolt that had previously turned someone around, so we were interested how it would go. She was able to place a purple C3 in a horizontal crack that lead to a bomber nut. This allowed her to access the next bolt and then finish the pitch. It was a cool pitch with wild exposure.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919345534329330"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HTzT3Cdq4I0/UUf1HQyv4fI/AAAAAAAAJ7A/D0jcBcwZJDU/s400/42.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919377181850354"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lNNvym9HR_g/UUf1JGsGuvI/AAAAAAAAJ7I/wc54G-m_yvo/s400/44.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
I followed with backup clove hitches on each rope. I had read that some people run off the ledge and jump into space, but I was skeptical about the core shot rope, so I walked over and then jumped. It was an awesome pendulum and I spun wildly 1000 feet in the air. Once my excitement settled, I began jugging. I looked up at the rope and there was a new sheath shot from friction of the pendulum. Tara had placed a cam before the bolt which caused the rope to rub. I was glad I had the backup rope. I juggled to the top and we finished the class 4 pitch to the summit.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919405894970066"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w0JJKAX89GM/UUf1Kxp2KtI/AAAAAAAAJ7Q/Oz-tatgRGNw/s400/45.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919547944242994"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-qM9NEE7CSlY/UUf1TC1CDzI/AAAAAAAAJ7Y/9055vBcGWU8/s400/46.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiML-k6RGnEU35sIa8TbhEusAj8Blcie_zwsHjwG_TesS4FeiMO4xfPXnCIrZGzrk89C4sszBYCUqnrG0ZoTFLTrrNIieYBdVhCYt4Oiy7WeTWUw21U5hnM4a8cGa8vXERjySTnXYaYOLwd/s1600/MVI_0203-Clip1.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D81fd7775ee465791%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1366410793%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D3D4AFD6D075406982B31229A9140999D778D6592.478B22F19A527095ECCB22C733BA63304ACFE9CB%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3D81fd7775ee465791%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1366410793%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D3D4AFD6D075406982B31229A9140999D778D6592.478B22F19A527095ECCB22C733BA63304ACFE9CB%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919588214886322"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vYTVrzrycuc/UUf1VY2TT7I/AAAAAAAAJ7g/SNBGJp-ZIzk/s400/47.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
We arrived at the summit, sorter gear, ductaped the rope and took about five minutes to eat some fruit cups and take in the view. We wanted to get down in time before dark. It had taken us a little longer than anticipated but we still had three hours of daylight to rappel. The rappels are supposed to be sketchy and we were a little anxious because of rope situation.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919651975204274"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-yletAle_wp0/UUf1ZGX8jbI/AAAAAAAAJ7w/VDFC7bxXZIg/s400/56.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919616097778978"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-_TlLT6sPnqk/UUf1XAuGfSI/AAAAAAAAJ7o/wfpvjAf2_2c/s400/48.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919687956188658"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PsRNQlWzGQ0/UUf1bMaezfI/AAAAAAAAJ74/emOVlYj314o/s400/50.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Rappels:</span></b><br />
We cruised through the rappels with no rope issues and made it down to the car before sunset.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919720947344882"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c8dGhkKCs2k/UUf1dHUL5fI/AAAAAAAAJ8A/WeAib7JBhKQ/s400/51.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919754779921106"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-RgfQidxQ-zw/UUf1fFWgCtI/AAAAAAAAJ8I/B9KHJv_9fIM/s400/52.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919787907883586"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-BBSgX5Z-Pa8/UUf1hAw0okI/AAAAAAAAJ8Q/NbsaWfdSWmI/s400/57.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919825086205554"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Duico_VE3MY/UUf1jLQ0znI/AAAAAAAAJ8Y/h1jVWLChPHU/s400/53.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Afterthoughts:</span></b><br />
After not climbing for a while, it felt good to get on a wall. While plenty of things went well, there were some things that didn't go so well. We brought too many cams, went slowly and had some rope issues. But in the end we were safe and climbed smartly. It was cool to get back out there!<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919852892750994"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-5Wx55RD3FPM/UUf1ky2bBJI/AAAAAAAAJ8g/ssj8Xp9GW94/s400/54.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5856919889450822082"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-rk_e71K15gw/UUf1m7Ci6cI/AAAAAAAAJ8o/PtPkhqNxFlE/s400/55.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKtDwBBpv-pbdzowKp4u6Rw8t7G9uUwgzHYSXqrXfWkVzFW00YjvJwJeRZkSIuPJhHWbi8BKJ9Mn2ZN0ZEJjUmIhUdX2eoTzbiBjmpqrIeYMpM1zffFv8YiAk6ejEBbTY3mtwJ0yezmo8p/s1600/MVI_0218-Clip2.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3Da04e22c226bf8105%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1366410571%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D6FE8C7BBF3F1C8686FE78D88921E4187C324ED7F.E8B218728D9C3A96FD514089EEF47E99F507ED6%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fredirector.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3Da04e22c226bf8105%26itag%3D18%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1366410571%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Csource%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D6FE8C7BBF3F1C8686FE78D88921E4187C324ED7F.E8B218728D9C3A96FD514089EEF47E99F507ED6%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></span></div>
<center>
</center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The ride back:</span></b><br />
We slept in and hiked around emerald pools the next day. We had some snacks and then headed back to Los Angeles. On the way home, Tara's car started making some funny noise and then started to smell like smoke. We pulled over in Saint George and looked under the hood. Her serpentine belt had snapped. We called a tow truck and made it to the only shop open on a Sunday thirty minutes before close. He told us that it would be ready the next day. So we walked around Saint George, caught an awesome sunset, scrambled up Dixie rock and spent the night in the Chevron parking lot. It was kinda cool to have a lay over in a small town. It was a little extra mini adventure built into a great trip. <br />
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-30407566273266649622012-12-28T09:29:00.001-08:002012-12-28T09:47:21.383-08:00Mountain House Product Review 2<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Mountain House </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Freeze Dried Food Product Review 2:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
By Doctor Jared Vagy PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Physical Therapist and Biokinesiologist</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr></tr>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879597227597122" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNBzLCm1ijmmhuGvGi9EzRdV7Q1G-g4xEe1hfFy_GI6F_iG205AUpR79liiIits6UUgf-_nCvk-psmkJ-BcORH2JSOSGrJXFX9GEKQhpLsgHz4q3y9QjZ2YwkLqUoWF-Y70aYNacLiMFn/s640/41.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>¨I am lying in my cocoon high on mount Aconcagua. It is snowing, minus 40 degrees outside and 100km winds are thrashing the tent. We have spent 10 days climbing the mountain but have to turn back because of weather. I should be disappointed but instead i smile slyly to myself. I realize in that moment that i don't climb mountains for the summit but for the experience...and the stories that follow¨</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Full Disclosure:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mountain House provided the product free of charge to me after I contacted them about helping support my climbing expedition of ẗhe Polish Direct Route on the 22,831 foot Mount Aconcagua. Mountain House provided me with 30 freeze dried meals.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Background:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I spent some time before my expedition contacting different food and equipment companies to see if they had an interest in supporting my trip. I had contacted both Mountain House and Backpackers Pantry about potential sponsorship and they both agreed to sponsor me. Out of moral and ethical issues, I knew had I had to choose only one brand, so I decided to go with Mountain House since they are locally from Portland (where I grew up) and I truly believe that the majority of their products taste better.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1iBzAocpVvzj4yEcP5GmLPhisiQquXdSR7sV9tpzC61f4RW9kC-lbZH3Q55bnfsjlEbT9hzovR-_q4sk0c_iESghSV345VbHqleUezg9F6VlidIRoREBs8O7VDECVVSZq_q5iTHqS-JU/s1600/18.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1iBzAocpVvzj4yEcP5GmLPhisiQquXdSR7sV9tpzC61f4RW9kC-lbZH3Q55bnfsjlEbT9hzovR-_q4sk0c_iESghSV345VbHqleUezg9F6VlidIRoREBs8O7VDECVVSZq_q5iTHqS-JU/s1600/18.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Climb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1iBzAocpVvzj4yEcP5GmLPhisiQquXdSR7sV9tpzC61f4RW9kC-lbZH3Q55bnfsjlEbT9hzovR-_q4sk0c_iESghSV345VbHqleUezg9F6VlidIRoREBs8O7VDECVVSZq_q5iTHqS-JU/s1600/18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129497642637954" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpPN9wjhz9Ee3vW4fAxofL6uWBnNu50WNQA0oYdzKTfa_kvwUzhB0-sVMzbzqSWSwd_LeaIA4yLriDQ27Bx_UypYBjva_o89-X2myHtZ_dSHsfQrfMeEi59K3gDBA6b1XJlsBW4Z6041N/s400/18.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My nutrition for the climb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have decided to review four of the products that they have supplied for me on the trip.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Product 1: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Scrambled Eggs with Ham and Green Peppers </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Used for breakfast at 16,500 feet during aclimitization</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.rei.com/zoom/rr/88d56307-aa67-4985-ac4e-2d0f638ec492.jpg/440" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rei.com/zoom/rr/88d56307-aa67-4985-ac4e-2d0f638ec492.jpg/440" height="320" width="269" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824775167880337650"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SOY039VXIcE/UNXCJ3oGGPI/AAAAAAAAEgI/5GECOsN6qhk/s320/23.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="238" /></a><a href="http://www.rei.com/zoom/rr/88d56307-aa67-4985-ac4e-2d0f638ec492.jpg/440" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824775167880337650"></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Positives:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<center>
</center>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We had been climbing for six days straight before we had this dish and needed something in the morning for muscle recovery. Granola and oatmeal are high in carbohydrates but not in protein and they just weren't cutting it. We needed something with a lot of protein. This breakfast dish packs a lot of protein. We shared the pouch on some crackers and the added protein from the eggs and ham in the morning gave me a boost later in the day. It sure beats bringing up a skillett on the climb.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Negatives: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I love eggs and it is really tough to replicate farm fresh eggs by adding hot water. Although this product tastes very good and supplies good protein, it is not a stand alone substitute for fresh eggs. However, when condiments or crackers are added; it is as good as you can get. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Tips:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Go crazy on adding condiments. Salsa, crackers, ketchup and pepper. The addition of something very simple really enhances the dish. We had the eggs served on crackers which increased the calories and allowed us to split a packet between the two us for breakfast. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Score:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taste: 4/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Practical use for high altitude mountaineering: 4/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Overall Rating: 8/10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Product 2: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>New Orleans Style Rice with Shrimp </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Used for lunch at 16,500 the day before the big storm</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bobwards.com/prodimages/56107-DEFAULT-l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bobwards.com/prodimages/56107-DEFAULT-l.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760646297152018" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4AnjPyio9yG_c6R4jlKM8860g3rmWefVuadx_JxkwjikgEwaa2oTXGFPClpf20og67OU7TgJojQRPZA4ZJhkKe0cnrhHyY7FMmgr_N_8KlqKVg2YlAKODOZ6mUTUEy3qMAf1Bgq8JbPJM/s320/32.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="238" /></a></div>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779336133570434"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIYlQrPu3uujghqWaXov5ZMVeQxqdwuiCgJAKmMLIk8AnekHvmI-daCZi721kZlpOqAbw57YyQiMuPw_uDpQLZJIYOhlvNqHoqu6zSAOUVt-qxSHzHxyyqIPdOYEkLFsv6o94L4OwsTow/s320/17.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="320" /></a></center>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Positives: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
After seven days of continued climbing, we finally had a rest day. Well, sort of. We ended up taking a trip up to 19,500 feet to check out our next camp. We were positioned for a summit push. All we needed was a weather window. I felt like I needed some carbohydrates to fuel our upcoming summit push. I was eating a lot of pastas previously and looked to try something different. This pouch turned out to taste very good. Tony actually got upset because he thought I ate the only one that we brought; but we had two. A trend of my previous reviews were that some of the pouches lacked a variety of consistency, making them hard to eat at altitude. The New Orleans rice was the opposite. I actually wanted more after I had finished. I gave a spoonful to Curt and Mariabelle to try. They are a pair of world class kayak and big mountain climbers who were sharing a camp next to us. They hadn't had freeze dried food for 15 years because of poor memories. After trying it, Curt actually told me that it was "pretty" good and that he would look into buying a few for his next trip. That is a lot comming from him. I think the key to this dish tasting so well was that there was shrimp rice and ham, so there was something different to look forward to each mouthful. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Negatives:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I was a little skeptical about eating freeze dried shrimp and my ability to easily digest it at altitude. I usually trend towards more bland food because they are more simple for my stomach. But I had no problem with the shrimp. One complaint actually would be to make the shrimp a bit bigger. The shrimp contained were more like the ones you would find in a ramen packet - but they still packed some good flavor regardless of their size.<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Tips:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The main tip for this dish would be to keep it to yourself and try not to share with others...it goes by fast...</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Score:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taste: 5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Practical use for high altitude mountaineering: 4/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Overall Rating: 9/10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Product 3: </span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Chicken Fajita Filling</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Used for lunch at 16,500 feet waiting out the storm</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.rei.com/zoom/qq/1252e0f6-9136-4bb6-a790-d8395d99b4c3.jpg/440" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rei.com/zoom/qq/1252e0f6-9136-4bb6-a790-d8395d99b4c3.jpg/440" height="320" width="270" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824865400114316194"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWNXzWVU9f5AMItsjnD3IUhQtFPgZuS1nrJrGGTP538k0jYuLL98fU0s7Q-WNNdA3MuGgq5y9obvqjM0pQB4ri9tA6xVxllUHCoWRCZfn3QfA58wsVaAhqNlLOYj2yXfBWKCkSfBT_TxC/s320/13.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879309020034722" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FMaRmwPrVAg/UNYg3rmpdqI/AAAAAAAAEl0/MHqCqiru_ZE/s320/50.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Positives: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We were waiting for a single day of good weather so that we could start our summit pish. But we ended up tentbound for three nights. The highlights of my day were breakfast, lunch and dinner because they would break up the monotony. I was saving this pouch towards the end of the trip because I am a big fan of mexican food. Tony and I had just received our final radio of a terrible storm and we did not have enough days to wait it out. We were forced to go down. Huddling in our tent, chilled to the bone, we decided to make one last meal before heading down. We boiled some water, mixed it in and then added the additional seasoning packet. WOW! IT WAS AMAZING! I am not sure if being stuck in a tent with minus 40 degree temperatures and 100km winds played a role in this, but I will stand by my first impressions. IT WAS REALLY GOOD. The chicken tasted really juicy, the peppers added some contrast and it tasted just like fresh fajitas. The entire meal was gone within minutes. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Negatives:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
None. Except that I wish they had more food in the packet.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Tips:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We had no tortillas to add this to because we were running low on food. So instead, I added our last bit of cracker crumbs to thicken it up. It did the trick. I would love to try this pouch with tortillas. I will defiantly be buying some more of these for my next multi day big mountain, so I will have the chance to try them their intended way. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Score:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taste: 5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Practical use for high altitude mountaineering: 5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Overall Rating: 10/10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Product 4:</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">M</span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>acaroni and Cheese</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Used for breakfast at basecamp the day after our epic descent in the storm</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.bugsnbullets.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/m/o/mountain_house_mac_and_cheese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bugsnbullets.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/m/o/mountain_house_mac_and_cheese.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879403971360018" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiine59DkZHVypHRiHSm_L-zLo1c7kc8dLi8S3t4y8v2CSLaRopqmZ2hpjIEamsdSOCXQo8sAUyEf6kW1lpS_r-2u9pvOX50oNmkhRetO9AgAuzLJwOyQh7Vxwo-pSqqDXhtku5pic9fuKw/s320/23.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="238" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879403971360018" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879342732500386" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby1U3f9gIE_f8pfpwq6CAveMWuHmUYsDvPPyV7mt2dZDsPue_3K3bnZB_5n6IK5ZmTqqR_XxaFWcN9US7Xz0aju4krvns9BjCuOM0hIj8TZlHyFVcWHo9EWdTy_XTqB4Y-B-sAqr7pbmN/s320/25.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="320" /></a></div>
<center>
</center>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Positives:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Calories, Calories, Calories. 900 of them. This dish has a lot of content and you can only go right with Mac and Cheese. It is simple and easy to eat. A great high camp food choice. After burning a couple thousand calories the day before in the storm, I was at a huge caloric deficit. I needed to replenish. I had this for breakfast. At this point we were tripling up on pouches each day because we knew the trip was coming to a close and we wanted to restore our lost calories. I had lost 9 pounds and was eating anything I could get my hands on. I polished off a packet for breakfast right before our 20 mile hike out from Basecamp. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Negatives: </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Although it tastes very good, it does lack consistency. Because it has so many calories, It gets more difficult to eat the last few spoonfuls because you are so full. Luckily, since we had several of these pouches, we devised a strategy to consume an entire packet solo. See tips. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Tips: </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Do not over hydrate or else your cheese will be more soupy than creamy. Start by adding 30 percent less water then as you get deeper into the packet, you can add more. But once you add too much, it is hard to go back. Eat 1/3 of the dish normal, 1/3 with pepper and the final 1/3 with spicy pepper. This will give you a sequential taste gradient that will keep your twinge guessing and also allow you to consume the entire packet. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Score:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taste: 4/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Practical use for high altitude mountaineering: 5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Overall Rating: 9/10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Overall Opinion So Far:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879370379282770"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVW0o40JFVTKeRepNJiyiwkQWHtZ6dsD5bmMviYqmNq9kQj4rXDhy9BzVekbx1In8gA5tMtICLozfTlXLgbTUvIfJN5euiltd-qnimaMeycOYrkQq2RDyQR_Q_ucSUwx6DlfQTbFqNG0M/s320/24.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b> </b></span>Overall Mountain House was the way to go for our high camps. During the approach, we had plenty of energy to cook pasta, cut vegetables and uncork some wine. But as we got higher on the mountain, freeze dried food became a necessity. We were too lazy to cut vegetables and fresh foods weighed to much to bring up. We brought an onion and a green pepper up to high camp thinking we would cut it up and add to the Mountain House but the altitude made us too lazy. Especially with temperatures -40 degrees and 100km winds outside, just adding hot water and eating a meal was about all we could do. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The food tasted very good. We had all of the pouches stuffed in a duffle bag. Each night we would pick a flavor to eat - sometimes arguing over who got the better one. It was kinda like being a kid in a candy store. It was a fun proccess as well arguing over our likes and dislikes of each pouch.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We followed the pouch directions verbatim. Early on in the trip, we would often end up with overly watery dishes. So we decided to cut back on the water content 20 percent and this tended to do the trick. I wasn't sure if things cooked and absorbed more slowly at altitude or not; but this worked for us. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We also noticed that a little goes a long way with adding spices and crackers. A few of the dishes needed a little extra "zing." By simply adding our own spice or pepper, it really uped the ante on the taste. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Overall I learned a lot about all of the different freeze dried dishes that Mountain House has and hopefully with these reviews was able to give additional information to high altitude climbers per what to look for when choosing Mountain House Meals for the next climb. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I wanted to give a special thanks to Ayni Hailicka, Ashley Aronson, Molly Gilbert, the entire R/West marketing team and Mountain House for helping me pursue my passions. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Climb On!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1iBzAocpVvzj4yEcP5GmLPhisiQquXdSR7sV9tpzC61f4RW9kC-lbZH3Q55bnfsjlEbT9hzovR-_q4sk0c_iESghSV345VbHqleUezg9F6VlidIRoREBs8O7VDECVVSZq_q5iTHqS-JU/s1600/18.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>
Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-85530173165475562742012-12-27T09:01:00.008-08:002012-12-27T09:01:48.430-08:00Los Arenales 12-24 to 12-26-12<div style="color: red;">
<b>Background:</b></div>
Tony and I were a little tired of
frozen nights and being tent bound on Aconcagua, so we linked up with
April to do some proper rock climbing. We rented a car, bought some
food and packed up for three awesome days at Arenals; the premiere
climbing location in central Argentina. <br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826638695707013058"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WrZoKbcFcqQ/UNxhBdwpb8I/AAAAAAAAEqc/VfJh-Ij16_s/s400/12.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826638742190978178"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cxuC_xknOCI/UNxhEK7SdII/AAAAAAAAEqk/fcMu1Z9fnEU/s400/10.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826638781653043410"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-oyjivTAC2EY/UNxhGd7xyNI/AAAAAAAAEqs/v0gddoSoUsU/s400/13.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826638816917382754"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I4_W2odmPJg/UNxhIhTc5mI/AAAAAAAAEq0/iz1Hmdnz6A4/s400/17.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826638855961531282"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjm_S02g3dOEg5fks1Fhmw8o4kvJLvGcnTdfdHPLd97BNsWGBDzk6bqID0Z1xMJfqEyBW90khUgG5khNJwYGYzzNBOEbfZhrlxfYDSbhTTMd4J0kNl5rxkQPhoS9Wi8D1J2U8XaQNFmbav/s400/18.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Check in:</b></div>
Los
Arenals has a government checkpoint where you red to sign your life
away and show identification. Argentina seems like it has more checks
and balances preventing extraneous rescue costs than any country I have
been to. We signed on the dotted line and continued on our way up the
windy roads into the park. <br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826638895122145778"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-f3hU3RasB18/UNxhNEo64fI/AAAAAAAAErE/ufqm0CFAAqA/s400/20.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826638955167275570"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pyl-CYUB4GI/UNxhQkUy2jI/AAAAAAAAErM/mTg-FaK1eWQ/s400/23.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826638999857505090"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7wghY2tmeCc/UNxhTKzxo0I/AAAAAAAAErU/99pROWD6i7Q/s400/24.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<br />
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Day 1 Single Pitch Sport:</b></div>
We headed over to an epic dragging area called Samarkanda. The climbing was all sport but it allowed for some great photos. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639032799758402" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_XeRY2q16_0/UNxhVFh0iEI/AAAAAAAAErc/wCWD7CnrV0Q/s400/25.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639079293908722"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OBuwLLcgVtw/UNxhXyu49vI/AAAAAAAAErk/HyOogmIZYwQ/s400/32.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="367" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639128807986674"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbrFIJyOvD1yfEHLH_cIap3Ylf-0ImMIYIKKtq9d4ijmeHnSPsgwFumBm2BsfMov3wC_eaMNdV7t8a2f4_Pfmrdlx2wgso4X0dip90YlhdQ7dVwD_NQi1Dr1B8ejGZkC4g-LTQep1WdWvM/s400/33.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639171168789362"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sxc2o06eRmc/UNxhdI_kY3I/AAAAAAAAEr0/VEncA_alxLM/s400/35.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639214541851778" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y3i1LgwNLNk/UNxhfqkgzII/AAAAAAAAEr8/Xu9EZaXD3Ec/s400/34.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We headed back to camp to cook up some yummy dinner and share some stories before bed. <br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639261508423138"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYX-oRkEWEwPuo4Y9NXMx9rhgXGBaOGLQxE91eW-O8L460ML94aN94Lf5dfILNasxHmJKpai1EGVsySndC8BqXVYejbN8y8avNGXAXCMerF9LoYRd96Gq2GjW_2fR2lwo8wnM-X-5DZISz/s400/36.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="297" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639303831031922"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KRF3kCWhlpw/UNxhk3MtkHI/AAAAAAAAEsM/YIv2J71XmLo/s400/37.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="297" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639346323523090"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwmEnYOZQX8KpEmZ-B3GgnyLxac3fZBbwLX2yiY9CBq6Sy9LVpx3srHL4OQEQPVUEMIWsnG0TJI22FDh1H7WgNgdy1GLx61qFGwuZG_R23ra0krrX4sPsqm-zIwYlTN8W1xpDUibo7WB_l/s400/38.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<div style="color: red;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Day 2 Multipitch Trad:</b></div>
We
woke up and took the long approach to climb Aguja Torreycilla to climb
universal mental (5.10c). We hiked up the scree and talus and arrived to
the base. Since I didn't have climbing shoes, Tony and I needed to zip
them down the line each pitch. At the second pitch, I ran into some
severely loose blocks, so I made sure that nobody was below and launched
them off. We topped out and rappelled down. <br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639387502748290"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFPG8NsrMsiAhgAo0uUQz4ghtdUty3zP_9oZNlTaYKCTSkI1JHvnoXpgnAMDbzypq5R0dolaFK8W1r7RT6J0hzpQTMQtoDfiuoeMJSjahDQ-ZY4HkhjcueKY1OrTdMjtlT5w2-KgZtv8J/s400/39.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639436264079874"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-vmoOg-GZoms/UNxhskjNggI/AAAAAAAAEsk/BFlI_U_BIZo/s400/40.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639482995190834"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7hMYgaswOAbNiEqWgkW5ZzJp-QoAOl-4q3AX-aqJszSshLZPXyH-jWruFtjP8xQX1UMxnCXWX751_oZ97So9wf0POwVhikc_HMDTeV2eod0xOi_9SRJI0iqgzxO0GE8rNWMRzPkuvmEjU/s400/41.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fPF4tGRmHvk/UNxhydgnp1I/AAAAAAAAEs0/BQYPHqdL36U/s1600/42.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fPF4tGRmHvk/UNxhydgnp1I/AAAAAAAAEs0/BQYPHqdL36U/s400/42.jpg" style="margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639577126290818" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-zz4lwoWNcbU/UNxh0xTYRYI/AAAAAAAAEs8/jqvouVCGHps/s400/56.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639633623434322" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjoK39UQzI2ajtRow7WuOiLQUc6Qh7XCP4BMlLmeTbz2eBRjHqI-2SPEm25Y46tsCDeJa8pNo-4_HmX8P6q4f9OysjGukudXh5bHcPtDV4ntX4xpfUyxI65gNkVeFffsDmhd2F0TY1jEq/s400/44.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639685183779330" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ow0cIlgt_-4/UNxh7D2SsgI/AAAAAAAAEtM/4WIgg0xBa4o/s400/45.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639734506371314" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-s6e6xzAkC4g/UNxh97ltuPI/AAAAAAAAEtU/AImfgSnji2U/s400/47.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639795572094802" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv0T0GrnJ_ULORHVZP9REnvHBNM-ecXbnBjatpHu560vQ-UoyrKAfrL4WZFHCfb0Z6Cew4egSnr7ZjcMQz-pzmSnlLFqZrhnUQsnzE_KPYZHnMPKExbWFjsjRNiC4rHXlID5WJDmsKJUaS/s400/46.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639841542798498" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBFIcAQRcLAY0uI3juJkIg85aXm-I6EmID9lEI8Un25WzM68OYcEpgHolfHZ7BhTQ_dj2VtlD_JfX8c5G_r3iCdSsjB-iWDohVfqGAPctsoHjngGDss5YWuos1zmON2HXBSOtZFrPI23v3/s400/48.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639887512517602" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-jIy46gKaPsp7UgfQTQdQPR6Sj-s_jUtWv8ZPu1QYWutmwxYlQs7JmR9l26eNkP5DCFIHAGCdLqgkWJkoFL_HLbNDMubyS9nxn9BcznGpygG_fEi_IgLzS5zxGK5qxPWA8m12GFfZcgLc/s400/50.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639939772686898" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZVkoPpOa_71qwUdyK5UIkO4TUa4biyDLAEbSu70_1m93_AwXZnwHpvYlfvMiAd2PcyG9qg-4XNKCYH2KfZajfJ_n8bg-Qm6zgXaG2TZcF4UpR10hFITfMm5sAvOmZ2DgU6uiaHIXm755/s400/51.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826639979295924690" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXQvST1UuERcbNqW_kb_5G5tbNeMSThSkmcXWh0YrC7iNKml9PF9iGDVKVVFPkVzf867D0xQxjcQziv4igd1CCMopAsHR-p6WF_aro3n2U4yMDiu4v4iwb9B37AGzVU6-IXTXPkcO1jCN/s400/52.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826640028186650482" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-afQGK5pGe7Q/UNxiPBojJ3I/AAAAAAAAEuE/SwibdoMUdQI/s400/53.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></div>
We
hiked back to stop by the refugio and then continued to our campsite
for some yummy dinner, more Mendoza wine and some good rest. <br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826640095967432466"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6LZ7ItthBHZIGRrWGE0uyCJcDNK2yJGhn8zYp0neDoUP8Gb37d39hxEhthrtZRI7QRCzgdk0NikZF_PQRFDomE0_g-z8i5dkIXjoP_9umB0tzOXYurp_LQ7fZvS4aVxVURmNUuI6bQsn/s400/55.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826640147638861938"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HtXAM3jTzDo/UNxiV-oLQHI/AAAAAAAAEuU/vGqw90zA-rM/s400/54.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826640198434715314"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Y2iVXgc3wVs/UNxiY722drI/AAAAAAAAEuc/b3QBe1FIxJU/s400/57.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826640247323153570"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvBXsawEs6CscNEjV6qYedufV-xscLh7gqaXrzWAUP4tgZUxHCeZPwXJ12DW95RH-VBLdr6xSKk5jv8Q61FkbNfaKdbRONXDAA0AMVPiIRa6dpb39eavanZTbpiLbCJBg6hATGU0MWfju/s400/58.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<div style="color: red;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Day 3 Single Pitch Trad:</b></div>
Today was a lazy trad cragging day. We climbed a but, then packed up and headed home. <br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826640300938769746"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDSUJqkuX66H1prxzfZ8L10knqe9cN5AMzm4Tnaz7pEtrVLOaW1g0OBOJPRRLcC3MHx07FCKF5REepBf7efhpeC1FjqRAcJEwKwTRalRa-eTFQ18HYcAurqx1d6MN6-YXUWhcOCytYqB5-/s400/59.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<b><br /></b>
<b style="color: red;">Conclusion:</b><br />
Well, six months of traveling and climbing have
come to an end. It feels about the right time. Spending no more than a
few days in a single area eventually takes its toll. The idealistic
lifestyle of being a traveling nomad soon looses its luster. And there
is always a mild longing for home. <br />
<br />
Small things begin
to confuse you like: What month is it again, why are people going to
work, why can i not relate to my friends Facebook status updates, how is
it possible to have one stick of toothpaste last six months, how do you
say that in Spanish, why are stores closed on Sunday, what's a siesta,
what is that cow doing in the middle of the road and many other
unanswered questions. <br />
<br />
But continued travel opens my
mind and heart to so many differing cultures. With every realization
comes remarkable insight into my life and others. As well as amazing
friendships and experiences. I am sure I will look back at photos of me
with my unkept beard, long messy hair and wide smile and say "I remember
the good ole days." But for now, I am ready to return to civilization -
if they will accept me back. <br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826640347749160914"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6A1fC0Yb6Kg/UNxihoGMF9I/AAAAAAAAEu0/C6a-A1HQPPY/s400/60.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5826640387357223490"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gY5WUxlkRrg/UNxij7pfKkI/AAAAAAAAEu8/3hku06CAddw/s400/61.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-18393239119427966642012-12-23T09:04:00.001-08:002013-01-04T12:43:12.956-08:00Mount Aconcagua 12-10 to 12-21-2012<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879597227597122" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNBzLCm1ijmmhuGvGi9EzRdV7Q1G-g4xEe1hfFy_GI6F_iG205AUpR79liiIits6UUgf-_nCvk-psmkJ-BcORH2JSOSGrJXFX9GEKQhpLsgHz4q3y9QjZ2YwkLqUoWF-Y70aYNacLiMFn/s640/41.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I am lying in my cocoon high on mount Aconcagua. it is snowing, minus 40 degrees outside and 100km winds are thrashing the tent. We have spent 10 days climbing the mountain but have to turn back because of weather. I should be disappointed but instead i smile slyly to myself. I realize in that moment that i don't climb mountains for the summit but for the experience...and the stories that follow</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Here is my story of the trip.</span></b><br />
--<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Day 1: Pentitentes to Pampa de Lenas</b></span><br />
Tony and I arrived at Pentitentes at 10am and weighed our duffle bags and cooler. They were exactly 90kg (including four bottles of wine and lots of fruit courtesy of the Sheraton buffet). We just made the weight cut off and the total cost for two mules was $425. It takes three days typically to get to the base of the mountain and most people choose to pack the majority of their weight on mules during this process. It saves energy and allows you to bring luxuries you usually wouldn't think of in the backcountry. We paid our money and were dropped off at the trailhead. We checked in with our permits, snapped some photos then left stating at 11:30am.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfTz9nnVz16bYkemuZ8D2PnYmOk6lGEScL__2MjgjfPRqND9bHCSMoI3C6M55KgdwEPsyU_Vzyia2H1A1MaS-kPSPzcn3uLjSdLYZ_gkAkPFOahlfS_soAt55qHR4ULNIcxeCylyFQ0mb/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfTz9nnVz16bYkemuZ8D2PnYmOk6lGEScL__2MjgjfPRqND9bHCSMoI3C6M55KgdwEPsyU_Vzyia2H1A1MaS-kPSPzcn3uLjSdLYZ_gkAkPFOahlfS_soAt55qHR4ULNIcxeCylyFQ0mb/s1600/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The map</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737049401450194" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kKUKGlaP2hE/UNWffFOhXtI/AAAAAAAAETE/GMS73GWik1s/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Weighing Bags</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737097384606738" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLJCpo02FK-DyMGoFDOCYVqRpR8YMU6UCTJ0yu76ZLfyjT0Vj-Fnc34jl4jPqYdGUme_nXEHHPLBXALP-s1bSK5eJToZFPBA0RB3JAVXh2D4chCV6W1QpljJiVyKKahYkTi5xwfQu5wueM/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Leaving for the trailhead</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737149459262434" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aSsnrT3nbTGO3CZnye7gMFGLuEHO620yKvn2JREoEgoh_kG326mPcaeWNNgF1kPpt83c-eKXEqJScXTmG0w8VmUPpsNTfS0JC7FFKVsbiex1-akVgwbgXISMastBgnTg36vvvmn-c11a/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Loading the mule</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737181634627970" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-8_IpWEHZ7rk/UNWfmx1XiYI/AAAAAAAAETc/4KvuZEF7fW0/s640/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">At the park entrance</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The hiking as scenic and flat. We saw our mules zip by us with their gouchos on horseback controlling the pack. We arrived at Pampa de Lenas camp 3hrs and 15 minutes later at 2:45pm and set up shop. The camp was plush with running water, a toilet and good tent sites.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737235041432818" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uEE8UN_HNi8/UNWfp4yitPI/AAAAAAAAETk/rwtdNfDvi1s/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Mules on the trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737287452918370" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h5eCJ_zgZFM/UNWfs8CagmI/AAAAAAAAETs/1fADvFrCRIQ/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Tony on the trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737323258225762" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Es60CeTAEQg/UNWfvBbEJGI/AAAAAAAAET0/__r6EOUfbKo/s400/22.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Arrival at Pampa De Lenas </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are many guided groups on the mountain who choose to climb the false polish route. Although it is known as a high altitude glorified scree slog, it can still become dangerous because of high winds and freezing temperatures. Our route of choice was the direct polish route which requires upto 65 degrees of ice climbing and some additional technical skills. So it was quite the contrast comparing Tony and My skill-sets and experience to the guided clients. Many of the guided members hadn't seen snow and it was their first Mountain that they were climbing - which is scary. At first I was skeptical of this, but over time they won me over and their kindness and company is what made climbing the mountain such a memberable experience. We called the two guided groups the Ayamara and Australian teams. Their photos are below (photos were taken a couple days later)<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Ayamara Group(Left to Right): Naiko, Pablo, Arden, Lei, Franchesco, Scott</span></b><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737361401154946"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB7Y-b9M_6dmRwN0DOAW07j4GiwdETMMLkqF0pOEr9G17MpIW3BA1B2rshNzUbNGwlZMFyX-bnI-hJmedJbFS6kvgAzKdP-R-v3CdIzgwohE5eenT0BBJ4Qpy696bHp_gpQI9BwXKpfT_g/s200/32.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737398868771170"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Q9huP-xtPdI/UNWfzbGBgWI/AAAAAAAAEUE/QLXQmDWs_Vs/s200/33.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737426503919634"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fPufwJzW154/UNWf1CCwaBI/AAAAAAAAEUM/N141IbBiFW0/s200/23.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737486336950898"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-X4ew_gJ8cHM/UNWf4g8EAnI/AAAAAAAAEUU/3DUxXj_uz9Y/s200/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737556199403506"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-18G4IQlHxsk/UNWf8lMkb_I/AAAAAAAAEUk/B_Y5_fNTF9Y/s200/26.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824737517454093698"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMKF5XKrHVEB_2Q5FOYVjDa_pX-4VEypqtYaRNjOPGhgqnDteNFapK_c3DBOH07tj5_1S3lL2BXbFLSic5Ay8FkKWy9r0-kYpakam2W_L-RcW2IB3MWqw9VmBMuG0DA8BIRvsQe5kWoWe1/s200/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="200" /></a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Australian Group(Left to Right): Carlos, Mariana, Alex, Nathan, Tom, Ben, Mat, Dan</span></b><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824738645388272626"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD9fdOu0cF-JRhYmePlXLeLlwv5N-AjKeJMTWT8gO89jiBw2qYNoUuWmNovuu-itK-dhONmsg4HwSHQvnH_KJvUBHjKnPVtHqRRVgPiHIes1Fvsz7J5I3Xsfq3hHJQ7Y0kffv9wcox95zG/s200/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824738675528302050"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguAgBh9A5AGVduHgoeEu9Ma7Pbe_zsxCzHhgZQuKqeHMt6uCI_xRykErLu17BqYDM2smUboXVX9eXfKH9WhjvLcnnCLh2RXFtPIh8yja4i5wK_X0DpFz-P_RZTAiBoodL7_u10GaNbgK84/s200/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824738853614218322"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-V7Dyas0er4A/UNWhIGcXbFI/AAAAAAAAEVY/--oHWv-c4fg/s200/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824738897176802882"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A3TJHh3YDmc84IEG0NUaZkZYiPWE4ZzHI3t8xiSJERm44jR30DoEX3JOIYbaOG-9HqcVnP36pd_KXpWSEm3VAnri1vfpqLhhOVsVcGOp3Y2_4qoTjlX3kkXRU1uqC0-QSyHxamnfzPC6/s200/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824738937062136802"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-20F-RAxlKRE/UNWhM9T5m-I/AAAAAAAAEVo/ZOnOmuuBiYA/s200/23.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824738999677321906"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-oSEaOi3JLjg/UNWhQmkhgrI/AAAAAAAAEVw/7yD1MRMcfI0/s200/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824739047036392066"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hrWu8tA-22c/UNWhTW_zkoI/AAAAAAAAEV4/eWteToGNkK8/s200/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824739080952834514"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ReCfljpxo58/UNWhVVWHadI/AAAAAAAAEWA/LJYLPLuhsEw/s200/22.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Apu and Isabelle:</span></b><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824739131477226578"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8IkGViThgTprUlCp9fIn8sqgQfzxb8rtljNBEn171i-_ABYu1NTWHJIIZBykqHQ4uH2IV9kWgRFfu0p8xkoR8ZR0CDxLO24vKtTjO-XD5xJ1GKPrjfn_k3OgV9c4nZo2jAWSyKfbqwfqU/s200/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="158" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824739177120416578"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-vPIJGuJMVZo/UNWha7mQQ0I/AAAAAAAAEWQ/yJm9ZPJLELs/s200/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 2: Pampa de Lenas to Casa De Piedra</span></b><br />
