Fast Currents
On our approach to the mountain, we struggled with high water. Having four legs, our horses were better adapted to the river crossings than we were.
South Face of Aconcagua
The Face rises nearly 3000 vertical meters to the summit!
Glacial Debris
The glacier at the foot of the face was a jumble of huge unstable blocks of ice.
Old Fixed Ropes
Sharon makes a belay protected on a small rib of rock. Many pitches of loose rock protect the first ice field.
Loose Rock and Penitentes
We climb numerous pitches of loose rock and fields of ice penitentes to reach the first chimneys.
Black Chimneys
Four pitches of Chimneys lead to the ice fields above.
Rock Bands
Pitches of rock were still draped with old fixed ropes from previous expeditioins.
Stemming the ice flows
Sharon stems up the ice flows in the middle rock band.
Serac Barrier
The serac barrier above the second icefield is dangerous and unattractive!
Camp Beneath the Serac Band
Our bivi beneath the serac band was unappetizing. But we needed an early morning to negotiate the serac barrier.
The Serac Pitch
The crux of the route was the serac band we climbed direct in order to avoid the extremely broken and dangerous ice sections to it's side.
Third Icefield
Above the serac, we had a clear view of the 800 meter alpine face above.
Alpine Face to the Summit
The last icefields led around a hanging serac and onto the summit.
Sharon On the Summit
Reaching the top allowed us a few minutes to eat and drink. We began the descent down the normal route hoping to loose altitude quickly.