Aconcagua & South America 2004

2006-11-27T13:20:00.000-08:00

Go to smsmart.blogspot.com to find out about my trip to Equadors' Volcanoes.

A Selection of Photograghs

2005-01-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

I have uploaded some photos for those who would like to see where I went & should there be any doubting Thomas's out there, a picture or two of the top.
I arrived back 0n the 12th after an uneventfull journey home to be re-united with the Glasgow climate, something I have not missed.
I have been asked if I thought the whole enterprise was worthwhile, anyone who has managed to carry out something they consider a personal challenge will answer that. They also have asked me what is next, well.............................I have an idea or two.
Thanks to all who left comments.. to do it click on the comments below. The comments are at the end of each log & can be accessed by all.

Yours Sincerely Stephen W M Smart.

2005-01-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

The lone hiker with Aconcagua in the background, I could get up that!

2005-01-17T11:37:00.000-08:00

Camping at Puntas del Incas.

2005-01-17T11:35:00.000-08:00

One for Belcher!

2005-01-17T11:34:00.000-08:00

Aconcagua from the bus to Mendoza

2005-01-17T11:31:00.000-08:00

Aconcagua in background at the trailhead.

2005-01-17T11:29:00.000-08:00

Looking down to Puntas des Incas from Park gates

2005-01-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

Horcones river which is the colour of hot chocolate due to the sediment.

2005-01-17T11:25:00.000-08:00

Confluencia camp with outfitters tents, 3300m

2005-01-17T11:23:00.000-08:00

South Face & the Horcones Glacier.

2005-01-17T11:21:00.000-08:00

The South Face of Aconcagua The highest point is on the right side, the bealach is the lowest point between the two tops.

2005-01-17T11:18:00.000-08:00

Looking down over the Horcones Glacier

2005-01-17T11:15:00.000-08:00

Looking up the Horcones Valley, Mulas del Mulas is only 7 hrs away.

2005-01-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

The Piedra Grande in the Horcones valley.

2005-01-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

Abandoned mule in the Horcones valley.

2005-01-17T11:09:00.000-08:00

Plaza des Mulas 4350m, from path to Canada Camp

2005-01-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

Mulas from above with the Refugio in background.

2005-01-17T11:06:00.000-08:00

Mulas with Sugar Loaf ( the mountain with the snow on it) in the background.

2005-01-17T11:04:00.000-08:00

From above Mulas with Sugar Loaf, the mountain with the snow on it.

2005-01-17T10:23:00.000-08:00

Aconcagua from my tent in Mulas

2005-01-17T10:22:00.000-08:00

Refugio.

2005-01-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Mulas from behind Refugio, flat area far right is Nido.

2005-01-17T10:18:00.000-08:00

Looking over Mulas from Sugar Loaf the flatish area on Aconcagua is Nido de Condors.

2005-01-17T10:16:00.000-08:00

Aconcagua from up behind Refugio.

2005-01-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

Evening sun on Aconcagua from Mulas.

2005-01-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

My little tent at Camp Canada.

2005-01-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Tomas at Camp Canada before I went back down to Plaza des Mulas.

2005-01-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

New tent at Nido de Condores or Nest of the Condors No sight of any condors. Alt 5350m

2005-01-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

Nido, note all the rocks round the tent, I had rocks round the inside as well.

2005-01-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Nido sporting my £2 Andean gone & dunnit.

2005-01-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

Me at Nido without Andean bunnet.

2005-01-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

Looking down towards Camp Canada from Nido.

2005-01-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

Nido, bleak & windswept.

2005-01-17T09:58:00.000-08:00

Looking up to Berlin from Nido

2005-01-17T09:57:00.000-08:00

Looking south from Nido

2005-01-17T09:55:00.000-08:00

Looking down on my tent at Nido.

2005-01-17T09:53:00.000-08:00

View from Berlin camp, so called because the wee huts were build by climbers from Berlin who's friend lost his life here.