We woke up around 8am and were off hiking at 9:20am to Casa De Piedra. A few minutes from camp, there is a bridge crossing, then a bit of uphill, followed by rolling flatlands following the Vacas River covering 11 miles and upto 10,600 feet. It was here, 500 meters before camp, that we had our first glimpse of Aconcagua and the route that we were set to climb. We snapped some photos and made it to Casa De Piedra in 3hrs and 40 minutes - we were cruising.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824878996034419266" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW6yuu9tG_BzskhOFtgZfBTuZJ8cj4jALV8n456nhdYoaLUISgSfFN5VfcSX-Y70NdA0DbzS3P-H3rrJlca6-ZXFnu-d7z71bQpfh9bqWh3OpmrjdLvg43OUBeGwkc5VXC-m79OBSMv-Tl/s640/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824743855742601138" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JoPvaZ_nqNk/UNWlrQ0tR7I/AAAAAAAAEW0/tAeEHGG2Oc0/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Bridge Crossing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824743926185719122" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-SSDwZ4cAfag/UNWlvXPp9VI/AAAAAAAAEW8/FIqraO-LsZI/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">En route</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824743965891494482" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EYJaSWWMaoY/UNWlxrKQAlI/AAAAAAAAEXE/stK4zMY6Uso/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Casa De Piedra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744018377449602" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jMJ8ae2tVKkXm77bew6SbAFIrJ5Y3QdOS3sC3E1Y5fUQeqxGY1Hn6uCB5xGt16hbRDA5xQCqwaTJgop9D5czLj197oD37nhM7xpTJGsxvbKL9n0pHC-EYBUCsBGO3RCFEIylRO8NocIS/s400/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">First view of the mountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744049015236338" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1iBzAocpVvzj4yEcP5GmLPhisiQquXdSR7sV9tpzC61f4RW9kC-lbZH3Q55bnfsjlEbT9hzovR-_q4sk0c_iESghSV345VbHqleUezg9F6VlidIRoREBs8O7VDECVVSZq_q5iTHqS-JU/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">A look at our route</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We setup our tent in camp and mingled with the guided groups. We heard horror stories of people coming down the mountain. 150km winds, blown up tents, ripped poles, people blown in their tents onto the scree hills and just utter chaos. It was a subtle reminder of dangerous the mountain could be. Here we were sitting in comfortable weather, sipping wine and eating fine food - when just a few hours up the hill into base camp people were suffering severely on the mountain. It is a strange feeling. I tucked away in the information in my head unaware that this was foreshadowing of events to come. For the time being all we could do is just wait and find out for ourselves.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744089274320690" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7xAsYk1iApkG1A6LMpR7e_hLEiqdXRGmSKxlHgvpZg5DpTgi1EPaGX1zinH9QXuEJmzK4G8ut-L3C5aBCuWQNvN_nlYfO21c5dNO36IyIj-Vus_4RbhwfdHxA2Y4FoBgl9IZZbTPithR/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Casa De Peidra Camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744124592017138" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw27-wCDHEDaYtqvuYDZAW4SYfIGPtYhgx4RrJXGFJG_mZwDIaNPQTGTKcKi-p31EAuv-_9cqqROqmJMzp1T-8OiilbowmsnQgbL1mi11nP4YdEZ30PILDiZBSqOJ9WPfNsUZltdiOOryR/s400/22.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Some vino please</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 3: Casa De Piedra to Plaza Argentina</span></b><br />
We left Casa De Piedra around 8:45am and arrived a few minutes later at the notorious Vacas River Crossing. There were two options to cross the river. You could tip out the mule driver and cross on horse back, or you could brave out the bone chilling cold and cross barefoot. Tony and I chose to walk. The water was deathly freezing but I chose to make my "I'm a tough guy face" and braved trough it.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744162040122290" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-8l8os4XBEtbPi8xe-EveEX9sR1qQ72HVr8EXVm1RHt76rUZSnCP62FxQO0pIJLEfKeqMkhleByidmyOQKacWsSNZvBHvYDt7XR-ueB04BL-SJxhc-rYU7MStYMka7WP3V4PKgQ3th1u/s400/23.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">River Crossing the cool way</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744196628468834" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWW24pQMe4xEmx2GMIKVJsBMPI-FFHC7K4BOPCV420B4c5kXprGmjX8DRXlvjT3AuqK6oyf9uFmTZwS52dfEig_hWYVm-y91CDYc2pONEckrYRpykL2ARotSlO06UMjacpWvVF6fyrH_z/s400/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">River crossing the lame way</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the river crossing, the valley weaved up 3,200 more feet to the base of Plaza Argentina, which would be our basecamp for the remainder of the trip. I was expecting a shit show when I arrived but there were only 10 other climbers total when we arrived. The rest of the parties had been stormed off the mountain and retreated. This was a treat, considering usually in high season there would be upto 100 climbers. This is the benefit of climbing in mid season - less crowds.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824748583632258434" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9v_M_f5SUlE/UNWp-dlcRYI/AAAAAAAAEZM/JNBDf3BsTkA/s400/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Winding our way up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824748630077208722" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmLakh2enH_JubqwLrEuAPpEcc8aeEVc82I71KAWCI8z-M-uXBLOf0r4RcDPmiGTXdPgZVlGORUc4CRPIC0Ii56-5rpnD5lECR-rOpeCFoIvlWbt-w6tEydBjPpEbsUwky901n0Ch5KhJ/s400/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Some more crossings</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744248791163170" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-cnQaS4Iptak/UNWmCJCyYSI/AAAAAAAAEX8/8hQYu67Vaxk/s288/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744285646998978" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0krEIeIWdRtet8rBO0nbftblq9Zl0GEaUXr65vT2JjaP6OTnwSwqzHBpAYtMQ3vLfFIsG-5ECBMLimNpi4e3vkduykf9_rnjqzYvpTbw1Ezcck6AiI73YVOj38MRLWMlbzu-0tqp3KlGK/s288/26.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824748674386376546" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcwT5MyP5JLRSLvjYtiieHtN5uIHXi8awBd8mqnC5mbjYYBYn8oqADrrXjsjtxId8c6ASH6PYfBS7bIqzMjeWZL0v5dY7JiUO1Qgep2kp-K6FnfVtxWh0VQlOcsUHlobKnGZiVZx9pl2G/s400/26.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Getting close</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744330417552562" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6FXFiNQ_vPn_sdfIuBOifu_qXYMss_wLRnyicN6fyC6txhKzmZk-RYM6UpeHYXBLk4Fe_MPfNBKyP7IFnBJ7ijJDlGFIzpx6ySzBXS52vihE4liHzMNwOvRbPAaH0VA9fM23lbKBj0Ju/s400/32.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">We are there</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tony and I were offered some lemonade from the head cook Griselda at the Grajeles tent. We then set up our tents and became aquainted with our neighbors. There was the german group consisting of Ben and Felix and there was the Washington state couple of Curt and Maribel. Ben and Felix epitomized German efficiency. They had a pulse oximiter that would measure their pulse and oxygen saturation each morning, they would then compute additional facts as headache and urine loss and graph them all on a chart each morning depicting their altitude status. They did this every morning for the entire trip and even measured their urine output in a pee bottle each night. Curt and Maribel were a married couple from Washington state that were both retired. They were super bad ass and had traveled the world together climbing mountains, kayaking and having crazy adventures. They were truly inspirational. Little did we know that by the end of the trip we would become such great friends and share so many experiences together.<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Ben and Felix(missing a photo of ben):</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100361630-Rock-climber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://watermarked.cutcaster.com/cutcaster-photo-100361630-Rock-climber.jpg" width="144" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744364739751682"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNvoFCYou8A5XeglwS5Bq7k8v3_I7csnxjyUd48NzcGS74tNOKReVkQSv6wxz9gdIzjTRxmuTzVif_-DnKHjviAZdcQpsacne-3V_tzbXRumAjDYsDRx14N4qpaYJ056CORpG0ZqF6h58n/s200/35.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Curtis and Maribel:</span></b><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744401581281826"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO51hZiXlvMoxnITeDD_mSXeCPfnlbyJjwfNGisGtQjWTs20qgM0tZT-bVKoYzLkIrmaesS113Q6IYzFjYk8t2SkMp_oR4aN_DNQ92TvUstQc8rhkhnIjcneZHJo9JSj0ZBDEPVyEWOUkO/s200/33.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824744438397866290"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggrx_U-ksaRrOl9y4Vn2drBBErVUQXcFxZIbAk19v_3aQ1r4_7ykHae8yp1Xf6cUUVwJtaG_ha4_KxQJh18gpmprN3SRF7Njl7AJTuYb-qBWFCteRqYhWhEgbeaFmcRM5L3tBZbvVV3E-s/s200/34.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="149" /></a><br />
I activated my Spot transceiver to let my loved ones know how I was doing, staked down my tent with heavy rocks, had some lunch, took a look around the base camp, watched someone get med evacuated for altitude sickness by helicopter and had some dinner with wine. The camp itself was super plush. There were pit toilets, a camp ranger hut, a medical staff hut,running water from a hose, food tents at a fee per service and well protected campsites.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824748734875769202" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2dVA3TgCXNmN4UXvfInFg3sEkmd5iL5RleEMkCl8DXKW4G4J5W5IGJz5e5TfLmyjY061OHBPd5CFjb86qRoK0pZzyj6l1ERtO6V0HT95i0OQXces5uf2sXXoG65rBvVE-lkW2jsk_7_0P/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Our tents at basecamp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824748788089272178" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1h82SV-THsP5uKabFfka8CXX77QSzHpZXqmenxkvN5cvoOJKVt4TfzKAarPFNqqLpfJK63nZsrHc1wTQsLPCGoEfWWWz5hWD6hHjSJuE6nnxjO-5gaDYsRWAQ0VTscPvBgzeH53cNxVx/s400/23.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Securing my tent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824748833228314290" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCpnSQ_UzkVaakJ_RYr3_2fXvNO3fUvgahFgGX2476T3pgOxcZ0VA8Yoqu1MF_nhongxgBiXkAexxSeIZnzuSu5KwGkKAy5bUt_ACrM1HzpMDtIFkvgP7EP4pzE50eYDMn4nsbwbWrJCA/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Messy tent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824748888446807890" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7r-w9_tRuz_DFWC8JTN_xLoUFdk-aaz703KISjY_tW8Q5hoy4pf0rdQUzO7lbNullY9l8s9ceiH57WInV6QeHwvYHDXZHC4zCyfiMEOjekh5LFGWfqj9mREc-wQGwb9FN4zj3iZYQFTr/s400/22.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Lunch time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824748929230638610" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_5C_6cDBbmM/UNWqSlChDhI/AAAAAAAAEaE/J6gIbzHrWoc/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Pit Poopers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824748999287775810" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHKjB-QKE3Jwzg8v7UP9_M0fbYwZMIJZH7s3JcnpJ5sFXY8KOWwdDcp3zBZ_mupgbFHpMBm073W4T6dYTaVRHBQi4YNXQPQ_pOT2zRkF7sTI2JRMV6D2mNw3u8pT-j2TO08I7QQkKi2VtT/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Where the waiste goes...then taken by chopper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824749066042001650" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxh4Dc2mh2AWXt5GWDvvxOGRZRfjGZ4Zu6h8L6ie52T_6TuMaJQRFuPVVGAFllIozQ1-tTOjFSJh6FCmRZdUG4Hu9wfcbM7ASZ804RnWbtQUuC1SLWk1OEJJpFtieBJUjZkQ4bfhk_-Smf/s400/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Plush Basecamp Food Tents for Expeditions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824749102343574210" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-H8iF2lNJlWg/UNWqcp720sI/AAAAAAAAEac/h9DYginOxLg/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The ausies inside a tent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824749145886221986" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtibfZBt9kOcb-XI4bRm0W9OvFMEUh2bwG7FQrU5ht_-JfRWARfyPGtiqT_VTHMvhKY1IERw90_rBfFwh6XiA5yhcvkdd4_mstctjj3-wiClviT0P3qeyVz82ML6xREZaG2WGrgBqeUQO/s400/32.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Some getting evacuated for altitude</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824749174238525058" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepmHBFJULzDxGw6sf1-50ly83OFTcVtnfUZw6DpkR9v5xGrXpfZPiBOlYxszxGmjDjsDPR1_rvoNq7TBl5KUXzjf7rhB8iezSF4RfBwhITu8q1mxj4cVM8WuwKmRVmt5ClSOSi11UlFqX/s400/33.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">See ya helicopter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824749215208211490" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1ZaBBezdCzw/UNWqjOY4hCI/AAAAAAAAEa0/7QCHfzTyX5k/s400/34.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Vino Time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 4: Plaza Argentina to Camp 1 (first load carry)</span></b><br />
I woke up this morning at 7am with the loud buzz of the chopper. I wondered if it was another helicopter evacuation, but it turned out that it was routine waste removal from the toilets.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824752114192917106" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_IHTnt_8Xw0PauHKohEV-2xKWz5hEXzdzF40-BquwYbl7CxrR98pqHVIajs074qKRKEDi45csTVl2a-U5_-EmkkWijLIsaKXspFaPevUs8i42TvTUf9482lonaiiHfGojz4ic6-gCsgPz/s400/22.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Morning waste pickup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tony and I made our way to the doctor hut for our mandatory checkup and we met Pablo. He checked our oxygen saturation, vitals and respiration. Tony had 120/80, 95 02 sat and a resting hr of 60. I had 120/80, 90 02 sat and a resting hr of 76. Tony values were abnormally good for the first day at high altitude camp and mine were above average; so we decided that instead of resting that we should do a load carry to camp 1.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824752159749059362" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g_VdDlrKmLQ/UNWtOnqIMyI/AAAAAAAAEbk/2QonW03o72s/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Packing up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824752202612380098" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2WdVrKbXhmmZVVnCa3geRWzJ0K12lKp-Hs_oGvAeNKPMAy220W-3IOhwTGyisKRwIKaR3kqhzu6f6n8sbOjY6dfmOucVcv2SRPrNu_2Tju6a_atwYMlE4GuXxmEtBSyZVo3-V5n78UKz/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Basecamp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We made it to camp in 2hrs and 20 minutes with moderate weighted packs. Normal guide pace is 4-6 hours. It was at this point that we knew we were crushing and both felt really fit and optimistic.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824752239946534738" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJlpdNNr0lgueNfFDYNKJsH56PT62ymdKvG5fvFjGuOYzYUJpDkhRoWraXkvsuetcJjy-ELlKVKm_PL5DXRsJEp8qYidIFVWomRGvltBdlXYz739-dWt36Lz9j3wyqTOMwA2wEKagomYK/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hike to Camp 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879149964142466" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7cVOQM7qb2VpGoGWlI2KGD-KF-5-CTH9ZE4gP-i51Kq8K2rHSB60JVOmwwjRTD7aXlAQ57AnJ1MiCBpSOllKcQOzjuFOQogl72cRI3E2NhWv_3TDH7YcQ8xLFKb6FolWYz4lagfAYRCQ/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Arriving at camp 1- wind damaged flag - photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824752318731294082" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xUOv8WbAAdo/UNWtX36clYI/AAAAAAAAEb8/FYj0Jx6DDAc/s400/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Camp 1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824752361300277282" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-V2AKRRCT2dM/UNWtaWfruCI/AAAAAAAAEcE/PMgqE63dxWk/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Feeling good</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I got back to camp I took a cold water shower from the hose and dried off. A few hours later, tony took a lukewarm water shower from his hydration pack and we settled in for the night feeling tired but great.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824752399350842418" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKsbWoHHVC7JRFFLZFGVgLCMrTjwyTYfLoTtd05oFVQaZQUu8gzGahvwzGYO4DQCVYR13On2rz9zanGMjr0iANc2ODAc7ArltbInbarAJxJT_FVW0q8FpDPewQ3qOWyJvmHz-4Stqfbhl2/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Shower Time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 5: plaza Argentina to Camp 1(load carry number 2)</span></b><br />
We hiked some heavier loads to camp 1 today. I was a little tired from five straight days of hiking, but managed to get to camp 1 in 2hrs and 40 minutes. I later borrowed the 02 saturation machine from Arden and my reading were 75 02 sat and 110 hr. My oxygen was a little low and my hr was a little high. Although I was tired, I instantly felt better when I saw the condition of the other groups. When Franchesco arrived to camp from the Ayamara group, he collapsed to the ground and had trouble breathing or eating. Turned out he had to get helicopter evacuated the next day; bummer.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760242509518034" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-srdwb5xVx8o/UNW0lGSZFNI/AAAAAAAAEc0/NrZMDGaA3O8/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Ready to Roll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879053205498994" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-BwAcUfv-1AANUwZObjyFgchlw2Us5Cx3QBzAoUA1dVpz3dnHH67-GgZz6ZEbCzcMCY1rmF0J-4U0mjQujIW4dcEzzooBeExifVO3kM_xHzmHt1BdlbJvmIeoGh0AqpOxkZ3fxhz311IY/s400/55.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Pentitentes - Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879084155766210" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHq3TPW84X3n0QPEHY9FMJoItYm1lyKLVPJLCST0AABrFGQvSuxr37aVxh9_2RbtJIwcnyJJ5VJxkMY1zw8EMRwXsY9Lrg9E2bQl6OkCV5_OA-tbCiTpiWvNCRvkcYlNV3rvmlZGEISqAN/s400/56.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">On the trail</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760300466098978" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZBqmN5FJX5-I1AnDtGQxQA6gEOl1MtIqGudszVZ8SAGuseDbrwSXTk5PayHrcOH16hDR6M7hBAWqabujcuvh9OrGU7qeynrq4CI4SVzRanyefdVmseDk2nSZvIYOkOIZCW-L7UAZ1bN0h/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">A New flag planted after the other one was shredded by wind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879177942355218" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i5qUUp6s-8E/UNYgwDTSzRI/AAAAAAAAElU/-1f_Ird4iTs/s640/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hanging out eating lunch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was on the way to camp 1 that we got some good views of our route. It looked like it was in bad shape. Bullet proof ice upto the bottle neck, some mixed rock in the center and looked like powder snow on the ridge. This is probably the worst possible shape that the route could have been in; but we still wanted to go for it and we brought our technical tools, ropes and screws all to camp 1. I have to admit that I was feeling a bit nervous about the condition the route was in. We headed back to basecamp, had some dinner and met up with one of Tonys friends April, who is a guide for SMI and was done guiding her client and was trying to summit solo.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 6: plaza Argentina to Camp 1(load carry number 3)</span></b><br />
We shuttled our final load to camp 1 and setup our tent. The weather forecast was not looking good. It was predicted to be winds of over 140km on the summit,-40 degrees and chances of snow. This is frostbite weather if you are attempting to summit. I was not super optimistic but Tony and I decided that we would just stick with our plan and see how it goes. It was at camp 1 that we met up with April again and she kindly allowed us to borrow her radio to get weather reports for the remainder of the climb. She also told us that the next day we could steal her campsite when she left, which had the best wind protection on the mountain.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760339563453058" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfPO-z4Uv6euy09MR6jhs0Z3YXucTfU7Yavdcs3r4CfkR5LDQcW8rmWsRtAkK0xW6QfqJI1l3v960eOenduOBqvOBWVLZfbnSqr7BFJKSXWRJlFloGt01i7Y4b2WbHOw8ZvAnXWAso0eQ/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">April</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760378961710594" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjufX2InjmQdpvoRzE8_TrBqJih30wiaxtR4VDsg0ShAEyPUZG7SJ33ObHjLiIojAE4y2U5ydChUO6VuTSJYLoYK0c-GO9cyjYS_mIZ9KHPQGy0NbYnVY_JvbyKph2FkCUEgI-bfbCM3yAj/s400/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
April and Tony figuring out some logistics on radio </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779184278081282" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-gNxdT6UCk1M/UNXFzp38DwI/AAAAAAAAEg0/v5CfF9Qigdg/s400/35.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Our Yummy unfiltered water source</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760451116683010" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-e34UK16bwXg/UNW0xPaNzwI/AAAAAAAAEdU/UCNEKbtwL24/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Our site for the night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760484842581874" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxESxkQd6oL6QVK50FO-3wXQQBN6dMIMPnXdEqhSrNT-NnNxe2clK1YvRBuqu9HQ_GLoKyPxwUCLKQ59WGms-hgx6fwXHket3oo8IvrAD4ZEjW8fEaEXIJePBqn_JPEf4-1BnPaiOB9GbU/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Cozy in a fat jacket - Thanks Anne Marie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 7: Scouting up to camp 2 (19,500 feet)</span></b><br />
Instead of taking our scheduled rest day, Tony and I decided to hike up to our next camp to take a look at the condition of the route. We took our crampons and axes. Apu and Isabelle accompanied us. We hiked up and reached the base of the glacier in 65 km per hour winds. It was enough to knock you off balance. We took shelter in an alcove and examined the route. It looked terrible. Bullet ice and mixed climbing. It would be very committing to attempt. Tony and I both asked Apu what he thought. In my mind he is the expert on climbing Aconcagua. He holds the speed record to the summit from the parking lot and has been guiding the mountain for the past 12 years. He told us that he wouldn't want to climb it. He also told us that his margin of safety for summit day is usually 30 km per hour winds maximum. This information was humbling.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760524954689826" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrllctLAS7Gb2YdXIjWAyHxWGVQaV-4lHrIREU-0ac-OSCqLLXvM7k6yyRCHMhjyqptOs2JfEivEFssIFHQxXcsxUVuUQAOlZHasQJ8lQKQ1hf3rGaNMq4I4MJrLwskgwAAninW-xlZooM/s400/23.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Coming over the col</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760564479825810" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dPmmfiNy820/UNW031uGF5I/AAAAAAAAEds/q4ONh1hup7Q/s400/34.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Looking down at groups traversing to camp 3 guanacos</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760607439201330" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6l4Pg0hmVgI/UNW06VwaJDI/AAAAAAAAEd0/iqzGmQaqrOU/s400/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Apu and Isabelle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760706323554786" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpRyh8LDS5dgGEFvJXcsOBEL4s_nKQfusVB9zQ2HyxOLWrAgI1_QMbEpjVhCjtWENltqkUifO4IuViuMquxZ_nuTbjNSzcDTCvWjCantE51msITEyhdz9N2N8CFSP31q9FOpU99cDGafe/s400/33.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Looking super cool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760744133500386" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzuFrb0ecAV11Np9s7EAr8TC9pc0H7pHnjVKqenYzy_jDgkq9hRoLuRsBOjnKbB0dpmAZ5VAlaRZACtPwZpjqQzm1PU8b2jtPc9ooaEMEViceLcGoYCGUpBlamB3ZOcRw8XSSH-yd5xLz5/s400/26.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Posing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879204203662418" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlANgwHXTygdKIUOplC9E7kAjoNJx8zOK_lsDB9ZTDgg_tbVwE9nirk_T9olBtEylFnJ6SXleYzMwCplDZ3TYS4xeabZFxwFsiXcc-S71BbdIMDK2W8ddftlbcfvA067j5CVtEubQARCrU/s400/48.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Nap Time - Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here we were standing in front of the route, seemingly a stone grow from the summit (but in reality 8 more hours) and we likely wouldn't be able to climb the route and would have a diffuse chance summiting the easier traverse route because of upcoming weather reports of 7 more days of high winds. Regardless, we were still stoked to give the summit a go via the traversing route.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879114901176098" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFnMvuE_JUCMp0fq3A82gNwGmiWr5rpgrJjC4Il-xen1sWBC5rS43dJuJx1mxrbvuyeRaGhqF5if-G6U_ZYKg485uOxcJ4QqM7Zo778yfauTt3ZvQij_FKbKe2BBWe1ehB5QEbvmokpbct/s640/47.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">At camp 2 - Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760782929854482" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjyUUhZB7J-XO9frO_MAbQ4UCmuYgeFWXjFCRFhKusCVOnC672XZ_jNG6oQrmC4HQtcZ3pkLTPkD_KXPLm3JL5v-aOdbbwzTWJThmHjmcJ9Q3_PjuhYdCXkqFDj5c0r2i-BFm3Ute4cQy/s400/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">At the route base<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824760646297152018" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4AnjPyio9yG_c6R4jlKM8860g3rmWefVuadx_JxkwjikgEwaa2oTXGFPClpf20og67OU7TgJojQRPZA4ZJhkKe0cnrhHyY7FMmgr_N_8KlqKVg2YlAKODOZ6mUTUEy3qMAf1Bgq8JbPJM/s400/32.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Checking out the route</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 8: Rest Day in Camp 1:</span></b><br />
This was our first rest day of the entire trip. Winds were too high at camp 2 polocos to advance (it is not a very protected camp) and we felt that wee needed our bodies to rest. If we had a weather window any day in the next week, we would move camp up to polacos and have a summit attempted the next morning. But the weather forecast wasn't looking too great. We were able to move into April's former campsite. It was the best site at camp 1 for wind protection and we were going to need it for the upcoming storm. The australians were carrying loads to camp guanacos and were prepared to move there the next day. We thought was a terrible idea. It offered less wind coverage and was further from base camp if things went wrong. I'm still not sure why this decision was made but it lead to a pretty epic day for them in the future storm. I spent sometime chatting with pablo the doctor and curt and Maribel and just relaxed-if you can call it relaxing; hanging out at 16,500 feet with 45 mile per hour winds.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824774537835343650" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIMGK87X9iKQB2jy0AExX2WYSaGfiJ5ObKM7SFcfWhupYPLexC6m_zEEtvwCuYPD6uXdPf7OU3Xvs8J-THC6DhCmH24p_gC-KqrhawpIuTGobZM8FkUYOmZmhfv5CVQBhh84rsPYBrIL0/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Our Tent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824774887432833682" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR24sScL8AQvnOjKz4ODtjkEvO_xOeCbNCoesbO9YUgK2qd4YqSRfA9qxVt-TA8hdhKpfajy7ddPKfpeW5sO81QzKzpg1ZLzj7SPwYOVj0y86SFKhSJag6poGSgbXT7dkbBG8JhnqEOcDb/s400/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">With Pablo the Doc</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824774935250143650" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLhax8FfJlN2PbCb5fMYwgNQ0MBBCG0Fua1ZOmJrf_KGxp3BlYC0sLbm56xjw_MIRbc36uIpXSCd6vGWoca_OYILbO6EYfiDjMwkHm2_axmfAlmqxj0QyctlXedA64Es6o4Qc7AJ9_zi5c/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Australians Advancing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824774975168553330" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-RNUwOcI04Zc/UNXB-puBoXI/AAAAAAAAEfg/G_2bHCH4iA4/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Relaxing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824775013589470034" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-r8xDLNgGUjR1KirTaSsURGCBZYkBr-4nZrOy7VWG_3kRCyBMgdLKRRGm0rn2GHS3W05iQk2LqIUZGx8wpL1i7AxJ739eMWjlmvyDiqg4my7kdDUydSBO_jeagDigl1a9SkKNZjQajoBy/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Relaxing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That night, we had a talent show in the tent to pass the time. I did some rapping and tony played some Hackie sack. We were getting ready to wait out the storm. We radioed to base camp and got a weather forecast of seven more days of storms. All we needed was a single day weather window for a summit push,so we had to wait.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824775053212881506" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-n07rcyf5P30/UNXCDMdPkmI/AAAAAAAAEfw/aTh3KznAYPA/s400/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Rapper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824775088309910418" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-0WwtGCcQ63eS2EMUrUAz5Bg_PIw9rGsg-oSfMsutNaN0uaHDI9duuRVIFrpyx31_NY6mQ_-x9oZyPwhj3uSQtYeRCQxuSGswOd8h0eE8dwaxQt4-nmFAPdkLJBGOrluxCIA-5_NRPQ0/s400/26.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hackie Sack</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824775125175727026" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkF75j4iR1CKueZ5Lsp_gn67S2Z8jO6GnZvuEfQHbO4JWMMEfLnAmewMfR7m3klqU4KWBVpktfG6oo6hHrtGyXCCvTqZV4qAyYk93iVo9BhA5gwNztvqUiAgEQUStCINkJ7xqffePqd3u0/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Weather Reports</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824775167880337650" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SOY039VXIcE/UNXCJ3oGGPI/AAAAAAAAEgI/5GECOsN6qhk/s400/23.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Checking Weather</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 9: Hike to the Col</span></b><br />
Today was the first of the massive storm. Apu and Isabelle had moved to camp polacos the day before for a summit bid, which we also thought was not a good idea. I believe Apu was pressured into this decision by his client really wanting a summit-but that night they barely slept in the wind and a tent pole broke. We decided we would head up to the camp to check on them and see if they needed help with anything.<br />
We hiked up to the col in 65 mph winds. Each step was a concentrated effort to not get blown by the wind. When we made it to the col. We met Apu and he said they had hired some porters to help them with their great. So we headed back down to camp one.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779225716572930" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUeWyOG2eeX8XnLteT4cKwkXlZhhx5Z1Du-wfOrFiGNnS8iXlcI-Wa7FvG7rJJ1pwHLHWKNygNSgW-oH1XTsx1LpUUFwhvxilb7GVvGGrYnVB5_eeyZ-HZT4HKTlqG5-TA3AFJpTYHw6fy/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Marshmellow Man</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779259447806562" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAhBcC4-2p8UT1jzW631nbGnG_RJzGBiKowgUBZvUIEWS4UqqvFErHFtRYR8S-NDBSR9yKbE_emsl3n7H2aR-0AGEpXRREKdtuYsZGnuvM17YRZqPLvX02djLU65chUV9RhLNncEdNtr7/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Windy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779300434379778" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFPNvoZvc7qPc4wIfbaabAFaK_IGJe9lAXHt6dnmYPF-IF59u_j_cDrCWNCEvDNPk4zaX6iHm5x43r8gY3HJvolq-U7jYIXr2sY8pJ2g2kIqjFHeiKrNXhPAxHrlrI1JFAy5a0QQt1lv6h/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Meeting Apu and Isabelle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779336133570434" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSIYlQrPu3uujghqWaXov5ZMVeQxqdwuiCgJAKmMLIk8AnekHvmI-daCZi721kZlpOqAbw57YyQiMuPw_uDpQLZJIYOhlvNqHoqu6zSAOUVt-qxSHzHxyyqIPdOYEkLFsv6o94L4OwsTow/s400/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hiking in High Winds</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779370339937458" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAfMsYxFPA9s1V68VZl16rj-K_dN6edBEB9ELhSJ86hpZxTrfAkXAk3KEDfSTi2mg0Io_AWjPmuckq_LaE8a2Mf2Qsg-V2os9NQ4q7f2yb7_lKTWeCs-3WeUX5icIxVuaL1mbUXnN4P3Fs/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Lift off</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779417698742754" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm4PbJIA-QjeUVRGLVdEkSvUHAB0V08g0zKl7BSnTYBJmAF-ZOTgJ3Hgr0AmnGrbuiyHZezstZ7njh8tiRB3l1qEApMg-hFWF9Hol8JCB9It2Tuw0yqYHA49djWrmOjY_rGpC7wCpXZIeG/s400/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Looking down at our camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We spent the rest of the day preparing for the worst. I chipped away at the ice stream to find some water, tony reinforced our rock walls and we killed time chatting with the other teams under the pounding wind. The Australians moved to camp guanacos. Arden and lei from Ayamara were overwhelmed and decided to descend to base camp and call the trip finished. They ended up making the best decision of all of us.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779449852285746" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhjDOAFbXd-cdPIoEKIJBegwI7Y4y8YAZKZCxQ5xA_MLQ287XMMCzx2AcjEJg2iDs_IYtkjQ96FTd054B4ltOIys0lwpuWspq6OnXQ-yrAiy5iQB2DORHFSFE_sxI7Rs7pKd1XSwyIU7S/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Austalians Heading up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779487413648498" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOl1GEs2Cqtniool7yZdSY_9WTM7gHumsdH9lVKqTOznddr8vecvZ4jms0ulmD6hp-3TZPdSAE4V1eJ8Jm_oF6y3pE7ZF185vGu8XwcMTTnyZpCOzC3yWJdIxYh_v4qYdns9_3rnSaCG5P/s400/23.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hiking in heavy wind</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779524851978162" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmtV0Q0dT9K6GqvxnY2uY4qqczHGJk03O5zUsyPP5q83rH8IS-2O6eucHy8Vp82swjH0g-oKowV0mU8e3eKRZeOJZSTDju6s19tmbLv0cWzRBZ-d4wo8RlABmZqgL9ejG6BANcWCTfR5-V/s400/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Cool Camera Tricks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779556432354146" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XCW_rtkdqEY/UNXGJUQbm2I/AAAAAAAAEiE/UEp5nhd1aVU/s400/26.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Arden and Lei before they headed down</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779596026489250" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfUL6C2LlcUCxgdE4e177egfzG8mPH13u1DlRZj56peayy-r3B6r43qXFh1XocUgRBjTabLswnlVDnqFKAw2WhmKOlPCiW6B-uwKQz05h4DBhchv4DpsjfFMVctJVvM0W2XyQj7jeIGVi/s400/32.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Chatting wth Apu before he headed down</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779630950496002" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPV5DBEkU_CR_lv2o-0wTi-tKZBGNHgqpggQBI3eFifDsJAuuQ8Ba1jtPg416wFvdUvfhWxMcHE4IJqQivczzJRfvL9mqp4Rj2m0tRUGtlO4kuPhAeCqkksMszWUZ89c7wf_s0pcNj3Tz5/s400/33.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Getting Water after chipping the ice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824779676380679026" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-B5Lg2YJH2yQ/UNXGQTGVy3I/AAAAAAAAEic/1U9uTsSRm4g/s400/34.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Reinforcing the walls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 10: The Storm</span></b><br />
We had decided the night before that waiting out the storm would be difficult and it would be prudent to descend but still weren't 100 percent sure. We had 6 days before we needed to be back in Mendoza and the seven day forecast had no less than 100km winds at our second camp polacos and upto 140km winds on the summit. Combine this with below zero temperatures and snow forecasts and you have a good reason to descend.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824865370708788978" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-uYL3d1g_G_c/UNYUMXWSRvI/AAAAAAAAEjU/_fx2qsBInY8/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Getting the Weather</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_HtTlLv3ShkStaW-TnNJQv2J9E4kpgq0rTo-AJI0LBT55snpratVcr-d3QvxpdWWc5gZMUAhmrOb63yd9M034f3a63YLL8yA-ElSph8-niH8wG-a36lY_ycKuAKBVXlvo3mKsglTnkI-/s1600/IMG_0692.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_HtTlLv3ShkStaW-TnNJQv2J9E4kpgq0rTo-AJI0LBT55snpratVcr-d3QvxpdWWc5gZMUAhmrOb63yd9M034f3a63YLL8yA-ElSph8-niH8wG-a36lY_ycKuAKBVXlvo3mKsglTnkI-/s400/IMG_0692.PNG" width="330" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Report at 16,500 feet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
All throughout the night, our tent was being pounded by wind, shaking the entire frame. Somehow both tony and I were able to sleep soundly through the night. But this was not the case for other tents at camp. As we later found out, one tent exploded from the wind, two tents collapsed and most people had trouble sleeping with fear. We were very lucky that we had a huge boulder and a high rock wall protecting us, but we still felt the force of the storm.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824865341073044466" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-hB3qi-60OZI/UNYUKo8ks_I/AAAAAAAAEjM/eep0giZnnxQ/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Outside Early on in the storm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I woke up at 8 am to pee and the second I opened the tent door, I was greeted with a massive flurry of wind and snow. I looked around and everything was becoming white. Tony and I checked the weather report again and saw that there were seven more days of storms. We had no other options but to bail. I put on my cold boot liners with my numb hands and we boiled the frozen pot of water we had filled the day prior.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824865400114316194" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWNXzWVU9f5AMItsjnD3IUhQtFPgZuS1nrJrGGTP538k0jYuLL98fU0s7Q-WNNdA3MuGgq5y9obvqjM0pQB4ri9tA6xVxllUHCoWRCZfn3QfA58wsVaAhqNlLOYj2yXfBWKCkSfBT_TxC/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Outside the tent door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824865462580259890" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkaTyxcoAtVYOCqh-fckldIb9SrmMfYEp-B0AOqFZq7_0RnQ973q_OHYOxHyL5ql1RwCzzryZglHYFvExbG49A6ZfVbbGBHIEKnMe92KftLMODZeQP8Vf3vG8fg8w_1TophOgo-yzXfs9L/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">My Packpack in the whiteout</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824865492314428722" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvEOl58zdOhhayx9GH3N4qgNGlPxNCIOr7P3CP4W9g1xPoHygolYwM2u-CDGWMufclowYfaFltKNBSxLAfnvqdaJ1-ckgiABDukATa4BIwkjiPUPkcaa2ozYsYDq6pWmf5GgUmfyWaVQft/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Can Hardly See Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We packed our bags in our tent and made a mad dash outside to finish packing and put away the tent. The winds were howling, knocking us over with each step and basking our faces with tiny particles of snow. We finally managed to pack our bags with 45 pounds of gear. We had an additional duffle bag weighing 35 pounds.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879309020034722" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-FMaRmwPrVAg/UNYg3rmpdqI/AAAAAAAAEl0/MHqCqiru_ZE/s400/50.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hiking out in the storm -Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879403971360018" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiine59DkZHVypHRiHSm_L-zLo1c7kc8dLi8S3t4y8v2CSLaRopqmZ2hpjIEamsdSOCXQo8sAUyEf6kW1lpS_r-2u9pvOX50oNmkhRetO9AgAuzLJwOyQh7Vxwo-pSqqDXhtku5pic9fuKw/s400/23.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"> Windy -Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
About 100 meters from our camp, we saw an incredible site. There was a tent that had exploded from the force of the wind. Tony walked over to snap a few photos when an enormous gust of wind knocked us both off our feet. It had me clinging to a rock to maintain stability.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879431349641362" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2LeWM2K3vyQWlVuOP-kM5hllHZyVBt6-XNPY1-g41M3CSzDUx1fgG4bA__wNv6Hd6euaZhT0oFx0Tfd53H53lBys7o_nsHYkter8ocrUhkxMs2VVkhS8nL8MwrjSS9TnRT3d2jEc4Xyu/s640/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Exploded tent panorama - photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879469761708962" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH-rt73bzubggEcvDpXwwv6RKi3GTUH5TEdZUp4Xe0QF5PznF1Yl7xiud9E7a8KnPRMnOw4anRN2hs5GosDuOEssYBlJucDPX4C0MD3zeZVFZn6shsXyWIkeCHrqQo8zuNB-_3yK1JH_ta/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Exploded tent - photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Because we didn't want to make two trips back to camp 1, we decided to drag the duffle bag back to base camp. Dragging the duffle bag in 65 mile per hour winds over rocks and snow down to base camp was a bit of an ordeal. We took turns carrying the duffle bag down the hill but with tony performing much of the work. At one point he got tired of dragging it and hoisted it over his head giving himself a nice 80 pound load. We navigated in a whiteout back to base camp.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879239413543026" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHivmGvD7ahw2zlGsOdgoql960hmWTn8_13rmLWRiO6e8yq89Mu7Krw7m53QdeFQUwkZzbO-97xQhP8knb78CNoFhw2NXHhY4jD_eFPrDnEhix6WX9P9IT9FgvoKlZ1ouKi2pSY6m9skz6/s400/32.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hiking out in the storm -Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879277382074754" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-fP_H5mAKUGw/UNYg11vkgYI/AAAAAAAAEls/OoROgSSapdE/s400/26.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hiking out in the storm -Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879342732500386" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhby1U3f9gIE_f8pfpwq6CAveMWuHmUYsDvPPyV7mt2dZDsPue_3K3bnZB_5n6IK5ZmTqqR_XxaFWcN9US7Xz0aju4krvns9BjCuOM0hIj8TZlHyFVcWHo9EWdTy_XTqB4Y-B-sAqr7pbmN/s400/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Dragging the duffle bag -Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879370379282770" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJVW0o40JFVTKeRepNJiyiwkQWHtZ6dsD5bmMviYqmNq9kQj4rXDhy9BzVekbx1In8gA5tMtICLozfTlXLgbTUvIfJN5euiltd-qnimaMeycOYrkQq2RDyQR_Q_ucSUwx6DlfQTbFqNG0M/s400/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Finally some visability - Photo Courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879499604419170" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRbaFvJuaxmacpAEGT9FmtqIXRWd_wsOlrVKyAKxHEO6Kx8N-dwFCa8fDj42tpEbHB-YA58styyr-Bl0x-JD1MSE6r60_vLzXKiyCEco0u40rCme0TDQ8dMG9A2oCJi8BEZl_95_2LXMN/s640/33.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Base Camp-Photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When we arrived, we were overjoyed but exhausted. We poked our head in the grajales tent and Griselda greater us. We were frozen to the bone, weak and even though she had no obligation, she made us soup and gave us tea. We arranged with her to rent a dinning tent for dinner that night. We spent the rest of the day warming up in the tent and were excited when dinner came. We arranged to meet curt, Maribel, Ben and Felix for a dinner. We dinned on soup, chicken, mashed potatoes, mushrooms and a custard desserts. Ben and Felix played some Christmas music. It was quite the scene. All of us in our down jackets, vapor filling the tent from our breaths and snow outside - very thematic.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879568122001986" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0zPsoFkpm_o/UNYhGw1XukI/AAAAAAAAEm0/945oZkAwhQI/s400/34.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Dinner time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879536445175010" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ebrU-BTl-Qc/UNYhE61BtOI/AAAAAAAAEms/x1SRPKjWLQM/s400/35.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Yum yum Chicken</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We stopped by to see the Australians who were thoroughly thrashed. They had a mini epic trying to get from guanacos camp back to base camp. One of them commented that it was the first time he had seen snow fall. I chucked to myself, what a day. Tony and I retired to the tent plunging fresh tracks in the snow on our way.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 10: Hike to Pampa Las Lenas</span></b><br />
