And then there were...

Over the last two weeks I have been talking about narrowing my list of companies down to three for the 2011 Aconcagua expedition. I still haven't finished my research, and most likely wont for another 2-3 weeks, because most of the guides aren't back from the 2010 Aconcagua season yet. There remains lingering questions about food, porters, and how medical situations are handled (All areas I had concerns with after the 2009 trip). Most teams will be leaving the mountain towards the end of February - this is when the summer starts to end in the southern hemisphere and the weather once again becomes unstable - so I should be able to get answers by the beginning of March. So, without further adieu, here are my final 3 choices:

Berg Adventures (BA) - The classic 7 Summits company. BA is led by Wally Berg, one of the most accomplished mountaineers alive today, and is the company I used last year. Of the 3 finalists, Berg Adventures is the only company that uses the Horcones Valley route up and down the mountain. This company has several positive factors on their side, which include:

• Mountaineering Experience - You won't feel any safer on a mountain than you do with Wally Berg. There isn't a situation he hasn't encountered. (I believe he also has 9 summits of Aconcagua).
• The "2nd Time Around" Factor - There's always a tremendous amount of confidence you gain when doing something a 2nd time. In this case, I know what Wally expects of his climbers, what type of schedule he runs, what each camp consists of, which days will be more difficult than others, what food he provides, and how his porter system works.
• Two Days Per Camp Acclimatization - BA stays at every camp 2 nights all the way up the mountain. This method always allows you to sleep at the same altitude on consecutive nights for the entire climb.

Alpine Ascents (AA) - Another classic, award winning, 7 Summits company that has been in business for 23 years. Of all the major US guiding companies, AA touts itself as a leader on Aconcagua. They approach base camp via the Vacas Valley on the east side of the mountain, opposite of Berg Adventures, and descend out the Horcones Valley. The factors weighing heavily in AA's favor include:

• Aconcagua Experience - While the other companies on this list run one, maybe two, Aconcagua trips a year, AA does over 10. Starting in late November, a new trip leaves from Mendoza every week until the end of February. That's typically 10-11 expeditions per season.
• The 4th Camp - The other two companies on this list use three camps above base camp, AA uses four. Their 4th camp is situated at 20,600 feet - about 1,000 feet above the other companies' Camp 3. This advantage is major on summit day, always the most difficult, and allows you to cut several hours off your summit attempt.
• Smaller Team Option - Alpine Ascents offers climbs with only 6 climbers. Usually, the smaller the group , the easier it is to move around the mountain. Large groups typically get broken up into 3 sub groups of fast, moderate, and slow paced climbers. A smaller team allows everyone to stick together.

International Mountain Guides (IMG) - The final company, IMG, is another very well-known mountain guiding company who has also been in business for 23 years. IMG, like AA, uses the Vacas Valley on their approach, the Horcones Valley on the descent, but only uses three camps above base camp. Positive attributes for IMG include:

• Wealth of Experience - Regardless of the mountain, IMG can take you there. From top to bottom, their guides have a tremendous amount of experience. For those that watch the TV show "Everest: Beyond The Limit," one of the gentleman featured on that show, Mike Hamill, leads their Aconcagua expeditions.
• Excellent References - Nothing is more powerful than one climber telling another about the great experience they had. I had friends climbing with IMG over the last 2 years and they had nothing but rave reviews. The guides, the food, the program, you name it, it all seems as advertised - Top Notch.

There you have it, my final 3 choices for the 2011 Aconcagua expedition! Personally, I don't think I can go wrong with any of the choices, however, it's still fun to go through this process. Who knows, maybe someone from these companies will read this blog, contact me, and tell me why I should use THEM!

OK, for now it's time to shift gears and begin focusing on Rainier (Only 5 months away). Ill post the Rainier itinerary and some more information on the trip in the next few days.

Until then...

SZ