CONGRATULATIONS FOR SO MUCH EFFORT AND FOR THAT BEAUTIFUL SUMMIT!!!! This video made me remember and relive every minute of the journey. I was in January 2024, I entered Horcones on 01/14, with all the forecasts against it, a lot of people getting off without being able to get there, a lot of wind, very strong and low temperatures. Wednesday 01/24/2024 I crowned the summit in that BEAUTY CALLED ACONCAGUA!!! A long, hard trip, but absolutely UNFORGETTABLE!!
I’m so happy I came across this video… I felt moved when you reached the summit because I’m a solo hiker too… and I know what it means to us! Congrats and keep it up! Hugs from Italy 🇮🇹
Cheers mate! Appreciate it! Its certainly another layer of complexity tackling a mountain solo but so much more fulfilling when you over come the obstacles.
Q&A What's the strange fashion item on your head between camp Confluencia and Plaza De Mulas? My Fleece jumper for sun protection (I accidently packed my buff inside by ruck sack that was being carried by the mule and I was too lazy to unpack everything. What was the hardest part of the climb? Personally found Camp 1 to camp 2 the most challenging due to the weight of the backpack with all my gear and food (around 30Kg). How cold was Summit day? The Temperature had a -29 degree chill factor, the coldest section was at dawn and crossing the traverse. I tried to find cover from the wind, my feet and hands were numb and frozen and I seriously considered pulling the pin at this point. I ended up experiencing frost nip in my finger tips for several weeks after. Why did you climb from camp two? I had originally planned to spend the night at camp 3, however upon my acclimatation hike, I witnessed a commercial group struggling to carry their gear up and subsequently changed my plans given I felt pretty good with my acclimatation hike. It was also easier to source water at camp 2 then 3 When did you climb? Mid December 2022, during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Camps were rather quiet above base camp prior to the high season. Why is your helmet positioned so high? I have an extremely large head and my helmet is the largest I could source. When it is cold and require to wear a beanie, my helmet no longer positions correctly. Would love recommendations for wider helmets.
Emozioni, sentimenti, sensazioni, paure, e privazioni, per raggiungere un sogno infinito quello di toccare la vetta di una montagna incredibile e di scenari meravigliosi, ma per te Liam con grande coraggio e tanta fiducia hai dimostrato anche da solo che si arriva. Grande stima....Massimo da Sora ciociaria.
Top shelf content mate, I'm a big fan of your dry delivery. Just watched the Fed video too, you've got some great mental and physical endurance to slug these trips out on your own.
Cheers mate, appreciate it, not every gets the dryness! As cliché as it sounds, the journey is ultimately the most fulfilling part of the up hill battle which is what gets me through the tough moments from a mental perspective.
Just found your channel Liam, what I beautiful mountain. I have driven out to see it on a day trip from Mendoza. I was in Chile and Argentina for a couple of months hiking and climbing. Just came back from hiking in NZ. Rees/Dart track and Kepler… very beautiful, wasn’t lucky with the weather at cascade saddle sadly, too much snow they ended up closing access 😢 just have to go back again! Loving the climbing vids
Thank you! Very unique place and fortunate to have the world cup atmosphere throughout the climb. Shame about your NZ hike, Cascade saddle is one of my favourite places in Aspiring NP. Actually heading over there end of the Jan to hike around Earnslaw burns & Aspiring.
@ Fabulous, love hiking in NZ. Check out the Rees/Dart Track if you have time it’s beautiful and not as busy as TGW. It’s also nice not having to think about snakes as well 🙃HNY
Great video! It was a beautiful time to climb Aconcagua. The weather and the world cup atmosphere were perfect! I summited on 16th Dec 22 so we probably crossed paths at base camp.
Thank you! Absolutely, couldn't believe the timing with the world cup and atmosphere. Congrats on the summit, we certainly would have crossed paths at some point.
Thanks Katia! Can confirm there are moments in the film that my speech/words are blurred due to lack of cognitive state being at high altitude and on set of fatigue. I was reluctant to film going up due to lack of motivation and just wanting to set up camp and rest etc but glad I preserved for something to look back on.
Thanks Olivia, guess I like to suffer ha! Killi is a special mountain, I remember being mesmerised by the porter and how energetic they all were at came to sing and dance after hauling gear all day. There was no chance of me doing that on Aconcagua, I was buggered.
This is SOOO SICK dude!! Well done my dudeeeee!!!! Really would love to do this solo. What time of year did you go? Subbed will follow your adventures!
Cheers mate, appreciate it! Based off your adventures, I'm sure you have the capacity to do it. December last year is when I attempted it, peak season is usually Jan and Feb
@ezeadventurer, largely a high alitude trek. The weather/snowfall introduces crampons and an ice axe. But nothing too major. A few days after my attempt the weather turned and the mountain had a layer of snow/ice. The weather/wind is the major player for most people as it can get down to -38c Altitude is obviously the other major factor and just pacing yourself. There are recuse guides that monitor and climb the mountain and have cut off times for the summit pending if they believe the weather is going to turn. Generally base camp set up is fairly sophisticated and most expeditions companies can support logistic services. Can go into further detail if needed, let me know.