Tony and I awoke to more snow and more wind. We gave Griselda the money for dinner, a tip for being awesome and a bottle of wine to share with everyone. We left our duffles for the mules and headed off into heavy wind and snow to Pampa de Lenas. After about an hour, the snow disappeared and we traded our double boots for our hiking shoes to complete the 20 miles in 6hrs and 10minutes. We each only drank 1/4 liter of water and had a granola bar or two. We were so hungry that night that we each had two dinners.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879597227597122" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNBzLCm1ijmmhuGvGi9EzRdV7Q1G-g4xEe1hfFy_GI6F_iG205AUpR79liiIits6UUgf-_nCvk-psmkJ-BcORH2JSOSGrJXFX9GEKQhpLsgHz4q3y9QjZ2YwkLqUoWF-Y70aYNacLiMFn/s640/41.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Basecamp in the morning - photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879621627545474" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3BdhV_YXrduyCjODnapNIp27NfNETvybL3MkQt_t01SEyn-XgR_33R7gHz7CbPuwxuSZkw7s0-nVj8Q7HRqgJQx5zLJk548XfjCUtPjskby2snTrrEhflH8IGqIjnYwnJcqTQXz1vu34V/s640/38.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The hike out - photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879652919433682" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWjm8MkZzRtWI_fEnBeFxRszQglvsxOLt5BmNboqVg2cgks8cpe6YmGAXP8mJ1n8sAfJoDN6cOAHHUFBTdlqSHPMi31Dl3gU3bMAXOwtkymKe08J9cqi4xI6fRP34Y74vXV8RfgD77wgT/s400/37.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Almost another whiteout - photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879685885860818" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigB1dbF_9-cq6lqGfrnvPyV7mUaw0BA9gB2UGqClw6qGQ_jMaskFNCMbt8C7K58ehaBDcAcV-iC4a9DVAGDJiRv_jW6aAQL9xg063hUe9rUQgxCXmNJI6TeQBhq3UI6ZPSEPAXdXs2eWC5/s400/36.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">A very different looking sign than when we first saw - photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879715121563570" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbz8Q7QlmUe_EyigtBAZE0EsuHAr8ILc3sIGgtxu7ZTVlPJLAtA6M8C3Vsn2Vsh_hPzR4-cGDMJg6D_jVIW26BvLAZi2yXq1L4wdVKRIZJeu1oDzGarFBDLu6_IzvJRaLJhpBUWWeGcxB/s400/39.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Hiking out</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879749359926050" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WfV97NQk2II/UNYhRT_2-yI/AAAAAAAAEnk/1ga0vg8HpQM/s400/40.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">The Mules powering through during a storm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 11: Final Day Hike out</span></b><br />
We woke up early, packed up our stuff and finished the hike out. We were picked up by grajales, paid them the remainder of the balance, sold them back the unused gas cans, weighed myself (lost 9 pounds), had some lunch at a restaurant/hostel where I snuck in a shower, played futeball with some local kids and caught the bus back to Mendoza.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879779568902130" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-kybulRFm0ts/UNYhTEiPX_I/AAAAAAAAEns/bC3tH3oDl8M/s400/51.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Pampa De Lena - photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879818723177202" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMC_OiVpd34iW1t2EJF4GmSeB868SOIFsnAH3uLMsK_KJNrE90EEK3P1ZcxRHNFtDEImX30MFIxU9zNaIyEtvFsEwqB57ik2y5aoAv_DtQg3taUpemJhC8lyIG8k80tDRtiiJTz9JAnTh/s400/42.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Looking Badass after the climb- photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879854820338914" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizmcRPS4PqqbEnOrQYFe0Ot8ueg9AcTGvpLKL63SlMl0z23vinbfv8bdgEkMJjgd6ROgdqDHpiMnZechnmouSI2DetGtcFlQgVMHKLcQG7LsPDL__WF1oTf1zSa0EkQwE9wmELPeS6u-kR/s400/43.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Chillin- photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879889902000866" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rStl0xL8jSg/UNYhZfjs2uI/AAAAAAAAEoE/M36tG2Xfg9Q/s400/44.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Chillin - photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879917767546610" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrR_hoxwTpvCKKv29kB_jcgjNbrJJdrAKS4Pd1iUbXaPQCAKw4EN0uoP1MnDAhequgkw2_lw2pMfsDT6BKzBmu-45kSrfqGTTlLJeSHDNNYCI7wH4R1obgRR5JswZLPW5CdP8zM1vMO20/s400/45.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
Stretching while Tony has some Coke- photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879950960845602" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLl_TPvVi6k8WQpGy4J14sQnU3cjSJTFC4heWlYsLwtk1bVtX4wItCbsJ1g0jYCvLDtJQ_6aTLZ_7Z60M3NcHm7u1kUsfBIZd5bp5VCmg5GCvMihYG6EPH0bMpYNouh2GQmNZqdNFIpCa/s400/46.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
Soccer with the kids- photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
What an amazing trip with amazing people! Later that night tony and I went out and had an amazing all you can eat dinner with some tasty vino. Our stomachs almost exploded.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824879988648584274" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0UDaRk27eBg/UNYhfPauJFI/AAAAAAAAEoc/rUqynkGhZxI/s400/52.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Dinner at Caro Pepe- photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824880019211493474" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-2pXLXTyLxsQRzSisbVEcMr-PoLIJqUR8Hcel-bdiVZL3MADVyx2hkrWA0bccQ9vaJx-2q7VqwEgK24qlbwD8zHRMXYw8esTVQkqZYxHKr_dVXubucSW1f_eA_xdwQHp-olrHbiAAW23/s400/53.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">More food- photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5824880051174128722" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWFSAMVT0f7-xyD42l_kBglOhaTHWp8eSHLfyKrDgsRz0izQ4Ruma_iJvUResiZTnA7bC4tSNMH9J9IYHwIIOt0yhlmlYRnElEYec3u1QOtvaD7_wVO9S9qG5pvzsLJagFXQoUfiTXG66/s400/54.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Estas Lleno photo courtesy of Tony</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">My thoughts on climbing expeditions:</span></b><br />
Climbing expeditions are a lot of work and are just as much physical as they are mental. This was my first all out expedition of more than a week. I was pretty sure that I wouldn't enjoy the expedition style of multiple days and slowly making my way up a mountain. I am more used to climbing routes in a day. Whether the day is 8 hours or 18 hours, I tend to spend more time climbing and less time relaxing when I am in the mountains. But I wanted to give an expedition a shot and see what I thought.<br />
There are so many logistics that go into these climbs. Flying to the country, buying mountain permits, buying food, packing and ordering donkeys - while communicating in a foreign language. This is all before you even start the climb.<br />
However, I was pleasantly surprised that there really wasn't as much down time as I thought. And once we started on the trail, I felt completely in my element and at ease. Granted there was time sitting around the tent waiting out storms but this was minimal in the entire scheme of things. What made the trip so fun wasn't necessarily the mountain, but the people. Everyone that I met was so warm and friendly and shared similar values and goals. The people I met made the trip. I realized that if I am going to continue climbing big mountains that I should do everything possible to reach the top but to know that the mountain decides whether you climb it. The summit shouldn't matter. It is the experiences I have, the people I meet and the stories I share that make the climb.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Cost off the trip:</span></b><br />
I had some assistance from Cliff Bar and Mountain House as sponsors that helped cut the cost; but even with that, the trip cost was about 1300 dollars each without plane ticket.<br />
<br />
Mid Season Permit: $750 per person<br />
Mules 90kg entrance: $425 split<br />
Mules 60kg exit: $325 split<br />
Private Transportation to entrance trailhead from Mendoza: $207 split<br />
Private transport from exit trailhead to Pentitentes: $25 split<br />
Bus from Pentitentes to Mendoza: $7 per person<br />
One Basecamp dinner meal: $40 per person<br />
Fuel, Wine and Food at grocery store: $250 split<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Tips and Info:</span></b><br />
Only bring one roll of toilet paper, there are plenty of rolls in the pit toilets<br />
The mountain dries out your throat and ski: bring lotion and cough drops<br />
Two tents are nice for preliminary camps, then stash one at basecamp<br />
Used only 1.5 fuel canisters and didn't filter the water, seem to be okay<br />
Nylon neckbands are clutch most days to block the wind<br />
Sandals are amazing at basecamp and preliminary camps<br />
Lots of people gets helicopter evacuations: hypothermia, Uti's and acute AMS.<br />
Chopper evacs are free if ordered by the doc but 1800 dollars if it is not<br />
Having a pulse oximiter and taking it each morning with hr is a good way to monitor your status Don't always rely on pulse ox and hr readings- clinical presentation is also important<br />
Brought vegetables for the first 5 days, the got lazy and had only freeze dried food<br />
Make sure you have clean clothes for when you return<br />
When climbing unsupported, it is such a treat when the guided groups invite you into their food tents<br />
You are given bags for high camps to pack out poo<br />
Take the bus to and from the trailhead...3hrs and 30minutes but $200 dollars cheaper<br />
Don't try to do anything in Mendoza on a Sunday...everything is closed<br />
Bring extra American dollars with you to base camp...the peso exchange rate sucks<br />
Use BIG rocks to stake down your tent. Stakes don't work and will cut your cord in wind.<br />
Get the best possible campsite even if it means leaving early. You won't regret.<br />
Hike to plaza in three days to acclimatize but out in one or two.<br />
Have fun and enjoy every minute..it is likely you will only experience it once<br />
Only three people have summited so far this season from the Polacos side of the mountain<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Tragedy:</span></b><br />
A few days after we got off the Mountain and were back in the States, tragedy struck. Two Americans died while attempting Polish Direct. My heart goes out to their families.<br />
<br />
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: '.HelveticaNeueUI'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_22296667/two-u-s-climbers-die-argentinas-aconcagua" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://www.mercurynews.com/<wbr></wbr>nation-world/ci_22296667/two-<wbr></wbr>u-s-climbers-die-argentinas-<wbr></wbr>aconcagua</a></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-10992570362064747192012-12-23T09:03:00.000-08:002012-12-23T09:18:03.235-08:00Getting ready to go 12-09-12<b style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;">Nothing happens according to plan:</span></b><br />
It seems like the fundamental truth of extensive climbing expedition is that if there is something that CAN go wrong, it WILL go wrong. You need to be incredibly flexible and roll with the punches. Even in the final days leading up to the event, you can have an entire shadow of doubt cast over your plans. This trip was not an exception.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1iBzAocpVvzj4yEcP5GmLPhisiQquXdSR7sV9tpzC61f4RW9kC-lbZH3Q55bnfsjlEbT9hzovR-_q4sk0c_iESghSV345VbHqleUezg9F6VlidIRoREBs8O7VDECVVSZq_q5iTHqS-JU/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-1iBzAocpVvzj4yEcP5GmLPhisiQquXdSR7sV9tpzC61f4RW9kC-lbZH3Q55bnfsjlEbT9hzovR-_q4sk0c_iESghSV345VbHqleUezg9F6VlidIRoREBs8O7VDECVVSZq_q5iTHqS-JU/s1600/18.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>The Team: Jared, Tony, </b><b><strike>Ryan</strike></b></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Jared:</span></b><br />
I was battling with my own stomach issues down in South America. Whatever I had acquired in Bolivia was still hanging on. Midway through my Bolivia trip, I had contracted a stomach bug. I was dry heaving, had a mild fever and was getting really good at filling the toilet bowl with liquid from my bum. It subsided but I was left with nausea and lightheadedness while in Mendoza. I was worried that I was having another bout of Giardia, so we called the hotel doctor (which is a free service). She visited the room and told my that I just had gastroenteritis and gave me some nausia and stomach pills. I am still a little skeptical of my stomach status but there is not much I can do now.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129374430623986"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5xt-qTjZ9-f_41fgA0pwpskWlAy6zWsl6uYuPE7Jg0ENR0v494c_TsMRsdryblhO-3djqnnf_pnC4YarYrS42Cl1yY2j9-Lx9mOHSZvM7_pHAHn72iS9RCzMXyzxEU69WqeWx2cgMxWwK/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129405436766194"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-P9L2PkO58io/UMVA253dJ_I/AAAAAAAAEQU/fftMxBUGKzI/s400/22.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Tony:</span></b><br />
I think Tony is doing fine, but haven't talked to him in a week. To further complicate matters, he is out of commission in Montana taking a wilderness EMT course up until the day he flys out of LA. So our current plans are on hold for a few days until he arrives in Mendoza.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129433298711618"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5Rab-C5JhkCFY1brJDs_z27u4biXQuvEohIiFLRNLQ0eI55jWrp1Z_-c7gNYbRGkce1nE6fAeLlGPKQGefJPeTSxbyzDfBgBOr8s3gx6y76PefP4hUXickhos-U-ujnkWDN9XGlL-3_y/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<br />
<b><strike><span style="color: red;">Ryan:</span></strike></b><br />
Ryan had climbed Mount Orizaba in Mexico as an acclimatization peak a week before our scheduled departure for Aconcagua. He had began having bowel symptoms right after and was reporting to me that it was likely Giardia. He reported typical symptoms of sulfur farts, loose stool every hour and extreme fatigue and nausea. Up until the day before his scheduled departure, he was unsure of his status. A day after he was supposed to arrive, I contacted him and he said he was not comming.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129335422991394"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7YIS7Ub8-WOzEGzWMXIfu7A-18-UK0Q_whdbMjpq6nsvs3KQejDLtx9Yk0qyvRLq38ZIeoIMGindqP1w-_cz6a4ibCBWxCZvKjDUuEWeUPbwedopxjcXpVD69wIMo7p2cqH0y0rp8viAm/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Sponsors:</span></b><br />
Cliff Bar and Mountain House were awesome with helping me out on the trip. Cliff bar supplied me with enough daytime snacks for Ecuador and Argentina and Mountain House provided the breakfast and dinner meals. Mountain house approved my request for 30 additional pouches just a week before my departure. They mailed them to Ryan and unsure of his status, he forwarded them to Tony to bring down for the climb.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129463078425538"><img border="0" height="341" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrcuvG9mrQ74FhCT6zOnEQW3Qb7SkIAHwRhBIDBFUFrb45Hoy6dxM2feTj3vU3gp-m7t0Uk-tAs3qOqljuknE-ZVNscgQ4EYpCkP3rTDkFWM2Q2rI591d06frw4pJbumt7jYDNGyH6ZyBG/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129497642637954"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpPN9wjhz9Ee3vW4fAxofL6uWBnNu50WNQA0oYdzKTfa_kvwUzhB0-sVMzbzqSWSwd_LeaIA4yLriDQ27Bx_UypYBjva_o89-X2myHtZ_dSHsfQrfMeEi59K3gDBA6b1XJlsBW4Z6041N/s400/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129534260303186"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2A4ttXesEgHvjftx0tJeiOag3baT7jHgz_J2YKjISW1KcDXeEmplAbxU-fZFEzVyDL8SVhWqZ-j5SFTYF5Z-U8Oi0nQ5P6P1-HbB_eA3uhLkgxbBcn6qzqlNV9N-2nZnnFZYToTBcVOP/s400/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></center>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Final Plan:</span></b><br />
The past six months have been a rollercoaster. The path has been anything but straight. Riding up, down, sideways and backwards, I have somehow managed to stay aboard. Now comes the final test. The feeling that knots your stomach as you inch up in height before the final drop. So many new unknows have been tossed into the mix further complicating this ascent of Aconcagua. My gastroenteritis and Ryan's Giardia and the inability to contact Tony until the day before his flight. But it isn't an adventure or an accomplishment without adversity. So here I am. Humble and ready to take it all in. Turned out that Ryan had to to bail because of his stomach, so it will be Me and Tony. So off we go!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Packing Up:</span></b><br />
Tony and I jammed and were able to get everything done at the last minute. We were able to get permits by 1pm closing time, two ice screws and 9 fuel canisters from Fernando since all the shops were closed on Sunday. To further complicate matters, the ATMs would only allow 100 dollar withdrawals with a 10 dollar transaction fee. Luckily there was a casino that didn't charge where i was able to make the eight trips necessary for the $750 climbing permit without a fee.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129560422304002" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-tkYt1KgeQSA/UMVA_7O4yQI/AAAAAAAAEQ8/bgiK-7KZtwE/s400/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">At Pago Facil Wallmart paying for permit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129590603592802" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNB2-oFbBUKEyqcvqiw3Ja2VIU9w-psyd6LHwwaYbscvcLUPhN90xpjWfkC0Iareke1PWkRo1Czp3ZkM0pmYfQe1ATZ8J3fWm1aEtg00YVcd6M6MiBTrbhFDE4nI_OjYIy5O60HuB6ftoj/s400/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">At Pago Facil Wallmart paying for permit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129618446530642" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ggWmHNIq5Lw/UMVBDTY8OFI/AAAAAAAAERM/ilGI6nL1jTo/s400/26.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Showing proof of payment at permit office 1 hour before the close</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129655188931426" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhDvsIjmMxFdfktWZDqhwZOEDjIQ4KFxVtZeT6cYrK6LYlAXb2tFoaaHZzq0qIHSuatFLBVDPjTMd-n-HYIcIiDtgM9OJUlVuU8KZs_G-ArSHVCHPYuWbdJzVql4CMraK_wVG96kHKYt9/s400/33.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Signing my life away</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129681947871666" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhPrUljULeUTjkXxXUP68zF5xrW2_k36HFshIXjZoDFREElbMFtPZsQEo3AafCZy2i7hvKCfuHwJzbdVa3lpXxGirGkEmL2-errn1W3YIwU4cknlMcK4dI7LYdvmKOzZ7kA3PwWGE5sE8/s400/32.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Just in time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129870310675650" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-mE5cAAMjXtM/UMVBR9qCFMI/AAAAAAAAESM/_xCZOC9psx0/s400/34.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Strategizing food Needs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129710511436498" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-kpBPudKwOy3WJFCnIfNZG2L8fhZTLYijFfnmzPdWbfXktFZ3Ezhq9C7wVBS4Wi5oHLohVvUc_AfTobRa5TcEHXy8n5lZT0n_6AQFh4nKwx_GYSyAGL-mbAaGgYlxNz8i050JpfJoQ66y/s400/36.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Shopping list</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129748811711586" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVePlsGpYWvdk_sIdjJ5c6RYfyj9cyrVL_DUzpw7jzKPk8IUc2syI_a1vHfhhfRzrjKnz_0qtMG0pc9M2K6NcT1UwcBwKUd17suwWVtf1KhTfZtY-Xefj0HpA61zszNguh7lKIKO2KTVzg/s400/37.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Shopping in foreign markets is fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129780379490354" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bOFTwoD-qAt26aPa2BNSKmw1UQP9AMHskutTEQsVn_Tff5Du_pouYsjqTPgncQtFr7evRW84LcBHl3TVLXgD8DEUXKVJU0chB1lktQ9cIi5i9hG7sTxLTb-LgVDwKG6ztmlxBHQQ5Z-t/s400/38.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Tony went straight to the wine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129810547856354" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEpkVVLfqeAaIY0XTQOziBFxOXEJCoIUaQZilDIw26NxdobSkzBzmna9I1lbNo7y794kyF61UkkCQ9r2XPl_KkCdSTKIreJ6vIo52ULf0lzOGJ05EZqS19VlPYqiReHBTRw98si2sgImU0/s400/39.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Healthy...right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129837058014738" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-n3lSEi6M3BM/UMVBQBx-vhI/AAAAAAAAESE/6sgQgufvPL0/s400/40.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">What a mess</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5820129895897217746" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoRoc5YskUi5Sna43v_DTnK7GVenljWzygyzxt_jIqOzPF3zkFG3DPmtnoT43mOxcYMv8CY9YZM9shmLhZtO6vn7pa_S_BZCsKDPRmb3npG8QWKh2-lz3MdCm1SQHLNwjfCuGqpDHnnPyH/s400/35.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Picking and choosing freeze dried meals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqV-y8pO5MEVKKMg3cjpxoUqm3NZvnMD3s7_jJdg-pJSe9dVBtq7JOwBPfJjwXls1NNauS01wPabLY3BFPYUInqpxG8xIFMyXAemvV4Q6Xm_TKax1dvX-geplcd6CpV6EEhkFPMuL2fIQB/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqV-y8pO5MEVKKMg3cjpxoUqm3NZvnMD3s7_jJdg-pJSe9dVBtq7JOwBPfJjwXls1NNauS01wPabLY3BFPYUInqpxG8xIFMyXAemvV4Q6Xm_TKax1dvX-geplcd6CpV6EEhkFPMuL2fIQB/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" height="213" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Packed Ready to go!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-84037394485074896212012-11-21T11:44:00.001-08:002012-12-28T09:44:07.604-08:00Mountain House Product Review<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Mountain House </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Freeze Dried Food Product Review:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
By Doctor Jared Vagy PT, DPT, OCS, CSCS</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Physical Therapist and Biokinesiologist</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Full Disclosure:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mountain House provided the product free of charge to me after I contacted them about helping support my climbing expeditions in South America. Mountain House provided me with 16 freeze dried meals.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Background:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I spent some time before my expedition contacting different food and equipment companies to see if they had an interest in supporting my trip. I had contacted both Mountain House and Backpackers Pantry about potential sponsorship and they both agreed to sponsor me. Out of moral and ethical issues, I knew had I had to choose only one brand, so I decided to go with Mountain House since they are locally from Portland (where I grew up) and I truly believe that the majority of their products taste better.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4FQDMWcsR-Y/UKBSZDaCmWI/AAAAAAAADvg/Do_SvC7vpjE/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4FQDMWcsR-Y/UKBSZDaCmWI/AAAAAAAADvg/Do_SvC7vpjE/s320/image.jpg" height="171" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre Expedition Packing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VJfAXbBhZXo/UKBSZ0n0u6I/AAAAAAAADvo/2a0yRMtEcvU/s1600/image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VJfAXbBhZXo/UKBSZ0n0u6I/AAAAAAAADvo/2a0yRMtEcvU/s320/image.jpg" height="273" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My nutrition for the next two weeks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have decided to review four of the products that they have supplied for me on the trip. More reviews to come as I continue my expeditions.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Product 1: </b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b> </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Mountain House Granola With Milk and Blueberries</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Used on Iliniza Norte and Sur for breakfast</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKakrgjJBSb7C9cleLidaSYbN1s3BQi5MJilz_NJPVImWgkB2C2v0s5f9SyHIhkuWBN1RNJQ7ybaENIte1KqLyWzjBPgSNo0B-4uh5v6jOcHgPgZxkfWyDj8Qoqlz3HMEmocYJxunroy_/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKakrgjJBSb7C9cleLidaSYbN1s3BQi5MJilz_NJPVImWgkB2C2v0s5f9SyHIhkuWBN1RNJQ7ybaENIte1KqLyWzjBPgSNo0B-4uh5v6jOcHgPgZxkfWyDj8Qoqlz3HMEmocYJxunroy_/s400/28.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5813354502351142962"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-4WWLhEI5SLE/UK0vHpIOwDI/AAAAAAAAD8A/vkbvY7PUwVM/s400/6.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Positives:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tastes really good! I am not accustomed to fruits or vegetables after several days in the mountains, so the addition of blueberries really makes this product superior to standard granola and milk. The blueberries are huge compared to the ones that you get in oatmeal packets. It is also very easy to prepare, no need to boil water in the morning.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Negatives: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This product is great for breakfast for almost any sport but it has some downsides for use when high altitude mountaineering. The higher fat content (10grams) makes it more difficult to digest at higher elevations for people with sensitive stomachs. I have used this product in the past when I hiked the John Muir Trail and the higher fat content was actually a bonus because it provided more calories for hiking. So it just depends on your activity. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Tips:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I use mountain house products primarily on expeditions and the packaging can get quite bulky. There is one trick that I have done in the past, especially for products that need cold water. I choose to take the product from the package and put it in a zip lock bag before my trip which makes it lighter and less bulky. I then just add the product and cold water to my bowl in the morning. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Score:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taste: 5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Practical use for high altitude mountaineering: 3/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Overall Rating: 8/10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Product 2: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Mountain House Chicken Salad Wraps </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Used on Illiniza Norte and Sur as a post climb meal</i></div>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5813354530563790402"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CcKIyVKf0yA/UK0vJSOplkI/AAAAAAAAD8I/Ml1ujR6cHvs/s400/15.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDQUF_adcQ8SyI1eCzCsB9biOngyrdXQE9DayyYLV_DVJWAgHuY304CfcbvfVXWIygV5SFFVmoah-nN0DVauxb-pZkRjuyf9O1zbN7K4T1HMV1v-BINIBugWhzUFhc6uccV9rhXG1S7iF/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibDQUF_adcQ8SyI1eCzCsB9biOngyrdXQE9DayyYLV_DVJWAgHuY304CfcbvfVXWIygV5SFFVmoah-nN0DVauxb-pZkRjuyf9O1zbN7K4T1HMV1v-BINIBugWhzUFhc6uccV9rhXG1S7iF/s400/photo.JPG" height="400" style="cursor: move;" width="235" /></a></center>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Positives: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This was the first time I have had a Mountain House Wrap Meal and this one blew me away. At first I was a little concerned. I opened the package and it was filled with a uniform colored white paste. I was a little hesitant to have this after my climb at the hut which is stationed at 15,500 feet. But once I tried it, it became my favorite high altitude recovery food by far. It's carbohydrates, fat and protein ratio is 1:1:3 which means it is packed with protein. This makes it perfect for a recovery dish. Roasted pumpkin seeds and cranberries added to the comsitency and flavor as well.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Negatives:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
You need to supply your own bread or tortilla. Also, although the fat content is proportionally low compared to sodium content, it still tastes heavy and is best to eat when you are hungry and for two people since it supplies a lot.<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br />
</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Tips:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I would use this for shorter high altitude days that require a lot of power, likely more technical mountains, as the higher protein ratio will improve muscle recovery.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Score:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taste: 5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Practical use for high altitude mountaineering: 4.5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Overall Rating: 9.5/10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Product 3: </span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Beef Stroganoff </span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Used on Cotopaxi as a pre climb dinner</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0Gk64-jmcbf1-OLvjsp2SzFAyTQeLjT5J2Xv4r9wWoddC9XOx953EFSHykbuJaKu-FWgPXH5YMrR2yGQITOFLdDmQzTsSyM2nEXprBeVQNj8RLvwcR7n6E3hZse5nvtse3hJhjpms3fV/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0Gk64-jmcbf1-OLvjsp2SzFAyTQeLjT5J2Xv4r9wWoddC9XOx953EFSHykbuJaKu-FWgPXH5YMrR2yGQITOFLdDmQzTsSyM2nEXprBeVQNj8RLvwcR7n6E3hZse5nvtse3hJhjpms3fV/s400/20.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5813354553358377010"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SmMnPRSZkjQ/UK0vKnJTYDI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/H7l_0c-S0KM/s400/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Positives: </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A good distribution of carbohydrates, fat and protein at 3:1:1 makes this perfect to replenish the body after a hard climb. This is a mountain house staple, it tastes good and I am pretty sure the recipe hasn't changed since I first tried it 2009. There is probably a reason for that. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Negatives:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The sodium content is 2050 mg per package. This is 85 percent of a 2000 calorie diet sodium intake. This makes the product ideal as a post climb meal and not a pre climb meal at altitude. If used it as a pre climb meal, the water that you drink binds with the sodium and is easier to become dehydrated. Although the good news is that I never had to get up to use the bathroom that night. This is because the high sodium binds to the excess water in your system. This is much the same thing that happens when you are given salty salty snacks on an airplane. The water sodium bonding keeps you from getting into the aisle to use the bathroom</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Tips:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
In retrospect, the ideal combination would have been to have the low sodium chicken alfredo for dinner and then to supplement the lost sodium from the tough climbing by having the stroganoff as a post recovery meal.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Score:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taste: 4/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Practical use for high altitude mountaineering: 4/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Overall Rating: 8/10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Product 4: </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Chicken Alfredo Low Sodium </span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Used on Cotopaxi as a recovery meal</i></div>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5813354613301561058"><img border="0" height="323" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-JTE5K-0xVN4/UK0vOGc3xuI/AAAAAAAAD8Y/yG0btxrhbAg/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Positives:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The taste was much better than expected for a low sodium product. This is my new favorite entree dish. It is packed with nutrition. A carbohydrate, fat and protein ratio of 2:2:1 with a low sodium content of 33 percent of a 2000 calorie diet makes this my number one choice for pre climb meal at high altitude, especially if you can sneak in some fresh veggies!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Negatives: </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The meal would lack varied consistency without adding something to it. This is very important when high altitude mountaineering. When you gain elevation, one of the main body responses is hunger suppression and nausea. Eating foods with different consistencies gives your body something different to look forward to each bite. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Tips: </span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
We had the luxury of being able to mix in some vegetables to this meal after the climb at the climbers hut, so the mixed vegetables gave it a varied consistency </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Score:</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Taste: 4.5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Practical use for high altitude mountaineering: 5/5</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Overall Rating: 9.5/10</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Overall Opinion So Far:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So far I spent ten days in Ecuador. I have either climbed or attempted to climb Pinchinca, Illinza Norte, Illiniza Sur, Cotopaxi and Cayambe. I have sampled 12 of the 16 products so far in the mountains. Overall I am very pleased with the mountain house meals. They have a good natural taste and are very easy to prepare. I was especially surprised how good the low sodium meals were as well as how easy the cold water meals were to prepare. After these 10 days it is apparent why freeze dried food is the preferred food for high camps in the mountains. The complete ease of cooking, the light weight and the taste. After trying the majority of the products, the main thing that stands out is the lack of variety in the texture. Some of the products such as the granola with blueberries and chicken salad did a good job of varying this. For the products that were more uniform, we used our own mixture of nuts, cheese and crackers added to meal. Overall I was happy to product test and review this brand and I was glad to try different meals that I have not had before. Weather dependent, we may get on one or two more mountains, then I head to Argentina for Aconcagua.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-13218568751627250252012-11-19T05:04:00.001-08:002012-12-27T09:04:47.257-08:00Cotopaxi in a day 11-18-2012<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Cotopaxi In A Day </span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">November 18, 2012</span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Plan:</span></b><br />
Since I was not enjoying sleeping at the higher altitudes, we came up with a good plan for Cotopaxi. Instead of climbing it in two days like normal, we would sleep at a fancy lodge at 13,000 feet, drive up to the parking lot at 11pm and climb it in one day from the parking.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812508779773392434"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7nRV0-Pntm4/UKot8HA7djI/AAAAAAAAD5Q/FObeTaKnAdc/s400/8.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Mountain:</span></b><br />
Cotopaxi is not a difficult mountain to climb but it is very high. It is 19,347 feet high. It is a beautiful perfectly shaped volcano. <br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812508798181859202"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2xPfi04OCdRcQlpPZ4zT0dlkkVyydl-GaWnb_uQ-gFss0fzavSnMzgFhqPe-vMxQzrMszY-MOH8sojSddUHjWAaAo5P7FmLcG6ygxfiYUEhQzfApw9oAjYN373X6RPGQBzmxY0xdp2SWL/s640/6.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Lodge:</span></b><br />
The lodge was called tambopaxi and it was pretty plush. It was warm, had excellent views of the climb and was a quick car ride to the base of the mountain. We went to bed at 8pm and woke up at 11pm ready for action.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812508841525969762"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyoy-gKnTyQmxYJlo49w8j8m5woAat22i_jXYldyGzsQbFLbRGMTyanzNBm-uotbisi0ksIHKM7QBjWalfkrxhwM7YYxzNBhvDrS08amvnsiUP7XZz6vcAgfkIeJDZgprw8_WPy5EULHl-/s288/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812508885662999554"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv-FEdleHxi6AL7jo4XTcaPn2HkmsqAuX3G4azmeftWP3d_9mXC3qHrsYpdlgmI_M4HcYkW15vjEv4hp5ARx_eKgqs3H4DUFyXWMQx5lTjbKXRzPF4gG0ahQNM00D9ttXGpFlKunfYgMg/s288/13.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812508864151602290" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lZPJNv4m3hM/UKouBBWQxHI/AAAAAAAAD5o/4sv825YxuYw/s288/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a></div>
<center>
</center>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br />
</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Climb:</span></b><br />
Most people that climb Cotopaxi start the climb very quickly and then loose steam towards the top. We did the opposite. We started very slow, took our time and ended up passing most parties on the way up. The route is mostly packed snow with a few crevasse passes. One of the crevasses had a broken snow bridge, so we needed to climb inside and back out the other side.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Pb_tsfiz8F6xxoa48mbxzEIzHWOUrYGq6INLxCZ2pulQPocrPffScuihkE9DqfuFkH1-ORPjhEBh-H_WKnYBTcWe690rJtLjIfWNF13vgeHF6BpeLUh6yulIYtSnTdCCR0AODkR9g2QC/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Pb_tsfiz8F6xxoa48mbxzEIzHWOUrYGq6INLxCZ2pulQPocrPffScuihkE9DqfuFkH1-ORPjhEBh-H_WKnYBTcWe690rJtLjIfWNF13vgeHF6BpeLUh6yulIYtSnTdCCR0AODkR9g2QC/s400/17.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812508911465778450" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyiJy3SK_M2tvReJeuBoD_pJ1BnyBKKzyNRSRHRSzABs7sV-Di6n2ihOGSWlt4bHZaFUj8Jq4Wbc-Hgre48oo1oFyyr9CD3WqUOcP_ypRI6QMWaEnwrrdNeDJ2rfr46MRK1iSrE2qhbj2/s288/15.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812508940705503906" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6jRoHlIYNl8sRiiGd84CjV7ksCU5vwmqkcj0p3Z5hyphenhyphen7weocv4FdSmqsJEDxBEPEQi2lreRN6kAg5Meg_ZoaCIkf_Xl0ZFw4jspJVM1HnyjVw1c8fSrFSE4nLyI5rSLzp8tlr16c2UQwU/s288/16.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812508980495822594"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBrTxKUSWgUowqYJdgflGRJcgQKcFnr-eplRuo7C_hPPLJXLpXezSs32-OJ1CPuOusa32vDwoHCvxUPFhNpmQsDnn-9vMzNkWe1zBTEhyphenhyphenGYFRElKPzYwdipa6IWPakrO5dK_tcWv0FceX/s320/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Summit:</span></b><br />
The summit was amazing. You could see the crater of the Volcano smoking. We took some pictures, exchanged some high fives and admired the perfect weather and the great views.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812508999479063586"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GzGGNLD7D8o/UKouI5e19CI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/8UgtAgo_wZo/s288/19.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812509020332324994"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUIKsLuxYtpTuO0hE-smYHrNe2ScONJRqcCFyVwYF3KixWWdKzOSVQxy29qBUXVBW4bpPnpBkbS2rDXONrE85uXdNSHq-L1UcTFuvE16-jBr6fZf6JhTBHV9UAy1ARkPQ9zT-d0bfGEC6/s288/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Special Thanks:</b></span><br />
I brought a cliff bar and mountain house to the top and enjoyed them at the hut as a post climb treat. <br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812509046487705634" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfiVws0gJUgBC4HrzwGYBpoaEljyE6rxWix7-pmc6NBJqMJII6efIqr_eNTvPMBe4QszCMOkdXp8amr0LtqhMMV_RgKhP-IQdVSt88IWIpi5efT1Qpci2hSJJXmMz3O5vB1BT3t_fdhnV/s288/21.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812509069837685538"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fkc-U1RDuoU/UKouM_lpUyI/AAAAAAAAD6w/sqhHLusdpoM/s288/22.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Descent: </span></b><br />
The descent went quickly. However it was very scary to watch other parties descend. One man was so exhausted that he kept falling on the slope and his guide was traveling behind him roped and had to self arrest to keep him from sliding off the mountain. Highly dangerous and stupid.<br />
<center>
</center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812509115501368722" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKhg1qyxV8clLG6njk2CbdQQ3FKCgnSXD3h98HxswPpKH8ihyWaGNCZqLl0pHDdSc2vAGWPJZk-MxypBjx2FVpWx5qYZkwqtAiMgLVyOWQ-lo2EMDVk7kRKJmYINld_XMx3_jz0gxq4IX0/s288/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812509139465057698" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-SPoXTJfPoFM/UKouRC-GtaI/AAAAAAAAD7I/OZAZojqdGAY/s288/25.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a></div>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812509095088607554"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUElI_b6e-hbt_IfPmlaD7xe0fwh42Xwo94ksV4_7hAsPFzg8x5dJOGfliVq6P2h0qLyJwXx2Vd0PbkJJCl21oHrzwvNu5atI0Jrttkcol-bjHbDg00r01eypKonkfFFmhyphenhyphenVBShjjH_b9K/s288/23.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812509164850907522"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgDN97nXABowPMlckDeYsyoT6ZaV7854d2CfvhU5hNGIo1Od2aHFRsJF9j6zvNv6Gb_B-FjThQ9FYO_it7ID4qV8U5bghZSyK6Rmx8R3d4Iegjob-UBEfzxUb5sUJNhkxjJoaUbtkCVicF/s288/26.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812509189091589826" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiucluSQXv7WfgoaAXIH0a_dPjUR03lhcSSuQiVyJv4TC2TfPj9HA9Wu75V9PcwrTbiLmEQCBU_GDxx5fWxkNS08zWtn3JpzCLZhyphenhyphenCabLGLtPXbB3-rKDrpYCNjYyATcf9wUkk9bvXCqN/s288/27.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a></div>
<br />
<center>
</center>
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-3830875327489038302012-11-17T07:12:00.001-08:002012-12-27T09:04:13.664-08:00Illiniza Norte and Sur 11-15 to 11-16-2012<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Illiniza Norte and Sur </b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>November 15th and 16th</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Plan:</span></b></div>
We were attempting to climb Illiniza Norte and Sur for acclimitization. The plan was to climb Norte as we approached on the 15th and Sur in the monring of the 16th. However, poor weather lead us to decide to climb both on the 16th. <br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>November 15th:</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Approach and the hut:</span></b></div>
Juliana drove (I can't drive stick shift) to the base of the mountain and we packed up to the hut at 15,416. Our plans were to climb Norte that day but the weather was very bad and visibility was low, so we decided the next day we would try for a double summit. Wake up at 3:30 am, leave by 4:00 am and attempt Sur then Norte in a big day. We had some food in the hut then attempted to sleep. I had some trouble acclimatizing and was unable to sleep well at the altitude.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795188339708146" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiydO-d7_07vA2QPx0f9spDDtlufHZnisBsMqrVQd547FJ9047cPw9MejD-be3_e1OAZ4w32A9ZOiI6nAR2RAReFKKboRO91Drhcq6n_8vJF7J5C_AcbyOV7R7BvTpreMxxpL47aMOwHRgX/s288/30.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795223626737778" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpiCtgsft4EQDZSJyqkEw7ACBCgtLSpE10YRxLFOG1ucHbjgCYYpHpzVlZDhtPhyphenhyphenC07Xfq1vg6MNJ7JtlC4-Uyi_mHTKs2KM4LJY08rNEkVdZ4gH5Dj42NTBiA60cRCKpleO11ZaT1q28M/s288/6.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795250307575682" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCxiHgoB6cF8bFrtpztDTe8CW9iaZNLX78dBXh1MOFW_7xH_uaOKpnVR-coud5GemKEoA1KOyag_p4k2ykidLWicIO6rxhGxZQi0Oz_ElccTvOH5AnVA8W6sXhG8iXaaO7WcuLRtWgGFzT/s400/8.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795298821573842" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KHvUlHKwIfo/UKelCDWLjNI/AAAAAAAAD2I/X5ahcIFX5NU/s400/12.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795276107249122" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Zq8vtum-Yas/UKelAuuqdeI/AAAAAAAAD2A/92Enwcy1c6Q/s400/10.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">November 16, 2012</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Illiniza Sur:</b></span></div>
