ACONCAGUA 6965m
JANUARY 2005

A small party summited the highest top of America during the travel in Southamerica preannounced on the previous number of our newspaper. on 22nd of January at 5,00 pm, we reached the maximum point of the long ascension stopping for an hour on the wide top. In spite of the altitude, the climb to the Aconcagua does not offer important technical difficulties and the way follows a path carved in the slope and snow with moderatly steep. Only the last part (the Canaleta) is more difficult  including rock scrambles. The greater problems is about the loss of oxygen, the weather unstable, due to the presence of strong winds coming from the Pacific Ocean. The approach to the mountain took place through the route of Polish glacier, longer but less crowded than the Normal way, although the snow fallen the days before the climb of the summit, has forced the participants to withdraw towards the upper part of the normal way - through the route called "Falso de los Polacos" - after to have forced them to spend 3 nights at the considerable altitude of 6000 meters. The ascension has demanded in total one permanence on the mountain of 15 days. The Aconcagua is situated in Argentine, in the province of Mendoza, closed to the border with Chile, and already had been tried in one previous expedition. In that occasion the bad weather conditions with temperatures until 30°minus-zero, forced those members to the renunciation, after a difficult bivouac to the Berlin Camp at 5950 meters. With this climb it comes crowned a wide alpine program - begun in 1991 - that has lead to the climb of many summits in the Andean Cordillera and explored the main  peaks of the Latin America.

In the photo: moment of the ascension on the big traverse at 6.500 m that lead to the Canaleta