This expedition is beginning to feel like the story of the three pigs with the big bad wolf trying to blow their house down. Yes, the wind is still blowing and it is still very cold. The team has been hunkered down at Camp 1 for the last two, going on three days now. When I talked to them this morning everyone was doing fine, despite winds strong enough to damage tents both at Camp 1 and here at Base Camp. Our team was smart to stay put and dig in - there have been reports of several cases of frostbite in people who tried to move and come down in the middle of the storm.
Today is a critical day for the team. They have already carried a lot of the food and fuel that they will need for the upper mountain on up to Camp 2, so they are starting to run a little short on supplies after spending several extra days waiting out the storm at Camp 1. The choices are to move up or to move down. The wind seems to be dropping a little this morning so they are going to attempt to move on up to Camp 2 at Burrieza Col today. I’ll let you know how that goes when I hear anything.
So for now we are bundling up to stay warm, and hoping the wind disappears soon.
Ellie Henke at Aconcagua Base Camp
John and Sue,
Best wishes for a summit tomorrow. Stay strong, we know you can do it if the weather allows.
Thinking of you from Mendoza.
Patty, Janney and Nancy
Posted by: Nancy Janney and Patty | February 21, 2007 at 09:26 AM