2005-01-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

Berlin Camp With Mystery tent.

2005-01-17T09:48:00.000-08:00

Berlin Camp with two wee wooden huts both of which were full of snow.

2005-01-17T09:46:00.000-08:00

View from Berlin Camp.

2005-01-17T09:44:00.000-08:00

View from Independencia

2005-01-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

Independencia Hut, at 6400m. this now ruined hut was built in 1951, supposed to be the highest alpine refuge in the world, I would not like to depend on this place in a bad night.

2005-01-17T09:36:00.000-08:00

View from Independencia Camp

2005-01-17T09:35:00.000-08:00

View from Berlin Camp.

2005-01-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

Looking down from the bealach to the Horcones glacier The pictures from beside the glacier were taken from approx where the shadow of the cloud is.

2005-01-17T09:20:00.000-08:00

South Face, one of the most difficult climbs in South America, viewed from the bealach.

2005-01-15T12:34:00.000-08:00

Looking down from the bealach

2005-01-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

South face from bealach

2005-01-15T12:32:00.000-08:00

Looking down from the bealach between the two peaks

2005-01-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

Looking down the notorious Canaleta, it is steeper than it looks here....

2005-01-15T12:28:00.000-08:00

From the top the cross & the South face

2005-01-15T12:26:00.000-08:00

A view from near the top

2005-01-15T12:25:00.000-08:00

The South face viewed from the bealach between the two peaks.

2005-01-15T12:22:00.000-08:00

The PICTURE, at the top, this will become a classic, & will be downloaded throughout the world.

2005-01-15T12:19:00.000-08:00

At the top, mist closing in

2005-01-15T12:18:00.000-08:00

My flag on the cross which marks the TOP

2005-01-15T12:16:00.000-08:00

The Saltire flies proudly with the South face in the background.

2005-01-15T12:13:00.000-08:00

Veiw from Berlin Camp

2005-01-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Looking over to camp Canada on the way down from Nido.

2005-01-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

Looking down to Plaza del Mulas from just above Camp Canada on the far left.

2005-01-15T12:07:00.000-08:00

Looking down the Horcones valley, dry & windswept.

2005-01-15T12:04:00.000-08:00

Looking up the Horcones valley.

2005-01-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

The riverbed Horcones valley

2005-01-15T12:01:00.000-08:00

Down the Horcones valley on my way out, very windt.

2005-01-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

Aconcagua, a last look from the Horcones valley.

2005-01-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

A welcome drink on returning to Santiago

2005-01-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

Sweeneys of Bariloche

2005-01-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

Alpine architecture Bariloche

2005-01-15T11:53:00.000-08:00

An attempt at alpine architecture in Bariloche ...too bad about the muli-story flats.

2005-01-15T11:51:00.000-08:00

Bariloche

2005-01-15T11:50:00.000-08:00

The lake at Bariloche

2005-01-15T11:49:00.000-08:00

Calafate, I did not stay here long.

2005-01-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

Patagonia a great deal of ..nothing

2005-01-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

Puert Natales.

2005-01-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

Puerto Natales

2005-01-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

Puerto Natales, early morning.

2005-01-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

Porto Natales, note the glacier which ends in the sea.

2005-01-15T11:36:00.000-08:00

The path to the Refugio Torres Del Paine

2005-01-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

Up towards the refugio

2005-01-15T11:33:00.000-08:00

Torres del Paine

2005-01-15T11:32:00.000-08:00

Torres del Paine

2005-01-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

Walking out of Torres del Paine national park.

2005-01-15T11:28:00.000-08:00

A windy day Torres del Paine

2005-01-15T11:27:00.000-08:00

The towers of Paine from the park gates.

2005-01-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

Thinking of a new van

2005-01-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

I used to have a toy one of these when I was a small boy.

2005-01-15T11:22:00.000-08:00

Harbour Puntas Arenus.

