“Bleleleleleep.” The piece of relatively modern technology in my hand emits its message alert. Earlier I had sent out some text messages via the satellite phone in search of weather reports. “New SMS Text. Read Now?” it asks. Is this the one I have been waiting for, I wonder to myself. An hour before, Matt […]
Weather
And the Waiting Begins…
I feel somewhat relieved that I won’t spend much time studying and staring at these meteograms this year. I am excited for the remote nature of our expedition.
The Waiting Days
30 January 2014–There are no rest days in El Chalten. There are only waiting days. Sooner or later the weather improves and forecasts look good. The climbers come down from their boulders and sport climbs, shake themselves out of drunken stuppors and lace up boots and approach shoes. They head off to the mountains. Rumors […]
Boooo
The Times They Have A’ Changed
“Hello Anna Haegel, this is Jared Spaulding” I say when she answers the phone. I detect a hint of uncertainty in her “hello?” “Hmm, I thought it might be you with the funky phone number. It seemed like it was from a long way away” she replied. “Are you busy?” I asked, getting straight to […]
The Waiting
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 […]
El Viento
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. […]