We woke up at 3:30 am and made some mountain house breakfast. It was blueberry, granola and milk. It was really good and gave us a good boost in the morning. Even Juliana enjoyed it and she thinks all freeze dried food is gringo food. We made our way across heavy fog to the base of the route and began climbing. We soloed some easy but snowy low fifth class rock and continued onto the glacier.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795326930369282" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-sELRon94IO4/UKelDsD1uwI/AAAAAAAAD2Q/ycJL4sBc5D4/s640/21.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Illiniza Sur</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795396666760018" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVl1E5xi-Z7M9Ay_6Sxd7NjykCubRgzAulQDVSzdRsvrQBhuKcBI7go1jjwa9_x7hsPktgGxpDZFLi1jYKn656unoaD18f_iThsiPa7HMjqaxfkEvqhG0PGhAbGiu0H6ct4FobLGfSjj6V/s288/13.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Breakfast Mountain House</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795439546180610" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQa3C8PUSp7TurImZ5XYrDTkML10SWJBUN4BNUHKjcmKBHCywW77AFDwXbYrACNma3rnGQ7nCNfudtgMa0kcaTOGf-Z0Ns4orDVFaKF8Zz3HtCXeQHqhZaGFuYlUt59Pwb2_0b14BaIWky/s288/15.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Breakfast Prepared</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Slab Avalanche Risk:</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
We heard whoomphing after each step and Juliana decided to dig a snow pit to investigate. We dug out a small pit and finger tested. A three finger deep consolidated layer sat atop a sugary layer followed by another three finger deep layer separated from the rock by ice. She stomped above the pit and the entire slab separated. We decided not to take the risk and descended as the sun was rising. We had beautiful views of Cotopaxi.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795468922646370" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfifJF7JwgJmQXiMOH-MFyG32m2g8dJZzS_rp3mj8gBeorwfAb0QqQXGnq-57YjWS7SYLFFAtELQmnCYLHIK4aVAjPdbz53BRKHUuKPpNiJo-Ydcnh30O4VoT0StJfhQshZY2oP0TBi5j/s400/16.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The broken slab we tested</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795493648007442" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahkujV0E7HMN201jNhbWJi5NIwrsWm4BauAg7thixpqqHhcFk69EO8E-VeqS8BPqOhdMikmqRyZQy4ytuT0dIgNL1sw0LTaXSH5U4S-9b1GuG0f71Xa2E7pK3BhUnmUKIJN1B47RgCWJh/s400/17.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rappelling Down</span></b></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br />
</b></span></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795525479837794" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd4dfBt60CbgXMo8fTKTSXtn0tMd9yhz1s9wd6W7K2Ypv1lEYWiIBVY0ZMABHheYJDGfa42e_AzKLX3bLN_6fLrig8j-1ayhFy6sZzpG5taUL5IB29mGeXSnhVd9wELZAeFGOhl2VBjPeh/s288/18.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795549688896978" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhatdCwbM-Vt6QfXVMaNTtyDEdmM8H8503saams8P15139LE09eX1EB49x-Z0W8myoOPyeb_VrXAHbqw9ZN21NRmmMwtPck-da5n6KhRrcBF4i6FuF9x7mw3akt75he-a4DRd96_qaTtIwp/s288/19.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="187" /></a></div>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795549688896978" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795570709715954" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW0Gk64-jmcbf1-OLvjsp2SzFAyTQeLjT5J2Xv4r9wWoddC9XOx953EFSHykbuJaKu-FWgPXH5YMrR2yGQITOFLdDmQzTsSyM2nEXprBeVQNj8RLvwcR7n6E3hZse5nvtse3hJhjpms3fV/s400/20.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Cotopaxi at sunrise</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Illiniza Norte:</span></b></div>
We hiked back down to the hut. I wasn't feeling so well and was very nauseous from lac of sleep and the quick move from sleeping at 7,500 feet in Cumbaya (where Juliana lives) to 15,416 feet at the hut. But we decided to still attempt Norte. We headed out and climbed a variation to the normal route by staying further east and staying within the rock band.<br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795620802389714" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nYOPZoVfh7U/UKelUy0Y5tI/AAAAAAAAD3Y/XnAu0t_gAes/s400/23.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="266" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795592398082402" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknARISoQZTR6yOOUCewJNPlNCxayHJ3UOi8Um4rp6Vbz-uPmkAzNErEoaa0XvXedDITl2Vl6X-osbRvl380Z8RVIIRhs4r-ATHr2hBj-sN8-IrJdPhkaNhuTDBKZQm_xguT61-mmVhqnY/s400/22.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="266" /></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795674848874610" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyinh2h8epfX-O8gdknSCz29xYHzWEnrmyli9haCnm8rro0mJMjBtRSoIieA_e-zFYlr47J-xt3gZGR7uzDi4vSE46mVsWQISG8axoWXoE_LwyxiKfjljVYvmYzH8qOAE6vfHdY7-eGgWN/s640/25.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="424" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795648923146402" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz77fxGRvqFblqT__hfx98Cmg95MSrD7I3-C0uVtN0bKsKhy4wCHnP4MT45iNahIOR28WHA71awFSe7HLye3JbaRLSeTBV8iF-PCakF_2_ITMm8FxqICIfZ9n6NpqMVBx87anHyDFwOWqY/s400/24.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br />
</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Vomiting:</span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
It was good climbing but as we got higher, I felt more and more nauseous. Five minutes before the summit, I couldn't hold it in any more and vomited. I felt a little better, tagged the summit, the descend to the hut the to the car.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795734296975666" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YIjgP7huxQE/UKelbZnm2TI/AAAAAAAAD3w/0BfqC2vHiOQ/s400/26.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795766885797986" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-XvBGnGyIrVQ/UKeldTBY0GI/AAAAAAAAD34/dWT3phWJhkA/s320/27.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="320" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795795466348194"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAKakrgjJBSb7C9cleLidaSYbN1s3BQi5MJilz_NJPVImWgkB2C2v0s5f9SyHIhkuWBN1RNJQ7ybaENIte1KqLyWzjBPgSNo0B-4uh5v6jOcHgPgZxkfWyDj8Qoqlz3HMEmocYJxunroy_/s640/28.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Overview:</b></span></div>
It was really good climbing and a lot of fun despite the minor acute mountain sickness. We made a good decision to bail on Illiniza Sur and the summit of Norte was perfect with amazing weather.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811795819525824818" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqCH19TwM49W4LmrKo-b-kqgZ1f-SBKQGfZhf0R8Ff9I4_ckPnNN00bTIY9NCGYD2UBWdqQpQV7bgZT1qaol7Hmifl1mfvQ-TIMF6EJra84ikQXCjAGSwKHPaey9Ch8j0vYqAGNtNFVfx/s400/29.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Relaxing:</b></span><br />
After the climb, we drove to Papallacta hot springs and met some friends to soak and relax!</div>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos#5812525889639212994"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiwq7BIPmPLXFK_Qprk_Ge8UGaDvH-vJVTLR4W2GMIOK5ybJTi6jZ8yexATDIiDq7A0_4As49sPmZHlw9HyX24BGa8bWRhywzRqxqU5Zk2DEnFXfN_D8nyO8V9dkhPem7Ib6kghR7nLL_/s400/6.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-38135580909448668252012-11-17T07:02:00.000-08:002012-12-27T09:04:33.259-08:00Mount Rucu Pichincha 11-14-2012<b><span style="color: red;">Mount Rucu Pichincha</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">November 14, 2012 </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Getting there:</span></b><br />
I decided to take teleferico cable car again, but this time I would climb Mount Rucu Pichincha. Now that I had shoes and rain gear, I was all set. I tried to get there as early as possible but with traffic and stopping to buy some water and food, I ended up on top of the cable car at 11:15am. The weather looked terrible and I knew by the sound of thunder hiking up that I had maybe an hour and half to reach the summit before all hell would break loose. Julianna had told me to make sure not to climb when it was raining because of lightening storms and rock fall. So I was fully aware.<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811504229209269202"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn-SKXYonx3XWB_jdc6o2SBwgnLHsqGWuWzOPzP1R_Ti4W5v_JsVqJUAPVAlTtXsqaKHIfn9B8jINUWrMfvLrovLcTObL643uFDpnAHueA8uLKMdbwsI_xwVccJN-Zr5a3BlAoGT_VW1di/s640/6.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="425" /></a></center>
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Ascent:</span></b><br />
The hike starts at 12,467 feet and travels up to the summit at 15,695 feet. Things were going great and there was very minimal route finding the first three quarters of the climb. I then reached a couple of easy rock steps and a drainage filled with scree. It was hard to see any form of trail because of the poor visibility, so I would mark the way with rcok cairns every 30 meters so I could find my way back. I traced my way through wet rock and found a path to the summit. I was in a moderate whiteout at this time and the only reason I knew it was the summit was that I could not go any higher and there was a huge sign congratualting me. I had booked it, summting in 1 hour and 45 minutes. I didnt hav emuch time to celebrate as right after I looked at my watch, I looked up and it starting hailing heavily. Within seconds, the ground was turning white, so I quickly donned my rain jacket and pants and B lined straight down to the junction with the trail.<br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811504256708282146"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoj2XC9ykegfKsBgX_Y3fz5tgk7YY-1vrnToPx_stHQa_ZskqhrujlGy4FI4pl_uXQcqS91f2U1jXv5OAKJYX4OI5_ZFV5ZSC8UUTUvFGcCeAwxgTLbifVm2gIzGaIO_qiwxAe8VagVZ6W/s400/8.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></center>
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811504323239109474"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisXs-eOTSDZhLIzfUsPYcFED0fm-zjjfnuftM-acoENjoeye327VgryPQ7ZtaJZjO0caY_VuEePkCbg4HYoIaVsnbEFXgPJHs7R6Ozm1J_TqORP4b-SWNjftQPPj5Hf9bz992NPvdXO8cW/s400/16.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="266" /></a></center>
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Descent:</span></b><br />
I was a little concerend. Not because of the hail, but because of the thunder that I heard growing increasingly loud. I began to shift into survival mode and started running. I wanted to make it back down to the gondola station before the storm got any worse. The intervals of lightening and thunder were growing closer. I counted five seconds, four seconds, three seconds, two... I had to cross a section of the trail with overhanging buzzing powerlines. With the water on the ground and the power lines in sight, I booked it. I was running out of breath, so I had to slow down. I thought to myself that maybe I should have stayed put in a small rock cave when the storm had started. But then I spotted a small hut minutes from the gondola station. I ran to the hut and took a deep breath of relief. A few minutes later an Ecuadorian man who I had passed on the way down also appeared. We were both relieved and i got a chance to practice some Spanish. Good thing we made it to the hut in time as there were four times that lightening struck 5 meters from the hut. We waited for the storm to clear and then hiked back to the gondola.<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811504383971107890"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4f7HuDo-W0Dc5aJaPgKomHEdcQ6ZJnKuQnzU-mVvuQ18B9OB5lEmnAxWQ_QpMxMGdcvmfnd6aUFUOYwwOiPK2ib0QbOPOl9wGop1V9RIYpRCWlTalFIeOLIypCRXvHkcL6aR_U3NCkSas/s288/15.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811504597585828466"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-smVvOV-pfA4/UKacpA2nGnI/AAAAAAAAD1E/bYbBkky4rwI/s288/10.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
<br />
<center style="text-align: left;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Friends:</span></b></center>
Thrirty minutes later, I met two people who I had passed on the hike up. They told me that they had waited in a cave for the storm to pass. We shared some food and a shuttle back to downtown Quito.<br />
<br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811504631118274194"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-KhJCmbHsfw0/UKacq9xXnpI/AAAAAAAAD1M/OWN67Bm3lsg/s288/12.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Lessons Learned:</span></b><br />
Electrical storms are pretty sketchy - try to avoid them. <br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Dinner:</b></span><br />
I headed back to meet Juliana and Joshua for diner. <br />
<br />
<center>
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5811504653414935634"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzifmywy5_YGcalyYvTFtdmtRSXiHtnmggLNZG7eT_vznf7F8Fu00mzHSk0GafWMND__tQeqKe2e3mIETjIo-CVGfzGkeCqXbVGrRYVuWQpTuDT8T2xH-_8g1a25AZKTGCwTlPn_j-4Qs-/s288/13.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" /></a></center>
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-61949584104518364642012-11-11T18:06:00.001-08:002012-12-27T09:05:07.606-08:00Welcome to Ecuador 11-10-2012<b><span style="color: red;">November 10, 2012</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Departure:</b></span><br />
As I sort the gear and pack my bags, I can't help but think how lucky I am. Im chasing my passions, following my dreams and living life how it is supposed to be lived; with no regrets. Too many people spend their lives slaving away and don't even realize there is an entire world out there that they are missing. They fall into routines and everything in life becomes mundane and boring. My life is never boring. There is always some adventure. It doesn't matter if I'm on an international climbing trip or at my apartment in Los Angeles. Whether it is climbing mountains high up in the Andes or getting lost for an hour trying to find where I parked my car. Life is an adventure. Like any good adventure, it is filled with questions and unknowns. The key to enjoying life is to live the questions and to stay anchored in the moment. So I set off on this trip filled with excitement and anticipation, but alway remembering to stay present. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5809741741202041634" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yyXIB0ZergA/UKBZVREbayI/AAAAAAAADwk/8rmt94PuV_k/s640/6.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5809741765767679458" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-CIEUqZAqTb8/UKBZWslVTeI/AAAAAAAADws/PUefrBxfjl8/s320/2.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="238" /></a><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5809742129479513730" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SaGDPjXsAvs/UKBZr3g_doI/AAAAAAAADw0/Zn1j_z20WiY/s288/3.jpg" style="cursor: move; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="281" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/jsvagy/MyBlogPhotos02#5809742150721456706" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wI_udc2mOM4/UKBZtGpdykI/AAAAAAAADw8/r_fa7Zukabg/s400/8.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Special Thanks To Mountain House and Cliff Bar for their Support</span></b></div>
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-74594396649995729132012-09-28T17:14:00.002-07:002012-12-27T09:05:37.536-08:00Lurking Fear - El Capitan 9-21 to 9-26-2012<div class="separator" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Lurking Fear - El Capitan </span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
September 21 to September 26 2012</div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Background: </b></span><br />
Life is crazy at times. This past year was characterized by taking risks. I quit my job that I loved and moved away from the city of Santa Monica. I packed my bags with climbing gear and flew down to Peru with some lofty objectives. The trip was characterized by the highest of highs (climbing Alpamayo, opening a route on Huamashraju, Climbing a 17,500 foot big wall called La Esfinge, Soloing Vallanaraju and topping out Ranrapalca at 20,000 feet) and the lowest of lows (The passing of Ben and Gil). I flew back home with two months filled with life changing experiences. I was ready to get out of the mountains and onto some rock. I was tired of humping heavy loads to high camps, waking up nauseous from the altitude, shivering sleepless nights in my sleeping bag and 12 hour summit pushes while gasping for oxygen. I was ready to be back in California. I was ready to go back to Yosemite and get on the Big Stone. I was ready for El Capitan. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsBRqLGahMqSgvCZSqwl7Jlv_M1xu3YRcm21_8R3guHpMm-fjS5YUR8dEeLThBxmTYt6qY9BEb3rcCi2kCZMgjveeiYpbr4CFlTVq08HwMtWvJT-zrf4fFHjUanwkDn4dVb0zamyqiAJv/s1600/El_Capitan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsBRqLGahMqSgvCZSqwl7Jlv_M1xu3YRcm21_8R3guHpMm-fjS5YUR8dEeLThBxmTYt6qY9BEb3rcCi2kCZMgjveeiYpbr4CFlTVq08HwMtWvJT-zrf4fFHjUanwkDn4dVb0zamyqiAJv/s400/El_Capitan.jpg" height="285" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>The Route:</b></span><br />
Lea and I chose to climb Lurking Fear. It goes at 5.7 C2F. I was expecting the route to be cruiser but ended up taking 3 lead falls (my first lead falls on aid) and wasting 5 hours off route (this can be attributed to trying to climb in the dark). Overall it was a fun route (mostly because of the hooking – the other pitches weren’t very inspiring). The route felt a bit committing because rappelling the route would be annoying (there is quite a bit of traversing).<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy12Mo1-qtpI4dfqA1DXeDeUZK-duB71JfaWIsoHarFr60H0zks9898obEL8v3JbyhkEzUarDavb-S_WS73c4nCWwKKYoIiPi9PYRjWo2oQSy5R2ae8COocGaLlxSawYMNir8yxOO6BTNl/s1600/122284_31630_L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy12Mo1-qtpI4dfqA1DXeDeUZK-duB71JfaWIsoHarFr60H0zks9898obEL8v3JbyhkEzUarDavb-S_WS73c4nCWwKKYoIiPi9PYRjWo2oQSy5R2ae8COocGaLlxSawYMNir8yxOO6BTNl/s640/122284_31630_L.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route Number 1 - Courtesy of Supertopo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Day 1: </span></b>Pitches 1-5<br />
The first day was fun, but slow. We experimented with the hauling ratchet (<i>http://www.mountainproject.com/v/21-haul-setup---rate-my-rigging/107577488</i>) and it seemed to be the only way to lug our heavy haul bag up the route. It was a bit time consuming until we got the hang of it. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNumLMzrAxIh1fh4EmXnzFpWWb8JSe5lVsqN-z3Z7RdY8wdYfjqiOoFqgMvdKySEDgl6oPTr20snSJ2rxgeuckviDUDDTBaoTHDlHuLtr6TblBnrR__IcsJ7C3HF-n3qat-WwpAEPHzYhE/s1600/tp+of+P1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNumLMzrAxIh1fh4EmXnzFpWWb8JSe5lVsqN-z3Z7RdY8wdYfjqiOoFqgMvdKySEDgl6oPTr20snSJ2rxgeuckviDUDDTBaoTHDlHuLtr6TblBnrR__IcsJ7C3HF-n3qat-WwpAEPHzYhE/s320/tp+of+P1.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IgWuDA6rI5Y/UGSu3cgbzdI/AAAAAAAADY4/9vyJsoi3CCI/s1600/P4%253F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IgWuDA6rI5Y/UGSu3cgbzdI/AAAAAAAADY4/9vyJsoi3CCI/s320/P4%253F.jpg" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Day 2:</b></span> Pitches 6-11<br />
I felt we needed to get to pitch 11, or else we would have a lot of difficulty summiting in the proper time. The climbing went a bit quicker this day and was highlighted by some awesome bomber hook traversing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx6zp24nTVP0PRvTRIPzsPSGCbZ5lvYNUtlkDE2Iygro7CLaYrIq4biCyFFKV2gVFqS_OtXZYtLq88RcDLSjw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtR58MYe7Dk/UGSvKYd3lqI/AAAAAAAADZY/r7FDnKInnGo/s1600/p8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZtR58MYe7Dk/UGSvKYd3lqI/AAAAAAAADZY/r7FDnKInnGo/s320/p8.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FaCvddvI1pk/UGSvBOxzAcI/AAAAAAAADZI/FZJFVEBi4tk/s1600/p7+day+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FaCvddvI1pk/UGSvBOxzAcI/AAAAAAAADZI/FZJFVEBi4tk/s1600/p7+day+2.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Day 3: </b></span>Pitches 12-15 </div>
I wanted to get to Thanksgiving Ledge this day, but we had some efficiency issues and I was also pretty tired from the previous day of leading. I ended up attempting to lead pitch 16 in the dark and felt like I was off route. I lowered down, set up the ledge and decided to climb it in the morning.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jsk9lkH7eJo/UGSugsbD4xI/AAAAAAAADYg/UBcfKxob-NI/s1600/P14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Jsk9lkH7eJo/UGSugsbD4xI/AAAAAAAADYg/UBcfKxob-NI/s320/P14.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gd4bf85hZ20/UGSukxCi4lI/AAAAAAAADYo/bG1Iz6u6msc/s1600/P12+day+3+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gd4bf85hZ20/UGSukxCi4lI/AAAAAAAADYo/bG1Iz6u6msc/s320/P12+day+3+.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Day 4: </b></span> Pitches 16-19</div>
<b>Pitch 16: </b>The pitch that I had climbed to in the dark did not seem conceivable. I stopped right before a grassy gully where there was a completely detached toaster sized square block just sitting where my next move was. I thought to myself that this could not be the route; the rock will fall at any minute and there was no cam or nut move pass this section – it would have to be freed – which means I could not down aid it if I was off route. I decided to seek other options and I down aided from that point. I tried to go up a 3-4 inch crack right of the belay. <br />
<br />
It started off well as I was leep frogging all of my big C4’s, I even ran into a fixed piece that reassured me. However, eventually the rock stared getting dirty and grainy and I had a feeling in my stomach that this was not correct. I soon ran into a mandatory free move and I saw some old webbing tied off into a bail anchor. SHIT…I was off route again. I made and achor with a nut and the bail cord and lowered off my haul line while back cleaning my gear (quicker than down aiding). I was a little worried we wouldn’t get past the pitch, so I immediately went back up the gully towards the loose block. I found a cam hook move to the right of it and aided some more until I found the bolt at the anchor – relived and exhausted, I looked at my watch – it took 4 hours. I told Lea “you are leading the next pitch!”<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Summit:</b> </span> We got to the top of the route just as the sun was setting. I ran to the mantel boulder and flew up some low fifth class slabs before it was fully dark (this was a little heady with the sun setting and in approach shoes with very minimal gear possibilities – I put a Yellow or Blue C4 in a flake to give some sort of protection up high). We fixed the 70 meter ropes at a tree right near a perfect bivy site and shuttled loads. We had some birthday cake, some dinner, then crashed – exhausted.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIdjaAdF_MGirxGMDDOqTl1BljuysJOn5KZPE20ZmnK2yd1rCpUN1rsMCZOJ2kSLTItvxPsoEBt_yI8AczBmHmLG29oXAHGF4RpyFs_ERdYaPgD8WmwrHG9hQWYYmCwWe0ZUWdR6s0j5x/s1600/IMG_4810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIdjaAdF_MGirxGMDDOqTl1BljuysJOn5KZPE20ZmnK2yd1rCpUN1rsMCZOJ2kSLTItvxPsoEBt_yI8AczBmHmLG29oXAHGF4RpyFs_ERdYaPgD8WmwrHG9hQWYYmCwWe0ZUWdR6s0j5x/s320/IMG_4810.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxPk65g13YEUFf-2_RYWzFj88efU7WYNP4fhwZ3xLGFXvIQFxO7V2D6q2twHLRBXKo2MhR2bKOoIilLN5e36w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Day 5: </b></span></div>
Descent We finished shuttling loads (this was a pain – had to fix two more lines), had some lunch, loaded up our huge heavy packs and descended the East Ledges. It felt good to hit the parking lot – 5 days felt like a long time. I was ready to be back on solid ground. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cBRkMewWOiM/UGSsziYkF8I/AAAAAAAADYY/10MXy0j1etk/s1600/IMG_4815.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cBRkMewWOiM/UGSsziYkF8I/AAAAAAAADYY/10MXy0j1etk/s320/IMG_4815.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpoj8hYBQoottyWLI8KiqKH4x-80geAUgwfxQSSIacMlxbUHBGQb9wREimBEau78K4PUhDlme0krgeHsJeffXt_zofKrMaUB2pWk25MomMiGisoWgnM-Yv0VnDEWZzccJdh7xRBh8-Kcz/s1600/IMG_4818.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcpoj8hYBQoottyWLI8KiqKH4x-80geAUgwfxQSSIacMlxbUHBGQb9wREimBEau78K4PUhDlme0krgeHsJeffXt_zofKrMaUB2pWk25MomMiGisoWgnM-Yv0VnDEWZzccJdh7xRBh8-Kcz/s320/IMG_4818.jpg" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-cGFu8dhJo/UGSsx7FU-aI/AAAAAAAADYQ/yyM0LFMSHDc/s1600/IMG_4828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-cGFu8dhJo/UGSsx7FU-aI/AAAAAAAADYQ/yyM0LFMSHDc/s320/IMG_4828.jpg" height="320" width="284" /></a></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Thoughts:</span></b><br />
Each night I would clip my hang nails, take two NSAIDS to try to reduce the swelling in my hands, baby wipe my balls/feet/hands/face (not in that order) and put lotion on my feet and fingers. This helped minimize the discomfort in my hands after doing long walls but I still came back with swollen hands mostly at the nail beds and it was difficult to close my fist – I’m still learning, but maybe that is part of the game. I wore gloves for most of the climb. It saved my hands!<br />
<br />
I lead 15 of the 19 pitches and it was very fatiguing. The hauling was the primary difficulty as the bag got caught in a tree at some point and I started to shy away from the 2:1 hauling ratchet as time went on. <br />
<br />
I realized that I am not the most “fun” big wall partner as I rarely talk on the wall – I am all about business. I never feel quite secure until I make it back to the ground. Lea was a trooper and put up with this.<br />
<br />
There was a 20 percent chance of storm on Saturday and Sunday. It never ended up raining and the storm clouds blocked the sun making it more enjoyable to climb. We brought bivy sacks just in case and did not bring the fly to the ledge. I am not sure which would be a better idea. If it was pouring rain, the ledge and fly would be a pain to setup – a bivy sack is quicker. I guess if there is heavy rain forecasted the fly would be more appropriate. Any thoughts?<br />
<br />
We brought one extra day of food and water. This was originally in case it rained one day but ended up being needed because we were moving slow. I decided it is always a good idea to bring storm gear and extra food and water on grade VI walls. Your gear is already heavy – what’s a few more pounds? <br />
<br />
The next wall that I climb, I will make sure to take advantage of short fixing...it will save a lot of time in the future<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Leave No Trace: </b></span><br />
We experimented with this method for storing our poop from one of the guys at pullharder (<i>http://pullharder.org/2012/05/22/big-wall-toilet/</i>). It worked out really well and allowed us to avoid using a giant poop tube which is always a pain to carry down.<br />
<br />
We hauled up all of our urine.. On top we had 6 liters of Newcastle colored urine that we dumped in an appropriate spot on the summit. I still like the idea of hauling the urine off the route as there were some belays that smelled like pee. Although I was temped one of the nights to dump all the pee off the ledge to make the hauling easier – I stuck with my ethics and kept the pee in the bottle (actually, they are Jeremy’s ethics, I am just following it because it is what I am used to – and there is some additional satisfaction pouring pee out on the summit).<br />
<br />
We packed out someone else’s poop and two water bottles that they had left at the bivy.<br />
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-70768678156512288512012-09-12T02:15:00.000-07:002012-12-27T09:06:07.714-08:00Leaning Tower 11-11 to 11-12-2012<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">West Face of Leaning Tower - </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">In a day and a half - </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Leave no Trace -</span></b><br />
September 11th to September 12th 2012<br />
<br />
<i>"The lower part of the tower averages 110 degrees; the upper section about 95 degrees. Without question, the tower is Americas most overhanging wall" -Steve Roper</i><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Background: </b></span><br />
Tara had been wanting to climb leaning tower since the spring. She wanted to grind her teeth on some C2. Our schedules finally lined up (we each have “climbing plans” booked until December) and we set a date. Tara and I are like brother and sister and we can’t spend more than two days together without arguing – so we planned a two day ascent. <br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Route:</span></b><br />
The west face of the Leaning Tower goes at 5.7 C2. We decided to link all of the pitches on the route with a 70 meter rope to speed things up. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJrMbNa4a9LHI7oYZWhqOn1l6Kk56t03vjyjCvzwZKbEkeVEL7GgBk6YvQ1Vw4eIT1hBYQc1p2nSTC-tPHZubLc9VFqtdT7FblPLyKNqiomKnA4Q6qXcNQY0HCpYnFii7f2J9Wd5CxKuY/s1600/Leaning_Tower,_Yosemite_Valley,_Yosemite,_California.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLJrMbNa4a9LHI7oYZWhqOn1l6Kk56t03vjyjCvzwZKbEkeVEL7GgBk6YvQ1Vw4eIT1hBYQc1p2nSTC-tPHZubLc9VFqtdT7FblPLyKNqiomKnA4Q6qXcNQY0HCpYnFii7f2J9Wd5CxKuY/s640/Leaning_Tower,_Yosemite_Valley,_Yosemite,_California.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Getting Back into it:</b></span> It had been a while since I had climbed in the valley, so we decided to spend two days free climbing before the wall.On our first day, we “warmed up” on lunatice fringe (5.10c). and by warmup, I mean hang dogging on lead. After a rough lead, I was able to top rope it clean. The next day we climbed Central Pillar of Frnezie. It was a quick route (5 pitches) and a fun day. We came back to camp and packed up for our wall.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEAnpoL8RWcAJpK2e4-qRAfQyiu52KfFs5mfaonch3UyTxIyiM6dvmi1VTdXKPGquC1NpxGVx_X4U8O7elSYZ-SXyZ7ylyBlOQIR9RqnN14K12eE1N7PBmrpH3PzIKqSTbX0jOVWQNIIr/s1600/IMG_2883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEAnpoL8RWcAJpK2e4-qRAfQyiu52KfFs5mfaonch3UyTxIyiM6dvmi1VTdXKPGquC1NpxGVx_X4U8O7elSYZ-SXyZ7ylyBlOQIR9RqnN14K12eE1N7PBmrpH3PzIKqSTbX0jOVWQNIIr/s320/IMG_2883.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Packing: </span></b><br />
We took the Supertopo recommended gear rack, 16 liters of water, some snacks, pizza for dinner and the rest of our normal wall gear. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEah2dQ0bJWdGd3nJlT5pHzhVm-FbbgaHr5AWfRmJLz5Sr59-lBR-R7V-5wMD6cqU-whOQXGeISWd5L0TO4zzLlLAXMtB2grsjQlOm9MCHNDoIRtyI1UZpzvceN-WGnewpRog7rR4HhXJm/s1600/mornign+jugging.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEah2dQ0bJWdGd3nJlT5pHzhVm-FbbgaHr5AWfRmJLz5Sr59-lBR-R7V-5wMD6cqU-whOQXGeISWd5L0TO4zzLlLAXMtB2grsjQlOm9MCHNDoIRtyI1UZpzvceN-WGnewpRog7rR4HhXJm/s320/mornign+jugging.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwEyqQXqJnDByNfeWxXqD27qn8Vwn7FGK21FodjvCjeYOTmCYRgHKzpm4KcRtMcJk8D4eNfBiTYJ7jELUO9jA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Day 1:</b></span><br />
We woke up at 5:30am and drove out to the climb. You cannot overnight park at the falls, so we found parking on the shoulder very close. The boulder field was surprisingly easy to negotiate in the dark thanks to being heavily carined. We got to the base with nobody in site and climbed up to the start of the route (a line was fixed). <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I linked pitch 1 and 2: A fixed head was missing, so a reachy cliffhanger hook move was necessary to gain the roof. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdNrEaGLDEgEffR661X_QvAddSiOU5rzdFiX2i9CNIoGCWu_RAcqmcR6oT2VLBDR2AG8LvwHlZlR9cIkNrlTMNkWZwV5CJUOj53kAtkIg9tzy72Hxh_OK3n2F9PHvoFZC4lLmSSs9M7GY/s1600/p1-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdNrEaGLDEgEffR661X_QvAddSiOU5rzdFiX2i9CNIoGCWu_RAcqmcR6oT2VLBDR2AG8LvwHlZlR9cIkNrlTMNkWZwV5CJUOj53kAtkIg9tzy72Hxh_OK3n2F9PHvoFZC4lLmSSs9M7GY/s320/p1-2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpc_9tsMhydRGRXaVrJq96_DpSe33GjbkLSMn864Qr_NlI7aQdCZarw5CnJtwis_dYuW47KwiPpvzMB28IxVfm_kmFGbwcDTxlkI9zwNgwLGWHS3ZxHfJDEy675U4T_mPv8YonfIq9anO/s1600/p1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpc_9tsMhydRGRXaVrJq96_DpSe33GjbkLSMn864Qr_NlI7aQdCZarw5CnJtwis_dYuW47KwiPpvzMB28IxVfm_kmFGbwcDTxlkI9zwNgwLGWHS3ZxHfJDEy675U4T_mPv8YonfIq9anO/s320/p1.JPG" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwIHiODJa9UmyuZvomMF4mnI28WwDS5G44MZRUJVHWVQk6TRUeM4raqHtb3DMJKrGM1qvFnwvgy4G7LpJqPyw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzUnOvutRmxXA41L2RHTL3JkocFWM2Q3UUDC25xRknqbe1YARzGI3nvt_YKVigW4l9L-8ylEahdSwlDmaSWPw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I linked pitch 3 and 4: There was some really cool gear on these pitches </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcOPX0VFjrOhuxmBbON7CvdtItDguN5oLhst0pYbxUDN3kw2MUTVRYFjt6Zkxsk7RqCCvu9ix0aQAhMdqmGqVyONYg2HsFjwEf1pvmXlEAr7PY4RvqfOTu2y12GwDGo-v700-N3I0jgPW/s1600/p3-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcOPX0VFjrOhuxmBbON7CvdtItDguN5oLhst0pYbxUDN3kw2MUTVRYFjt6Zkxsk7RqCCvu9ix0aQAhMdqmGqVyONYg2HsFjwEf1pvmXlEAr7PY4RvqfOTu2y12GwDGo-v700-N3I0jgPW/s320/p3-4.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tara linked pitch 5 and 6 and fixed the rope: It was he first time leading C2 and she did an awesome job. Although one things: She backcleaned the entire C2 section – so I ended up taking a monster pendulum while cleaning. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd2AQwul3YtEBS-FKYwOLj5p_PRY3myrJk1KbF4lCSre233CgZLZwYN1NH2e7dH-XEVv3LbaarbuEjw4vX-PJMsd9yreIn0S25J4paNAJqwNlklpGmTGyGIWlnqHH0IRN1HoIcoL5r4tG/s1600/pitch+5-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLd2AQwul3YtEBS-FKYwOLj5p_PRY3myrJk1KbF4lCSre233CgZLZwYN1NH2e7dH-XEVv3LbaarbuEjw4vX-PJMsd9yreIn0S25J4paNAJqwNlklpGmTGyGIWlnqHH0IRN1HoIcoL5r4tG/s320/pitch+5-6.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I climbed pitch 7: I was going to link to pitch 8 but I couldn’t see the anchors, so I waited for Tara to come up. We forgot to anchor the rap rope to the pitch 6 anchor, so I rapped down to fix it - then jugged back up to belay Tara for pitch 8. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWgeNVlWGI98YL48haUh8hOMqBCi4w77MsbDXEpOentCpQArpZTS3kSETyhS7fFAa3Y5vqt-UmM6fMZf6sImmFkOC_CaGW1ZzPtKd-9sq6OmqIbHLqqtoUC5v30rKIyLb_Xmtqq8tCuT_/s1600/p7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDWgeNVlWGI98YL48haUh8hOMqBCi4w77MsbDXEpOentCpQArpZTS3kSETyhS7fFAa3Y5vqt-UmM6fMZf6sImmFkOC_CaGW1ZzPtKd-9sq6OmqIbHLqqtoUC5v30rKIyLb_Xmtqq8tCuT_/s320/p7.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tara climbed pitch 8 and fixed the rope: This pitch was just 50 feet and takes you to the base of the roof. Tara used her free shoes but said that although they were helpful, they weren’t mandatory. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnS5LMUMw7EJ9QXF7lmAfIhyphenhyphenrS5RyrwM4TJwEofBl3pckVD7HfJqY-YULPp9ebTdXO2yJYVT2Iv2csb-OsgTGUMTgOdduSYTZ_F-1-pvnremdBIssX7cIQTLR30357-8_rTXyvRHBKDrA/s1600/p8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRnS5LMUMw7EJ9QXF7lmAfIhyphenhyphenrS5RyrwM4TJwEofBl3pckVD7HfJqY-YULPp9ebTdXO2yJYVT2Iv2csb-OsgTGUMTgOdduSYTZ_F-1-pvnremdBIssX7cIQTLR30357-8_rTXyvRHBKDrA/s320/p8.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Bivy:</span></b><br />
We were back down by nightfall for a comfortable plush bivy with sleep pad and sleep bag. We were joined by one other party who was behind us on the wall. I slept like a baby.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvQZUYc9Sy6BvZyUVJe57Lm5BvOUpMhZHM9IcA9ie8VWVRI3hZmtU2xfVXBD0iwltmluoauz25GBtHewAjPNcLCEg5tAGf-ru1DAZHhI15e6bbkzOOAdZYjvLTZdVtRgphpVEVrKJ2Wkk/s1600/bivy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmvQZUYc9Sy6BvZyUVJe57Lm5BvOUpMhZHM9IcA9ie8VWVRI3hZmtU2xfVXBD0iwltmluoauz25GBtHewAjPNcLCEg5tAGf-ru1DAZHhI15e6bbkzOOAdZYjvLTZdVtRgphpVEVrKJ2Wkk/s320/bivy.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiMCgl4BN1JfGBVsnURFQDAzybx0vTdK6Z9P_f-AD4reeF44-Ee-lR3nz0Qea_2WGHQ6KdirqdD0HI7QY62_kJMBZcvHOuF0UJ1d9vJkCFAQIWteIPhihkLJ8hKNP3hKPcDKnhglm0vO3/s1600/IMG_4751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBiMCgl4BN1JfGBVsnURFQDAzybx0vTdK6Z9P_f-AD4reeF44-Ee-lR3nz0Qea_2WGHQ6KdirqdD0HI7QY62_kJMBZcvHOuF0UJ1d9vJkCFAQIWteIPhihkLJ8hKNP3hKPcDKnhglm0vO3/s320/IMG_4751.JPG" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCr3r_H6Ru3283uyXWagQcrigkjam5HYNAO9YtXqCCmf4K3CzWU5EBefmu0uhk_Oxzgv2ohOyx6zgePaDhQ9NewoXPDNhb1108_MPlwKcnX_mIKX44EvG3y-4fOPAvwOGBrITFFIrW1E7/s1600/IMG_4747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghCr3r_H6Ru3283uyXWagQcrigkjam5HYNAO9YtXqCCmf4K3CzWU5EBefmu0uhk_Oxzgv2ohOyx6zgePaDhQ9NewoXPDNhb1108_MPlwKcnX_mIKX44EvG3y-4fOPAvwOGBrITFFIrW1E7/s320/IMG_4747.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy1irY4LtoD3PgVv_tMywLXpiuoCzHrA48WACwIwe1a9CjLXPSPPfYobE6p4ONfGn_DPW1iLZVEdmmp8xRFeQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Day 2: </b></span><br />
We woke up at 5:30 in the morning from our bivy site and jugged the 400 feet of rope that we fixed the night before. We hauled the bag up to pitch 8.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgzY651iy6wOfFmVvSeEfZVC3Yp96K2Nej0pNmqSLgwM9kiODdR_W_fDLInuBtxJXakaY36vnI2E_KGbJbTnSDM161y0EM8nOnhx06kIxM38PIObw8a6h0MD72iPcDBz9iHMXlZFklMge/s1600/mornign+jug.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgzY651iy6wOfFmVvSeEfZVC3Yp96K2Nej0pNmqSLgwM9kiODdR_W_fDLInuBtxJXakaY36vnI2E_KGbJbTnSDM161y0EM8nOnhx06kIxM38PIObw8a6h0MD72iPcDBz9iHMXlZFklMge/s320/mornign+jug.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I linked Pitch 9-10: The roof was super steep, but I had adjustable daisies that made life much easier. There was a lot of fixed gear and I did a lot of backcleaning. I made it to the ledge bivy on pitch 10 and waited for Tara to jug, It took a while and I was wondering what went on. Turned out that she had trouble cleaning the double runner that I left under the roof since it was so overhanging – so she left it for the next party – a single runner would have allowed her to suck in closer to the wall to clean. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0valptQVH35zk_lQ27c4ckZcarzOq7nqUTmQ5EsPsuvfnGy_lFfYr0wBbPfYBMQ4oFW_sYbd8cMdRdrNZ9n0wbHmRbYJA-MI_-6SS4JEv7BrCw-g2gV0SneEDtIlrOwtyHeACL3G5YF5V/s1600/linking+p9-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0valptQVH35zk_lQ27c4ckZcarzOq7nqUTmQ5EsPsuvfnGy_lFfYr0wBbPfYBMQ4oFW_sYbd8cMdRdrNZ9n0wbHmRbYJA-MI_-6SS4JEv7BrCw-g2gV0SneEDtIlrOwtyHeACL3G5YF5V/s320/linking+p9-10.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4XF9KyOmSaLFYolrk_6ZolY7ypGGbor_pVbYgCT7WqdE49vxYXCA1Zfrurgg7xilWJ_yui5nHOi5f1WQN9HdIjlbFrRv4QD8NVxrCSBzNy_Oa4k_s0bWC4BPLmHZ1fU7vn2rXh6s_yBl/s1600/IMG_4758.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw4XF9KyOmSaLFYolrk_6ZolY7ypGGbor_pVbYgCT7WqdE49vxYXCA1Zfrurgg7xilWJ_yui5nHOi5f1WQN9HdIjlbFrRv4QD8NVxrCSBzNy_Oa4k_s0bWC4BPLmHZ1fU7vn2rXh6s_yBl/s320/IMG_4758.JPG" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tara lead Pitch 11: some easy but exposed class 4 takes you to the summit. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRT3gfrhPkw_Bfln_j0bYw8L_16egmdUU69gBuDnhRwx_Ec7zOZaQVNa6XkRixGLIz9KyKaTlpwLfToTmCcpH3NXGcd_KxfH4LNFE5znL25ZEdec4rExgNIigTnEFzXrAEYOP_xgKfT0v/s1600/IMG_4762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRT3gfrhPkw_Bfln_j0bYw8L_16egmdUU69gBuDnhRwx_Ec7zOZaQVNa6XkRixGLIz9KyKaTlpwLfToTmCcpH3NXGcd_KxfH4LNFE5znL25ZEdec4rExgNIigTnEFzXrAEYOP_xgKfT0v/s320/IMG_4762.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMztB0QNlmsA18yaYOTVcEphqAfqS1ijFMkXP4SNZnqsZCOY7IogOyUzlOyXpDTDYAsCbfIwtO0avwgf8yxCzaQOCobAzCsbFOZFNrMOdvGZrLCbYqWncCyJDVtSzZt25uXFMhKWPpzoRu/s1600/IMG_4763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMztB0QNlmsA18yaYOTVcEphqAfqS1ijFMkXP4SNZnqsZCOY7IogOyUzlOyXpDTDYAsCbfIwtO0avwgf8yxCzaQOCobAzCsbFOZFNrMOdvGZrLCbYqWncCyJDVtSzZt25uXFMhKWPpzoRu/s320/IMG_4763.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzfh-npKk9BBu6FOTIAN6DF1lGOYMqTZczM8_Ibmn0KKxW9N8EghdZVSGC4aTcr5b6RxWLFJZEea-KVLtNAOQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Descent: </b></span><br />
It took us about three hours to descend. There were something like 8 rappels. The ropes would get tangled (70 meter ropes tend to do that) and I would “ride the pig” down the majority of the rappels. We made it back to the parking lot pretty happy by 3:45pm– and jetted to Oakhurst for some celebration burritos. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleESMVHQAYxH0bMTmUOK0YOIB8IRJP60T0HDBn91jW6mWmeT7BIJEDaAVmtDlj3r9rTsu2oiGeD3-nBF5umkd-cXuo-0T2Rv-GbMM6_n_fgB5BA3nIUXmy-Tgr_2IFyr0mRLjb1PIyyHR/s1600/IMG_2908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhleESMVHQAYxH0bMTmUOK0YOIB8IRJP60T0HDBn91jW6mWmeT7BIJEDaAVmtDlj3r9rTsu2oiGeD3-nBF5umkd-cXuo-0T2Rv-GbMM6_n_fgB5BA3nIUXmy-Tgr_2IFyr0mRLjb1PIyyHR/s320/IMG_2908.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Poop and Pee:</b></span><br />
We packed out our poo (courtesy of a wag bag stuffed in a gatorade bottle) and pee (1.5 liters or 3.5 pounds). We kept the wall clean and left no trace except for a double runner that was difficult to clean on an overhanging section.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9hZrqmPMkzrc_IxwvwAk_i94h8BGmEqhzMzmvvRJdbqeDvrxhBq-CQfrChreltb6nzh93E1vBiAR3OtkJWjMfq5VIiNoCs97jeHcIv2hJvzbI5eLGVmcQ1JaLonAcps29DEkJnJnnDjo/s1600/IMG_2920.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB9hZrqmPMkzrc_IxwvwAk_i94h8BGmEqhzMzmvvRJdbqeDvrxhBq-CQfrChreltb6nzh93E1vBiAR3OtkJWjMfq5VIiNoCs97jeHcIv2hJvzbI5eLGVmcQ1JaLonAcps29DEkJnJnnDjo/s320/IMG_2920.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAeKTXUHDPEJquCVNilxWHhljQurNU5sLPzYb2nKjr2ICXnY0GIhWwlINQtAf51OYnkWYggYVCjWJcRZMbrhpZjD8QkvD21iAdVKBaCloNtaGcCiPA4qpX1iW2utNF3Z-4Med95zs2Vlj/s1600/IMG_4767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcAeKTXUHDPEJquCVNilxWHhljQurNU5sLPzYb2nKjr2ICXnY0GIhWwlINQtAf51OYnkWYggYVCjWJcRZMbrhpZjD8QkvD21iAdVKBaCloNtaGcCiPA4qpX1iW2utNF3Z-4Med95zs2Vlj/s320/IMG_4767.JPG" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Final Thoughts:</b></span><br />
We climbed the route in a day and a half. The pitches went quickly as we were able to link them. We reached the parking lot at 3pm and were off to Los Angeles shortly after. It was a great time with a great friend. As we wee hiking out, we were already talking of our next wall.Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-70380523662255053602012-09-05T18:17:00.005-07:002012-12-27T09:06:49.007-08:00Bloody Corner - C2C 9-4-2012<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Bloody Corner - Car to Car 14 hours</b></span><br />
September 4th 2012<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Background:</b></span><br />
It had been a while since Jeremy and I had climbed together (One year ago - El Capitan) and it had been a while since I had climbed rock in the Sierras (One year as well) - so we decided to go on a bromantic adventure and climb Bloody Corner on Mount Russell car to car in a day.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Night Before:</span></b><br />
It was Joven's birthday the night before the climb...so a group of us met up at the Stinky Rose for a wonderful dinner filled with laughs, stories and a lot of garlic. Being the Psuedo homeless/dirtbag that I have become, I filled up on 7 garlic roles (they come free with dinner). This turned out to translate into 14 hours of "garlic altitude farts" and "loose garlic stool" during the climb - leading me to carry a bag of my own fecal matter to the top of Mount Russell (you must pack out all of your waste). It was worth it!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bIShTVrltt8Rutxaa7m6SINaPhPXgpd2_58s3Ex1nE6XIxFYuC7dtffGUZ5sYpBwkHAqljW0dS7R5EYOeoV8_YYb5EuuCkP8quN_0pVb0ipUgYIPvN1-2EDUIMvIb-Y89sAQ0NrrT99o/s1600/304979_10151215172537363_1418051239_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3bIShTVrltt8Rutxaa7m6SINaPhPXgpd2_58s3Ex1nE6XIxFYuC7dtffGUZ5sYpBwkHAqljW0dS7R5EYOeoV8_YYb5EuuCkP8quN_0pVb0ipUgYIPvN1-2EDUIMvIb-Y89sAQ0NrrT99o/s400/304979_10151215172537363_1418051239_n.jpg" height="275" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Crew</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Returning to where it began:</b></span><br />
The Sierras will always have a place in my heart. It is the mountain range that first inspired me to take up traditional climbing and mountaineering. Three years ago, I had hiked the John Muir trail from Yosemite to Mount Whitney. I was so awestruck when I passed by all the Sierra peaks that I promised myself I would go back and climb them. The next year I went on an inspired rampage. I ticked off the California 14er list (15 mountains over 14,000 feet) and was beginning to lead more technical rock climbs on those mountains. Since then, climbing has added so much fulfillment to my life. I have been lucky to have climbed all around the world on incredible routes with amazing people. But nowhere in the world compares to the Sierras. All of the past memories in climbing in the Sierras flooded through my head as my car raced towards Lone Pine. It was a crazy feeling driving along the pitch black roads seeing faint images of towering mountains. I had been in back from Peru for over a week; but this was the first time I felt at home.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hMg8q3RnzyFH-BWcGomBf_z1iHxl6JLJtWvPqxtRauwJvaaVc-kvMPh6wnFRXtqPHrjSbskqgFM5hNhdvDvD5JbVuzNzHa9hTC4_qy0zaPeZt3rRI7ciDjCLI4IfMkE3trIrlgpa5n8n/s1600/6134_770654485103_6198851_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hMg8q3RnzyFH-BWcGomBf_z1iHxl6JLJtWvPqxtRauwJvaaVc-kvMPh6wnFRXtqPHrjSbskqgFM5hNhdvDvD5JbVuzNzHa9hTC4_qy0zaPeZt3rRI7ciDjCLI4IfMkE3trIrlgpa5n8n/s320/6134_770654485103_6198851_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Way Back When - JMT</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>The Route:</b></span><br />
