Aconcagua Summits!
Word just came back from our guides on Aconcagua - Summit Success today!
It was a long, hard summit day on the highest peak outside of the Himalayas, but in the end the summit was reached.
The team is now back down at high camp getting a well earned nights sleep. Tomorrow they'll make their way back down to basecamp for a well deserved afternoon at R and R.
Congratulations to our Summiters!
-CTSS Team
Ecuador Team Wraps Up
Our Ecuador team wrapped up their climbing today with a solid push on Chimborazo. The team made the difficult call to turn just above 6000m after putting in a solid 8 hour effort pushing their way through a tough route.
Tonight they've dropped down to the town of Baños, well known for it's hot springs and beautiful scenery. That is exactly what makes Ecuador such a special place to climb. In the morning you're pushing your limits climbing at 6000m, and by evening you can be relaxing in a tropical paradise.
Well done to all for a fantastic trip to the Ecuador Volcanoes!
-CTSS Team
Aconcagua Team Prepped for the Summit
The check in today from Sasha and Nani was short and to the point:
"Got to Colera (camp 3). Everyone feels good. Weather is good. Will start at 4:00 AM"
They're ready! The team has spent a week working their way up from basecamp acclimatizing and putting gear in place for the summit bid. Tonight it will all come together as they make the final push from Camp 3 at 19,700 feet (6,000m) to the summit at 22,837 feet (6,961m).
Best of luck to the team as they climb tonight!
-CTSS Team
Cayambe and Hot Springs
The Ecuador team has made it back to Quito after a great few days in the mountains. Early Sunday morning they set off for the Summit of Cayambe, but unfortunately weather moved in and the summit wasn't in the cards that day. Still, the team put in a super effort, pushed as high on the mountain as possible, and made a great call to come down when the conditions began to deteriorate.
After their attempt on Cayambe it was off to the hot springs at Papallacta! A fantastic reward after over a week of acclimatizing and pushing hard in the mountains.
Tomorrow our team members on the normal itinerary will fly home, while those going for the Chimborazo extension will head south out of Quito and climb to high camp on Chimbo tomorrow afternoon.
Nice work all around!
-CTSS Team
Aconcagua Team at Camp 2
CTSS Lead Guide Sasha Sak called in via Sat phone with an update. The team moved into Camp 2 at 18,100 feet this afternoon and are feeling great! The guides are staying on top of the weather and have a game plan put together for their summit strategy.
Tomorrow the team will carry to Camp 3 in the morning and descend back to Camp 2 by early afternoon to rest the remainder of the day. On the 9th the current plan is to move to Camp 3, with February 10th as the target summit day. Guides Sasha and Nanika will keep an eye on the weather and adjust if needed, but for now the 10th is the target!
Good luck to the team as they wrap up the hard work of moving into position and switch focus to the summit climb.
-CTSS Team
Ecuador: 100% Success on Cotopaxi
The CTSS Ecuador team is celebrating a very successful climb of Cotopaxi, 100% of the team reached the summit early this morning.
Congratulations!!!
Cotopaxi is a tough climb, especially considering you're climbing to above 19,000 feet after being in at altitude for less than a week.
Tonight they're taking a well earned rest in the historical La Cienega hotel - one of the oldest buildings in the region. Tomorrow they'll drive to Cayambe for a rest day and begin focusing on their next objective.
-CTSS Team
Aconcagua Team Ready to Climb
The CTSS team on Aconcagua is ready to start climbing! The last few days have been filled with preparation and acclimatization. With a day of rest in basecamp finished, tomorrow the team loads the first heavy packs and makes the trek out of basecamp to camp 1.
They'll drop 8 days worth of group food and all their extra personal gear in a Cache at Camp 1 before dropping back to basecamp for the night.
Tomorrow, tents, sleeping gear, and any remaining gear they'll need for the climb will be carried up to camp 1, where the team will spend the next 2 nights.
-CTSS Team
Aconcagua Team to Basecamp
Our team on Aconcagua has been making steady progress.
After entering the park and hiking to Confluencia the team has spent 2 nights acclimatizing in Camp. Yesterday the team hiked to Plaza Francia at 14,000 feet to help their bodies adjust and prepare for the move to basecamp. From Plaza Francia they were treated to one of the most spectacular sights in the entire park - Aconcagua's dramatic South Face.
Today the team is on its way to basecamp at Plaza de Mulas. It's a long day and tonight they'll be sleeping at over 14,000 feet. The acclimatization days at Confluencia will show their benefit as they hike higher today and spend tomorrow preparing for the true climbing to begin.
-CTSS Team
Ecuador Team Heads to Cotopaxi
CTSS Lead Guide Edgar Parra and our Ecuador team have had a truly productive start to their trip!
Over the last few days they've visited the Equator, hiked Ruminahui - an extinct volcano extending above 15,000 feet - and completed their snow school on the lower slopes of Cotopaxi.
Today they are moving to the a hut on Cotopaxi at 15,200 feet in preparation for tonights summit climb. We wish them the best of luck as they go for the first big summit of the trip!
-CTSS Team
And They're Off!
After a great dinner last night our CTSS Aconcagua team rolled out of Mendoza this morning heading out to their hotel near the Park entrance.
Tomorrow the team will enter the park and hike to Confluencia Camp about 5 miles up the Horcones Valley. They'll stay at Confluencia for two nights and take a short hike to Plaza Francia to acclimatize. The climb has begun!
- CTSS Team
