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Peak(s):  Aconcagua - 22841
Date Posted:  01/16/2013
Date Climbed:   01/09/2013
Author:  jbchalk
 The Stone Sentinel   

Just a brief description with some of my favorite pics of our recent climb of Aconcagua can be found here on our website:

Aconcagua - The Stone Sentinel

Sorry to those who don't care for links to personal blogs. Hope you enjoy!

Brandon

Image
Aconcagua's north summit towering 13,000' above me on the approach to Casa de Piedra refugio



Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
1


Comments or Questions
Jay521
User
Your ”Readers Digest” version...
1/16/2013 6:53pm
... is great and I can't wait for Kristine's full report. What a fantastic trip and climb and HUGE congrats to the both of you for pulling it off...


jbchalk
User
Many thanks Jay...
1/16/2013 10:52pm
I'm looking forward to Kristine's full report as well. After all, she's the writer in the family...I'm an engineer.


Dave B
User
Congratulations
1/16/2013 11:15pm
Hiking out from Plaza Argentina in a day sounds like hell. Nice report and good luck on you future climbs!

I look forward to reading those reports, too!


jbchalk
User
Thanks, Dave
1/16/2013 11:35pm
That hike out was indeed hell most definitely


Monster5
User
Congrats!
1/16/2013 11:43pm
To both of you. What were the summit temps like? Seems much drier than I expected.

Good luck getting Vinson!


jbchalk
User
Thanks, Ryan...
1/16/2013 11:44pm
That day was a beauty. Essentially zero winds on the summit around 11am when we were up there and likely air temps of 10 deg or so. The sun made it feel much warmer than that.


Dancesatmoonrise
User
Congrats
1/17/2013 1:38am
Hey Brandon, you guys are firing on all cylinders! Congrats to you and Kristine on a fine job. Can't wait for her report!!


d_baker
Kramer
1/17/2013 2:16am
I dig your hair on the N summit. Reminds me of Kramer's! Nice work.


shredthegnar10
User
Congrats!
1/17/2013 3:42am
Hey Brandon! This is Amy, we met on the mountain -- good to see that Wednesday worked out for you! Thanks again for all the advice and weather beta up there
Cheers!


jbchalk
User
Thanks guys...
1/17/2013 4:02am
Jim, you are firing on every cylinder too, buddy!

Darin, yep, the hair was and still is krameresq. I think I will keep it.

Amy! Great to hear from you! A hearty congratulations to you as well up there! Well done! Great to meet you up on the Big A. Hope all is well.


lordhelmut
User
Cosmo K on top of SA
1/17/2013 5:07am
Ha Ha. Kramer has ”hand” over Aconcagua. (sorry, i just heard this Seinfeld reference the other day and found it useful here).

Site looks pretty sharp Brandon, almost as sharp as the hair. Keep it up and goodluck on finishing this project out. After all this world travelling nonsense, where do the Gores stack up? Choose your words wisely......


jbchalk
User
Good reference, Helmut
1/17/2013 2:41pm
Thanks for the well wishes on finishing this project out. Getting close now. Kristine & I were saying the other day that while its been wonderful, it is wearing on the mind & body and we really look forward to sticking local for awhile. Meaning, yes, the Gores. And, yes, the answer is ”nothing stacks up to the Gores”. Looking forward to getting some Gore trips in with ya this Spring/Summer.


kman
User
Nice write-up
1/17/2013 11:03pm
and pictures!! I summitted on the EXACT same day (the 9th) with my buddy Doug Hatfield. In fact, we are still in Mendoza as I write this, fattening up on steaks and wine! You are DEFINITELY right, this mountain is no walk-up!! Talked to two other 14er members that day from Denver, believe one said his handle was ¨thinksnow¨ Anyway, congrats and looking forward to the report from Kristine! P.S. what happened to the summit cross?!!! and P.S.S. We met an American doctor on the mountain, who had just done Vinson Massif in Antarctica about three weeks ago...said it was an awesome climb! So, go get that last fabled summit!!


jbchalk
User
Hey kman!
1/17/2013 11:49pm
Great to hear from you! So happy to hear you are still in Mendoza reveling in massive amounts of Malbec & beef! Yum! I wish Kristine & I had had more time there after the mountain, but alas we had to catch a plane! Cest la vie. At least we got a heeping amount of dulce de leche ice cream before we headed to the airport. A huge congratulations to you & Doug on a monster accomplishment! So very awesome! Yep, no more cross there apparently. I remember the old cross from 7 yrs ago, but never saw the newer one. What crew were you with? Just you & Doug? Yep, we met the other nice fellows Tom & Eric from Denver. They were camped at the base of the Polish Glacier with us as well. That was a big summit day in terms of quantity of climbers for sure. Anyway, thanks for the well wishes. We're going to try our damndest to make Vinson happen this December! Keep in touch!


vonmackle
User
Congrats!
1/17/2013 11:51pm
The dogs decided to sit this one out?


jbchalk
User
Doggie permits....
1/17/2013 11:53pm
Just too damn expensive these days, Vonmackle Plus, quarantine crap. Otherwise, they'd be there!


kman
User
Dulce de leche
1/18/2013 2:29pm
ice cream is a daily treat for us!!! That stuff is like crack!! Lol!! Doug and I did a successful un-guided climb of Denali last year, so we opted to just take the ”snow-free” normal route through the Horcones Valley and up the mountain this time. We were partially supported (mules to Base Camp, and a few meals at Base Camp) by Inka Expeditions. I thought they did a great job, and was very satisfied with them. It was kinda cool taking a shower at their facility in Base Camp at over 14,000 feet!! The double-carries by us above Base Camp sucked! And, as you stated in your write-up, this mountain is NO walk-up no matter which route you do!! Thanks for your congratulatory remarks, we worked hard for that summit! That was definitely Tom and Eric that we met! I remember the names now! Said they were coming from the Polish Glacier. And yes, there must have been 150 people on the summit that day!!! Well Brandon, back to the 95 degree temps of the austral summer here and the fine steaks and wine!!!!!! I'm pretty lazy about trip reports, but I´ll try to write one upon my return to the States. Larry (kman)


jbchalk
User
Jealous...
1/18/2013 3:37pm
of your plentiful amounts of time, dulce de leche, malbec, and Argentina beef! Ha! Enjoy, Larry! You guys earned it! Keep in touch upon your safe return to good ole CO!


benners
User
Great Job Brandon and Kristine!
1/21/2013 8:41pm
That is one strong 5 day push! Good insight about this peak deserving respect. It seems as though its difficulty and grueling nature gets downplayed in many reports. Great job sticking with it and getting to the top. I'll be looking forward to reading about number 7 (or 8?)!!


jbchalk
User
Much appreciated, Ben!
1/21/2013 10:11pm
Thanks for the nice comments, man. Yes, the grueling nature sure does get downplayed in many reports no doubt. Hope to give you a #7 report sooner than later! Going to try and make Vinson happen this December come hell or high water! Take care, man. Look forward to some Gore action with you & Helmut this summer.


MyFeetHurt
User
Small world
2/2/2013 12:32am
Congrats on your success! I was part of Amy's party, you stopped me for a chat just a few minutes above camp one as I was headed down. At the time I didnt realize we are both ME's in the same industry, small world. Good luck on Vinson!
-Brian


jbchalk
User
Very small world, Brian...
2/3/2013 6:06pm
...especially, the mountaineering/climbing world. Congrats on your summit as well! So very awesome. Very funny we are MEs together. Seems to me many engineers are climbers. Guess the problem solving goes hand in hand with each. Thanks for the wishes on Vinson. Going to try and make it happen this December. We'll see I guess



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