Bloody Corner is a route on Mount Russell that goes at 5.10 and is super sustained. The crux pitch is 70 feet of solid 5.9 and 110 feet of solid 5.10 - getting harder and more sustained towards the top.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirYrJnFDK7gpDtBx69KoOPyt4nyLym82euTDElGKBo16ANnZEed5fdzlKDTKDybjqh0gJ4FXT9XQEZ61b6zrAwFIqkoxWO5Zmteh2pqacvNUCY9p799NMZL1F5h1gmibBfff1EOZtKFfr/s1600/IMG_6744.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirYrJnFDK7gpDtBx69KoOPyt4nyLym82euTDElGKBo16ANnZEed5fdzlKDTKDybjqh0gJ4FXT9XQEZ61b6zrAwFIqkoxWO5Zmteh2pqacvNUCY9p799NMZL1F5h1gmibBfff1EOZtKFfr/s400/IMG_6744.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: small;">Bloody Corner 5.10</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFabN1_2lwzJangqZwh8qv-shYynbofMP2kEF6-zU8a5e6LwJDpJR64VnPzdaOX5ABMfgK8Bym394G_22qhAwJwQHexBTFJM0WuPVp9Ay2vS_y1WzhcDhsRi01QJLZGWsBv4AvvtlkPEl/s1600/106896873_large_fb6434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyFabN1_2lwzJangqZwh8qv-shYynbofMP2kEF6-zU8a5e6LwJDpJR64VnPzdaOX5ABMfgK8Bym394G_22qhAwJwQHexBTFJM0WuPVp9Ay2vS_y1WzhcDhsRi01QJLZGWsBv4AvvtlkPEl/s400/106896873_large_fb6434.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>The Money Pitch (Mountain project)</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>The Plan:</b></span><br />
Go fast, Go light - Drive up Monday night - sleep 3 hours - wake up - blast the route car to car in a day - drive home that night!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFci_FYrEFhdKYAsDhKz0BHr8UXeahFimhJFFFI0Te4KiwSJNVVHmdVzFoTXPBTTu47xfrhy-KE60rJul0bSR72-UFOPdaJSa7yVuFkWFNYBVqEztlLne3ciRPEaJmR1AcVtkwfwyF6zCK/s1600/IMG_6730.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFci_FYrEFhdKYAsDhKz0BHr8UXeahFimhJFFFI0Te4KiwSJNVVHmdVzFoTXPBTTu47xfrhy-KE60rJul0bSR72-UFOPdaJSa7yVuFkWFNYBVqEztlLne3ciRPEaJmR1AcVtkwfwyF6zCK/s320/IMG_6730.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: small;">Our packs were both under 26 pounds</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Approach:</span></b><br />
We both felt pretty fit, so we hiked at a comfortable pace. We arrived at the base a little after 9am, about 5 hours after our wakeup at 4:15am. We took one stop at iceberg lake to fill up water.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajFOFqF_aXWgZPQu1d0NHtztKb0VH6TphqnKjTVRKwcPTHlfU8NRjdSAp8NiKk7B672V6uVkv78oi7ziLluDPf6BinxDIjcd_CDk1yAw1cqoUGC1eIM0s1nIPva6kHNZDmpzfOTkFtUo1/s1600/IMG_6736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjajFOFqF_aXWgZPQu1d0NHtztKb0VH6TphqnKjTVRKwcPTHlfU8NRjdSAp8NiKk7B672V6uVkv78oi7ziLluDPf6BinxDIjcd_CDk1yAw1cqoUGC1eIM0s1nIPva6kHNZDmpzfOTkFtUo1/s320/IMG_6736.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZoseA0TIjFRm8oe-1ggsEMd9muXbA7g9LL3A_8DuyDARbUkjlCP8X3zV_jpQQ60-INwPjX7OuduYjcO9fiIAP0rLhHYjtN9TiR6j_ou7k0AGYXjp9RCfg0ntlWZSu3snnmZJVOi57_NE/s1600/IMG_6738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZoseA0TIjFRm8oe-1ggsEMd9muXbA7g9LL3A_8DuyDARbUkjlCP8X3zV_jpQQ60-INwPjX7OuduYjcO9fiIAP0rLhHYjtN9TiR6j_ou7k0AGYXjp9RCfg0ntlWZSu3snnmZJVOi57_NE/s320/IMG_6738.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTV_sKuYzGHwtXLkcfLeTZ1U0vT-UtSB-Y3RufggVqRy6IrgLKY1WXYL9IQHVpMoiiby58WMiStupZeLmaA1vZ6lhb2kf-dqKQMsNCJBM4kU7UAEggTprWlqa9hHr2Fh4vld0bD1PS25_/s1600/IMG_6741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWTV_sKuYzGHwtXLkcfLeTZ1U0vT-UtSB-Y3RufggVqRy6IrgLKY1WXYL9IQHVpMoiiby58WMiStupZeLmaA1vZ6lhb2kf-dqKQMsNCJBM4kU7UAEggTprWlqa9hHr2Fh4vld0bD1PS25_/s320/IMG_6741.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>The route:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Here are the pitches that I took photos of, with a separate section below for pitch 3, which was the money pitch.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Q2HQcBluk6aL5xx3_GGN7J6CKjcuaB-B0bjsSsxLl0hKejAAH22IJa2JorggarYcw2JaLhx5u2u4y3Levfz94mAwQA6wdueO5YlB0JWJMXwc37U7nuOwEhaFqiRbHUeuHATgUgMfv8-z/s1600/IMG_6746.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Q2HQcBluk6aL5xx3_GGN7J6CKjcuaB-B0bjsSsxLl0hKejAAH22IJa2JorggarYcw2JaLhx5u2u4y3Levfz94mAwQA6wdueO5YlB0JWJMXwc37U7nuOwEhaFqiRbHUeuHATgUgMfv8-z/s320/IMG_6746.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Taping up</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBryIgP-8Y22kLo1-jMFi7IvDcEmQsLZ-i1RbT5iw2ZDpuJ3h7Sxaizi3xq80QowL_WT1M2OeVh3Ex-OA8Du-gTf5oFIZg3xznaFMxrfmGXiKDFx7cgdryj8Nrp2yTxyCnJoiVyBav3Rfz/s1600/IMG_6747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBryIgP-8Y22kLo1-jMFi7IvDcEmQsLZ-i1RbT5iw2ZDpuJ3h7Sxaizi3xq80QowL_WT1M2OeVh3Ex-OA8Du-gTf5oFIZg3xznaFMxrfmGXiKDFx7cgdryj8Nrp2yTxyCnJoiVyBav3Rfz/s320/IMG_6747.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></b></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Pitch 1</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiGbZZ4ljDGnHcBtnDRmoSd55YK1f06IHN_SW9hqRgcl-dKAPJT0mkD55REZs-kr3iQTh-we9RFTOW7hOU1aSsrtsecJfp423nTUwYmELBmwP1DGh9puSEPke0blyd02WtVOTkKr6E1mL/s1600/IMG_6777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKiGbZZ4ljDGnHcBtnDRmoSd55YK1f06IHN_SW9hqRgcl-dKAPJT0mkD55REZs-kr3iQTh-we9RFTOW7hOU1aSsrtsecJfp423nTUwYmELBmwP1DGh9puSEPke0blyd02WtVOTkKr6E1mL/s320/IMG_6777.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></b></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Pitch 4</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NJyltLMyvJjRHrp9lC73YEHu57GAjB5cTt4IrEBweG5j-lLXYi-uE8BjkC98oS_Bi-S5VfoQDOlWEhJvS7Ft_VodCkP2filS6xOzUsTtC4BmT0qTmSaqaF872yCMlSUW0z9RaB0I_fr4/s1600/IMG_4670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NJyltLMyvJjRHrp9lC73YEHu57GAjB5cTt4IrEBweG5j-lLXYi-uE8BjkC98oS_Bi-S5VfoQDOlWEhJvS7Ft_VodCkP2filS6xOzUsTtC4BmT0qTmSaqaF872yCMlSUW0z9RaB0I_fr4/s320/IMG_4670.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></b></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Pitch 5</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Money Pitch:</span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This pitch was really hard. It was my turn to lead - but I did something that I rarely do - I gave Jeremy the option to lead it. I knew that I didn't have the endurance to send it clean. In the past 5 months, I had rock climbed a total of 10 days. I knew I could pull 5.10/5.11 moves, but I didn't have the endurance and training to pull 150 feet of sustained 5.10. In order to climb it clean, my only chance was to follow. Jeremy took the lead and gave a nobel try - but "took" 10 feet from the end of the pitch - super sustained. I followed and ended up having to "take" to remove a stuck piece and took again a little bit higher when I ran out of juice. SUPER fun though!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vVDMk3N4cQaNdG0HC0Q1gWhphQwdq9to1Mt4-yWvziVQbNI5qVxmh5abehB2BnJl7oexgR66WOIhrLMMeSte14y793n46JdVO6Yq0UJN3n5IvzJxdpXvRdCWD-bDEUOWt_3rZBDjkYB2/s1600/IMG_4658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8vVDMk3N4cQaNdG0HC0Q1gWhphQwdq9to1Mt4-yWvziVQbNI5qVxmh5abehB2BnJl7oexgR66WOIhrLMMeSte14y793n46JdVO6Yq0UJN3n5IvzJxdpXvRdCWD-bDEUOWt_3rZBDjkYB2/s640/IMG_4658.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-FbrTb5IItvlRH1e13Q_vly8mj2pT6swAV3GBSDx6Asyp4s2v26GhNUvDRomJkJqOupDZVN-JG6UoMX_LeT6Z4c3W_i7t0y1kwfK0Qar6wJ89-4NA2IysFhjXir7nnb2Udz7oPhFJoX5/s1600/IMG_6768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-FbrTb5IItvlRH1e13Q_vly8mj2pT6swAV3GBSDx6Asyp4s2v26GhNUvDRomJkJqOupDZVN-JG6UoMX_LeT6Z4c3W_i7t0y1kwfK0Qar6wJ89-4NA2IysFhjXir7nnb2Udz7oPhFJoX5/s320/IMG_6768.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUBZpGGOYWbu1N39ov-xg5dj0AmfeKBe-q7huXOHrRgVLXyrVttDAtK7hJlvC6629Slm1KxQj0lR770xIELJxhjeARAUQv-bIml4MfoHScUCBYKxiS93KgrJZo3_0n4rFAL4yPjLIC61m/s1600/IMG_6763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUBZpGGOYWbu1N39ov-xg5dj0AmfeKBe-q7huXOHrRgVLXyrVttDAtK7hJlvC6629Slm1KxQj0lR770xIELJxhjeARAUQv-bIml4MfoHScUCBYKxiS93KgrJZo3_0n4rFAL4yPjLIC61m/s320/IMG_6763.JPG" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidUBZpGGOYWbu1N39ov-xg5dj0AmfeKBe-q7huXOHrRgVLXyrVttDAtK7hJlvC6629Slm1KxQj0lR770xIELJxhjeARAUQv-bIml4MfoHScUCBYKxiS93KgrJZo3_0n4rFAL4yPjLIC61m/s1600/IMG_6763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRjPGPCuMRI35HDjBlHqyYDvAghtGNSIbZ2Rp3Q0HlGdMUquUo__tpjwI7Qlrm6fe4vAYYHqNwPXpW1BonzjjdV_loU-MK58D2C9ZhQJlklFHyPz-wLdi0-8eKLajLNFkWjBxbkuycKea/s1600/IMG_6750.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaR8oNXHfJpM0cdaL_6SQvSEd49T4iImdS8eWHqEuoLrtoF16VDA-3p-mcs7C_dlPQH9PPbSx3TUwa2p1UwyI28Dm-D33oxxlEjC2vuGxugXz1TdkQQkbcGGmXtBufVvFDzf8YjaWEdt9/s1600/IMG_6754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpaR8oNXHfJpM0cdaL_6SQvSEd49T4iImdS8eWHqEuoLrtoF16VDA-3p-mcs7C_dlPQH9PPbSx3TUwa2p1UwyI28Dm-D33oxxlEjC2vuGxugXz1TdkQQkbcGGmXtBufVvFDzf8YjaWEdt9/s400/IMG_6754.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI50-UU9bcBbNrmzQSRLRoDmmY_R25A1U2_5Ove_cyPQGaaSFaibYRoSX8fOHnOWRHqiAjfStrd-FLwgJky2TlpS5DDNfpeFjw1i1DP9Ubhq6SIqdQHqdfEAxoqEoMQ9f1DmC4VqgI8wu/s1600/IMG_6773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI50-UU9bcBbNrmzQSRLRoDmmY_R25A1U2_5Ove_cyPQGaaSFaibYRoSX8fOHnOWRHqiAjfStrd-FLwgJky2TlpS5DDNfpeFjw1i1DP9Ubhq6SIqdQHqdfEAxoqEoMQ9f1DmC4VqgI8wu/s400/IMG_6773.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Summit:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We arrived at the summit at 2:30pm just as a storm started sending light snow and rain down to us. We decided it was wise not to spend much time, so we quickly headed down the class 3 ridge with our climbing shoes.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizolliZd1JPdEvYt3SRPQ_s59SC0_B5cvolJulaLIWVZ4P-y6Dj5xXRbuB2mh3L6OoOHe9Oq6Pl5mIXEyEa5-gygWSsMfQ4InP5rZ8v6ptJvt9xMvFMv2SHXckHWF-bpEJcNVY4sLkxB1p/s1600/IMG_6787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizolliZd1JPdEvYt3SRPQ_s59SC0_B5cvolJulaLIWVZ4P-y6Dj5xXRbuB2mh3L6OoOHe9Oq6Pl5mIXEyEa5-gygWSsMfQ4InP5rZ8v6ptJvt9xMvFMv2SHXckHWF-bpEJcNVY4sLkxB1p/s320/IMG_6787.JPG" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMx7y6sg2spy8NL15EcdG-vOwoyUNHrje20fqY4alTdTk9MZ1yQDpC6ibmdi2KXmr8b4PuGehJgW4vZVxDy6BpJ-nfyEfqtXFehyphenhyphenbPcBI9RC_lZRAiajeqXvhg-UD6d8KnLtaMXmu3HEQU/s1600/IMG_6784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMx7y6sg2spy8NL15EcdG-vOwoyUNHrje20fqY4alTdTk9MZ1yQDpC6ibmdi2KXmr8b4PuGehJgW4vZVxDy6BpJ-nfyEfqtXFehyphenhyphenbPcBI9RC_lZRAiajeqXvhg-UD6d8KnLtaMXmu3HEQU/s320/IMG_6784.JPG" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnUlGcH2ZtqF7QKc-Mng3DyLi5xnWOCIB-687AMpq2F7RK-YlmSn-5_4CDMsCba6ndfqQu9JHDHUYZmHUxk_AwBqbU-yeEznTEcRi9Ejw3nUZC_sJK8AQemXAFbyNVtMjB1uWDcpJyNRt/s1600/IMG_6785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnUlGcH2ZtqF7QKc-Mng3DyLi5xnWOCIB-687AMpq2F7RK-YlmSn-5_4CDMsCba6ndfqQu9JHDHUYZmHUxk_AwBqbU-yeEznTEcRi9Ejw3nUZC_sJK8AQemXAFbyNVtMjB1uWDcpJyNRt/s320/IMG_6785.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzoFVeNLIS2jKLctzdvlRgda2uj4cwK7wXxakzYPOKbxrGOBTJD0pzcZf-ykO3Ui4l48OzLzzwUQDOFderADQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Hike Down:</span></b><br />
We followed the ridge, skated down some scree and partially speed hiked/ran down the trail, so we could make it back in time for Burgers!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUr4qXmI11VjnSDUVI-_mQvP_UYQrSYXvEuEsNUydwyDAmWD7gw-91U5_L93z50HqOZBn6p5GJjkFlx8OVG185Q5owUaewkXJgNveIpWnhMaAmDNL8mXUI_soqMR24RVSH6X3gF18qU3NC/s1600/IMG_6790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUr4qXmI11VjnSDUVI-_mQvP_UYQrSYXvEuEsNUydwyDAmWD7gw-91U5_L93z50HqOZBn6p5GJjkFlx8OVG185Q5owUaewkXJgNveIpWnhMaAmDNL8mXUI_soqMR24RVSH6X3gF18qU3NC/s320/IMG_6790.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumAxUwh8xqORegWmT8iq7tLL-D9svJtbzjryQBBE5bp3DZzXhOmtKqJKOoWGPdCOnNIj-7nNp17cQl0rxCauBrLCgEfNVOJYHs0lhsg_rxsTTnuc-0q6g_mv4awuFqY8Q6okNXRjhFw8u/s1600/IMG_6735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiumAxUwh8xqORegWmT8iq7tLL-D9svJtbzjryQBBE5bp3DZzXhOmtKqJKOoWGPdCOnNIj-7nNp17cQl0rxCauBrLCgEfNVOJYHs0lhsg_rxsTTnuc-0q6g_mv4awuFqY8Q6okNXRjhFw8u/s320/IMG_6735.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEHJU4VPbloMVp_-CPfYcELgjD9yuaSKkvUvZoqU48JrCwBXI7TQAoiEeMhImiS5A6BP1qNWA2gjjD8P4QiZTLYJNXgk1ucXzUJiiUT5mlThyS6dV5wEuMXHEIPbVhHOyGw6nLuLZXrlc/s1600/IMG_6798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYEHJU4VPbloMVp_-CPfYcELgjD9yuaSKkvUvZoqU48JrCwBXI7TQAoiEeMhImiS5A6BP1qNWA2gjjD8P4QiZTLYJNXgk1ucXzUJiiUT5mlThyS6dV5wEuMXHEIPbVhHOyGw6nLuLZXrlc/s320/IMG_6798.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aauNx_DzU3o_qNwAyro0Y2yv1kam-bwqNHZm3oMu537VKLLtoDEMSTMQeKKWwh3MNiq1vFyqw2DJlXNL5l_2aEBZoA-6XgxXCavqagdhz2JesG2mYF1ttoroPtY0wBaDPk9qhdvbxzix/s1600/IMG_4696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3aauNx_DzU3o_qNwAyro0Y2yv1kam-bwqNHZm3oMu537VKLLtoDEMSTMQeKKWwh3MNiq1vFyqw2DJlXNL5l_2aEBZoA-6XgxXCavqagdhz2JesG2mYF1ttoroPtY0wBaDPk9qhdvbxzix/s320/IMG_4696.JPG" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Conclusion:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxE0e7qK1gBmE48govgY7gOn4dBf1zQY8evuzAKBxy2xaWwdGR0e7gPodfQSUbwsq_nbzwPN45wnD77j_Fg2g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-75688889483164962932012-08-23T16:13:00.000-07:002012-12-27T09:07:12.240-08:00Huaraz in Summary 7-3-2012 to 8-23-2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="color: red;">Huaraz in Summary</b></div>
July 3rd 2012 to August 23rd 2012<br />
<br />
This has been such a meaningful trip in many ways. I fully imersed myself in the alpine world and was greated with much success and tragedy.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Week 1:</span></b><br />
This week was filled with altitude sickness, vommiting (me and cory) and contemplations of quiting mountaineering and sticking with climbing. I decided to hang in there knowing that<b> <span style="color: red;">patience is a virtue</span></b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYCVG8WpbQcR7pED7qlo6s_VQC6mhGZukAXcQ34YQ-TewIy5V14YObcpyztOZHX1hc6m4RfHsJzjxrCaz8zSL6B2xTbtakU3J7JkWUH1Aj-tqprVUBzCCUQVvBed74RHbuGbjRT0D78f1/s1600/IMG_3699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYCVG8WpbQcR7pED7qlo6s_VQC6mhGZukAXcQ34YQ-TewIy5V14YObcpyztOZHX1hc6m4RfHsJzjxrCaz8zSL6B2xTbtakU3J7JkWUH1Aj-tqprVUBzCCUQVvBed74RHbuGbjRT0D78f1/s200/IMG_3699.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pvww00Dx1iRc0DsUUcL8S_Cn-E025kbLdE2hEqfqKuniKnLg0HjFqjmhQFXGyUdhCZGJQWONfA2dLAIkiFs4Vlik57dlCiGfkH3w3DhNPWyq_AHNsJw8ki_OFor-eIAhG9Ba-jfYUC8M/s1600/080+-+Upset+Stomach+%281%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pvww00Dx1iRc0DsUUcL8S_Cn-E025kbLdE2hEqfqKuniKnLg0HjFqjmhQFXGyUdhCZGJQWONfA2dLAIkiFs4Vlik57dlCiGfkH3w3DhNPWyq_AHNsJw8ki_OFor-eIAhG9Ba-jfYUC8M/s200/080+-+Upset+Stomach+(1).jpg" height="200" width="156" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5eOorJjEPWVYDMrlzMR1Uwk-wQIOmyZXIj701BtNMXrmjIdDChcqGblGVoFuPssb9mGDdMWPBnXQq59rkZFyTocN0Gn1mQRLC2sFXFnKvatUxFxdQk8hKnGeKd9NM5fGagMck2QV22O2/s1600/IMG_3701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl5eOorJjEPWVYDMrlzMR1Uwk-wQIOmyZXIj701BtNMXrmjIdDChcqGblGVoFuPssb9mGDdMWPBnXQq59rkZFyTocN0Gn1mQRLC2sFXFnKvatUxFxdQk8hKnGeKd9NM5fGagMck2QV22O2/s200/IMG_3701.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Week 2:</span></b><br />
I patiently waited for Cory and Tony to return to town and Cory and I decided to take off to attempt Churup. It was a mixed route and looked really cool. Cory ended up very tired during the climb, so we bailed. <b><span style="color: red;">I was wondering if Alpine climbing was for me</span></b>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8msanJZ9x_FS6lzM7QdE1tQzRslCfq3tE6XyMdies2QPQRF-PoqTzeZy2xNFv3XAKEX2ZsbF0jBedflVIuVJr1Y-isnuRVfngwhv3JcXhQyzeTEgQ2LPEC9q_iAoj5fli4QWMHCK7wWZ/s1600/IMG_3765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8msanJZ9x_FS6lzM7QdE1tQzRslCfq3tE6XyMdies2QPQRF-PoqTzeZy2xNFv3XAKEX2ZsbF0jBedflVIuVJr1Y-isnuRVfngwhv3JcXhQyzeTEgQ2LPEC9q_iAoj5fli4QWMHCK7wWZ/s200/IMG_3765.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKtNFtxP3JcJlKB4_KxXHLsv5bQmpGVWKFFBmbrne-jTYyF6ScWbA4ZffjAhwB24GgTBvsdkh0awTAb8lfU0NCnquFCW2IAWk3gkZP7ouUe02V2mJNzy7qs_6WnlvN5T9InbTX7DBeYpZ/s1600/IMG_3850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHguwTIcwHZgQEeUMh4pP1j6TTikAkNvcrRxScxT4cvf1QlgjHspRjK1ue2Hhi-EJdulP9HMlQ2ocmXVQD3g654HmDtt3oXEhcd1sc8UjwOPthW2yk7UAVm4hPfVLUzg32t5ca0JUWvAZd/s1600/IMG_3852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHguwTIcwHZgQEeUMh4pP1j6TTikAkNvcrRxScxT4cvf1QlgjHspRjK1ue2Hhi-EJdulP9HMlQ2ocmXVQD3g654HmDtt3oXEhcd1sc8UjwOPthW2yk7UAVm4hPfVLUzg32t5ca0JUWvAZd/s200/IMG_3852.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKtNFtxP3JcJlKB4_KxXHLsv5bQmpGVWKFFBmbrne-jTYyF6ScWbA4ZffjAhwB24GgTBvsdkh0awTAb8lfU0NCnquFCW2IAWk3gkZP7ouUe02V2mJNzy7qs_6WnlvN5T9InbTX7DBeYpZ/s1600/IMG_3850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGKtNFtxP3JcJlKB4_KxXHLsv5bQmpGVWKFFBmbrne-jTYyF6ScWbA4ZffjAhwB24GgTBvsdkh0awTAb8lfU0NCnquFCW2IAWk3gkZP7ouUe02V2mJNzy7qs_6WnlvN5T9InbTX7DBeYpZ/s200/IMG_3850.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Week 2.5:</span></b>
<br />
This was a week of serendipity as I was about to throw in the towel and call it quicks on Huaraz, when we ran into Katty and Maria and decided to climb Huamasharaju. It was such an amazing time. We ended up <span style="color: red;"><b>opening a new route</b> </span>and I submited the information to the casa de guias. <br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpR1Ft2FnINMa2V9USWVai73j7FO5U4m9R2M7nzuEfsNuUAE_5_oP2I0Y9IqTpPAYOBpJfS3aafwoYH1kOFQOUViSABxobnR8h60iS3hBi9RTcSLDP7xWn3b02ZyPXD_D_v1zj5j8lQJo/s1600/purro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpR1Ft2FnINMa2V9USWVai73j7FO5U4m9R2M7nzuEfsNuUAE_5_oP2I0Y9IqTpPAYOBpJfS3aafwoYH1kOFQOUViSABxobnR8h60iS3hBi9RTcSLDP7xWn3b02ZyPXD_D_v1zj5j8lQJo/s200/purro.jpg" height="200" width="159" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvP_XyF-fy3etZcldvdWX2AXzYw0LA8hcymSaIUMVL8g747d3dk6lOyjVZsJyKYiybC8-KCoe-r8pMIbgX7W8PYxQYh6zVXVy1ZRCyYzYtGLNQcB4BEmXw6RYNkp7cpqxfUAj8mvUKFuF/s1600/IMG_4601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvP_XyF-fy3etZcldvdWX2AXzYw0LA8hcymSaIUMVL8g747d3dk6lOyjVZsJyKYiybC8-KCoe-r8pMIbgX7W8PYxQYh6zVXVy1ZRCyYzYtGLNQcB4BEmXw6RYNkp7cpqxfUAj8mvUKFuF/s200/IMG_4601.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPCYmfLDZSud08tEMo4Dr4ZN85WmLxjpo966wK9HXFh8VXpApHtkO2S-mzZshtxva2SUcxxGTWBRZzu53XlJTuhceKrwWqrleXY8YqlVZqd5CGWmilRnAmU-Dlbj1JVyDMGb26-9cBSB_/s1600/IMG_4600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPCYmfLDZSud08tEMo4Dr4ZN85WmLxjpo966wK9HXFh8VXpApHtkO2S-mzZshtxva2SUcxxGTWBRZzu53XlJTuhceKrwWqrleXY8YqlVZqd5CGWmilRnAmU-Dlbj1JVyDMGb26-9cBSB_/s200/IMG_4600.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Week 3:</span></b><br />
This week was dedicated to getting it done. Ranrapalca is 20,2017 feet. This was the first time that I <b><span style="color: red;">crossed the 20,000 foot barrier</span></b> climbing and did so via a technical route. Deep snow conditions after the technical section had turned back many parties, but because of our speed and timing, we hit the snow before the sun fully rose and were able to summit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswii_EVNX0OGFoQvg60LsI5blGdI2-_uQx1HyuvJ_df6bzpApzaEEHKIjANlPyMiWUHRIDVsTILt5mbUK7AP-2Ik8S68zdl46wpX0F64p496IkusmjH8mpMhJ6szdATDAH00r8qAD0htE/s1600/IMG_4011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswii_EVNX0OGFoQvg60LsI5blGdI2-_uQx1HyuvJ_df6bzpApzaEEHKIjANlPyMiWUHRIDVsTILt5mbUK7AP-2Ik8S68zdl46wpX0F64p496IkusmjH8mpMhJ6szdATDAH00r8qAD0htE/s200/IMG_4011.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNfmGfupIU9xcMCvTBhdtJiCfkEbc3pJQS7kZgH402ZnLr0OjTRcUe-Kzv2s8mc2gMv7qtnVDSSKWbzqS981mD4kyK1FuzI8SMGdg0lvw1XezFNL9ySU9NiIzshHDNx-Z1X1aSPrk20Xe/s1600/IMG_4051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNfmGfupIU9xcMCvTBhdtJiCfkEbc3pJQS7kZgH402ZnLr0OjTRcUe-Kzv2s8mc2gMv7qtnVDSSKWbzqS981mD4kyK1FuzI8SMGdg0lvw1XezFNL9ySU9NiIzshHDNx-Z1X1aSPrk20Xe/s200/IMG_4051.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswii_EVNX0OGFoQvg60LsI5blGdI2-_uQx1HyuvJ_df6bzpApzaEEHKIjANlPyMiWUHRIDVsTILt5mbUK7AP-2Ik8S68zdl46wpX0F64p496IkusmjH8mpMhJ6szdATDAH00r8qAD0htE/s1600/IMG_4011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgVotpm6c3zaoJROsIzxoeH8ALIviFLBSwQ33F90DiEwH7PpP33iEZH-w_oGh-hXl8Jj4ugFf23HBZNTvT6ueDl8cTpIudjNiHwCDTH1yW_NuDp4G9ib1Ti4UnBGNRhv0qYTbGNyn7qe6/s1600/p1040576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgVotpm6c3zaoJROsIzxoeH8ALIviFLBSwQ33F90DiEwH7PpP33iEZH-w_oGh-hXl8Jj4ugFf23HBZNTvT6ueDl8cTpIudjNiHwCDTH1yW_NuDp4G9ib1Ti4UnBGNRhv0qYTbGNyn7qe6/s200/p1040576.jpg" height="135" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red;">Week 4:</span></b><br />
This week was<b> <span style="color: red;">filled with tragedy</span></b> as Tony, Adam and I entered the Cojup Valley in search of the bodies of Ben Horne and Gill Weiss, two American climbers who were several days late from their climb. We supplied the primary rescue team, helped bring the bodies back safely and broke the events to Bens dad when he arrived in Huaraz. It was a powerful experience and one that I hope not to repeat.
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimz1qtheLk03R5E58h3np_KGTez0Bwgg0CaKUIYgwpq7x7KQhtYa7NNJ4dgUSCgAonNXAf1M97acAvRmol0KlSGRl11gufI0O_UowkUT0i31YabC825-hfjY-7Jwrg6qCPsFSZO9PFhX94/s1600/229105_4557882789475_1137323891_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimz1qtheLk03R5E58h3np_KGTez0Bwgg0CaKUIYgwpq7x7KQhtYa7NNJ4dgUSCgAonNXAf1M97acAvRmol0KlSGRl11gufI0O_UowkUT0i31YabC825-hfjY-7Jwrg6qCPsFSZO9PFhX94/s200/229105_4557882789475_1137323891_n%255B1%255D.jpg" height="159" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKA5zttZ2D6gvkiVt6lBsGev27b230XD8ov1P0wkL0Mozg2gA84T_4BWDYgMOD77l4bHPmNGoVUCRh2CzlLdeb7NYjtvw_9lQbMqHTxCrRHlsNZvdC7LQRNr5qEttwGCd8M6MQN_31iRv/s1600/20120727_125637_Peru%2520Missing%2520Climbers_Seba(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKA5zttZ2D6gvkiVt6lBsGev27b230XD8ov1P0wkL0Mozg2gA84T_4BWDYgMOD77l4bHPmNGoVUCRh2CzlLdeb7NYjtvw_9lQbMqHTxCrRHlsNZvdC7LQRNr5qEttwGCd8M6MQN_31iRv/s200/20120727_125637_Peru%2520Missing%2520Climbers_Seba(1).jpg" height="144" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdh-TCHWfXY0lrnRzsxXScLVT-AiMFI6V6YJu5rWHwJRimz0RXQYIugUwdTQsx0HFLhSdOzvWOhs8rp8zutjSHtyLqDEwnCPG4QkPFhY_GlbHrmU4L-P9fQ5JwWDS-Tj7GdINC2OQ7e7V7/s1600/IMG_4118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdh-TCHWfXY0lrnRzsxXScLVT-AiMFI6V6YJu5rWHwJRimz0RXQYIugUwdTQsx0HFLhSdOzvWOhs8rp8zutjSHtyLqDEwnCPG4QkPFhY_GlbHrmU4L-P9fQ5JwWDS-Tj7GdINC2OQ7e7V7/s200/IMG_4118.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red;">Week 5:</span></b><br />
<span style="text-align: center;">I was mentally and physically destroyed. I realized that climbing is such a unique addiction. There is something to be said about sport where a single false move or misjudgment could lead to death. Everytime we go out to climb, we roll the dice. We assess the risk involved, draw upon our experiences but in the end life and death may be a simple matter of luck. Some climbers choose to embrace the modern ethics of climbing and rise up to the challenges of pushing limits and setting new routes. Some climbers embrace the social aspect of the sport and enjoy casual outings with friends on easy terrain. Some climbers lie in middle. The truth of the matter is this sport is dangerous and at whatever level you climb, there is always risk involved. Gil and Ben pushed the limits of climbing to the extreme. They embodied the mentality of fast and light and if something was too hard, you pulled harder. They served as an inspiration to all climbers at every ability level. <span style="color: red;"> </span></span><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">When I climb now, they climb with me</span></b><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">.</span> Their memory will live on and inspire even as their time on this earth has passed. I wanted to climb more...I wanted to climb La Esfinge. We started training at Hatun Machai and I was able to <span style="color: red;"><b>onsight two 11a sport climbs at 14,000 feet of altitude</b>.</span> No too bad for not climbing for 3 months. It was then time for La Esfinge...</span><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;">A 2,000 foot high grade V big wall at 17,470 feet going at 5.10R C1.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie07ef_7cCC2k2JC7T29Z14Ij7pJ7vqrL1vHStPSEVek50j7kenPQOmArXMJuvTmzRpZmfZTBzF1H8ShqXCKGDsT1V5_of93xEoebLrcJoOsjoO8tJ9zKxq6fLPcQ0EFXJ_Z6wCTNx63Kv/s1600/P8060147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie07ef_7cCC2k2JC7T29Z14Ij7pJ7vqrL1vHStPSEVek50j7kenPQOmArXMJuvTmzRpZmfZTBzF1H8ShqXCKGDsT1V5_of93xEoebLrcJoOsjoO8tJ9zKxq6fLPcQ0EFXJ_Z6wCTNx63Kv/s200/P8060147.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwfZhfLfFpg6iyi-nx9ayVtLtXZ8EQ4fRLarWFwSzYI5OjfsmgZdcfe71TqQrpHn00Lktzfy7zn0wrS5MCE-BpxtMgF_FHRPbVbtaj1EhEVcKfWojnhHFto9C-TOU8lxRY3NIejtLd3B1/s1600/IMG_4195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcwfZhfLfFpg6iyi-nx9ayVtLtXZ8EQ4fRLarWFwSzYI5OjfsmgZdcfe71TqQrpHn00Lktzfy7zn0wrS5MCE-BpxtMgF_FHRPbVbtaj1EhEVcKfWojnhHFto9C-TOU8lxRY3NIejtLd3B1/s200/IMG_4195.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9OD63LihBqH-SWBWBFhRw9YmqeoDvRZB3yRX1YM31hQDYdgjnnqP3j0XU912kPX8NA_1Lx-9-ZdewT7uKMeza2H2pnN3t5C86PsP5Y5nysxQ6HZoh2Yyq0nUpxLmjiX3JwEDriugPY9Y/s1600/DSC05199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9OD63LihBqH-SWBWBFhRw9YmqeoDvRZB3yRX1YM31hQDYdgjnnqP3j0XU912kPX8NA_1Lx-9-ZdewT7uKMeza2H2pnN3t5C86PsP5Y5nysxQ6HZoh2Yyq0nUpxLmjiX3JwEDriugPY9Y/s200/DSC05199.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a> <b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Week 6:</span></b>
<br />
I felt accomplished on rock after Huamashraju, Hatun Machai and La Esfinge - but I came to the Cordillera Blanca to test my skills as an alpinst. I wanted to climb the <span style="color: red;"><b>French Direct Route (D+) on Alpamayo at 19,511 feet</b>. </span> It was in great shape this season and we were both strong and acclimitized, so we felt like we had a good shot at the summit. It was <b><span style="color: red;">AWESOME!</span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCCZRWwj7pqpuPxdfSbv3-6SxnF8DXbwsDoXkaqsJH6m6k-npu4-UUvfOH1whWAJTum6vA93cyhe-1fGUdJkO9IXnfJHzTlr_NWWVzj6GS2KfJstzZ6JqqB9AfBhHXFimrS0R2CVkAZra/s1600/P8140044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCCZRWwj7pqpuPxdfSbv3-6SxnF8DXbwsDoXkaqsJH6m6k-npu4-UUvfOH1whWAJTum6vA93cyhe-1fGUdJkO9IXnfJHzTlr_NWWVzj6GS2KfJstzZ6JqqB9AfBhHXFimrS0R2CVkAZra/s200/P8140044.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Wo7zoEwMyD90CD32otyLD1zwj7iHAZcPRZEbCIoHGa28QctutCl8K1V0L0Ewyes9kglW7qU5tr_JApMHLyTSC7zWGel4dldO1zowqv4ClsIV50Gh-zuqXEzOMwFgjaaAFHbbEWOss-k4/s1600/IMG_4353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Wo7zoEwMyD90CD32otyLD1zwj7iHAZcPRZEbCIoHGa28QctutCl8K1V0L0Ewyes9kglW7qU5tr_JApMHLyTSC7zWGel4dldO1zowqv4ClsIV50Gh-zuqXEzOMwFgjaaAFHbbEWOss-k4/s200/IMG_4353.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="http://images.summitpost.org/original/340878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.summitpost.org/original/340878.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red;">Week 7:</span></b><br />
A few times a year I get the itch to solo something. It does not matter whether it is trekking, free solo rock climbing, or big wall soloing. What matters is that I get out there alone and I challenge myself. It is such a unique feeling that is hard to describe. I wanted to do something solo on this trip. I wasnt sure if I wanted to solo trek, rock climb or alpine climb. I first tried to climb RimaRima but it started to snow, so I bailed. I then set my sights on an <b><span style="color: red;">18,661 foot glaciated peak called Vallanaraju. I climbed it solo car to car in a day. </span></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UIeuBBnCzsf4WaFpjqh8AyXEjr1MeK-Na_prAjtVtl4l51c2PWzPu5Dvx6jcDrWzdjjoZbdbW822wCYPVvBftDnOtlsYnHvockYGAE0_KZPPmKWxa5W373VLpMGL7CP-KGQ0d2-xmkgQ/s1600/523458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rqRvyfZGOOnmlmDQHw-uhLa_f_1Fltkh8LJg15H_Z90S21YkeCC3EN8-RaJZIJ2whtkVTHq5QOO9JKoI_vAMeIWx-uvGzsm5jEZ2zJ20WOPCqFPKViMtIj8a_ODZPK23ToGy6CXI28Q0/s1600/IMG_4482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rqRvyfZGOOnmlmDQHw-uhLa_f_1Fltkh8LJg15H_Z90S21YkeCC3EN8-RaJZIJ2whtkVTHq5QOO9JKoI_vAMeIWx-uvGzsm5jEZ2zJ20WOPCqFPKViMtIj8a_ODZPK23ToGy6CXI28Q0/s200/IMG_4482.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcMgAesiGbjTiS9anwpdz0I1XsbZF3Zs4No7LmTrlCRnVSWkhEiQbqJ8ERL1ha7nbExR_8ARZLvcKqMhPDCgm1clUVWEq-WaOpoQO705sWTNd3cOWluMyoeU4TcKVvprdOmg0dwxV1bbM/s1600/IMG_4528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAcMgAesiGbjTiS9anwpdz0I1XsbZF3Zs4No7LmTrlCRnVSWkhEiQbqJ8ERL1ha7nbExR_8ARZLvcKqMhPDCgm1clUVWEq-WaOpoQO705sWTNd3cOWluMyoeU4TcKVvprdOmg0dwxV1bbM/s200/IMG_4528.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UIeuBBnCzsf4WaFpjqh8AyXEjr1MeK-Na_prAjtVtl4l51c2PWzPu5Dvx6jcDrWzdjjoZbdbW822wCYPVvBftDnOtlsYnHvockYGAE0_KZPPmKWxa5W373VLpMGL7CP-KGQ0d2-xmkgQ/s200/523458.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5rqRvyfZGOOnmlmDQHw-uhLa_f_1Fltkh8LJg15H_Z90S21YkeCC3EN8-RaJZIJ2whtkVTHq5QOO9JKoI_vAMeIWx-uvGzsm5jEZ2zJ20WOPCqFPKViMtIj8a_ODZPK23ToGy6CXI28Q0/s1600/IMG_4482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="color: red;"><b>Until next time...</b></span>Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-80518104934522626052012-08-22T09:44:00.002-07:002012-12-27T09:07:59.893-08:00Huaraz when not climbing 7-3 to 8-25-2012<b><span style="color: red;">What I do in Huaraz when I am not climbing</span></b><br />
July 3rd to August 25th<br />
<br />
There is more to Huaraz than just climbing. There are rest days that consist of playing around, relaxing and eating. I will be updating this page over the next two days.<br />
<br />
<div style="color: red; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Food and Drink:</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1MlqbmWxVYHE_xWNNLxDiQSFoAXmcAKnGMEt1IxM9IZ__6paygRAsXtCMneknW8MQGsJBJ57LnAx-vAK0C2v5fxOXC7MT_fCodQQZjp8cfTJ0hoTozFfMJoSYZs-yeDdEsn6DeUHOzrO/s1600/IMG_4539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1MlqbmWxVYHE_xWNNLxDiQSFoAXmcAKnGMEt1IxM9IZ__6paygRAsXtCMneknW8MQGsJBJ57LnAx-vAK0C2v5fxOXC7MT_fCodQQZjp8cfTJ0hoTozFfMJoSYZs-yeDdEsn6DeUHOzrO/s320/IMG_4539.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Best Yogart and Fruit breakfast for $1.50</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHUAstBqlpt5syON6lJvlfY4ybXw0gWDkrLB_I1eAjop34H8blAnBjD1BN_a0zk0hvkfZOzgHRcTW_MDCi33gmQRd3Zj3VpjhE8z78qQ4dygnB2PcqEpmh3xB5AeaFVFuu5M18lx3AZnN/s1600/IMG_4545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMHUAstBqlpt5syON6lJvlfY4ybXw0gWDkrLB_I1eAjop34H8blAnBjD1BN_a0zk0hvkfZOzgHRcTW_MDCi33gmQRd3Zj3VpjhE8z78qQ4dygnB2PcqEpmh3xB5AeaFVFuu5M18lx3AZnN/s320/IMG_4545.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Chancho</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwqEtnSon1dSLpgwUw2bBOw76p0kBgLbZgOwnqxSwUqXjrvaL3EEY1u9UI0LoNqjL0N3Z9iAbOzmZysUe-0tBKvxYg55GTHSuDWr3O-oUvERVYu01U-TV5BBocJi9cG8rQ4jEn0G1sntg/s1600/IMG_4546.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwqEtnSon1dSLpgwUw2bBOw76p0kBgLbZgOwnqxSwUqXjrvaL3EEY1u9UI0LoNqjL0N3Z9iAbOzmZysUe-0tBKvxYg55GTHSuDWr3O-oUvERVYu01U-TV5BBocJi9cG8rQ4jEn0G1sntg/s320/IMG_4546.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Pollo</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tWvoed2hEkTsJfy6DeC6YkRrgHaQCpRtfdCx2O2U4xq7EL87ctjhoB9MSLVBsAGS3xKfsLzmMXmGaTupB0LGkekq6zeTU7yDEZ9X2j_0_yX-hrNF7WF9EvZZatck3vXEaxaH4tJvz2JF/s1600/IMG_4548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3tWvoed2hEkTsJfy6DeC6YkRrgHaQCpRtfdCx2O2U4xq7EL87ctjhoB9MSLVBsAGS3xKfsLzmMXmGaTupB0LGkekq6zeTU7yDEZ9X2j_0_yX-hrNF7WF9EvZZatck3vXEaxaH4tJvz2JF/s320/IMG_4548.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cui</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUncIHWY8MVB8Ic2bJ6CkUyt8dn81tKRuSKkQIbGbnKiKGoEQvSJYpiPCYWcQbFcoaFPoapxAQrJActHhqZLa8zTlj-FCfy6TQzNP2YkXGOCHzgLsrSmhAT2mfIulaNjPNTCsUG3b6tbzg/s1600/IMG_4549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUncIHWY8MVB8Ic2bJ6CkUyt8dn81tKRuSKkQIbGbnKiKGoEQvSJYpiPCYWcQbFcoaFPoapxAQrJActHhqZLa8zTlj-FCfy6TQzNP2YkXGOCHzgLsrSmhAT2mfIulaNjPNTCsUG3b6tbzg/s320/IMG_4549.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Fruit Stands</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStNoP9E2BsTNuuzdU4-2qvcJQoOzecyjWcJjU8zZ06SjRv4qwM4_9kJ4f6EdUQlCgi2KPR4GHJ8mYZD0v8IwGa7sZApZrT0VvVVSubiQ7A9Tfm2ROf5vlMRGp-wl8VibV30OAzjuwR5DM/s1600/IMG_4550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStNoP9E2BsTNuuzdU4-2qvcJQoOzecyjWcJjU8zZ06SjRv4qwM4_9kJ4f6EdUQlCgi2KPR4GHJ8mYZD0v8IwGa7sZApZrT0VvVVSubiQ7A9Tfm2ROf5vlMRGp-wl8VibV30OAzjuwR5DM/s320/IMG_4550.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The best Jugaria - Notice all locals</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoY2hjCmHuhtzbAZo9Mm-zUwNpUS5eK6BmQh-yQ_Y5SmSb9ihH5Ci5KfW_0XRgPi8laohMmoaLEqYt47663xOznGwcGBmLoqdxxUzjA1wg1DKgU0zvtXjiclT9KDO0f73D5qLT4BeJol5/s1600/IMG_4434.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUoY2hjCmHuhtzbAZo9Mm-zUwNpUS5eK6BmQh-yQ_Y5SmSb9ihH5Ci5KfW_0XRgPi8laohMmoaLEqYt47663xOznGwcGBmLoqdxxUzjA1wg1DKgU0zvtXjiclT9KDO0f73D5qLT4BeJol5/s320/IMG_4434.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My "Usual" at Cafe Andino - No idea what is in the Salas but so good</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1iiAYL_rK5n7y6u6gjy3SAMLl0NwoHn9Wc_wLJDCLTOo88dR6UCCUotJNevpNJtOPWABHHEfDCWvDpkCAsXJY8-bZQ9I3wGZ5IUPYP882ygt-oHB_32lKyH1QK5thh_fCTlQG-zV1XjO/s1600/IMG_4448.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs1iiAYL_rK5n7y6u6gjy3SAMLl0NwoHn9Wc_wLJDCLTOo88dR6UCCUotJNevpNJtOPWABHHEfDCWvDpkCAsXJY8-bZQ9I3wGZ5IUPYP882ygt-oHB_32lKyH1QK5thh_fCTlQG-zV1XjO/s320/IMG_4448.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>One day at the hostel we made Ceviche and Tuna</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIipvHq8AUKS-_qY-BUcOiQz-8laWcsT0EmRG3Y1wAqiVs4A88GRdq470tNu6wwi2OjcZFD934NEuzY87uJ0RxG_9xZOXD_otkrUzbdb-VQ_jF7YPudeGIBpZNB6xkgKcwA3VSvvg3kHk4/s1600/IMG_4454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIipvHq8AUKS-_qY-BUcOiQz-8laWcsT0EmRG3Y1wAqiVs4A88GRdq470tNu6wwi2OjcZFD934NEuzY87uJ0RxG_9xZOXD_otkrUzbdb-VQ_jF7YPudeGIBpZNB6xkgKcwA3VSvvg3kHk4/s320/IMG_4454.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>All Done - So full</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IEFFICyKmtEGVorepEPqvqJVZ00QW-4lXQRPEof39g7tpMaLTGu1iWlHQ_ya4FaeY7FAnZBAAcJp4wqj3yXITYqFKcOJFA-o0aTc4wP5qrbIj1sdNmaVTMX6G7Wziera3gwbfIc21GvG/s1600/IMG_4570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IEFFICyKmtEGVorepEPqvqJVZ00QW-4lXQRPEof39g7tpMaLTGu1iWlHQ_ya4FaeY7FAnZBAAcJp4wqj3yXITYqFKcOJFA-o0aTc4wP5qrbIj1sdNmaVTMX6G7Wziera3gwbfIc21GvG/s320/IMG_4570.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I was trying to gain back the 10 pounds I lost, so this meant constant ice cream - Tri Color was the best flavor</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbNNkZ6WsFsAnzW2SLKtY4UpS3VblcK008yp6EqXTs4-7FW2NE6cSdxh9JkJQdjtFMjcRlqcn8gnEjobNmsUGUxyML7odR8SkSsII83_-S9KPkOQ_5fBR55S6B1EJoVHicfCpzYBKNpqN/s1600/IMG_4585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbNNkZ6WsFsAnzW2SLKtY4UpS3VblcK008yp6EqXTs4-7FW2NE6cSdxh9JkJQdjtFMjcRlqcn8gnEjobNmsUGUxyML7odR8SkSsII83_-S9KPkOQ_5fBR55S6B1EJoVHicfCpzYBKNpqN/s320/IMG_4585.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I went to almost every Chifa place I could find in search of the best Chaufa Con Pina</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcfaQE3aGBAw15sNb5mqDUHXg9vaJJeAhXw25wa28U3wuqyWFw6kMiwi_IaXMswLEqpUn-X33HUNe1PzgtCDnnoX-2v_6QO9-T_BDg-Bjs2ssDnfVYBAPSjbTYKtQ5BUYr35mqPsHqcPx/s1600/IMG_4584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcfaQE3aGBAw15sNb5mqDUHXg9vaJJeAhXw25wa28U3wuqyWFw6kMiwi_IaXMswLEqpUn-X33HUNe1PzgtCDnnoX-2v_6QO9-T_BDg-Bjs2ssDnfVYBAPSjbTYKtQ5BUYr35mqPsHqcPx/s320/IMG_4584.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Making Chaufa Con Pina</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcrw3KlBl9QwntYXrcUElrLOZvCZ0ba9y1JeHr3jlBVkBA7oyIImEZGlKhlb-AhZN23KrF9psqg6oIuAZayZA_XPevvzr84X4fS_agsKfyiPOsqdKuEoBmhKM1Sh7kukA75CyV_2BO86J/s1600/IMG_4581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcrw3KlBl9QwntYXrcUElrLOZvCZ0ba9y1JeHr3jlBVkBA7oyIImEZGlKhlb-AhZN23KrF9psqg6oIuAZayZA_XPevvzr84X4fS_agsKfyiPOsqdKuEoBmhKM1Sh7kukA75CyV_2BO86J/s320/IMG_4581.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Beer Made with Coca leaves</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4Fuf-de5IpJdwZpb9CJKFcLG6Tt4w_GJfnyPEcsXr9fbeImQaeeOTwPOab_KD0NfihqLpsISq1RXLDMe4mHAKYqe-fIpmHvf27_XrxPjpwyVJzg-B6QfE-bE5Lw7pfTKqXmQ7nR38LRh/s1600/IMG_4586.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4Fuf-de5IpJdwZpb9CJKFcLG6Tt4w_GJfnyPEcsXr9fbeImQaeeOTwPOab_KD0NfihqLpsISq1RXLDMe4mHAKYqe-fIpmHvf27_XrxPjpwyVJzg-B6QfE-bE5Lw7pfTKqXmQ7nR38LRh/s320/IMG_4586.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I was feeling bold towards the end of my trip and decided to try fresh squeezed orange juice on the street. 33 cents per cup. The problem is that they wash the glasses with dirty water - I may be paying for it on my trip back to Lima. At least the busses have bathrooms</b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIUeJrh_I4qKuX1HAKWhj0jmX3SK19jGTzOK046GaiYYElNXpi96Z8yzjM1k8tjmleWMOYdNnwdUn6ztNE0M_uyJzqTwp0mTLzHJoDYC4AtCnbfEjKjgHUoPuW7ZQWyr8L0nYytg2RFAV/s1600/IMG_4590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioIUeJrh_I4qKuX1HAKWhj0jmX3SK19jGTzOK046GaiYYElNXpi96Z8yzjM1k8tjmleWMOYdNnwdUn6ztNE0M_uyJzqTwp0mTLzHJoDYC4AtCnbfEjKjgHUoPuW7ZQWyr8L0nYytg2RFAV/s320/IMG_4590.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The Standard Fare at Cafe Andino - Aji De Gallina</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoHh1Eq4bhz2dqUN7B_hPt5dDfXALmkPa42n93Wu4sxqORzHR7JvxtQEj0T5bCeco0cXKKYVlMAFUfniOj49H7L7Lz_1E3fyg8Bd87eUMjl-yoMFgALF89kRggBiZy0wQI8xkRcl1pYVv/s1600/IMG_4592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYoHh1Eq4bhz2dqUN7B_hPt5dDfXALmkPa42n93Wu4sxqORzHR7JvxtQEj0T5bCeco0cXKKYVlMAFUfniOj49H7L7Lz_1E3fyg8Bd87eUMjl-yoMFgALF89kRggBiZy0wQI8xkRcl1pYVv/s320/IMG_4592.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSsA1n3UBfQA49GkSCvJ8rMFyUJepDSfemulUxTIon_LpOqFqJtGvjNEcY163dKKn3VUWC9NRSV0HLJrIOKjsuOYfh4nTAGBOfj_uKTBBBTAkS3PZnna5Bz16sKeMoG_eUFF6QXjz3Ldl/s1600/IMG_4617.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<b>My typical breakfast at Zarellas - Mexicana Burrito</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: red;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSsA1n3UBfQA49GkSCvJ8rMFyUJepDSfemulUxTIon_LpOqFqJtGvjNEcY163dKKn3VUWC9NRSV0HLJrIOKjsuOYfh4nTAGBOfj_uKTBBBTAkS3PZnna5Bz16sKeMoG_eUFF6QXjz3Ldl/s1600/IMG_4617.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSsA1n3UBfQA49GkSCvJ8rMFyUJepDSfemulUxTIon_LpOqFqJtGvjNEcY163dKKn3VUWC9NRSV0HLJrIOKjsuOYfh4nTAGBOfj_uKTBBBTAkS3PZnna5Bz16sKeMoG_eUFF6QXjz3Ldl/s320/IMG_4617.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Typical Ceviche with Maiz (corn) -Friday is the best day to get it because of the fresh fish delivery from the coast</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Hanging Out:</b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsox4q3mJ_6ks0gjv71YnSOSwLK6Q9xElVNwmFTe6PLMQEl1w2HXiWY4b2OhmSLvi1hIQP4kxYTbdVD7XnlPUqKPCFuCNT9QtCaaiqTamZohoW94yJBsvOZH34txbNUOftQQ7rO1LLJl21/s1600/IMG_4554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsox4q3mJ_6ks0gjv71YnSOSwLK6Q9xElVNwmFTe6PLMQEl1w2HXiWY4b2OhmSLvi1hIQP4kxYTbdVD7XnlPUqKPCFuCNT9QtCaaiqTamZohoW94yJBsvOZH34txbNUOftQQ7rO1LLJl21/s320/IMG_4554.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Internet in Huaraz in painfully slow...so it took three weeks, but I finally found a place I could upload photos and video (after converting to MP4) at a decent speed. The trick is find the place that the "gamers" go to as they have faster network connections</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVsLlwrktfmXtiiqjGrGvhob8MsLQ3ut0l71_HaIeHlWDglgp8g9kyPTRBn9aZWc_SkUzpU3AXM79daVPFV-f4LrzRzKazXJoRAgEpxPPTwV_5f83WjP9BYL1DfI_CQh9wTral5OvkQiU/s1600/IMG_4555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzVsLlwrktfmXtiiqjGrGvhob8MsLQ3ut0l71_HaIeHlWDglgp8g9kyPTRBn9aZWc_SkUzpU3AXM79daVPFV-f4LrzRzKazXJoRAgEpxPPTwV_5f83WjP9BYL1DfI_CQh9wTral5OvkQiU/s320/IMG_4555.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>After my long climbs, I would enjoy updating facebook status and my blog...it was a chance to unwind</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: white;">
