Aconcagua Day 6: Move to Camp 1

Today was our last day at Plaza Argentina Base Camp. We got up to the usual breakfast of scrambled eggs with queso, toast, jam and coffee. We shared the dining tent with Alpine Ascents Team 2. After breakfast we returned to our tent to start packing for our move to Camp 1. A few minutes later, high wind swept through Base Camp and a created a mini tornado. Several tents were destroyed and a couple went flying higher that I’ve seen any kite fly. There was mayhem everywhere.

Luckily, we were done packing and ready to leave towards Camp 1. We departed at 2 PM. Along the way we faced some really strong head and side wind estimated at 50-60mph.

We pushed through and made it to Camp 1 in about 2 hours. The wind was blowing like crazy that we could barely setup one tent for the 3 of us. We quickly entered the tent and rested until dinner time around 6 PM where we ended up cooking in the tent’s vestibule.

Our lone tent at Aconcagua Camp 1.

We had hot drinks, some rice and vegetables topped by lots of hot sauce for flavor. We stayed in the tent packed like sardines surviving and battling really strong gusts of winds. We were the only people on the mountain as everyone else headed back down to Base Camp which in my opinion was not a better place to be.

Fetching water at Camp 1.

We called down to Base Camp and the news wasn’t good there. Half the camp was destroyed forcing several teams to abandon their expedition. Even Alpine Ascents Team 2 was affected forcing several climbers to spend the night in the dining/mess tent. Tomorrow we plan on carrying and caching a load at Camp 2 at an altitude of 5400 m (17,500 ft).

Three Men in a Tent.