2005-01-15T11:20:00.000-08:00

The lovely beach at Puntas Arenus which means sandy point.

2005-01-15T11:18:00.000-08:00

Ushuaia with cruise ships for Antartica in the background.

2005-01-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

Ushuaia & the Beagle Channel, note the lack of beagles.

2005-01-15T11:11:00.000-08:00

Ushuaia fro the pier.

2005-01-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

There are a few nuisance penguins to be found on the streets of Ushuaia which pester passers by for fish & money.

2005-01-15T11:03:00.000-08:00

One for Stiggy, a little TLC required.

2005-01-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

Ushuaia, with a few small glaciers in the background.

2005-01-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

The Argie navy, dear dear

2005-01-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

There you are... made it to the very end of the road.

2005-01-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

The Fitzroy Hostal Puntas Arenus, very springy floors.

2005-01-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

Santiago on my way home

The Last Post From The Americas.

2005-01-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

Again nothing interesting has happened to me since the last communication, I left Puntas Arenus innocent & unmolested on sun & caught another LanChile flight to Santiago which was late AGAIN, 2 LanChile flights & both were 2hrs late taking off from almost deserted aerodromes, what a bunch!!!
The flight flew over Torres Del Paine & a superb view was to be had of these most peculiar of mountains, the flight continued north with magnificent views of the Chilean side of southern Patagonia, where there are vast areas of mountains with almost no access, all with glaciers streching either down to the sea or to lakes, you could easily count hundreds of these glaciers, some lakes full of ice that had broken off the glaciers, We must have been close to Argentina as I could clearly see Mount Fitzroy, which is another impressive vertical pillar of rock dwarfing its neighbours ( not unlike the In Pin some might be moved to observe ) The mountains & glaciers continued all the way as we flew over the Carretera Austral before stopping at Puerto Montt. A most impressive flight far better than the Alps as these mountains continued almost non-stop for the 2000k between Puntas Arenus & Puerto Montt, unfortunatly it was almost dark as we took off from Puerto Montt so I only had a hazy view of the volcano Osorno, which is quite conical with the top third covered in snow - just what a volcano is supposed to look like.
Arrived in Santiago at almost midnight so I was fearfull the last of the service buses had left the airport & I would have to pay for a taxi ( a difference of 15Quid ) so you can imagine my utter relief when I spotted one and was able to hop aboard.
Just as I left the Plane a passenger (a german) was having a wrestling match with the security personnel I wanted to stay & watch but,, that bus was more important.
Arrived at Hotel Londres at almost 1am and fortunatly they had a room.
Lovely day here in Santiago, must be 85+ but a bit sticky. Spent the day sitting about mostly eating ice lollys.I fly out of Santiago tomorrow at 3pm so this will be my last post from SA. When I arrive home I will set up a photo album on this sight & put a selection up for your perusal, so give me a couple of days.
Some of you might wonder why I wanted to travel down to Ushuaia at all as it is not a common holiday destination well.....when I was about 8 or 9 my Gran used to come over to my house every Wednesday bringing with her the latest Peoples Friend for my mother. You may or may not know that the Peoples Friend had a childrens page at the back, on one occasion they were running a competition....I cannot remember what it was about but I entered it,
About 3weeks later I received through the post, to my delight & astonishment, second prize of a metal globe about 6 inches in diameter, I used to often study it and one of the places that constantly drew my eye was the isolated tip of South America, I cannot say that I decided then that one day.......but I always harboured a notion, just to see what it would be like. SO I KNOW NOW!!!
I would like to thank everyone who posted a comment, as they both provided amusement
& a little knowledge ( I was perfectly aware that Fray Bentos was in Uraguay, but I thought that I would try it on for the sake of a cheap laugh)
I do wonder why so many of the comments were all by anon?
The home fire seems to have gone out, perhaps it needs a good poke?
Do look in again at the end of the week when I hope to have the photos available
Hasta lumbago SS