Restuarants</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YUv7tBw6z5WSDvmn5pZAMVzkGOmr29mnZvi0z32L1IsJUuN9mb4PfjaxUbEEh_ccknPERYosaROZV5BkeePwYQvEPOU6-LYHZSXWIjbNX9dJynbYsluWbk6LbHG156ED1eewM7GCTDn4/s1600/IMG_4553.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-YUv7tBw6z5WSDvmn5pZAMVzkGOmr29mnZvi0z32L1IsJUuN9mb4PfjaxUbEEh_ccknPERYosaROZV5BkeePwYQvEPOU6-LYHZSXWIjbNX9dJynbYsluWbk6LbHG156ED1eewM7GCTDn4/s320/IMG_4553.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Every day I was in town..I tried to make my way to Cafe Andino to read a book, look at old clmibng magazeens and order a salad</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMOUr7GT2S5xCMk5eP7C22A7OL7GjtC-51tNKxh-igziHUixBb6bB9FExl52H8yQ9kl5UcYxkb-lz0V7tT5Hf8n9a7LPoRaQR7n-KryZlgvSFmNhlkcQmX39puK4p_Ys-AOjFvo0ATbF3/s1600/IMG_4557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMOUr7GT2S5xCMk5eP7C22A7OL7GjtC-51tNKxh-igziHUixBb6bB9FExl52H8yQ9kl5UcYxkb-lz0V7tT5Hf8n9a7LPoRaQR7n-KryZlgvSFmNhlkcQmX39puK4p_Ys-AOjFvo0ATbF3/s320/IMG_4557.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The view from my reading and eating post in Cafe Andino</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnFa0JD2rTf9DjzkpXNVAnUkcLYSHc_rnEM2-f1PHIpthsrYcBTIogXvihYV_dfnHDu_lQw5LbTSE4a-W8ISnvuj0Fn3GO1mINRLfznvuMcaD6cSSYtL44RkWQ7NQtp3PxgDUNezs7-2r/s1600/IMG_4559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnFa0JD2rTf9DjzkpXNVAnUkcLYSHc_rnEM2-f1PHIpthsrYcBTIogXvihYV_dfnHDu_lQw5LbTSE4a-W8ISnvuj0Fn3GO1mINRLfznvuMcaD6cSSYtL44RkWQ7NQtp3PxgDUNezs7-2r/s320/IMG_4559.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Inside Cafe Andino</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvQeIb2GIWYTaIm5JXh6j16TRZU_eSOcyqthPV54UIkoj5pP3t8zPBs_gJcUG2bYlfNwhrqTkdRyPG1y9EcSt7PkWLAKgOF2Hc3ONLluP6nI1WI0BS0UAhTs4p9XJh5mHqgwogKv5MdYg/s1600/IMG_4562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvQeIb2GIWYTaIm5JXh6j16TRZU_eSOcyqthPV54UIkoj5pP3t8zPBs_gJcUG2bYlfNwhrqTkdRyPG1y9EcSt7PkWLAKgOF2Hc3ONLluP6nI1WI0BS0UAhTs4p9XJh5mHqgwogKv5MdYg/s320/IMG_4562.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="color: white; text-align: center;"><b>The second best Chifa Place. One night after a climb, I gave all of the staff shots of shitty alcohaul. They were really nice to me after that</b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPbQBvufuwr76oR9Q-ts4iumOJ3FdrXRwic5QOWXHoXB4xCtniCKIGMcfmzsMNH9f7QuCjmw9iSZ_IJqkQpxJlkOlTkqLn3rbIq5w02Xlgk9yogdXDohx0PUjRuANjCe7e00585TE3lE9/s1600/IMG_4565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioPbQBvufuwr76oR9Q-ts4iumOJ3FdrXRwic5QOWXHoXB4xCtniCKIGMcfmzsMNH9f7QuCjmw9iSZ_IJqkQpxJlkOlTkqLn3rbIq5w02Xlgk9yogdXDohx0PUjRuANjCe7e00585TE3lE9/s320/IMG_4565.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The square where I did my fancy eating. El Horno had great pizza although a little pricey - 21 soles per pizza.</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqq9Io_U0I2Wow-CR0wAJqdeoC_7jZODtIzyJ3rgLiJLyB_q2wT6WAfiyAztSinC9sD4dMe5Fjxg3if8xhed8MvohLzdKCgXT2JXzX1vYaSL7B5aVb6Dv2Qol92YGEoOjdh1WndztIShwB/s1600/IMG_4571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqq9Io_U0I2Wow-CR0wAJqdeoC_7jZODtIzyJ3rgLiJLyB_q2wT6WAfiyAztSinC9sD4dMe5Fjxg3if8xhed8MvohLzdKCgXT2JXzX1vYaSL7B5aVb6Dv2Qol92YGEoOjdh1WndztIShwB/s320/IMG_4571.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Inside the most convenient but worst service Chifa place ever. At least here you dont have to tip. It was next to Zarelas. I must have eaten here 10-15 times, no joke. 8 Soles for a dish</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: red; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKr0Zi7WPjjFarBvtyCsAZzWdfGmlpqE8nU8iwRnBxTi6AhsjEVwIxQ4yFDMFuCBcrA3-wwDjOuxPnP7Lwl_WuYF5Xp9YY4OQH9EdxQX2XOk98b8V5_nvLPm8zJOCJPqiZivcV3OqcfUw/s1600/IMG_4603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOKr0Zi7WPjjFarBvtyCsAZzWdfGmlpqE8nU8iwRnBxTi6AhsjEVwIxQ4yFDMFuCBcrA3-wwDjOuxPnP7Lwl_WuYF5Xp9YY4OQH9EdxQX2XOk98b8V5_nvLPm8zJOCJPqiZivcV3OqcfUw/s320/IMG_4603.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: white;"><b>Dinner at the Israeli House</b> </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: red; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlVRQTFhx4BJKyb9Kl0MaNGJl6qzvDLSfpxNW-4zknwYJ7RPpLk2AXiqJuWfYnHgQy6UpuVD_6twzXGXAKANh0crPvV9kt0gMa4DAeXtxycKshd3Eqm31thKSJFlS56QY5_ABizwQO-qN/s1600/IMG_4611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAlVRQTFhx4BJKyb9Kl0MaNGJl6qzvDLSfpxNW-4zknwYJ7RPpLk2AXiqJuWfYnHgQy6UpuVD_6twzXGXAKANh0crPvV9kt0gMa4DAeXtxycKshd3Eqm31thKSJFlS56QY5_ABizwQO-qN/s320/IMG_4611.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;">Dinner at the Israeli House</span></b>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: red; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJifZS59EVpsBBbL-_F9Wgipr-3ntw39v5e_xDsbIbFysHmbAuq4YmGg0eW8abWk3yS0izqbXtwMZLY3EDPjALkHy00kmekZJq0-pSqPh5jFrASBf2U6m93MB2japFLghNxzngEMCCfxK/s1600/IMG_4608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJifZS59EVpsBBbL-_F9Wgipr-3ntw39v5e_xDsbIbFysHmbAuq4YmGg0eW8abWk3yS0izqbXtwMZLY3EDPjALkHy00kmekZJq0-pSqPh5jFrASBf2U6m93MB2japFLghNxzngEMCCfxK/s320/IMG_4608.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: white;">With Guy at the Israeli House. We met on the bus to Huaraz and he invited me in. It felt like family. Although I do not speak Hebrew.</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><b>Goofing Around:</b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cyajdDucc_bztEO-dEe6_csC5iFlBcAEaCs2tq2cNkVhmol9IjceJmcbSBh9ydZ2CQFZa7_7ZJb7UOuG0dhQMA4JydeReBl1pquxl719AtNgv_fpfgjCTtONzUFOgEtSyXalzFXNA2WP/s1600/IMG_3884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cyajdDucc_bztEO-dEe6_csC5iFlBcAEaCs2tq2cNkVhmol9IjceJmcbSBh9ydZ2CQFZa7_7ZJb7UOuG0dhQMA4JydeReBl1pquxl719AtNgv_fpfgjCTtONzUFOgEtSyXalzFXNA2WP/s320/IMG_3884.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Cory and Tony warming in the thermal caves of Chancos</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTQIMJBdJgnwyGVP_7SdgWKgnv7vROnEHyWQ7fPezkLXpb6u6r-KnsZzUGGVd3k3oPdwDN6hNBN43G7K_vNyt_n2IrpAl60AK_9FVF8mIpTtq1Bs2iWE7HGJ3Fx-B9bpC7lpfW1E_yrjG/s1600/IMG_4408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTQIMJBdJgnwyGVP_7SdgWKgnv7vROnEHyWQ7fPezkLXpb6u6r-KnsZzUGGVd3k3oPdwDN6hNBN43G7K_vNyt_n2IrpAl60AK_9FVF8mIpTtq1Bs2iWE7HGJ3Fx-B9bpC7lpfW1E_yrjG/s320/IMG_4408.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Letting out beards grow out in the mountains</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="color: white; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mMDHR6ASaS1Lq-512R66us_7s02dt-HtBhOpxsvzY2LRNnYuFzAeKAOd3UiBm-BzFh8I4gLxOAwpi3HmRl0LLbBcfMz6wIMN3dEgutj3QnaLnnHHQvT7tjxeoGV44t0aiLv1C5v1pKOV/s1600/IMG_4423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1mMDHR6ASaS1Lq-512R66us_7s02dt-HtBhOpxsvzY2LRNnYuFzAeKAOd3UiBm-BzFh8I4gLxOAwpi3HmRl0LLbBcfMz6wIMN3dEgutj3QnaLnnHHQvT7tjxeoGV44t0aiLv1C5v1pKOV/s320/IMG_4423.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>I decided to leave a mustache - temporarily</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="color: red; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC46Ac3hef0g0DYFIbhE65Jg6e_0aGv4c-4ZFv0r_oavxK_iSkRUE-T81cha9YXwcow9NFJX-XNbDcjoAArHY7TskeBMixkpDsgdn5eq8ZEJ-midTvbMY-mdu4BVgU2gTVUlKFqqamCyW/s1600/IMG_3778.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC46Ac3hef0g0DYFIbhE65Jg6e_0aGv4c-4ZFv0r_oavxK_iSkRUE-T81cha9YXwcow9NFJX-XNbDcjoAArHY7TskeBMixkpDsgdn5eq8ZEJ-midTvbMY-mdu4BVgU2gTVUlKFqqamCyW/s320/IMG_3778.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Big Family Meal at Mary´s</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35FscIpe9hJ_3h12I2e2BmhyphenhyphenbyoTkNwozYNRaIvW9f8O1xkQq4RSUDZ21T79-9cK949i2JNjyUkPW4H_5ugGplsu6Ico44k9gvO5vfPiuS854OGJvrjwMOGhMXPqOVnpBcwRvsNmv3HaM/s1600/IMG_3775.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35FscIpe9hJ_3h12I2e2BmhyphenhyphenbyoTkNwozYNRaIvW9f8O1xkQq4RSUDZ21T79-9cK949i2JNjyUkPW4H_5ugGplsu6Ico44k9gvO5vfPiuS854OGJvrjwMOGhMXPqOVnpBcwRvsNmv3HaM/s320/IMG_3775.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: white;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Opening some wine to relax with</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Interesting Differences: </b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdVUuOxI83b1JR8QNVsYH6D0Xe3_-7K54uJHv-3QMTCD0tbGYm64f-Uq0qa_9GJzht_78OviwFa4z8iXcm_5cjFDHX3MvXTMuaNR27_mxL5HmiRM8ExEv5xDaF7sRxm-WN3qqYFbZUPpZ/s1600/IMG_4556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdVUuOxI83b1JR8QNVsYH6D0Xe3_-7K54uJHv-3QMTCD0tbGYm64f-Uq0qa_9GJzht_78OviwFa4z8iXcm_5cjFDHX3MvXTMuaNR27_mxL5HmiRM8ExEv5xDaF7sRxm-WN3qqYFbZUPpZ/s320/IMG_4556.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>You can only pull out 100 sole (38$) bills from the ATM. These are useless in Hauraz as their value is too strong, so they must be changed at the bank, which is takes 5-20 minutes wating in line</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HaYlxrnstgj7LAE5J7eqorp-K1x5HYuPuL5JDExHIzMufjD2sfp5O-DTdKPNEukZdUO1kTPrW96zyH76zkQbRE1RPzoPCOFs9VWf7b1YQIj0qLs2KC_9PCTgpNzuxS5fzs292UuMuSFa/s1600/IMG_4560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HaYlxrnstgj7LAE5J7eqorp-K1x5HYuPuL5JDExHIzMufjD2sfp5O-DTdKPNEukZdUO1kTPrW96zyH76zkQbRE1RPzoPCOFs9VWf7b1YQIj0qLs2KC_9PCTgpNzuxS5fzs292UuMuSFa/s320/IMG_4560.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The sewage system is poor so all toilet paper goes in a waste bin near the toilet</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVwHNKEDYq3790Fzc_fQ4Hti1q4XeiSBv3pYBqr31FvhybutZFEo8lTna8Ik2s83HFBuu_7gY0z9l4SQGxZlVz1tmlkfFG0A5Co3fUeGVnAcbzc3bpClxK47K0moCwgC77UqyNajV-NP7/s1600/IMG_4598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVwHNKEDYq3790Fzc_fQ4Hti1q4XeiSBv3pYBqr31FvhybutZFEo8lTna8Ik2s83HFBuu_7gY0z9l4SQGxZlVz1tmlkfFG0A5Co3fUeGVnAcbzc3bpClxK47K0moCwgC77UqyNajV-NP7/s320/IMG_4598.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>In Huaraz, they can make anything for you. They fixed my pants, sewed a stuff sack up and oh yeah...MADE ME A HAUL BAG for 30 bucks...really good quality</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7o6BERcTVwHoMU0wmBVChAkH-_I_WOdNR6c1Wv1oxbay9wozhAxRtG9wzZMqVQx_zC2WYInWeeRLFks07VzcBS6F6VWzddDWaRVlmRXOJo8s5n9SPiU5vCSrxM4BAgGz9ayhiw0rVFCAj/s1600/IMG_4599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7o6BERcTVwHoMU0wmBVChAkH-_I_WOdNR6c1Wv1oxbay9wozhAxRtG9wzZMqVQx_zC2WYInWeeRLFks07VzcBS6F6VWzddDWaRVlmRXOJo8s5n9SPiU5vCSrxM4BAgGz9ayhiw0rVFCAj/s320/IMG_4599.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Here is the haul bag..It is pretty sturdy</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1IWLTvSJY6fT3NlLL8LuNZpVwIQRdGsFUixZIXZNSXFP1IZzSGtQoFp-dwLWLgBYgj4jvs6oOJv80mMTyCTNcU9lS82zQB7tW_uKqg684KR2nnEO9vNy8xCaQK1QTAHDB164-Wn0ldc8/s1600/IMG_4582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1IWLTvSJY6fT3NlLL8LuNZpVwIQRdGsFUixZIXZNSXFP1IZzSGtQoFp-dwLWLgBYgj4jvs6oOJv80mMTyCTNcU9lS82zQB7tW_uKqg684KR2nnEO9vNy8xCaQK1QTAHDB164-Wn0ldc8/s320/IMG_4582.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A stray dog - one of hundreds</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7fYEjOKbapwUi1aVqcMsJr7oPBg6bdnc343644-f3VL9PRNVAUI1Z3OdcGVQknf2C66F9MJfCWDZLDPo4IZGzWslZns9oy5F489J_QVdp4ZLA1GlV6YUT2y-KuzrytpQhymDzkylaxYs/s1600/IMG_3878.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF7fYEjOKbapwUi1aVqcMsJr7oPBg6bdnc343644-f3VL9PRNVAUI1Z3OdcGVQknf2C66F9MJfCWDZLDPo4IZGzWslZns9oy5F489J_QVdp4ZLA1GlV6YUT2y-KuzrytpQhymDzkylaxYs/s320/IMG_3878.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Two dogs having sex - very common siting</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Where I Lived</span></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdmPVUrBkjlPxSvmAKZV15dBOZJoKx1OWpEiIsXM4icey_kV7zAr-adYz2qMBez0Q3jB5gKu8olEXIg_diHieAmVk_HljM-8P1wC7hd6N_bapPprPkO2d7Smdz0QEeDk19r7QSpQYnxKq/s1600/IMG_4573.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdmPVUrBkjlPxSvmAKZV15dBOZJoKx1OWpEiIsXM4icey_kV7zAr-adYz2qMBez0Q3jB5gKu8olEXIg_diHieAmVk_HljM-8P1wC7hd6N_bapPprPkO2d7Smdz0QEeDk19r7QSpQYnxKq/s320/IMG_4573.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>La Casa De Zarela</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qVz-PllfmEmKTkI6trbtSOO4mlnYZJAZqhN_Afi1PPJDV_pDNrdB9Ghgix5_wQW64XC3cJtiKzEoVxX2lLvI_LCnMT6adlNlcadZ5N9jenTGw-waZSuJdK31Mnwaye7KdvYTD3lHzrr1/s1600/IMG_4574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qVz-PllfmEmKTkI6trbtSOO4mlnYZJAZqhN_Afi1PPJDV_pDNrdB9Ghgix5_wQW64XC3cJtiKzEoVxX2lLvI_LCnMT6adlNlcadZ5N9jenTGw-waZSuJdK31Mnwaye7KdvYTD3lHzrr1/s320/IMG_4574.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Me and Zarela. She was an amazing host and friend - I am sure to stay there again my next visit</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsbJfbJQhmq8vXNiiFgP1OG0OeLfHJEceMPmeAyuf0op2WczNsLy9F_Zh75pLN_T6JL_FC7yfGRYbmTbhMugTdThlRE8NydN-C7YEi559yithRS47V-vJjyFggmrRNeUMqUOj6x1Iuplr/s1600/IMG_4575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLsbJfbJQhmq8vXNiiFgP1OG0OeLfHJEceMPmeAyuf0op2WczNsLy9F_Zh75pLN_T6JL_FC7yfGRYbmTbhMugTdThlRE8NydN-C7YEi559yithRS47V-vJjyFggmrRNeUMqUOj6x1Iuplr/s320/IMG_4575.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>The view from the top floor sundeck - where I spent a lot of my down time reading</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7P1Re1EzgaIlznhskaUaLyt9KwYD90ohp-pEYESjwMgxmvEYkeQduoPJSxiPUb9VjswCHVeZmHxKuEe3TUULsseY8Sr112NrkK91yS9F7pkFSTwgRIHioHxWJ_XvlnUP4IMczb1qzL-M/s1600/IMG_4576.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7P1Re1EzgaIlznhskaUaLyt9KwYD90ohp-pEYESjwMgxmvEYkeQduoPJSxiPUb9VjswCHVeZmHxKuEe3TUULsseY8Sr112NrkK91yS9F7pkFSTwgRIHioHxWJ_XvlnUP4IMczb1qzL-M/s320/IMG_4576.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>another view from the sundeck</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrG7zcpUtWkGZ-1QtCgd1g1a7VPgzTBUoV-slrH6ojVQ1AqBWGDBiZAQDNzFWvvAjYd_6iwPGqrI-SZ3rw65sDU10t9Um5tdP2l_EopawGSbBxcZiqbKm3sTYJEgr-NOJKsEA0XBZlXGXI/s1600/IMG_4577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrG7zcpUtWkGZ-1QtCgd1g1a7VPgzTBUoV-slrH6ojVQ1AqBWGDBiZAQDNzFWvvAjYd_6iwPGqrI-SZ3rw65sDU10t9Um5tdP2l_EopawGSbBxcZiqbKm3sTYJEgr-NOJKsEA0XBZlXGXI/s320/IMG_4577.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Upstairs "make your own breakfast" spot - Spent a lot of time up here with Catalons and Spainards </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o5ZQGTkp1VYdtYF0jTIgh_hvt2sUN3LlmYXR8TSwycliZ7sfYfUTj2Yb9mxOd8JjuvAf3GBXMS8p8uD4Z_GFWkeQMZyt3-ZTPeR5pu58z8N9qzYEz7ibsO-zSmDHuIJlvrBBPfsYjdmF/s1600/IMG_4578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o5ZQGTkp1VYdtYF0jTIgh_hvt2sUN3LlmYXR8TSwycliZ7sfYfUTj2Yb9mxOd8JjuvAf3GBXMS8p8uD4Z_GFWkeQMZyt3-ZTPeR5pu58z8N9qzYEz7ibsO-zSmDHuIJlvrBBPfsYjdmF/s320/IMG_4578.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Downsdtairs "Im lazy, can you make me breakfast spot" Really good food though </b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatPE8pM1BVOlpvf6UdLYigSf_5-UXyhsFa2pI50CYVw-yzsvFy6OIJ20sQjUBmR4gjTxOQywG9u1zhdi6sXsRkxMWkJb7hlhh6qjNATGhyphenhyphen4zxDxrSbxAfTJ10wRIMcieFSKHOyPgM970w/s1600/IMG_4579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatPE8pM1BVOlpvf6UdLYigSf_5-UXyhsFa2pI50CYVw-yzsvFy6OIJ20sQjUBmR4gjTxOQywG9u1zhdi6sXsRkxMWkJb7hlhh6qjNATGhyphenhyphen4zxDxrSbxAfTJ10wRIMcieFSKHOyPgM970w/s320/IMG_4579.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>My bed for 7 weeks</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlaV5Ef9TRFunGn4of76f-ZvHsl4CC9N-YbFPxfKYFgYSL8LiT767GoRt_mnjcYMAW-SisAvLIBSaPjMmUh5HVgmXMJjNFRkFxz6Rqae3vaLmLAqjHN4NX3i2IeOxd1ggTH_gFRxfEr-B/s1600/IMG_4591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNlaV5Ef9TRFunGn4of76f-ZvHsl4CC9N-YbFPxfKYFgYSL8LiT767GoRt_mnjcYMAW-SisAvLIBSaPjMmUh5HVgmXMJjNFRkFxz6Rqae3vaLmLAqjHN4NX3i2IeOxd1ggTH_gFRxfEr-B/s320/IMG_4591.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Laundry service 6 soles per kilo</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcDn6SBD9yS-Wr7qfZSbZUqcFjKs1YEKJP2oKNs1jm3cMqe3hcAVKvTWSUCJucau4skkqiGSYwsFAZdREvpRpa6pFAroFhYpFXR6K3ulZi3uUKs9fx2F5fIdYAfT7okg3btlxFpKcNHPW/s1600/IMG_4613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVcDn6SBD9yS-Wr7qfZSbZUqcFjKs1YEKJP2oKNs1jm3cMqe3hcAVKvTWSUCJucau4skkqiGSYwsFAZdREvpRpa6pFAroFhYpFXR6K3ulZi3uUKs9fx2F5fIdYAfT7okg3btlxFpKcNHPW/s320/IMG_4613.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1.5 soles per liter. This was eco friendly as i just filled my nalgene</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"> The Locals</span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PLZ86par1lOQ7O5VPK_amC9rl1pa3fJL1Y4N6mP3PqQXZait5WHJTw2HUl5J6nvbeUSHROKKKP0vozUqKQBnXJxiXBx-GeaDMKYSpKf-dF4RACKUnlYpMRt7mocxxv0I91GaxWY70Uw6/s1600/IMG_3686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3PLZ86par1lOQ7O5VPK_amC9rl1pa3fJL1Y4N6mP3PqQXZait5WHJTw2HUl5J6nvbeUSHROKKKP0vozUqKQBnXJxiXBx-GeaDMKYSpKf-dF4RACKUnlYpMRt7mocxxv0I91GaxWY70Uw6/s320/IMG_3686.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Local Quechuan Child guarding our bag</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ekW1Vl_P-M/UBld0VL6IpI/AAAAAAAACbI/vsFrN3n69zo/s1600/IMG_4133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ekW1Vl_P-M/UBld0VL6IpI/AAAAAAAACbI/vsFrN3n69zo/s320/IMG_4133.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Local Quechuan Woman sipping tea</b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35FscIpe9hJ_3h12I2e2BmhyphenhyphenbyoTkNwozYNRaIvW9f8O1xkQq4RSUDZ21T79-9cK949i2JNjyUkPW4H_5ugGplsu6Ico44k9gvO5vfPiuS854OGJvrjwMOGhMXPqOVnpBcwRvsNmv3HaM/s1600/IMG_3775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC46Ac3hef0g0DYFIbhE65Jg6e_0aGv4c-4ZFv0r_oavxK_iSkRUE-T81cha9YXwcow9NFJX-XNbDcjoAArHY7TskeBMixkpDsgdn5eq8ZEJ-midTvbMY-mdu4BVgU2gTVUlKFqqamCyW/s1600/IMG_3778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4Fuf-de5IpJdwZpb9CJKFcLG6Tt4w_GJfnyPEcsXr9fbeImQaeeOTwPOab_KD0NfihqLpsISq1RXLDMe4mHAKYqe-fIpmHvf27_XrxPjpwyVJzg-B6QfE-bE5Lw7pfTKqXmQ7nR38LRh/s1600/IMG_4586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-50941457427083661432012-08-21T16:49:00.004-07:002012-12-27T09:08:29.683-08:00Vallanaraju Solo In A Day 8-21-2012<b style="color: red;">Vallanaraju (18,693 feet) Solo In A Day</b><br />
August 21st 2012<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Background:</span></b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
A few times a year I get the itch to solo something. It does not matter whether it is trekking, free solo rock climbing, or big wall soloing. What matters is that I get out there alone and I challenge myself. It is such a unique feeling that is hard to describe. I wanted to do something solo on this trip. I wasnt sure if I wanted to solo trek, rock climb or alpine climb. Eventually I decided to solo rock - since I was most comfortable in the medium. </div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Failed Solo Attempt - Rima Rima</span></b><br />
The weather was terrible for 4 days straight...which conviently
coincided with my rest days. I decdied on the fifth day to give Rima
Rima a go. I had a beta photo and some information from friends who had climbed it that the ridge is class 4 and easy class 5. Perfect I
thought...not so perfect was the reality. I got rained off during the
approach and decided to turn around before reaching the ridge.<b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNE2s6dK4F5Lfwp_IlaZ6c3_1m-xs_Bi61LCdFpD1fEwviLw1vc09syd9nlhlS5UEcQFVODyJhzhp1c7hufm94gUAPiCPHcclKwkntT8ydK799BhyphenhyphenIBWRTQMGi1TubbCEtGJwlvA4baLh/s1600/IMG_4466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvNE2s6dK4F5Lfwp_IlaZ6c3_1m-xs_Bi61LCdFpD1fEwviLw1vc09syd9nlhlS5UEcQFVODyJhzhp1c7hufm94gUAPiCPHcclKwkntT8ydK799BhyphenhyphenIBWRTQMGi1TubbCEtGJwlvA4baLh/s320/IMG_4466.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PzJsW1QXZ78/UDQXzQNmYhI/AAAAAAAAC28/oDvZkVqrHh4/s1600/MVI_4470.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D0934773245abcc7c%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1348183992%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DA82421B98B9614B6A519D52A8C7B85B991D9F99.4E064E6F8472BB10A3D0949353AF9DBD1603E784%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D0934773245abcc7c%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1348183992%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DA82421B98B9614B6A519D52A8C7B85B991D9F99.4E064E6F8472BB10A3D0949353AF9DBD1603E784%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: red;">Turnaround Explanation</b></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Second Solo Attempt - </span></b><b style="color: red;">Vallanaraju: </b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
I thought about a different peaks to solo and Vallanaraju stood out in my mind. Even with poor weather I could still summit. The peak is beautiful, its a simple climb and it is close to town. I had never soloed a glaciated peak - and in all
honesty it is not a practice that I would wish to continue on a regular
basis - but i decided to go for it.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.summitpost.org/original/523458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.summitpost.org/original/523458.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo courtesy of summitpost</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">The Plan:</span></b><br />
I would go light and fast. I would bring a liter and a half of water, one axe, one pole, helmet, double boots, some goos/fruit cup/candy and warm clothes. I brought fried rice in the car for when I arrived back. I would leave from Huaraz at 1am, arrive at 2:30am and blast straight to the summit. This climb is usually done in two to three days, but I was fit and acclimitized and wanted to see how I would do.<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: red; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh316BsgY4ABJJ92pbeIEuhusubCL2ti8yUL_i16SDHxaoCTHHkZcNI3s3ocZw02h9tqoSrE0-AFRRSrUuuGIdrICHWnWKoVvoqFARLPIx05Bm-AVFfbZacdUW4MwfC1XKAEmN4q3oIXqDa/s1600/IMG_4528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh316BsgY4ABJJ92pbeIEuhusubCL2ti8yUL_i16SDHxaoCTHHkZcNI3s3ocZw02h9tqoSrE0-AFRRSrUuuGIdrICHWnWKoVvoqFARLPIx05Bm-AVFfbZacdUW4MwfC1XKAEmN4q3oIXqDa/s320/IMG_4528.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>The Approach:</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">I probably should have gotten some better beta for the climb, all I had was a sheet of paper that said "Go to hut...path hut to glacier 2 hours..or another path that crosses bridge...join glacier at a col and loop left." This beta is fine if you have mapped out the approach or seen it during the day. However, at night when everything is black, it is hard to distingiush even rock from snow at a distance. I lost about two hours and a lot of energy seaching at various sections for the trail. At least I got some extra exercise!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2m8ewixAFi4/UDQXJeOgRCI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/J4HFLUmhWsU/s1600/IMG_4535.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2m8ewixAFi4/UDQXJeOgRCI/AAAAAAAAC1Y/J4HFLUmhWsU/s320/IMG_4535.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">Poor Beta</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">The Start of the Climb:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: white;">As a result of the recent snowfall, there were no visable tracks on the glacier to start the climb. This is fine if you have a partner and are traveling roped, but no bueno if you are solo. I searched everywhere and I was about to turn around and head back to the taxi when I spotted some tracks up above. I then found some faint tracks at the start and I took off.</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-On5P0a309hY/UDQSvkyKhJI/AAAAAAAAC0A/glGUCMwAWog/s1600/IMG_4481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-On5P0a309hY/UDQSvkyKhJI/AAAAAAAAC0A/glGUCMwAWog/s320/IMG_4481.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">Spotting Tracks </span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: red;"></span><b><span style="color: red;"></span></b><b><span style="color: red;">The Climb:</span></b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
The climb was entirely tracked and super easy. I was blasting to the top and I think I was on snow just a little over two hours. I had made a mistake and had forgotten my sunglases (actually Tonys) so I improvised an eye covering with my baselayer to save my eyes from snow blindness. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcKd3UgyR50vF7y64YQrazcCaodPcypZai4Zx1kwT3X2wqLE9czn9cN4zqG_QO01TF2d-RvLOMV2crb5-4xEQQt3YadBYbjnpRbkV2Zuyhm066pfLtplykP-1xzmO1ISVFLmnrTiptu6t/s1600/IMG_4482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVcKd3UgyR50vF7y64YQrazcCaodPcypZai4Zx1kwT3X2wqLE9czn9cN4zqG_QO01TF2d-RvLOMV2crb5-4xEQQt3YadBYbjnpRbkV2Zuyhm066pfLtplykP-1xzmO1ISVFLmnrTiptu6t/s320/IMG_4482.JPG" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>I can totally see</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h6v4h3cFkKg/UDQUpb6Fe_I/AAAAAAAAC0s/NOdQE70_vKo/s1600/IMG_4492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h6v4h3cFkKg/UDQUpb6Fe_I/AAAAAAAAC0s/NOdQE70_vKo/s320/IMG_4492.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cool ice layers en roue to summit </span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0YzUrGBFfLA/UDQUAxxAzVI/AAAAAAAAC0c/WyxgD8MDynA/s1600/IMG_4491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0YzUrGBFfLA/UDQUAxxAzVI/AAAAAAAAC0c/WyxgD8MDynA/s1600/IMG_4491.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0YzUrGBFfLA/UDQUAxxAzVI/AAAAAAAAC0c/WyxgD8MDynA/s320/IMG_4491.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">Summit in View </span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOq1pPagKAE/UDQVARtr5hI/AAAAAAAAC00/PvMF1PWlhDI/s1600/IMG_4498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BOq1pPagKAE/UDQVARtr5hI/AAAAAAAAC00/PvMF1PWlhDI/s320/IMG_4498.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">Summit is Closer</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-59iVeSWKvb8/UDQXzpDIKKI/AAAAAAAAC2g/mQDX7VLYQ4o/s1600/MVI_4486.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D51c0f6a1e3f5362c%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1348184055%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D358139E85B5808565B92E6301CA74D6AB84B3453.213F163B4777F2EFF7603BC55D2BAC22EDCCCC97%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D51c0f6a1e3f5362c%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1348184055%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D358139E85B5808565B92E6301CA74D6AB84B3453.213F163B4777F2EFF7603BC55D2BAC22EDCCCC97%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"> <b style="color: red;">En Route</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Summit:</b></div>
I was the only one on the climb the entire day. I had the mountain to myself. The climb was easy, fun and rewarding. I enjoyed a fruit cup, some chocolate and some goo, then packed up to go down.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ezKztM0Ru0o/UDQXzoh2ayI/AAAAAAAAC3U/CYWzk9INoLY/s1600/MVI_4499.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dbbb722c0b586a03d%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1348184261%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D5AC1B88BF69FEB06CA815DB87C38C1D3087E4C14.6C40244E4DD0E7FA5FDF7F9F7E09CB2EA44DD000%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dbbb722c0b586a03d%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1348184261%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D5AC1B88BF69FEB06CA815DB87C38C1D3087E4C14.6C40244E4DD0E7FA5FDF7F9F7E09CB2EA44DD000%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Shots from the Top</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S9H_zTrkv7M/UDQWBk4j3PI/AAAAAAAAC1I/ia1Jpgeicgw/s1600/IMG_4507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S9H_zTrkv7M/UDQWBk4j3PI/AAAAAAAAC1I/ia1Jpgeicgw/s320/IMG_4507.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><b style="color: red;">Summit!</b></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9sbyJ2m6AO0/UDQVtaexToI/AAAAAAAAC1A/sO6raTLeYT4/s1600/IMG_4500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9sbyJ2m6AO0/UDQVtaexToI/AAAAAAAAC1A/sO6raTLeYT4/s320/IMG_4500.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><b style="color: red;">I was saving a fruit cup for this</b></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>The Descent:</b></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="color: white;">The descent started out well. I was blasting down the hill following Cairns (stacked rocks marking the way). All of a sudden they disapeared. Since I did the approach at night, I had no idea where I was. I decided to head down the gulley that I was in. What i should have done was stop and search for more Cairns. I descended 1,500 feet of mild to moderatly sketchy terrain. Wet 5.5 slabs and huge wheat plants covered in snow were my descent options. I thought that either way, the descent route would lead to the road and I could hike back up to the taxi. This was all fine and dandy until I reached a 400 foot cliff. Well, time to hike back up 1,500 feet of wet slabs and wheat plants. I hiked back up and found the trail. I was kinda upset at myself, so instead of hiking back to the taxi, I ran. </span><b><br /></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr style="color: black;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oT-tgCy2vuw/UDQXpUpHifI/AAAAAAAAC1s/5b2iNtlfCy0/s1600/IMG_4531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oT-tgCy2vuw/UDQXpUpHifI/AAAAAAAAC1s/5b2iNtlfCy0/s320/IMG_4531.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><b style="color: red;">What the true descent looked like </b></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ivtGT7q0rR4/UDQXc2X_EaI/AAAAAAAAC1g/muAoBpS9DpE/s1600/IMG_4529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ivtGT7q0rR4/UDQXc2X_EaI/AAAAAAAAC1g/muAoBpS9DpE/s320/IMG_4529.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><b style="color: red;">What the true descent looked like </b></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="color: red;">Discusion:</b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
The climb itself went great. There was basically a snow trail to the summit and all the crevases were clearly visable.<b> </b> Soloing glaciers should be donelate season on trade routes when they are all tracked out - it is safer. The approach and descent were pretty bad for me. They added about four hours total. In the future when I choose to climb alone, I will bring my GPS with the "track back" function in my bag just in case I need to retrace my descent. This could be especially useful in a whiteout. I will also try to get better beta - but hey...getting lost and finding your way is really part of the journey!</div>
<br />
<b style="color: red;">Conclusion: </b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
This was my last climb this season in Peru. Itwas a powerful trip filled with memories for a lifetime....</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-44255571822932719852012-08-16T09:59:00.002-07:002012-12-27T09:09:05.246-08:00Alpamayo French Direct 8-11 to 8-15-2012<b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;">Alpamayo French Direct</span> </span></b> <br />
August 11th to August 15th 2012<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Background:</span></b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
Climbing Alpamayo was the alpine goal of my trip. I had seen photos of Scott Swaney and Aysel Gezik on the route one year ago and I was instantly attracted. The climbing looked "bad-ass." It was such a beautiful line on such a beautiful mountain. So this year I decided to get more serious about ice climbing so that I could have a shot at climbing the route. I logged some milage at Lee Vining and in Ouray Colorado and I fine tuned my skills so that I would be confident leading ice at over 19,000 feet. I met Shawn Collins on this current trip in Peru who had climbed the route a month before me and his summit photo further inspired. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2DXqVurYs2BmC_AXBZmYUjSDnBe_CtB3zRKMfLktROiZNkIV6XrgjcbxedL0GlktEqQAZosAqA3esHJSPSEqj5crm1f4PLEx2JHwY4g1u5UrHsU83-Cb38o7UY3ZMD7rsrywb57CtgY0g/s1600/45046_462195607929_3628698_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudVhRXPQTBUFNbY7ba_ymQQ_SP-T-YImHSDT1fJ9RZs5xBeC1kyIvPJeD3GDOGjDOSoJfd2ElZoaYG7VLIJ7_48Q3TOsHVgECLwYoAYsXXCx0n8sSeoMcN9GLrMsNApUOGTx2ka6p2Vvf/s1600/40975_462195982929_4101697_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjudVhRXPQTBUFNbY7ba_ymQQ_SP-T-YImHSDT1fJ9RZs5xBeC1kyIvPJeD3GDOGjDOSoJfd2ElZoaYG7VLIJ7_48Q3TOsHVgECLwYoAYsXXCx0n8sSeoMcN9GLrMsNApUOGTx2ka6p2Vvf/s320/40975_462195982929_4101697_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbxSZSEcnr_VkcpIDUSN9OhrbAgcUgVX_rXQjbACTmgAcWBaPCm8g2a0f4q2TDwoaZStezELtkkr-hP7dqRZH9krdG-XTQdOnI7187eX67nhlo3U6KZ-MXVurQvHqV2jv0uDvJu0_fm6P/s1600/40350_462205667929_3656694_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbxSZSEcnr_VkcpIDUSN9OhrbAgcUgVX_rXQjbACTmgAcWBaPCm8g2a0f4q2TDwoaZStezELtkkr-hP7dqRZH9krdG-XTQdOnI7187eX67nhlo3U6KZ-MXVurQvHqV2jv0uDvJu0_fm6P/s320/40350_462205667929_3656694_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xmJkQDzBRc4sznfhjvr2vt6OF9-NpeFUG0yOzpQQXkiQ1ld7BtpLMcA9Np5syR4xpAtZ0iQimmMY4FtsrFFQjFD_b6i3iIx7RXJF42aiQmDJis0DXziMah6QcCKPmPBuD_cBPxjp19x_/s1600/396872_10151035706094621_1403215053_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9xmJkQDzBRc4sznfhjvr2vt6OF9-NpeFUG0yOzpQQXkiQ1ld7BtpLMcA9Np5syR4xpAtZ0iQimmMY4FtsrFFQjFD_b6i3iIx7RXJF42aiQmDJis0DXziMah6QcCKPmPBuD_cBPxjp19x_/s320/396872_10151035706094621_1403215053_n.jpg" height="320" width="314" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Route:</span></b><br />
We wanted to climb the French Direct Route (D+) on Alpamayo at 19,511 feet. It was in great shape this season and we were both strong and acclimitized, so we felt like we had a good shot at the summit. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.summitpost.org/original/340878.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.summitpost.org/original/340878.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Summitpost</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Plan:</span></b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
Roger and I decided that weather would be the determing factor of whether or not we would summit. It was later in the season and the crowds had diminshed, but the weather was becoming a little more unstable. We decicded if we packed into high camp with four days of food, we would wait out any weather and have the greatest chance of summiting. So we packed eight days of food and set off.</div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Approach:</span></b><br />
Alpamayo is not the easiest mountain to get to. We took "public
transportation" from Huaraz to Caraz and a private taxi to the Santa
Cruz Trailhead in Cashapampa. Total driving time was three hours - half
of which is on your standard Peruvian Alpine Road (nauseating dirt
trails winding up into the mountians). We hired two donkeys to take our
gear and food to Llama Coral for the first day (7 miles) and to base
camp (7 miles) the next day. The first two days of hiking were easy
trails and followed the popular Santa Cruz Trek. On day two we said
goodbye to the mules and loaded up our packs with five days of food and
hiked the heavy load up to the moraine camp.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7c9NlDWUHGg/UC5sW-72aWI/AAAAAAAACyM/e1GisMjShHI/s1600/P8110007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7c9NlDWUHGg/UC5sW-72aWI/AAAAAAAACyM/e1GisMjShHI/s320/P8110007.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Donkeys crossing the bridge </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dFRsWq4ZjNA/UC5sSww0lUI/AAAAAAAACx8/uadg_nN9Eu0/s1600/P8120010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dFRsWq4ZjNA/UC5sSww0lUI/AAAAAAAACx8/uadg_nN9Eu0/s320/P8120010.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Roger herding our two donkeys </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHJ0QYHA-x-olJXHg1VEfs_89_8IoE_khPL8Ug20rerZh_rz4auvAVJI_X0ZFFEfpr3wtMPYPjlXKKX0NPta3MZnQEA_7KXMPZ7XWL3JoyZlF4jNz04-4niENCVmjiJfeX9nwcWhWehH1/s1600/IMG_4300.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHJ0QYHA-x-olJXHg1VEfs_89_8IoE_khPL8Ug20rerZh_rz4auvAVJI_X0ZFFEfpr3wtMPYPjlXKKX0NPta3MZnQEA_7KXMPZ7XWL3JoyZlF4jNz04-4niENCVmjiJfeX9nwcWhWehH1/s320/IMG_4300.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Packing up our food </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Moraine Camp:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: white;">We hiked from base camp with our heavy loads up winding trail and talus to a beautiful moraine camp location. We set up our tent, had some dinner and got some good sleep, knowing that the next day would be a long one. </span></span><b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBzWM7_7ZuI/UC0L_CXzcDI/AAAAAAAACm0/nkn-EQzW2wE/s1600/IMG_4307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBzWM7_7ZuI/UC0L_CXzcDI/AAAAAAAACm0/nkn-EQzW2wE/s320/IMG_4307.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G0Scs-heuYI/UC0NKu_IU1I/AAAAAAAACnQ/sQ0EvOuood8/s1600/IMG_4302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G0Scs-heuYI/UC0NKu_IU1I/AAAAAAAACnQ/sQ0EvOuood8/s320/IMG_4302.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TgDarkiiruI/UC0ZEw6AkrI/AAAAAAAACuo/II4sfobGsmI/s1600/MVI_4301.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd68e1712246e705f%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347727684%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D324CC38E6F036240AE8108F035594C89601EE660.A949FF3739F47644F480B5B700AE258EDF892C1B%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd68e1712246e705f%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347727684%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D324CC38E6F036240AE8108F035594C89601EE660.A949FF3739F47644F480B5B700AE258EDF892C1B%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBzWM7_7ZuI/UC0L_CXzcDI/AAAAAAAACm0/nkn-EQzW2wE/s1600/IMG_4307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Moraine Camp to High Camp:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: white;">We got an early start the next morning and hiked to the base of the glacier. We roped up and winded through broken crevases to col that allowed us to access the southwest face of the mountain. Our bags were REALY heavy because of the additional food that we decided to take.</span></span><b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.summitpost.org/original/326577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://images.summitpost.org/original/326577.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy of Summitpost</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Pd1X_NybM1E/UC0ZE1GKUOI/AAAAAAAACtw/i0OuNDYcNyw/s1600/MVI_4312.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D18daf1367e40c655%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347727695%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DD9CF8A00F963450EC0FE6D89A04C0D2E96321EC9.B7FC39F7AE21FBB8AA881E060FE3949BCEA2E398%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D18daf1367e40c655%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347727695%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DD9CF8A00F963450EC0FE6D89A04C0D2E96321EC9.B7FC39F7AE21FBB8AA881E060FE3949BCEA2E398%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iRrHR1AjbeI/UC5sQ34gFjI/AAAAAAAACx0/Sxp-7lsCysg/s1600/P8130025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iRrHR1AjbeI/UC5sQ34gFjI/AAAAAAAACx0/Sxp-7lsCysg/s320/P8130025.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Approaching the Col </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tnhYBKE-vvE/UC0NhXttD5I/AAAAAAAACnY/2ybyQyDxkqc/s1600/IMG_4326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tnhYBKE-vvE/UC0NhXttD5I/AAAAAAAACnY/2ybyQyDxkqc/s320/IMG_4326.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">The final steep section over the Col</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jlK8OBo_y64/UC0ZFvkkDXI/AAAAAAAACuA/kSrw__EB66U/s1600/MVI_4327.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D4d75018a407ff90c%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347727759%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DB2C2B874F0547BAD3131F147B926FCB43A96D1FE.CD5285BE80AC13FC55838934DFDF6E00602999A9%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D4d75018a407ff90c%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347727759%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DB2C2B874F0547BAD3131F147B926FCB43A96D1FE.CD5285BE80AC13FC55838934DFDF6E00602999A9%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Making it over the Col </b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IO7BYg_4QkQ/UC0NpT2wbOI/AAAAAAAACng/cS-cH--4UMk/s1600/IMG_4336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IO7BYg_4QkQ/UC0NpT2wbOI/AAAAAAAACng/cS-cH--4UMk/s320/IMG_4336.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Arriving at High Camp</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>High Camp:</b></div>
<div style="color: white;">
We arrived at high camp and set up shop. We started brewing some hot water for tea and scoped the route. I started looking for our second gas cannister and asked Roger where it was. We had made a mistake and had not brought it. We only had 3/4 of a gas cannister. At this altitude it would last us a maximum of two days. Two days of fuel with four days of food meant that we only had two days that we could wait out weather. Luckilly Roger found another half empty fuel can that someone left on the mountain - so we were able to relax a bit more. However, I was not concerned - I had a feeling we would summit the next day and would not need any of the additional fuel.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y1aWo_tpOmQ/UC0OkadchjI/AAAAAAAACn4/dqcEt1pdNuE/s1600/IMG_4342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y1aWo_tpOmQ/UC0OkadchjI/AAAAAAAACn4/dqcEt1pdNuE/s320/IMG_4342.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">17,717 feet high camp </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7X9-PbrXKfA/UC0N5wVq9aI/AAAAAAAACno/ZIllz7B6QJE/s1600/IMG_4339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7X9-PbrXKfA/UC0N5wVq9aI/AAAAAAAACno/ZIllz7B6QJE/s320/IMG_4339.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">High Camp </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vYGtNcQ5VS0/UC0Rqu21FQI/AAAAAAAACpU/hYKCbdMjNSw/s1600/IMG_4392.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vYGtNcQ5VS0/UC0Rqu21FQI/AAAAAAAACpU/hYKCbdMjNSw/s320/IMG_4392.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">View from the tent </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-j5auzSisg84/UC0atVKo4mI/AAAAAAAACuY/DLlp9SWtjOw/s1600/MVI_4341.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D22ac1e8be9984f68%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347727777%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D74C5555F6BA15BA79EBF085C0C7CEC607DD13F77.29072E7C0B728808BB34DFB0845485E81A2C286B%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D22ac1e8be9984f68%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347727777%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D74C5555F6BA15BA79EBF085C0C7CEC607DD13F77.29072E7C0B728808BB34DFB0845485E81A2C286B%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;"> High Camp Relaxing</span></b></span></span><b style="color: red;"> </b></div>
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;">Leaving the Tent:</span></b></span></span><br />
We woke up at 1:30am and got geared up for the climb. I was optimistic as I heard no wind the entire night. There was some light snow fall on our tent, but the air was calm. At 2:30am, We hiked up moderate snow to the base of the bergschrund. A guide and his client (Peter) were on our tails. The guide had lied to us when he told us that he was leaving at 3am - we were not happy. This is a route that you want to be first on. If you are not first, there is a high likelyhood of being hit by ice missles from climbers above - especially if the client is an inexperienced climber. <br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Bergschrund </span></b></span></span><br />
We got to the bergchrund and played "Rock, Paper, Scissors" to see who would lead. Roger won and took the sharp end. When he got to the crux section, he placed a picket in soft snow and fooled around for about five minutes. He finally commited, pulled the difficult move onto the face and belayed me up. I later found out that the guide was scared to lead the section and waited for Roger to lead it then had Roger belay him past the section.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Jr1hBlNptu8/UC0bn7P-IOI/AAAAAAAACuU/SCRuvQBYTBw/s1600/MVI_4347.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd56a2402091430c8%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347728007%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D4E7254B45A52A4F15248B16E4034423A8E867D1E.56D3E35BED22637C8F4759E772B48A2E75CEDEFE%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dd56a2402091430c8%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347728007%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D4E7254B45A52A4F15248B16E4034423A8E867D1E.56D3E35BED22637C8F4759E772B48A2E75CEDEFE%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Climb: </span></b></span></span><br />
<div style="color: white;">
The climb was amazing. The ice was perfect and the setting was incredible. The coulds were below us as the sun rose and Roger and I were cruising. It wasnt until the last two pitches that the guide passed us using intermediate belays. It was at this point that Peter (who didnt know how to belay, how to hold an ice axe, or how to ice climb) was above us sending ice missles with every botched foot placement and heavy swing of the ice tool. This was not cool when you are leading and are 30 feet above a screw. Regardless of the ice debri, both Roger and I were able to lead our respective pitches comfortably. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m-8B3KrZlww/UC0OdY1GpvI/AAAAAAAACnw/DYrf4LJIF98/s1600/IMG_4348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-m-8B3KrZlww/UC0OdY1GpvI/AAAAAAAACnw/DYrf4LJIF98/s320/IMG_4348.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z-hs1WTA21A/UC0PvBmS7vI/AAAAAAAACoc/nIE5NazHKFg/s1600/IMG_4357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-z-hs1WTA21A/UC0PvBmS7vI/AAAAAAAACoc/nIE5NazHKFg/s320/IMG_4357.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BMPhbuivlC0/UC0O16uRtlI/AAAAAAAACoE/_A1dVsy27UU/s1600/IMG_4352.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BMPhbuivlC0/UC0O16uRtlI/AAAAAAAACoE/_A1dVsy27UU/s320/IMG_4352.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3FbgMLDgbM/UC0PZjm8n_I/AAAAAAAACoM/SJKLnqbi9Y8/s1600/IMG_4353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U3FbgMLDgbM/UC0PZjm8n_I/AAAAAAAACoM/SJKLnqbi9Y8/s320/IMG_4353.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HWhWVm1z8g4/UC0PtQZ4SAI/AAAAAAAACoU/T2PiCx61ks0/s1600/IMG_4363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HWhWVm1z8g4/UC0PtQZ4SAI/AAAAAAAACoU/T2PiCx61ks0/s320/IMG_4363.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5KTU9vkUtO8/UC0RJu4Rg5I/AAAAAAAACpA/9jNIeHvHxRg/s1600/IMG_4372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5KTU9vkUtO8/UC0RJu4Rg5I/AAAAAAAACpA/9jNIeHvHxRg/s320/IMG_4372.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qsSS25c5Npg/UC0Q0zT5fnI/AAAAAAAACo4/gdEkMa_yP3A/s1600/IMG_4371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qsSS25c5Npg/UC0Q0zT5fnI/AAAAAAAACo4/gdEkMa_yP3A/s320/IMG_4371.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sH1sJbHy7jU/UC0ReYfTfWI/AAAAAAAACpI/7YIwiMs7tSE/s1600/IMG_4373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sH1sJbHy7jU/UC0ReYfTfWI/AAAAAAAACpI/7YIwiMs7tSE/s320/IMG_4373.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oZC-u1ULLHA/UC0SCsOEMTI/AAAAAAAACpc/CHHu8aED7qI/s1600/IMG_4378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Summit:</b></div>
<div style="color: white;">
I felt like a machine on the last pitch. Six weeks in Huaraz in the mountains had allowed me to become very fit and acclimatized. We tagged the summit and were celebrating but Roger was not feeling well. The altitude had gotten to him (possibly also because he was on antibiotics for stomach problems) and he had a headache and low energy. We spent 10 minutes on the top of the climb - had a fruit cup - and decided to rapell down. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oZC-u1ULLHA/UC0SCsOEMTI/AAAAAAAACpc/CHHu8aED7qI/s1600/IMG_4378.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oZC-u1ULLHA/UC0SCsOEMTI/AAAAAAAACpc/CHHu8aED7qI/s320/IMG_4378.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Belaying Roger up the last section </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8CMz9oVt0rU/UC5tX52bwhI/AAAAAAAACyY/vhMHu1mTGUw/s1600/P8140044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8CMz9oVt0rU/UC5tX52bwhI/AAAAAAAACyY/vhMHu1mTGUw/s320/P8140044.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Summit Baby </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W-Kmvm_qHAc/UC5vwo01MeI/AAAAAAAACzA/uZ0onYrjw0A/s1600/P8140048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W-Kmvm_qHAc/UC5vwo01MeI/AAAAAAAACzA/uZ0onYrjw0A/s320/P8140048.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Summit View</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-eI1hSmxkJrU/UC5sTnj1cwI/AAAAAAAACyA/UFO386589NQ/s1600/P8140054.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D735ec7c2c5c3653a%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347812247%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D4E17A9F596129C13FF6C6ED11AF22879CC1B5692.40B0FD32CF6BA69B59B488B83EE12A42B90DC50B%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D735ec7c2c5c3653a%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347812247%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D4E17A9F596129C13FF6C6ED11AF22879CC1B5692.40B0FD32CF6BA69B59B488B83EE12A42B90DC50B%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Descent:</b></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="color: white;">We joined ropes with Peter and his guide and rapelled to the base. Below are some photos of other parties rapelling the route.</span><b> </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yb8Ksi6izLY/UC0Ss3zXglI/AAAAAAAACp0/id8-6nFZa9s/s1600/IMG_4398.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yb8Ksi6izLY/UC0Ss3zXglI/AAAAAAAACp0/id8-6nFZa9s/s320/IMG_4398.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXEMktrgPMw/UC0SvDcq-kI/AAAAAAAACp8/m3vswspFKxw/s1600/IMG_4400.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXEMktrgPMw/UC0SvDcq-kI/AAAAAAAACp8/m3vswspFKxw/s320/IMG_4400.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4WNB204F9Sc/UC0SQOdAM2I/AAAAAAAACps/V1RjL1xhfJo/s1600/IMG_4401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4WNB204F9Sc/UC0SQOdAM2I/AAAAAAAACps/V1RjL1xhfJo/s320/IMG_4401.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Back at Camp: </b></div>
