In no particular order: ◆ Get In Shape: Run, run, run. There is no substitute for cardiovascular fitness in the mountains. Stairmaster, hill runs, bike rides, whatever, train for long up hill climbs. ◆ Bring Lots of Tat: Bailing is part of the Patagonian experience. Even in nice weather you have to come down after […]
Daren sits on a rickety wooden stool and strums the guitar in the early morning sunlight. I pack my bags, take down the tent and try to gather all my trash. The wind has abated slightly this morning and a small Chalten street puppy wanders around looking lost as I pack. The four of us […]
January 20th 2012 — We hike the dry, dusty trail, winding in and out of the shade of the beech trees. The high whispy clouds offer no protection, no reprieve from the hot Patagonian sun. We move upward in silence. The trail is mostly empty today as Matt and I make our way towards Valle […]
January 15th-16th 2012 — Matt is up and moving at 0230, a half an hour before the alarm. In a show of bad expedition behavior, I wait for alarm. We move slowly across the rock glacier, feeling strong and ready for the climb. Headlamps dot the moraines and glaciers of Valle del Torre. Since midnight […]
January 11 2012 — To climb in the mountains outside of El Chalten is to be patient. The days of waiting out storms in male infested tents, behind rock windwalls, giant boulders, or tucked into lenga trees is over. The smart, savy and strong climbers alight into town, waiting out the fickle Patagonian weather nestled […]
January 12, 2012 — A firm layer of snow a few inches down necessitates crampons as we ascend the 45º snow slope to the saddle between St Exupery and De La “S”. The roar of the wind through the tiny col hasn´t hit us yet but is a constant reminder of things to come. I […]
The wind has returned. It drives in from the north. The clouds move in, drop a few sprinkles and receede. The hot summer sun, like the wind, remains, unabated. It howls through the streets. It blows in scouring the landscape with a gentle ferocity. It takes all that is not secure and deposits it elsewhere. […]