Roger was not feeling well at all. We decided to take two hours to eat and rest. He had symptoms of acute mountain sickness - high resting heat rate, increased respatory rate, headache and fatigue. We decided to descend quickly. We joined ropes with one Catalan and one Andorran (Xavi and Oriol) as we negotiated the crevasses and hiked down to Base Camp arriving at 8pm. I had barely eaten the entire day (a Tiger Milk bar, two goos, a fruit cup and a liter and a half of water) and my pack was easily 65+ pounds especially because it was filled with wet gear. I ate some gummy worms for dinner (healthy) had a sip of water, pulled out the sleeping bag and crashed.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-csXfygrSEPU/UC0SFLLmEAI/AAAAAAAACpk/zjWxkrJTJ3E/s1600/IMG_4395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-csXfygrSEPU/UC0SFLLmEAI/AAAAAAAACpk/zjWxkrJTJ3E/s320/IMG_4395.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/--OBYIY86m-o/UC0d4KSfn2I/AAAAAAAACwA/cSgZPeamye4/s1600/MVI_4396.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D166c4aed83207d8f%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347728030%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D92942F9A8B7E900C8790736940E7EB9C99808F08.83FD46C261A230BEACCC05CC473C4206836B942F%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D166c4aed83207d8f%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347728030%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D92942F9A8B7E900C8790736940E7EB9C99808F08.83FD46C261A230BEACCC05CC473C4206836B942F%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXEMktrgPMw/UC0SvDcq-kI/AAAAAAAACp8/m3vswspFKxw/s1600/IMG_4400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>The Next Morning:</b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
We awoke the next morning with partially wet sleeping bags (it had lightly rained that night) and frost covering everything. We looked like two homeless men living out of our backpacks. We were neighbored by two expeditions with glamorous circus tents, cooks, porters and guides. Peter and his guide felt sorry for us, so they invited into their tent for breakfast. In their tent we ate the best we had eaten on the enitre trip. They made sausage, eggs, bread, butter and jam. This was heaven. We thanked them (The breakfast partially made up for the ice missles sent down during the climb) and worked on our next task - figuring out how to get a donkey to carry our gear back 14 miles to trailhead. </div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZtoVSEhMGEg/UC0eJHBluaI/AAAAAAAACw4/tqYKQL3INds/s1600/MVI_4403.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dbb06ab3d3d799d55%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347728313%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DB8C710BEE1D42305C986443C84C1B4C8BC5DE56A.79FFE6E41D17EED751C2DC5B4A09A7FB4A0B56CA%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dbb06ab3d3d799d55%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347728313%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DB8C710BEE1D42305C986443C84C1B4C8BC5DE56A.79FFE6E41D17EED751C2DC5B4A09A7FB4A0B56CA%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-67ahNo2E-xc/UC0TP4uH6nI/AAAAAAAACqI/wDQKWUMiHwA/s1600/IMG_4404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-67ahNo2E-xc/UC0TP4uH6nI/AAAAAAAACqI/wDQKWUMiHwA/s320/IMG_4404.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Best Breakfast Ever</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Donkeys:</b></div>
Roger and I had miscalculated funds and didnt have enough money to hire a donkey and pay for transportation to make it back to Huaraz. We got in touch with Xavi and Oriol who we joined ropes with on the descent and they were amazingly helpful. Not only did they let us add our gear to their donkeys, but they also hiked out with us (14 miles) and let us ride for free in their private van. Roger and I made it back to Huaraz by 8pm and we were both painfully hungry (all I ate that day was the nice breakfast, an orange and gummy worms). Roger and I had exactly 20 Soles (7 dollars) between the two of us - so we went to Chifa (Peruvian Chinease Food) and ate our fill of fried rice and chicken.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9p8bMPiGqIY/UC5vry5iGkI/AAAAAAAACy4/SbYelninN_o/s1600/P8160068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9p8bMPiGqIY/UC5vry5iGkI/AAAAAAAACy4/SbYelninN_o/s320/P8160068.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Scruffy But Happy --- Dinner Time </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: red;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyvkKH1y3XsiabPvnm_zNC9Ib5cFGld669THPnJnx4AcS1XNF6ab88BG1bNgYpOd5rTAseIKdTxcyCJOEsbHiZTP4pfL3G1DBBJ4TmG21xWpGQjmntDJqylG3TXiJ_7D9ZCYe3O-_e9hh/s1600/IMG_4432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZyvkKH1y3XsiabPvnm_zNC9Ib5cFGld669THPnJnx4AcS1XNF6ab88BG1bNgYpOd5rTAseIKdTxcyCJOEsbHiZTP4pfL3G1DBBJ4TmG21xWpGQjmntDJqylG3TXiJ_7D9ZCYe3O-_e9hh/s320/IMG_4432.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Two Days Later - Clean Cut!</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b> Discusion:</b></div>
<br />
What a beautiful climb and perfect timing with weather. This trip concluded my technical expeditions in Peru and capped a trip filled with powerful experiences.<br />
<br />
An interesting viewpoint comes up about guided expeditions.<br />
<br />
First my bias: I am all for people using guides in the mountains. I think it is a safe and smart practice and it enables you to climb routes with the comfort of a professional. However, I think there are a few rules you must follow when hiring a guide and choosing a climb.<br />
<br />
1. The guide you hire must be certified by a professional organization to ensure they have passed all of the tests related to safety. This by no means assures that they are qualified, but it is at least a starting point. I don´t believe that the guide on the route was fully certified. <br />
<br />
2. You must know the mandatory essentials of climbing (belay, rapell etc..) and basic saftey skills of climbing (escaping a belay, crevasse rescure etc...) if you choose to climb a technical route with a guide. Peter knew none of these.<br />
<br />
3. You must have at least a weekend of practice in the medium of choice before you head into a remote mountain region. I.E. know how to swing an ice axe or hand jam a crack<br />
<br />
4. You must choose a climb that is within your ability level. You cant just look at a picture of Alpamayo and say "I want to climb that" and find someone to take you up it. You should progress gradually to a climb of that level through time and patience until you have the skillset to climb it in good style.<br />
<br />
On the mountain we encountered two polar opposite demonstrations of the use of a guide and expedition services. One was the guided service of the client who knew nothing and one was Xavi and Oriol who hired a guide "just in case" but chose only to use him for logistical support.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-60356108446466362222012-08-09T08:04:00.000-07:002012-12-27T09:09:41.617-08:00The Road To La Esfinge 8-4 to 8-8-2012<b><span style="color: red;">The Road To La Esfinge </span></b><br />
August 4th to August 8th 2012<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Background:</b></span><br />
I had dreamed of climbing La Esfinge from the day I heard about its existance four years ago. I had traveled to Hauraz to climb but I had very little time or experience. I ended up getting altitude sickness and decided to spend my time trekking instead of climbing. While I was in Huaraz, I heard rumors of a "Big Wall" nestled deep in the Andes called La Esfinge. I knew nothing of the difficulty of the climb, I only saw a photo. I was instantly intriguied and I dreamed of climbing it.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mountainproject.com/images/32/78/106873278_large_33ac51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mountainproject.com/images/32/78/106873278_large_33ac51.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">This was the photo</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Four years later brought me to Huaraz again. I had built up my experience and I had much more time. I had climbed several "Big Walls" with partners and solo and I had seven weeks to acclimitize and train. I wanted to climb La Esfinge and I had everything necessary, I just needed a partner. I searched for four weeks for partners. They were difficult to find. I put my information in every coffe shop and guide service but I had no response. I was about to give up hope when I met Roger and Augusto. They were both staying the same hostel and wanted to climb the route at the same time.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;"></span></b><b><span style="color: red;">Partners:</span></b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
Roger is Catalonian and is student in Engeneering. Augusto is from Argentenia but worked as an orthopedic surgeon in Spain before quitting his job to travel and climb. They were both super strong climbers, spoke good English and were fun to be around.</div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Hatun Machay:</span></b><br />
We decided to go to Hatun Machay to train for the climb and get comfortable with each others skills. Hatun Machay is touted as the highest sport climbing crag on the planent at 14,000 feet. Augusto took his car (he had driven from Argentina) and the three of us and Tony all jumped in the van and took off. Winding up the rocky hills up to Hatun Machay was fun and it was only 1.5 hours form Huaraz. Riding in Augusto's van was an experience in itself as we had to push it up a hill when it broken down to jump start it.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KHmznCohwOQ/UCPJ4t1TqsI/AAAAAAAACdI/4_yhlw5I47E/s1600/IMG_4144.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KHmznCohwOQ/UCPJ4t1TqsI/AAAAAAAACdI/4_yhlw5I47E/s320/IMG_4144.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Beater Car with Roger and Tony</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Sport Climbing Strong at 14,000 feet</span></b><br />
I was happy to get off the snow and back on some rock. We spent two days at Hatun Machay. We did several fun routes mostly 5.10c-5.11a. I onsighted all the routes except one where I broke a hold and fell 10 feet. I felt strong and was happy to send two routes at 11a onsight at such a high elevation. After the fun climbing, we would go back to the hut, play chess, eat and then head to the field to camp.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-fmRU1SmQs/UCPKZcu4xfI/AAAAAAAACdY/gmukdB2-E6I/s1600/IMG_4146.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-fmRU1SmQs/UCPKZcu4xfI/AAAAAAAACdY/gmukdB2-E6I/s320/IMG_4146.JPG" height="240" width="320" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMhjQJIIufc/UCPVlOsupPI/AAAAAAAACjw/fB2594oIEyI/s1600/P8030087.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMhjQJIIufc/UCPVlOsupPI/AAAAAAAACjw/fB2594oIEyI/s320/P8030087.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OLunnQtURM0/UCPVsGWyJbI/AAAAAAAACj4/b5HV-AJ02ZA/s1600/P8040117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OLunnQtURM0/UCPVsGWyJbI/AAAAAAAACj4/b5HV-AJ02ZA/s320/P8040117.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCsQMS6LqJc/UCPJ74y0xFI/AAAAAAAACdQ/aXi4w6UdduM/s1600/IMG_4148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GCsQMS6LqJc/UCPJ74y0xFI/AAAAAAAACdQ/aXi4w6UdduM/s320/IMG_4148.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRvrtO8XlCA/UCPKif7nEJI/AAAAAAAACdo/FTc97YCehKQ/s1600/IMG_4154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZRvrtO8XlCA/UCPKif7nEJI/AAAAAAAACdo/FTc97YCehKQ/s320/IMG_4154.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-daqbYhG7QAg/UCPL3g-IOgI/AAAAAAAACeQ/_ovHQAhXRJ4/s1600/IMG_4204.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-daqbYhG7QAg/UCPL3g-IOgI/AAAAAAAACeQ/_ovHQAhXRJ4/s320/IMG_4204.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uw5MpHhzi1w/UCPLzPFB9OI/AAAAAAAACeI/OP4Z05mWz7s/s1600/IMG_4195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uw5MpHhzi1w/UCPLzPFB9OI/AAAAAAAACeI/OP4Z05mWz7s/s320/IMG_4195.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D3Mp7ZWn30U/UCPLgwjIY9I/AAAAAAAACeA/3mC10xOeMUU/s1600/IMG_4183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D3Mp7ZWn30U/UCPLgwjIY9I/AAAAAAAACeA/3mC10xOeMUU/s320/IMG_4183.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D40aeeBLn0I/UCPMTrshzaI/AAAAAAAACec/pnKtjrnr2I4/s1600/IMG_4159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D40aeeBLn0I/UCPMTrshzaI/AAAAAAAACec/pnKtjrnr2I4/s320/IMG_4159.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_AM8hhFQMn4/UCPMaNNyGJI/AAAAAAAACes/90v_blIlKWQ/s1600/IMG_4209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_AM8hhFQMn4/UCPMaNNyGJI/AAAAAAAACes/90v_blIlKWQ/s320/IMG_4209.JPG" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cwz0BmorzaY/UCPLcH1CjlI/AAAAAAAACd4/1lkJkPuvZn4/s1600/IMG_4157.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Cwz0BmorzaY/UCPLcH1CjlI/AAAAAAAACd4/1lkJkPuvZn4/s320/IMG_4157.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Packing:</span></b><br />
After Hatun Machay, we had half a day to prepair for the climb. We went to the local market and got our food together. Just as we were picking our dinner, the power went out and we continued to shop by candle light. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Plan:</span></b><br />
Our plan was to do the route in two days. It is 18 pitches and is very runnout at the top, so this would give us plenty of time and would allow us to top out in the sunlight. We would travel with two half ropes as a party of three. We brought a double rack with micro cams, a set of stoppers and 11 draws. The two followers would each carry a backpack. Inside would be food. We packed two sandwiches and three candybars for lunch and pasta with chicken for dinner. We would bring 1.5 liters of water per person per day. I had a zero degree bag, Augusto and Roger shared one with a bivy sack. We each brought a baselayer, fleece, down jacket and rain jacket. This was as light was we could get the bags but they easily weighed 20 pounds each. It was an extreme hassle to climb 5.10 at elevation with a 20 pound pack, but we made due.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>The Route:</b></span><br />
<div style="color: white;">
Imagine the summit of Mount Whitney. Now add 1,000 feet and put half dome on top of it. This is La Esfinge. The Mountain is 17,470 feet and tucked away in the Paron Valley high in the Andes. We chose to climb the original route. It is rated 5.10R C1. The "R" rating is for the first 5 pitches after the bivy that go at 5.9 and have little to no protection options (unless you have hybrid aliens). It consists of fun but heady grooved granite climbing. The cracks are flaired and bottomed out making great foot placements but horrible protection options. I had little worry with the first half of the climb and was excited about the "off width chimney" but a had a little concern about the runouts in the upper pitches. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rmaePdQczC0/UCPW-l0C-1I/AAAAAAAACkY/6QFmDE3rBdc/s1600/DSC05199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rmaePdQczC0/UCPW-l0C-1I/AAAAAAAACkY/6QFmDE3rBdc/s320/DSC05199.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">Me posing with La Esfinge in the Background</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">The Approach:</span></b><br />
We took a taxi to the Paron Valley and hired a porter to shuttle our technical gear and food to the base of the climb. The bag we gave him was 70 pounds and he had a lot of trouble hiking it up and had to stop to catch his breath every few minutes. So we took away twenty pounds and put it in our packs and continued up to the base of the climb. I am not sure what to think of the common practice of hiring donkeys and porters but it was a great help and gave us more energy for the next day.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lcFHj4LUvC8/UCPMbfRGnVI/AAAAAAAACf4/EtcB0qxe2cM/s1600/MVI_4228.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D765f8117e9016e79%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116040%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D94D65C01AD2FE5ADC91B2AE107C738E448A8EE3E.995BD6427A4A944A7583DE9B87C23E79E754A6C2%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D765f8117e9016e79%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116040%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D94D65C01AD2FE5ADC91B2AE107C738E448A8EE3E.995BD6427A4A944A7583DE9B87C23E79E754A6C2%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Company:</span></b><br />
On the way to the climb, we met two young Peruvians from Lima who were going to climb the same route the next day. They were sponsered by North Face and had brought a film crew for the climb. They seemed like strong climbers but lacked experience. They wanted to climb it in one day but had not thought of bringing a a bivy sack just in case they couldn't climb it - so Augusto lent them one. They ended up starting after us and bailing on the 6th pitch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wLeYUWgCKxk/UCPMUZKCuCI/AAAAAAAACfc/7t7is0mU1nw/s1600/MVI_4224.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D8f7997ae183a5d6f%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116040%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DA2B4C919EA2C460EEF4B367FA12A3714AE707163.419CAB49370FB42CFFF7DE41F871607BD8760C06%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D8f7997ae183a5d6f%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116040%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DA2B4C919EA2C460EEF4B367FA12A3714AE707163.419CAB49370FB42CFFF7DE41F871607BD8760C06%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Cave Bivy:</span></b><br />
We were told that we could bivy inside a cave five minutes from the base of the climb. This must have been the coolest bivy that I have ever had. A huge cave all to ourselves.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ECBvxBGsbOY/UCPa45KbEYI/AAAAAAAAClg/27YDj2j2W4Y/s1600/IMG_4231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ECBvxBGsbOY/UCPa45KbEYI/AAAAAAAAClg/27YDj2j2W4Y/s320/IMG_4231.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">Outside of the Cave Bivy</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7wlmlGOD2oE/UCPW7VTzy4I/AAAAAAAACkQ/TexMbgIAndU/s1600/DSC05189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7wlmlGOD2oE/UCPW7VTzy4I/AAAAAAAACkQ/TexMbgIAndU/s320/DSC05189.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">Inside of the Cave Bivy</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BVOiH25IWSk/UCPO8zuoAJI/AAAAAAAAChc/SrdUoXPyK3Q/s1600/MVI_4240.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D869a1fee1fc99585%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116529%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D2691388CD1503A6049664FCA105325E0E4E62B4E.6F05E8D9A399CF8E6EABED3DAE9C3D07AE498786%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D869a1fee1fc99585%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116529%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D2691388CD1503A6049664FCA105325E0E4E62B4E.6F05E8D9A399CF8E6EABED3DAE9C3D07AE498786%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">At night in our Cave Bivy</span></b></span></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 1:</span></b><br />
We woke up and approached the climb as the sun was rising. As I put on my climbing shoes, my toes went numb. My fingers were numb as well. I shoved them in my pockets; took a deep breath and set off.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Pitch 1-3:</span></b><br />
Augusto began to lead the first three pitches and their description is as follows.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 1: </b>30m 5.8 Climb up broken and somewhat vegetated rock to a nice belay.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rFAva35GX24/UCPVcUK-xgI/AAAAAAAACjo/yxN1XCzICUw/s1600/pitch+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rFAva35GX24/UCPVcUK-xgI/AAAAAAAACjo/yxN1XCzICUw/s320/pitch+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 2:</b> 30m 5.8 Continue up crack system and out right underneath a rotten black lichen encrusted roof.<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hIwJ1NB46xg/UCPYnQNYInI/AAAAAAAACk0/jpEtsW02x1o/s1600/P8060143.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hIwJ1NB46xg/UCPYnQNYInI/AAAAAAAACk0/jpEtsW02x1o/s320/P8060143.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FhKDj6BF_pE/UCPYh5xzb6I/AAAAAAAACks/XChmBZn_3Uc/s1600/P8060146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FhKDj6BF_pE/UCPYh5xzb6I/AAAAAAAACks/XChmBZn_3Uc/s320/P8060146.JPG" height="320" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 3: </b>30m 5.9 Move up and left arching up under a bulge clipping a few old bolts. Belay at a ledge.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8TtTELOhKTI/UCPTJmAA_QI/AAAAAAAACio/hVDkeM1DET4/s1600/DSC05130.JPG"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8TtTELOhKTI/UCPTJmAA_QI/AAAAAAAACio/hVDkeM1DET4/s320/DSC05130.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Augusto started on the fourth pitch (an offwidth chimney) but backed down and asked if Roger or I could lead it. I took the sharp end.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 4: </b>40m 5.9+ Climb a crack back left to a ledge and an offwidth chimney with wedged blocks inside. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7woj1kIP8uA/UCPYqF-jyQI/AAAAAAAACk8/a_Z6uSOKkd0/s1600/P8060147.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7woj1kIP8uA/UCPYqF-jyQI/AAAAAAAACk8/a_Z6uSOKkd0/s320/P8060147.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 5: </b>50m 5.9 Move up a chimney with face holds inside. At top of the short chimney move out left on face holds and climb on face features between two cracks. At the top of this pitch pull the 'Blob Mantle' of grass and dirt onto a ledge and belay. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 6: </b>50m 5.10d This pitch was sick and was the crux pitch. Continue up 5.9 cracks to under a large roof. Move right out the handcrack in the roof, turn the lip and continue up a well protected fingercrack. Belay at a good ledge. After this pitch, I handed the sharp end to Roger.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUGo2zQmwVg/UCPZtW3-V4I/AAAAAAAAClI/QoZ8nCk_peo/s1600/P8060150.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BUGo2zQmwVg/UCPZtW3-V4I/AAAAAAAAClI/QoZ8nCk_peo/s320/P8060150.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 7: </b>30m 5.10+ Move up a corner to a massive roof. Again move right underclinging a widening crack. Turn the corner of the crack and continue up a slab to a bolted anchor. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 8:</b> 45m 5.10+ Climb up to a wide ear type feature with bolts. Move right around the ear on slick rock (several old bolts). Continue up and traverse back left to bolts on a good ledge. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJ0yow7jYk4/UCPZvorGnuI/AAAAAAAAClQ/Pf41rHo9RJw/s1600/P8060156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vJ0yow7jYk4/UCPZvorGnuI/AAAAAAAAClQ/Pf41rHo9RJw/s320/P8060156.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jiuVUCBR_wQ/UCPO8-ITi4I/AAAAAAAAChQ/C_eqFqws88g/s1600/MVI_4250.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Da89604a8c2714ca7%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116548%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D8181B842131F5A4F376173DA1A442BF078D8D7A1.93E1CBB783E818DDAD67325FC32174A517FFCDF%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Da89604a8c2714ca7%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116548%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D8181B842131F5A4F376173DA1A442BF078D8D7A1.93E1CBB783E818DDAD67325FC32174A517FFCDF%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<b>Pitch 9: </b>25m Easy 5th class </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Move the belay horizontally left and slightly up to a the base of a 5.9+ corner. We pitched this section out and set up our bivy at Faj De La Flores.</div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Night 1 Bivy:</span></b><br />
We arived a Faja De Flores. We were dressed in all of our layers and our hands and toes were still numb. We immediatly got out our sleeping bags and set up our bivy. It was crammed but tolerable. We ate our pasta and then went to bed. The wind howled all night and even though I was in a 0 degree bag, I was still cold. I was crunched up between a rock and a ledge but managed to have a decent night sleep.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hjdjuVc2HUc/UCPTIZMJ14I/AAAAAAAACig/qS7UvZUdAPE/s1600/DSC05144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hjdjuVc2HUc/UCPTIZMJ14I/AAAAAAAACig/qS7UvZUdAPE/s320/DSC05144.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">Setting up Camp </span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Lh8EUuSPmo0/UCPO85Hj11I/AAAAAAAACho/M12HcsTWx_c/s1600/MVI_4263.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D376dfdb882ea2272%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116634%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6796249F27DC3EF8CAFD96A0F5B376AD0E47D4A0.CB9990C098DA01C4CA30F1523808BD73CBEC7269%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D376dfdb882ea2272%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347116634%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D6796249F27DC3EF8CAFD96A0F5B376AD0E47D4A0.CB9990C098DA01C4CA30F1523808BD73CBEC7269%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">Stuffed in Our Bags at theBivy </span></b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pzd5qe7ifMY/UCPTqUK-DlI/AAAAAAAACi4/ARlcqjeZFpY/s1600/IMG_4254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pzd5qe7ifMY/UCPTqUK-DlI/AAAAAAAACi4/ARlcqjeZFpY/s320/IMG_4254.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Sunset from my sleeping bag</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 2:</span></b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
We woke up at 6:30am after a night of cramped and windy sleep. It was very difficult to get out of the slepeing bag and put on the harness. The wind was howling at 25mph and it was escpecially cold because of the high elevation. Roger shined on the second day as he lead all off the 5.9 "R" rated pitches. He was on a roll and I told him to keep going until he got tired. </div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 10:</b> 20m 5.9+ Climb a vegetated but nice crack to a bolted anchor on a ledge. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 11-14:</b> 5.9R and Pitch 14-17 5.7R From the belay traverse left and access a lower angle groove. Continue up this groove system for about 500ft to where the wall becomes steeper. Much of the climbing through these pitches is run-out!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGg9NBgTusc/UCPTYS7-JSI/AAAAAAAACiw/pKNb6ykG5g0/s1600/DSC05147.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iGg9NBgTusc/UCPTYS7-JSI/AAAAAAAACiw/pKNb6ykG5g0/s320/DSC05147.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3A32m7rV32cUzL1Y4Boj2Ub0OEknGbaIkiqcz6NQTd4BE9g8bHusisOuK1kUuwVSRdZHGq58xb6ErA1TLqSplV0BXolltXaDc5zWcGiKl5hNqnRj_tYZbXmQVg0e1RWJjys_tP24WOx4k/s1600/P8070164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3A32m7rV32cUzL1Y4Boj2Ub0OEknGbaIkiqcz6NQTd4BE9g8bHusisOuK1kUuwVSRdZHGq58xb6ErA1TLqSplV0BXolltXaDc5zWcGiKl5hNqnRj_tYZbXmQVg0e1RWJjys_tP24WOx4k/s320/P8070164.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a> <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqciWxoC5xI/UCPT9O3VUfI/AAAAAAAACjE/H_PQxvLYwyQ/s1600/IMG_4265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TqciWxoC5xI/UCPT9O3VUfI/AAAAAAAACjE/H_PQxvLYwyQ/s320/IMG_4265.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-iaSn5kZWAqQ/UCPQTvLb04I/AAAAAAAACiQ/T0wPsPyLGjk/s1600/MVI_4267.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D743b623ed751fa86%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347117346%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DB7BFA9E769244D60DCCB32D1590A439F808A955E.3D9545DBC17D044F61879EBD25DE12F15C9046E6%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D743b623ed751fa86%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347117346%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DB7BFA9E769244D60DCCB32D1590A439F808A955E.3D9545DBC17D044F61879EBD25DE12F15C9046E6%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Pitch 17-19:</b> 5.9 There are several options here with the easiest being to generally traverse up and rightward. After Roger relinquished the lead, Augusto took over for one pitch and then I lead the final pitch to the summit.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1o-VWrWgVvg/UCPUlRP11PI/AAAAAAAACjU/fidQX4dts8A/s1600/IMG_4270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1o-VWrWgVvg/UCPUlRP11PI/AAAAAAAACjU/fidQX4dts8A/s320/IMG_4270.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">A Belay off of a single old piton</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: red;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5BW02HStZRI/UCPbxDof1uI/AAAAAAAACls/3bPDtJFRMMY/s1600/IMG_4276.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5BW02HStZRI/UCPbxDof1uI/AAAAAAAACls/3bPDtJFRMMY/s320/IMG_4276.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">Arriving two pitches before the summit </span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="color: red;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Summit:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;">After the final pitch of the route,
Roger and I went to tag the summit. We reached it at 3pm. We unroped
and climbed up to the fourth class for some stunning views. Augusto was
not interested in the summit, he just wanted to climb the route, so he
rested in the sun and took some geat photos.</span><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oqcYrQBPRNg/UCPW0jKgd4I/AAAAAAAACkI/FKridSmhUHI/s1600/IMG_4287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oqcYrQBPRNg/UCPW0jKgd4I/AAAAAAAACkI/FKridSmhUHI/s320/IMG_4287.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">Great Summit Shot</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xt8esbcwyu4/UCPUnAOA_0I/AAAAAAAACjc/WRLvAl742kU/s1600/IMG_4286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xt8esbcwyu4/UCPUnAOA_0I/AAAAAAAACjc/WRLvAl742kU/s320/IMG_4286.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">A Dream </span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WlxJ9S8pXaU/UCPUOZUuPNI/AAAAAAAACjM/P4lh_phqGvs/s1600/DSC05160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WlxJ9S8pXaU/UCPUOZUuPNI/AAAAAAAACjM/P4lh_phqGvs/s400/DSC05160.JPG" height="156" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;">Perfect panorama</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-azSFjSTdijI/UCPQc9hWSXI/AAAAAAAACh8/nEkLkIe4_6Q/s1600/MVI_4288.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D1a8df609ac962275%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347117350%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7239F0886D6B6DE94DCA82C226A4CA47B6A85AE6.A5A9763A514F4C1C35F5CB1DB34A76AA391A5FA9%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D1a8df609ac962275%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1347117350%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7239F0886D6B6DE94DCA82C226A4CA47B6A85AE6.A5A9763A514F4C1C35F5CB1DB34A76AA391A5FA9%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<span style="color: red;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>Lunch In Caraz:</b></span><br />
<div style="color: white;">
We slept in the next day and hiked down to the Paron Valley base. We then took a collectivo out to Caraz. It was an hour and a half ride down the rocky gravel road crammed in the back seat. We all just wante to get to town and wash our hands and eat some good food. We made it to Caraz and celebrated with a huge two dollar meal consisting of rice, curry chicken, soop, drink and happiness.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aS6qmnSulrU/UCPKZUF5AbI/AAAAAAAACdg/ONuOhXd33Y0/s1600/IMG_4299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aS6qmnSulrU/UCPKZUF5AbI/AAAAAAAACdg/ONuOhXd33Y0/s320/IMG_4299.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>Video:</b></div>
An edited video from Augusto of the climb<br />
<object height="360" width="640"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></param>
<param name="movie" value="http://www.facebook.com/v/3865687755596"></param>
<embed src="http://www.facebook.com/v/3865687755596" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="1" width="640" height="360"></embed></object>
Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-91166409992596261032012-08-01T08:56:00.000-07:002012-08-16T09:34:55.525-07:00Friends missing on Palcaraju<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><b>Friends Missing on Palcaraju</b></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: red;">July 28-30th</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
It is difficult to put in the words the past couple days and finally I am able to summon the physical and emotional energy to document it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the finer details of the search and rescue of Ben and Gil are recorded in a personal journal entry and will not be shared with the public out of courtesy of their friends and family.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What I can say is that Eric’s contributions were top notch, Hector and Henry provide an invaluable service and we were able in combination with others to get the bodies and belongings down the mountain and soon safely home.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: red;">The Development:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Adam and I had just gotten off Ranrapalca when we heard the news from Tony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam had connected with Ben’s dad on the phone and he had asked him if he could put together an American team to aid in the recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam approached me and asked if I would join.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something about the sport of climbing that you have an instant shared brotherhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You don´t think, you act. I didn’t know Ben and had briefly met Gil the night before he left, but I somehow felt connected to them – I instantly agreed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony came aboard as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aUS8ot6e6K4/UBlaWvgDrqI/AAAAAAAACaE/m2eM7oflFrs/s1600/IMG_4072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aUS8ot6e6K4/UBlaWvgDrqI/AAAAAAAACaE/m2eM7oflFrs/s320/IMG_4072.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: red;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Adam on the phone at Cafe Andino with Mr. Horne</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Our Plan:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Our plan was to get into the Cojup valley as quick as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would rent mountain bikes and bike into base camp and then in the same day ascend to high camp at 17,200 feet to supply the rescuers with food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were fit and acclimatized but were not very well rested.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We met with Ted, who was the rescue coordinator and he notified the team via a satellite phone that we would be there the next day.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>The Wakeup:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The 5am alarm beeped loudly on my watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony and I got out of bed and headed downstairs to the front door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam met us and we jumped in the two cabs and rode up on hour to the entrance of the Cojup valley. With us came Rosario, who was one of Gil’s Peruvian friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we exited the cab, she was full of sadness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She gave us cocoa leaves and candy to perform a ritual for them and she gives me a whistle to blow in search of them if they were still alive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: red;">The Gate:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Cojup</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Valley</st1:placetype></st1:place> is blocked by a gate that you have to pay $11 to the town president and then wait for him to come and open the gait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were told of this ahead of time and it was an annoying hurdle, but we paid our money, packed out gear on the donkeys and were read to cruise our mountain bikes into base camp.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Ride:</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
“Are you fucking kidding me” I muttered under my breath as I pushed my 25 pound bike up the hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were all pushing our bikes up the rocky trails because riding uphill at 12,000 feet of elevation was much harder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was moving much slower than Tony and Adam and I felt like I was working twice as hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was ready to pick up the bike and throw it in the river when I realized the front break was locked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That made sense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I unlocked it and although still drowsy and tired, I was exerting much less effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bikes proved to take additional effort to push uphill but were an amazing time saver on the way out of the valley.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YOzcMq9lfgc/UBlaOPB4G8I/AAAAAAAACZ8/b1QRbNJqJVc/s1600/IMG_4078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YOzcMq9lfgc/UBlaOPB4G8I/AAAAAAAACZ8/b1QRbNJqJVc/s320/IMG_4078.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QvIcqrwesQ/UBlZ7Cs8VLI/AAAAAAAACZ0/8vpyloSMV-U/s1600/IMG_4081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2QvIcqrwesQ/UBlZ7Cs8VLI/AAAAAAAACZ0/8vpyloSMV-U/s320/IMG_4081.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><b>Base Camp:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We arrived at base camp and had a quick lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony decided that he would stay in base camp and meet us at high camp the next morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adam and I had a decision to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We could either bring technical gear and assist on the glacier if needed, or haul up a new food resupply for the rescue team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We choose to bring the food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our packs were absurdly heavy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AY-PwU6e8fA/UBlbC8yU2_I/AAAAAAAACaM/HySalTnU3jQ/s1600/IMG_4091.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AY-PwU6e8fA/UBlbC8yU2_I/AAAAAAAACaM/HySalTnU3jQ/s320/IMG_4091.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: red;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Our Lunch at Base Camp</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QXuHPV9VORE/UBlbLHh8ecI/AAAAAAAACaY/64Oyi5N1R8s/s1600/IMG_4090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QXuHPV9VORE/UBlbLHh8ecI/AAAAAAAACaY/64Oyi5N1R8s/s320/IMG_4090.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">The Burros Lunch at Base Camp</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><b>Fly Bye:</b></span><br />
<div style="color: white;">
On our way up to the high camp, you could see and hear the ordered twin wing fly bye. It was flying very fast and was very high and there was cloud cover. But at that exact time the plane was flying over, Erik had found Ben and Gil.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyEFDtjMqXIEdNZC8S5K3dm-6iiIVRfBGQEL7UMBeQ1lZP4do441ayNJhhldmw8sN1LL3jEadn5UB8ZiZXPEw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Resupply:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
After 9 hours, we made it upto 17,200 feet and saw the three rescuers coming down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwZXBAWVVY3hdJIKE6pXq0eLzhFBsYvSqluYjedWA_ncE4OvVa0MpPNEwGL8jpWXctLmeTIBH8m6FyHoQUwpw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SFpUiwK-PRw/UBlbxkuMPeI/AAAAAAAACak/yZgj9A4Dazc/s1600/IMG_4101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SFpUiwK-PRw/UBlbxkuMPeI/AAAAAAAACak/yZgj9A4Dazc/s320/IMG_4101.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Eric, Henry and Hector hiking down</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Eric described the incident to us...<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br />
He asked if we could help participate the next day in the body recovery and personal belonging inventory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We agreed. I have copied and pasted Tonys account of the accident that he posted in supertopo:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">"Ben and Gil left their tent about 3am. They climbed their new route to the summit of Pulcaraju Oest and reached the top at around 4pm. The last time stamp on for a summit photo was 4:01pm. Kind'a late in the day, but it was a new route and it takes time to figure things out. There are some photos of the descent, but only a few and the last time stamp is 6pm, near the top of the serac from which they fell. Few photos can be interpenetrated as the descent was problematic. Their tracks, going up, down and around obstacles attest to this theory. I imagine they were tired, dehydrated and just wanted to get down to their tent. Ben was leading down the ridge. Gil was following. They were moving together in classic alpine style without intermediate points of protection. It is a very complicated descent that cannot be fully appreciated from below. Their tracks show they made many detours and end-runs to get around crevasses and séracs. The tracks end abruptly at the edge of a sérac. It is supposed that Ben could not see where he was on the edge and as he walked to further out to investigate, the lip collapsed, falling away , taking Ben with it. He would have fallen about 10-15 feet down onto a sharp knife edge ridge. Then it was a coin toss as to which side he slid down. He slid down the southern side. He would have had about another 15 to 20 feet of steep, crappy snow to self arrest before he went over the edge of the rock band and into a tumbling fall down this rocky face. He did not arrest and the rope yanked Gil forward, face first, after Ben. Both went over the edge and fell, tumbling, down the rocky face to come to rest on the glacier a below. Estimates as to the length of the fall vary from about 150 to 300 meters. Gil had about 12 feet of rope tied to him, where at that point it was severed. Ben was wrapped in the remainder of their rope. Length of time would have been measured in seconds and death was mercifully quick. These are the details as I know them to be. There are facts that I have mentioned that cannot be explained without going into graphic detail. I reserve the right, out of respect to family and friends who were not their, not to be specific on this forum, as it relates to their deaths. I hope this is understood and respected." -</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Tony Yeary</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24LIFAC-fdjzrDN3If4cS3vLCOfQr5Mk3RJT0XPMJo7IkhUGhSF4XJxbGgRs-Cvt0NsOcutBEpXD-5cPDjmGpap-NDZlDca6s3sbiw-C-9943eSWIKSaHjA9SIYsCOvdhiJlii_dRYZ92/s1600/257379_1092_XL%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eda="true" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh24LIFAC-fdjzrDN3If4cS3vLCOfQr5Mk3RJT0XPMJo7IkhUGhSF4XJxbGgRs-Cvt0NsOcutBEpXD-5cPDjmGpap-NDZlDca6s3sbiw-C-9943eSWIKSaHjA9SIYsCOvdhiJlii_dRYZ92/s640/257379_1092_XL%5B1%5D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HlblA_6KWYE/UBlbxaVNRRI/AAAAAAAACag/wVw6RoJn0s4/s1600/IMG_4106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HlblA_6KWYE/UBlbxaVNRRI/AAAAAAAACag/wVw6RoJn0s4/s640/IMG_4106.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: red;">At night:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We made a full dinner. Oil, Pasta, Sassage, Tomatoes etc...We slept at Gil and Bens final high camp...but something didn’t sit right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RpkiBSUvsYI/UBlbyltf0nI/AAAAAAAACaw/cX41aqg6xRc/s1600/IMG_4118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RpkiBSUvsYI/UBlbyltf0nI/AAAAAAAACaw/cX41aqg6xRc/s320/IMG_4118.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">Cooking dinner at high camp</span></b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Was it the knowledge that Ben and Gil were resting just on the glacier, I had only rested one day after Ranrapalca, I had just climbed 5,000 feet, I was sleeping at 17,200 feet, I had a fatty meal for dinner – not sure if it was a combination of all of those but at 9pm, my stomach started to churn and by 10pm I was violently vomiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: red;">The next morning:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I had to get down the mountain, so I packed up and took off to base camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the same time Tony ascended and he and Adam ran the satellite phone and assisted in itemizing and protecting the Adams and Bens valuables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bodies were taken to basecamp. Below is a video of Hector explaining the fall. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZbYC5Cw08zg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
WARNING: The end of the video contains an image of a body</div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Hiking out:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
I hiked down to base camp and then biked out to catch a 7pm taxi that never came.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was lucky to have my sleeping bag but no food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I looked like shit – especially since I fell into the river trying to ford it with my bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some native Peruvians took pity on my situation and invited me into their brick and straw house and fed me trout and tea. I ate two bites but couldn’t stomach anything. They showed me to a private brick and straw house for me to sleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I crashed.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-coNQmIKC_7U/UBlhpjmeduI/AAAAAAAACc4/eh539iVcXe4/s1600/MVI_4131.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dbd088e546df7b00c%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1346433266%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DD82FF6985875FCB93D7E7920ED39D69BB737F5B1.1129F2EE2A65774CBE34CB1DCEBA43B9835CBCEF%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Dbd088e546df7b00c%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1346433266%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3DD82FF6985875FCB93D7E7920ED39D69BB737F5B1.1129F2EE2A65774CBE34CB1DCEBA43B9835CBCEF%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Inside Juans Casa</span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dHVr33pp-k/UBlckaB6mBI/AAAAAAAACa8/RyG_3VfbS7Q/s1600/IMG_4125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dHVr33pp-k/UBlckaB6mBI/AAAAAAAACa8/RyG_3VfbS7Q/s320/IMG_4125.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">My lodging for the night</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ekW1Vl_P-M/UBld0VL6IpI/AAAAAAAACbI/vsFrN3n69zo/s1600/IMG_4133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ekW1Vl_P-M/UBld0VL6IpI/AAAAAAAACbI/vsFrN3n69zo/s320/IMG_4133.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b style="color: red;">Breakfast with my new friends</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wlLOnjZLXQc/UBlfCBpQHgI/AAAAAAAACbY/vXI31y3BQmI/s1600/IMG_4134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wlLOnjZLXQc/UBlfCBpQHgI/AAAAAAAACbY/vXI31y3BQmI/s320/IMG_4134.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;">Juan hooked it up with food and lodging</span></span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><span style="color: red;">The next day:</span></b> <br />
I awoke the next day and met Adam and Tony at the trailhead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gil and Ben’s bodies made it down on burros soon after and they were taken by the high altitude police to the morgue. We were all physically and emotionally exhausted but we all felt as though we had done the best that we could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took their belongings to Ted and headed back home for some rest.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mYPlZUMuCYI/UBle_cl1PcI/AAAAAAAACbQ/vdCUexix25k/s1600/IMG_4135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mYPlZUMuCYI/UBle_cl1PcI/AAAAAAAACbQ/vdCUexix25k/s320/IMG_4135.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Discussion:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We met later that night with Ben’s dad and best friend Liora to discuss the events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had flown into <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Lima</st1:place></st1:city> that morning and taken a direct car from the embassy (8hrs) to Huaraz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tony, Adam, Gary, Erik and I all sat around the sofa and recounted the events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were moments of realization, moments of sadness and moments of pride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a factual as well as an emotionally charged meeting that put all of the pieces in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They thanked us all for our efforts and the night came to an end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They would wake up early the next morning to identify Ben’s body and try to transport him back to the states as soon as possible.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><b><span style="color: red;">The News:</span></b></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Oy6KsABlz2A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: red;"><b>Reflection:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Climbing is such a unique addiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something to be said about sport where a single false move or misjudgment could lead to death.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everytime we go out to climb, we roll the dice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We assess the risk involved, draw upon our experiences but in the end life and death may be a simple matter of luck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some climbers choose to embrace the modern ethics of climbing and rise up to the challenges of pushing limits and setting new routes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some climbers embrace the social aspect of the sport and enjoy casual outings with friends on easy terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some climbers lie in middle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The truth of the matter is this sport is dangerous and at whatever level you climb, there is always risk involved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gil and Ben pushed the limits of climbing to the extreme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They embodied the mentality of fast and light and if something was too hard, you pulled harder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They served as an inspiration to all climbers at every ability level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I climb now, they climb with me. Their memory will live on and inspire even as their time on this earth has passed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>A Personal Account from Eric Tomczak:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: white;">http://pullharder.org/2012/08/09/a-personal-account-of-the-search-for-ben-and-gil/ </span><span style="color: red;"><b></b></span><br />
</div>
Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-1989839509133545262012-07-27T09:22:00.002-07:002012-12-27T09:11:17.613-08:00Ranrapalca - Getting It Done 7-23 to 7-26 2012<b style="color: red;">Ranrapalca - Getting It Done</b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">July 23rd - July 26th</span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Background</span></b><br />
I was feeling strong after my last climb so I decdied to team up with Adam and 4 bad ass Chileans the climb Ranrapalca. The mountain is 20,2017 feet and this year has rarely been summited. The route has been climbed many times, but the problem arises after the route is completed. The traverse to the summit is vey short but covered in waist deep snow which has posed as a problem for almost every other party. Our plan: Go fast, go light, go early, blast the summit before sunrise when the snow is still firm.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://wildlifeplacesfood.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/p1040576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wildlifeplacesfood.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/p1040576.jpg" height="432" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 1:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: red;"></span>I backpacked into the refugio, spent the night and met adam around noon. We hiked up to the high camp. Our donkeys met us at a higher refugio and ascended to the high camp at over 17,000 feet. This height was almost the equivilant of the summit of Huamashraju. Two of the Chilians did not make it up to the high camp because of sickness, but the two others did. So the plan was two parties of two up the route.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3DnUy3yGavE/UBK06imC1MI/AAAAAAAACVY/neeEXUKpn3g/s1600/IMG_3995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3DnUy3yGavE/UBK06imC1MI/AAAAAAAACVY/neeEXUKpn3g/s320/IMG_3995.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Crossing the snowfield to high camp</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQ1ufcQSMBw/UBK1hK-JDsI/AAAAAAAACV4/n2KTMvIrGyI/s1600/IMG_4011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQ1ufcQSMBw/UBK1hK-JDsI/AAAAAAAACV4/n2KTMvIrGyI/s320/IMG_4011.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>The view from our tent at high camp </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yg8Bc85iloc/UBK0-R-uckI/AAAAAAAACVg/spQDeIAoYII/s1600/IMG_4003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yg8Bc85iloc/UBK0-R-uckI/AAAAAAAACVg/spQDeIAoYII/s320/IMG_4003.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Super Gringo Food - Ramen </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3aSfmjmGOY/UBK1C3j-LUI/AAAAAAAACVo/tKrDp_5yvSc/s1600/IMG_4006.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Y3aSfmjmGOY/UBK1C3j-LUI/AAAAAAAACVo/tKrDp_5yvSc/s320/IMG_4006.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Sunset</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: red;">
<b>The Climb:</b></div>
<div style="color: red;">
<span style="color: white;">Beep...Beep...Beep. We woke up at midnight by alarm. The hadest thing about climbing in the Coridllera is getting out of your sleeping bag. Water bottles are frozen, condensation all over the tent, there is only one thing to do. Start up the stove and make some SUPER GRINGO RAMEN. I had some breakfast, we got all set and were ready to take off. One of the Chileans did not feel well so we joined a rope between three of us. Adam, Me and Erasmo. The route posed some navagation difficulties at night but we moved quickly. We mostly stayed roped up soloing everything but the AI3 in the dark. We got to the crux rock band just as the sun was peaking over the mountains.</span><b><br /></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kL9VATZxXhM/UBK1nNZxfaI/AAAAAAAACWA/co2d0fn7ndo/s1600/IMG_4021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kL9VATZxXhM/UBK1nNZxfaI/AAAAAAAACWA/co2d0fn7ndo/s320/IMG_4021.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Negiotiating Penitentes</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MlCTFcxJSj8/UBK1eYUki2I/AAAAAAAACVw/cYKO96nrFas/s1600/IMG_4022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MlCTFcxJSj8/UBK1eYUki2I/AAAAAAAACVw/cYKO96nrFas/s320/IMG_4022.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Some Steep WI4/5 that we bipassed with AI3</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6J8Ta_MpfC4/UBK2KVmUujI/AAAAAAAACWU/Uh1n9cD_np0/s1600/IMG_4024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6J8Ta_MpfC4/UBK2KVmUujI/AAAAAAAACWU/Uh1n9cD_np0/s320/IMG_4024.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Adam about to negotiate the AI3</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSDyBDtM9Ds/UBK2FhftXyI/AAAAAAAACWM/r3w3rnD89W8/s1600/IMG_4025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YSDyBDtM9Ds/UBK2FhftXyI/AAAAAAAACWM/r3w3rnD89W8/s320/IMG_4025.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Erasmo looking ready to rock </b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Tlt8dK0sgg/UBK26l3sH2I/AAAAAAAACWw/iuMoAh9lpGA/s1600/IMG_4031.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7Tlt8dK0sgg/UBK26l3sH2I/AAAAAAAACWw/iuMoAh9lpGA/s320/IMG_4031.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>AI3-Camera is a bit tilted</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a1lxazTyMPc/UBK2OrGgYpI/AAAAAAAACWc/IX76KAqIvRg/s1600/IMG_4027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a1lxazTyMPc/UBK2OrGgYpI/AAAAAAAACWc/IX76KAqIvRg/s320/IMG_4027.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Belaying the top of the AI3</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx4HIaZrkqDzBSt0R6gSgnSvJr7OiTMb7ENo94TAiIDgzXMmDxdsViUCT0x7NSvXM3Iwcmuoio0svvycBaEIQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="color: red; font-size: small;">Off Route on steep snow</span></b></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">The Crux:</span></b><b><br /></b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
Five pitches of mixed climbing lead to the summit ridge. Adam lead and short fixed these pitchs placing no gear only clipping the anchors. Ersasmo thought that the belay and rappell anchors were placed by adam but they were actually already there. He cleaned them all and collected 8 nuts, three dynema slings and a C4 number 1.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aLYOH1s0ZjU/UBK29RAQOzI/AAAAAAAACW4/mAe_eGRrjCI/s1600/IMG_4035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aLYOH1s0ZjU/UBK29RAQOzI/AAAAAAAACW4/mAe_eGRrjCI/s320/IMG_4035.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Adam Solong some mixed rock</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v3BM9IaIJMc/UBK3dIT0SBI/AAAAAAAACXA/WN2N913lLUw/s1600/IMG_4036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v3BM9IaIJMc/UBK3dIT0SBI/AAAAAAAACXA/WN2N913lLUw/s320/IMG_4036.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Looking down some of the mixed section</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KLXED5DD6g0/UBK3oi_-mEI/AAAAAAAACXQ/aPFoT8rRzNI/s1600/IMG_4041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KLXED5DD6g0/UBK3oi_-mEI/AAAAAAAACXQ/aPFoT8rRzNI/s320/IMG_4041.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Topping out the ridge</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><span style="color: red;">Summit:</span></b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
We could not have timed it better. The sun hit the summit just as we were cresting the ridge. snow as all compact and Adam and I blasted to the top as Erasmo rested and waited. He had enough. Adam and I carefully climbed the precarious summit ridge, snapped some shots and jetted down.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jA5V9D6dEsE/UBK3mNvn3uI/AAAAAAAACXI/omZBnf0iWE8/s1600/IMG_4042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jA5V9D6dEsE/UBK3mNvn3uI/AAAAAAAACXI/omZBnf0iWE8/s320/IMG_4042.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The walk to the summit</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TKAc4y5Gq1Q/UBK3_C-EXzI/AAAAAAAACXc/V5UV80AdKJQ/s1600/IMG_4045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TKAc4y5Gq1Q/UBK3_C-EXzI/AAAAAAAACXc/V5UV80AdKJQ/s320/IMG_4045.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>Bad ass summit ridge</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MB6pnnOJxkk/UBK4LVEa2sI/AAAAAAAACXk/DefcAzRmLbk/s1600/IMG_4050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MB6pnnOJxkk/UBK4LVEa2sI/AAAAAAAACXk/DefcAzRmLbk/s320/IMG_4050.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Adam on top</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJggPrbEr0k/UBK4a9_4zrI/AAAAAAAACXs/6salHTaGGSM/s1600/IMG_4051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jJggPrbEr0k/UBK4a9_4zrI/AAAAAAAACXs/6salHTaGGSM/s320/IMG_4051.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Me on top </b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6FH64BQA1pI/UBK4qk7565I/AAAAAAAACX0/gK-vLr5s4gw/s1600/IMG_4053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6FH64BQA1pI/UBK4qk7565I/AAAAAAAACX0/gK-vLr5s4gw/s320/IMG_4053.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Downclimbing the summit</b></span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: red;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ReBA0sRXv-Y/UBLH83UXcGI/AAAAAAAACZE/1OeVYbWsJUo/s1600/MVI_4049.mp4" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Ddeb75b18e590fffb%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1346000584%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7658E62F12E07ABC8EA0A35B7BDE42959D6A6D56.CCE9D56CD2BB092867893A9274F24451C7EFF107%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3Ddeb75b18e590fffb%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1346000584%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D7658E62F12E07ABC8EA0A35B7BDE42959D6A6D56.CCE9D56CD2BB092867893A9274F24451C7EFF107%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<b>The Rapell: </b></div>
70 meter ropes were helpfull here as we did 5 or 6 rapells to the snow, hiked out and did one more rapell. We were back in camp in 11 hours at noon. We ate, drank, rested and packed down to the lower hut. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M1G2bpGHGEs/UBK44Pw9HgI/AAAAAAAACYA/glaYrU3BWwc/s1600/IMG_4058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M1G2bpGHGEs/UBK44Pw9HgI/AAAAAAAACYA/glaYrU3BWwc/s320/IMG_4058.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><b>The First Rapell</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d1LwzP9pThI/UBK6I_v3VRI/AAAAAAAACYY/Os57djHeTlc/s1600/IMG_4059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d1LwzP9pThI/UBK6I_v3VRI/AAAAAAAACYY/Os57djHeTlc/s320/IMG_4059.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><b>The First Rapell</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fVx6SJhZuoM/UBK5RWieDII/AAAAAAAACYI/8qjXM9X_WT8/s1600/IMG_4064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fVx6SJhZuoM/UBK5RWieDII/AAAAAAAACYI/8qjXM9X_WT8/s320/IMG_4064.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Setting up the final Rapell</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oowKPx1eMGE/UBK5bF69bHI/AAAAAAAACYQ/OA1wjtNMsME/s1600/IMG_4069.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oowKPx1eMGE/UBK5bF69bHI/AAAAAAAACYQ/OA1wjtNMsME/s320/IMG_4069.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: red;"><b>The Final Rapell</b></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="color: red;">Summary: </b><br />
<div style="color: white;">
Ranrapalca summit sent - a true gem! The three of us climbed the NE face in under 6 hours with a summit tag at 20,217 feet. It was a truly alpine climb in good style. Camp to camp in under 11 hrs.</div>
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b style="color: red;">Bittersweet: </b></span><br />
<div style="color: white;">
When I arrived back in town, I ate some food, jumped into the shower and laid low. Tony came to me with some bad news. Gill Weis and Ben Horne (two Americans attempting a new route on the south face of Palcaraju) were five days late and Gil missed his flight. Adam and I had talked about how we were woried that they hadnt come back to town and we should notify someone. This was bad news. I had talked to Gil before he left on his climb and he seeme upbeat and positive. Adam and I spent the rest of the day coordinating with La Casa de Guias, Gary, Bens Dad and Private search and rescue. </div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: white;">
Please see the thread and send your hopes and prayers:</div>
<div style="color: white;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: red;"><span style="color: red;">http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1887836/Friends-missing-on-Palcaraju </span><b style="color: red;"> </b></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Plan:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;">Today is the next day and Adam and I spent the day running around town figuring out the logistics of a search. After speaking with Ted, we decided to aid in the rescue as an independent American climbing team. We do not want to climb the route because of strong objective hazards but will aid in a glacial search and serve as liasons on the satelite phone if needed to contact family in the states and notify them of the situation. We will pack into camp with donkeys and mountain bike to base camp. From there we will asses our need and utility. Hope for the best but realistically thinking the worst.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Additional News:</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_21173021/tracks-spotted-boulder-climbers-gil-weiss-ben-home">http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_21173021/tracks-spotted-boulder-climbers-gil-weiss-ben-home</a>Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-24341198065595933782012-07-22T09:12:00.002-07:002012-12-27T09:12:11.191-08:00Getting High on Huamashraju 7-18 to 7-21-2012<b><span style="color: red;">Getting High on Huamashraju</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">July 18-Jul 21 </span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Backgroud:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;">I spent the night of the 17th dry heaving, unable to eat and with a mild fever. I went to bed thinking I would not be able to stick with our original plan: a simple walk up Pisco. I decided to pop a Cipro in the morning and after an hour I was feeling like a million bucks.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Change of Plans:</span></b><br />
Cory and Tony had noticed I was not feeling well so they had gone out and gotten smashed that night. They both woke up with hangovers. I started talking with two Columbian climbers that I had a met a few days ago and they were attempting a climb up Huamashraju which was 4 pitches of 5.10 rock and steep snow hiking to the top. I was feeling WAY better and this sounded a lot more fun than just hiking to the top of mountain. I told Cory and we were super psyched. Tony had a major hangover and his knee was a little sore, so he sat out on this one.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Crew:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;">We linked up with Maria and Katie who were both super strong. Katie had summited Everest and had climbed several big walls in Yosemite and Maria had an impressive climbing resume as well including attempting Gashburn 1. They both lived an hour from Columbia and managed a Hostel. Maria owned a resturannt and Katie guided kids in the mountains. Not only were they strong climbers, they were a lot of fun to hang around and they ended up turning into good friends.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Dog:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;">We took a taxi and arrived in the middle of village. The girls were able to negotiate with a local Arriero to get a donkey to bring our gear into a base vamp the next day. We plopped our tents down right where the taxi dropped us off and set up shop. Immediatly a local dog (who we named Huamash) grew a liking to us and protected us. He would chase away all other dogs and animals from our area and he ended up falling us the next day to our higher camp and then to the base of the route. We fed him leftover food. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aNgGeQnmF1w/UAwhe4GKCjI/AAAAAAAACTM/OZ0ij9_cQ2g/s1600/IMG_3904.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aNgGeQnmF1w/UAwhe4GKCjI/AAAAAAAACTM/OZ0ij9_cQ2g/s320/IMG_3904.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Planned Route and The actual route:</span></b><br />
We planned to climb a 4 pitch 5.10 rock route onto steep snow (PD) topping out at over 17,880 feet. We did not have a topo and could not find the start of the route, so we ended up climbing a variation that was a probably new route on the rock rated 5.8R. It was 6 pitches of rad discontinues crack systems and face moves leading onto some spectacular sierra equivalent ridge climbing. We eneded on steep snow and neotiated some small crevasses to the top.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oy5QHses7f0/UAwivlVzdrI/AAAAAAAACTs/2PYbXitd3P8/s1600/topo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oy5QHses7f0/UAwivlVzdrI/AAAAAAAACTs/2PYbXitd3P8/s640/topo.JPG" hda="true" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Night 1:</span></b><br />
We set down our things into base camp and started to get to know our new climbing partners. We laughed and joked as they called us gringos. We taught them how americans dance to Vanilla Ice (the sprinkler, the worm, the shopping cart and booty shake) and they taught us how to salsa dance. We shared stories of our cultures and played cards inside thier tent. They introduced us to Purro, which was a Columbian herbal remedy to help you relax. We laughed and joked until it was time for bed.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 1 - The Approach and Bringing gear to the base:</span></b><br />
The donkey came at 9am to bring our gear to a high base camp at 15,500 feet. We followed trails up to camp and setup near a water source. We boiled water and brought up our packs and climbing gear to the base. We packed a follower pack with our double boots (6 pounds each pair), axes, crampons and water. The pack was probably 25 pounds. We headed back to camp.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fN3dAxNeRm4/UAwXgeX_ATI/AAAAAAAACQU/ETpN6ZheIFE/s1600/IMG_3901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fN3dAxNeRm4/UAwXgeX_ATI/AAAAAAAACQU/ETpN6ZheIFE/s320/IMG_3901.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<b><span style="color: red;">Night 2 - Dinner:</span></b><br />
Cory and I were expecting to have dehydrated dinners, but Maria and Katie had another idea. They prepaired us an amazing Fajita dinner and we fueled up for the climb.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ScVj1Ovkomg/UAwXefducUI/AAAAAAAACQM/ieK-BXZgfjs/s1600/IMG_3909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ScVj1Ovkomg/UAwXefducUI/AAAAAAAACQM/ieK-BXZgfjs/s320/IMG_3909.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SSLRwXfKovI/UAwYiLHGMgI/AAAAAAAACQo/zlnzjOy_lHM/s1600/IMG_3910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SSLRwXfKovI/UAwYiLHGMgI/AAAAAAAACQo/zlnzjOy_lHM/s320/IMG_3910.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Day 2 - The Climb:</span></b><br />
Beep...Beep..Beep. It was 4 am. The inside of the tent was all frost and Cory and I lay motionless in our sleeping bags. It was cold...bone chilling cold. Fuck climbing technical rock in the cold. We call to the girls - "Trenta Minutas Mas" They respond with a resounding "Yes!" We left around 5:30 in the morning and made our approach to the base of the route.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zFwEHHbCPgY/UAwYWMSX0YI/AAAAAAAACQc/JXL64aQ8lMA/s1600/IMG_3914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zFwEHHbCPgY/UAwYWMSX0YI/AAAAAAAACQc/JXL64aQ8lMA/s320/IMG_3914.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
We had a big difficulty finding the start of the route, especially since our only beta ws "it's an obvious 5.10 line up the middle of the rock." We looked up and all we saw were roofs coated in ice, so we opted for a route that took the path of least resistance to a notch.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZWdHMRdgQo/UAwhzqSj-KI/AAAAAAAACTc/K6Tbcj4TLK0/s1600/topo2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NZWdHMRdgQo/UAwhzqSj-KI/AAAAAAAACTc/K6Tbcj4TLK0/s320/topo2.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
P1 5.6: We tried to wait for the sun but had no luck, so shivering in my down jacket with my numb toes in my climbing shoes, I went on my way. I soloed up an easy crack and tip toed my way over slabs until I felt the end of the rope. I yelled to Cory "begin simul climbing." I had in three pieces of gear. I needed to find an anchor but I could fin no cracks. I climbed 10 feet more and found a crack filled with moss. I used my nut tool to hollow out the moss and threw in two cams and brought Cory up.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHeafnXr2gE/UAws_VMOH0I/AAAAAAAACU8/oU4rr7WHGu4/s1600/IMG_3932a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHeafnXr2gE/UAws_VMOH0I/AAAAAAAACU8/oU4rr7WHGu4/s320/IMG_3932a.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
P2 5.7: Cory lead this traversing pitching to a large block out left about 200 feet placing three pieces and ending with a stem past verglass ice onto the block. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QaM0CpxRREc/UAwZqsyhc9I/AAAAAAAACQ4/cfLDVMbnCJs/s1600/IMG_3928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QaM0CpxRREc/UAwZqsyhc9I/AAAAAAAACQ4/cfLDVMbnCJs/s320/IMG_3928.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CMlCB3amKsk/UAwaRgk9F-I/AAAAAAAACRE/FxzttLNMZwI/s1600/IMG_3931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CMlCB3amKsk/UAwaRgk9F-I/AAAAAAAACRE/FxzttLNMZwI/s320/IMG_3931.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a> </div>
P3 5.7: I blasted up onto the face and cracks to the notch. Awesome climbing. I got in a snowy fist jam down low and placed two pieces of gear 180 feet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3D0hODshA8/UAwa6Qa3DiI/AAAAAAAACRQ/eSg5WyotO-Y/s1600/IMG_3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K3D0hODshA8/UAwa6Qa3DiI/AAAAAAAACRQ/eSg5WyotO-Y/s320/IMG_3933.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vPbzHMbfI54/UAwbBBA6RPI/AAAAAAAACRY/NNG1ujzLKYQ/s1600/IMG_3941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vPbzHMbfI54/UAwbBBA6RPI/AAAAAAAACRY/NNG1ujzLKYQ/s320/IMG_3941.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
P4 5.6: Bomber finger crack that was easier than it looked. Cory lead this pich past the notch and onto the ridge up and right. 180 feet.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zi-JXanivj8/UAwbhxgjGMI/AAAAAAAACRg/p4ue4XHHdpI/s1600/IMG_3945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zi-JXanivj8/UAwbhxgjGMI/AAAAAAAACRg/p4ue4XHHdpI/s320/IMG_3945.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C_uaqX2TFYo/UAwc_UJW20I/AAAAAAAACR4/mUK9xB4BKKU/s1600/IMG_3947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-C_uaqX2TFYo/UAwc_UJW20I/AAAAAAAACR4/mUK9xB4BKKU/s320/IMG_3947.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
P5 5.7: I did some more ridge climbing. 100 feet.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iZfZlqCtwFk/UAwctndh43I/AAAAAAAACRo/IT2bya_e4Fg/s1600/IMG_3954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iZfZlqCtwFk/UAwctndh43I/AAAAAAAACRo/IT2bya_e4Fg/s320/IMG_3954.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
P6 5.8: A couple spicey face traverse moves lead up higher 150 feet to an alcove on the ridge. From here we were able to spot the rapell anchors of the orignial route and changed to our double boots and crampons.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cONMqo7C2Iw/UAwe8DYy-QI/AAAAAAAACSg/wSwTObv48bQ/s1600/IMG_3965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cONMqo7C2Iw/UAwe8DYy-QI/AAAAAAAACSg/wSwTObv48bQ/s320/IMG_3965.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSB8W7UzqpY/UAwdlBFzL2I/AAAAAAAACSA/X5Ip5XMqlx8/s1600/IMG_3956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CSB8W7UzqpY/UAwdlBFzL2I/AAAAAAAACSA/X5Ip5XMqlx8/s320/IMG_3956.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Final Snow PD: We climbed steep snow and negotiated some minor crevasses at the top to an awesome summit<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JF9_MiLWr9E/UAwd42K9uyI/AAAAAAAACSI/Ic6i3g_O2rw/s1600/IMG_3971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JF9_MiLWr9E/UAwd42K9uyI/AAAAAAAACSI/Ic6i3g_O2rw/s320/IMG_3971.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EjFdCp_9AzA/UAwevEVERUI/AAAAAAAACSY/fSj0Wbk52SQ/s320/IMG_3972.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RgzMwA9oURg/UAwf6agvyXI/AAAAAAAACSw/Mrc5X42XJ8E/s1600/IMG_3984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RgzMwA9oURg/UAwf6agvyXI/AAAAAAAACSw/Mrc5X42XJ8E/s320/IMG_3984.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>Summit: </b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aH7TK-enyA0/UAwnrrF3DzI/AAAAAAAACUM/dhVqjN7K7IY/s1600/P7200195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aH7TK-enyA0/UAwnrrF3DzI/AAAAAAAACUM/dhVqjN7K7IY/s320/P7200195.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AlnR8k5SziQ/UAwnl8HcGrI/AAAAAAAACUE/_iwoyoao7Kw/s1600/P7200201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AlnR8k5SziQ/UAwnl8HcGrI/AAAAAAAACUE/_iwoyoao7Kw/s320/P7200201.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red;"><b>Descent:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: white;">We packed up from the summit and headed down. We had to front point a couple sections down the steep snow and we made it to our packs at the rapell.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RAw5-LDoQIo/UAwpoIKxuBI/AAAAAAAACUg/REGy1ZtaY9c/s1600/P7200203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RAw5-LDoQIo/UAwpoIKxuBI/AAAAAAAACUg/REGy1ZtaY9c/s320/P7200203.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qi0q3xbs1SQ/UAwox5l4N3I/AAAAAAAACUY/np9lo9-8pZA/s1600/P7200202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qi0q3xbs1SQ/UAwox5l4N3I/AAAAAAAACUY/np9lo9-8pZA/s320/P7200202.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>Rapell:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: white;">We found the rapell with our packs hungs and did five double rope rappels straight down to the base and packed out to camp.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-txtQDtMV8zk/UAwqJ7x1hmI/AAAAAAAACUo/IcENXzlJK4g/s1600/P7200205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-txtQDtMV8zk/UAwqJ7x1hmI/AAAAAAAACUo/IcENXzlJK4g/s320/P7200205.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-83O1FwJAWBc/UAwtPRLOGUI/AAAAAAAACVI/IsGHCNtsdqY/s1600/IMG_3987a.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-83O1FwJAWBc/UAwtPRLOGUI/AAAAAAAACVI/IsGHCNtsdqY/s320/IMG_3987a.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>Conclusion:</b></span><br />
<span style="color: white;">This was day in the mountains. Good company, fun climbing and spectacular weather. There was a first ascent quality of feel to it (which was pretty likely). We slept in the next day and packed out by noon. We all met up in town later in the day for a group dinner, six celebratory tequala shots and a farewell to Cory as he boarded his bus back to Lima. What a good time.</span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;"> New Route Submission to Casa De Guias:</span></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpR1Ft2FnINMa2V9USWVai73j7FO5U4m9R2M7nzuEfsNuUAE_5_oP2I0Y9IqTpPAYOBpJfS3aafwoYH1kOFQOUViSABxobnR8h60iS3hBi9RTcSLDP7xWn3b02ZyPXD_D_v1zj5j8lQJo/s1600/purro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpR1Ft2FnINMa2V9USWVai73j7FO5U4m9R2M7nzuEfsNuUAE_5_oP2I0Y9IqTpPAYOBpJfS3aafwoYH1kOFQOUViSABxobnR8h60iS3hBi9RTcSLDP7xWn3b02ZyPXD_D_v1zj5j8lQJo/s640/purro.jpg" height="640" width="510" yda="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: small;">This was our route submission to Casa De Guias</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPCYmfLDZSud08tEMo4Dr4ZN85WmLxjpo966wK9HXFh8VXpApHtkO2S-mzZshtxva2SUcxxGTWBRZzu53XlJTuhceKrwWqrleXY8YqlVZqd5CGWmilRnAmU-Dlbj1JVyDMGb26-9cBSB_/s1600/IMG_4600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPCYmfLDZSud08tEMo4Dr4ZN85WmLxjpo966wK9HXFh8VXpApHtkO2S-mzZshtxva2SUcxxGTWBRZzu53XlJTuhceKrwWqrleXY8YqlVZqd5CGWmilRnAmU-Dlbj1JVyDMGb26-9cBSB_/s400/IMG_4600.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>No records of the route-first ascent in the official books</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvP_XyF-fy3etZcldvdWX2AXzYw0LA8hcymSaIUMVL8g747d3dk6lOyjVZsJyKYiybC8-KCoe-r8pMIbgX7W8PYxQYh6zVXVy1ZRCyYzYtGLNQcB4BEmXw6RYNkp7cpqxfUAj8mvUKFuF/s1600/IMG_4601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvP_XyF-fy3etZcldvdWX2AXzYw0LA8hcymSaIUMVL8g747d3dk6lOyjVZsJyKYiybC8-KCoe-r8pMIbgX7W8PYxQYh6zVXVy1ZRCyYzYtGLNQcB4BEmXw6RYNkp7cpqxfUAj8mvUKFuF/s1600/IMG_4601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtvP_XyF-fy3etZcldvdWX2AXzYw0LA8hcymSaIUMVL8g747d3dk6lOyjVZsJyKYiybC8-KCoe-r8pMIbgX7W8PYxQYh6zVXVy1ZRCyYzYtGLNQcB4BEmXw6RYNkp7cpqxfUAj8mvUKFuF/s400/IMG_4601.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>The book is closed until next time!</b></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6257788309085869168.post-68879592302763525312012-07-17T13:20:00.000-07:002012-12-27T09:12:42.444-08:00Churup Attempt 7-14 to 7-15-2012<b><span style="color: red;">Churup Attempt</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: red;">July 14-Jul 15 </span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">July 9 to July 12:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: white;">The idle mind is a devils playground. After I came back to town, I was determined to get acclimatized and get in shape. Thoughts like "I should give up mountaineering" and "I need to sell all of my gear and just rock climb" were soon replaced by "Which mountains should I climb" and "When will Tony and Cory come back so I can get this show started."</span><br />
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: white;">I mountain biked through single track trails in the Peruvian Andes, I went for a 45 minute run at 10,000 feet of elevation, I went bouldering high up in a village called Huanchec, hiked up to Churup lake, had dinners at the local Israeli house, read a book (Brave New World) and I waited...Cory and Tony came back on the 12th with some mixed news. Cory had soloed Ranrapalca, Tony wasn't feeling great (had a head cold) and one of my gear bags with about four thousand dollars worth of clothing and other goods was stolen from basecamp. Luckily it was covered by insurance, but it will make the next few weeks here more difficult because I will need to rent or borrow.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-auROCZnMuuk/UATKpkEcoTI/AAAAAAAACMc/AzoesGKH6EA/s1600/IMG_3765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-auROCZnMuuk/UATKpkEcoTI/AAAAAAAACMc/AzoesGKH6EA/s320/IMG_3765.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBw88pU_V4w/UATJ1cZa64I/AAAAAAAACMQ/WfGmX03nKtg/s1600/IMG_3761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBw88pU_V4w/UATJ1cZa64I/AAAAAAAACMQ/WfGmX03nKtg/s320/IMG_3761.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5iK6i0gjkU/UATINFB9wII/AAAAAAAACME/vPCPW7ZZN-g/s1600/IMG_3755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N5iK6i0gjkU/UATINFB9wII/AAAAAAAACME/vPCPW7ZZN-g/s320/IMG_3755.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="color: black;"><b><span style="color: red;">July 13th Dinner:</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: white;">Tony had some friends who live in Huaraz, they volunteered to cook us some dinner. We had great food, great conversation and some great Pisco Sours.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyLrFGG91ew/UATMtx7JfaI/AAAAAAAACMw/jMB3V57TqPQ/s1600/IMG_3778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ca="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QyLrFGG91ew/UATMtx7JfaI/AAAAAAAACMw/jMB3V57TqPQ/s320/IMG_3778.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">July 13th preperation:</span></b><br />
We were set for our climb. We intented to climb Mount Churup via the face. It was estimated to be rated D plus and somewhere around M5 and on the climb we ran into some WI3. I still barely know what that last sentence means. We racked up with 6 ice screws, cams from C3 to two inch, 4 snow stakes and some knifeblade pitons. The route is seen on the below photo (courtesy of Hamik).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://images.summitpost.org/original/727523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ca="true" src="http://images.summitpost.org/original/727523.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">July 14th approach:</span></b><br />
We packed into Laguno Churup and setup camp at the second lake. I was feeling great and was psyched to finally get on some snow-ice-rock in Peru. It had been almost two weeks and I was ready for some action. This peak is not often climbed and has developed a local reputation for epics (see Hamiks trip report <a href="http://www.summitpost.org/stuck-on-churup/727562">http://www.summitpost.org/stuck-on-churup/727562</a>) but we were both pretty psysched and up for the task.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">July 14th night:</span></b><br />
We were prepairing for bedtime at the second lake at 15,000 feet with the stars above us and nobody in sight, when all of a sudden I saw a headlamp in the distance. I hiked about 15 minutes to investigate and it turned out there were two other parties of two attmepting the route. We discussed and I told them we would leave at 2am and they would leave at 4am and that would give each of us enough distance to climb.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">July 15th 2am: </span></b><br />
We packed up and headed up the talus slopes to the base of the climb. It was pitch black dark and we were not sure we were going the correct way. We saw a reces in the rock which turned to be water fall ice. Cory decided to give it a go. He lead a sick 180 foot WI3 pitch in pitch dark, obviously unclimed and ended at a ledge with a sketchy 5 piece belay. As I was climbing the pitch, we saw the headlamps of the other party navigate past us on easy talus. We were completly off route. We made an achor and bailed off the pitch leaving a piton and a nut.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UyWubWe8P2c/UAWHBkvuZzI/AAAAAAAACNI/6-HvlTqjc_U/s1600/IMG_3812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UyWubWe8P2c/UAWHBkvuZzI/AAAAAAAACNI/6-HvlTqjc_U/s320/IMG_3812.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Climb:</span></b><br />
We followed the headlamps and soon found the glacier. We roped up and negotiated crevases until we ran into some vertical ice. Cory pitched it out and I regained the sharp end for the crevasse travel. Cory wasnt doing too well. I would hike quickly up steep snow until the rope was taught, wait a few breaths and attempt to hike some more. Cory was falling to the snow every 100 meters to rest and cough. He was not his strong usual self and I had a feeling he did not have enough rest after his last climb. I tried to keep the pace and Cory called to me and told me he could not continue. Without hesitation, I agreed (although the crux was just ahead and I desperatly wanted to get past it) and we decided to bail at 16,600 feet.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3eeWK9swPKE/UAXOdJb9H8I/AAAAAAAACP8/PGoYSYe814M/s1600/IMG_3864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3eeWK9swPKE/UAXOdJb9H8I/AAAAAAAACP8/PGoYSYe814M/s320/IMG_3864.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uwSVXy_y2Xw/UAWHfI5tTWI/AAAAAAAACNc/-naNmZwSrOE/s1600/IMG_3834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uwSVXy_y2Xw/UAWHfI5tTWI/AAAAAAAACNc/-naNmZwSrOE/s320/IMG_3834.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KR7kHtxNie8/UAXF8dujaZI/AAAAAAAACOw/Y9VIzb8VYe4/s1600/IMG_3863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KR7kHtxNie8/UAXF8dujaZI/AAAAAAAACOw/Y9VIzb8VYe4/s320/IMG_3863.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Bailing:</span></b><br />
We downclmbed the steep snow dodging crevasses and placing a picket every 200 feet for safety. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kYVgck9kUAM/UAWIBGhErcI/AAAAAAAACNw/JBa47UjUNmQ/s1600/IMG_3847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kYVgck9kUAM/UAWIBGhErcI/AAAAAAAACNw/JBa47UjUNmQ/s320/IMG_3847.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzUlW8xTPRM/UAWIeqnmmXI/AAAAAAAACOE/sFdvhJ0vPG0/s1600/IMG_3850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZzUlW8xTPRM/UAWIeqnmmXI/AAAAAAAACOE/sFdvhJ0vPG0/s320/IMG_3850.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Crevasse Fall:</span></b><br />
I came across a snowbridge covering a huge crevasse on the way down. I tried to cross it but I immediatly punched through it butt deep. I somehow intinctivly got my body to the other side and yelled at Cory to put me on an immediate belay. I continued down past another snow bridge and took a large step over a second crevasee.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">V-Thread:</span></b><br />
We prepped a Vthread on the Ice and a double rope rapell to bail. We rappelled down to the snow and hiked out.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--iMe_PYOd7c/UAWI42uPV9I/AAAAAAAACOY/OKJ1GlZ1yKc/s1600/IMG_3852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--iMe_PYOd7c/UAWI42uPV9I/AAAAAAAACOY/OKJ1GlZ1yKc/s320/IMG_3852.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8quxXV1R45k/UAXJpWbOKWI/AAAAAAAACPo/33IFDHqcz9Q/s1600/IMG_3862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8quxXV1R45k/UAXJpWbOKWI/AAAAAAAACPo/33IFDHqcz9Q/s320/IMG_3862.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Back To Camp:</span></b></div>
We got back to camp, ate some food, relaxed at the lake and then hiked back out to town.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-izcqBTtBO5Q/UAXIcWxckpI/AAAAAAAACPU/MPJYMEN_iF0/s1600/IMG_3872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-izcqBTtBO5Q/UAXIcWxckpI/AAAAAAAACPU/MPJYMEN_iF0/s320/IMG_3872.JPG" hda="true" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Thoughts:</span></b><br />
It is all about the journey and not the destination but I am anxious to top out some Mountain in Peru. The other two parties had to bail higher on the route because of unconsolidated snow and loose rock. I talked with Cory and we are set to attempt Pisco in two days. This is an easy glaciated 18,000 foot peak that would give us the greatest likelyhood of summiting (although my stomach is still upset). We took it easy today, went into some thermal caves and caught up on some much needed rest.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uINAwX6_EYs/UAXIZVkAnnI/AAAAAAAACPM/Va3UKNqlS5s/s1600/IMG_3884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uINAwX6_EYs/UAXIZVkAnnI/AAAAAAAACPM/Va3UKNqlS5s/s320/IMG_3884.JPG" hda="true" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Your Life Passionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15418741626360363456noreply@blogger.com2