Awesome! Many other videos I see or when going through guide sites, they all recommend summit suits and 8k Meter boots. Your video and experience seem way different.
I get their recommendations as the mountain can get extremely cold. The morning of my summit bid was freezing. Guess I was lucky there was no snow on the ground and that the wind stopped throughout the day and particularly up on the summit. I took 6000m boots and was wearing multiple layers. (thermal base, fleece jumper, wool jumper, puffer and hard shell) I'm generally a "warm" hiker/climber and don't feel the cold as soon as other would.
Hi Liam. Great video. Like you I’m a solo mountain walker but less accomplished. I started off solo summitting Mont Blanc in 2019 & encouraged by my success that summer I went to Ecuador and climbed Cotopaxi in January 2020. Shortly after this the pandemic halted my climbing ambition. However, next year I retire and will continue where I left off. Probably the main reason that I solo climb is that I cannot afford a guided summit. Aconcagua has been on my mind for years. So with that in mind I’d like to ask you some questions about your trip. Things like the cost of you summit; the tented camps - how do you pay for them or do you carry your own tent; what about food & water for a 9-10 day hike - carry your own or is there some at the base camp. Fascinated to discover more details about your adventure. Many thanks.
Hi Willie, It's certainly a solid and challenging goal to strive for and can relate with the cost aspect of an expensive hobby. I decided to go for a base camp support package with a local operator (Andesport) It was approx 1350USD (excludes permit cost) and included the following: • Transfers from Airport to Mendoza (arrival and departure) • 2 night hotel in Mendoza City (1 arrival, 1 return in Mendoza) • Coordination in the city and help to obtain the permit. • Private Transport Mendoza Penitentes • 1 hotel night in Penitentes (included dinner and breakfast) • Transport to Aconcagua Park • Mules service for up and down [all way up and down via Plaza Mulas] • 5 days of food and camp services in base camp BLD • Transport Aconcagua Park - Penitentes + 1 night in Penitentes in return • Transport Penitentes - Mendoza City You can, of course, opt for cheaper alternatives with reduced hotel stays, etc, but perhaps more of a hassel. I opted for mules to transport the bulk of my gear up/down to base camp (you can save costs here, but I don't believe it's worth the effort to carry everything thing up, it's a long walk to BC and extra weight will likely exhaust the body for the actual climb above BC. The greatest saver is getting the climbing permit early in the season where there are often discounted to up to 50%. I got my permit late as i was unsure of dates for my climb. This cost around 800usd for the 22/23 season, though, if I'd booked it earlier, perhaps only 400usd Other factors to consider Radio to communicate with base camp - can hire but rather expensive 15 per day And additional meals should the weather window not present itself. I was semi acclimatised up to 4500m prior to my attempt. This allowed me to fast track rest days at base camp. I had a few days contingency factored into my expedition in case of bad weather, too. Part of the permit includes compulsory medical checks at camp confluencia and plaza de mulas. Aa for gear, I took everything with me, which included a 3kg mountaineering tent. Other larger expedition who's offer base camp support logistics have their own tents set up at the camps above BC, which can possibly be used at cost if required. As for food and water, everything above basecamp I carried and cooked. Water source at camp 1 isn't fantastic bit of a small flow steam off the glacier and found it quite muddy. Camp 2 has the best source for water, where there is a glacier pool and camp 3 requires to melt snow/ice. I opted to stay at camp 2 for ease of water and saw a lot of people struggling carrying up gear to camp 3. Can go into further details if required. Let me know.
@@ScalingSummits Thanks for your detailed response to my enquiry. Not sure if I would have found out by myself that this was an option so I’m glad that I asked you. I’m very encouraged by this possible approach & am looking forward to 2025. My pipe dream is to attempt summiting several ~5 -6000m peaks whilst cycling through central and South America culminating in an Aconcagua summit finale. I won’t have to worry about getting back to work so can take my time. If it’s okay with you I’d like the opportunity to get more advice after I’ve done more Aconcagua research. 👍
Congratulations! Very inspiring, and doing it solo is on another level, it takes a lot of mental strength to do it that way. What boots were you wearing on your summit day?
I was wondering what month you went. What are you doing to check weather? Did you have to book stays at bascamp and the refuge? Is there water sources the whole way?
Hi Travis, apologies for the delayed responses, I've been out in the mountains recently. I undertook my expedition during mid-December, so not as busy as expected. There two way to check the weather situations option 1 - use base camp wifi to review on standard mountain weather apps such as mountain-forecast and taking screenshot of each of the days data before ascending above basecamp. This could also be double checked with base camp through two way radio comms if the weather changed/ required to stay longer up at the higher camps. Option 2 - double check conditions with local ranger at base camp - they would typical update a white board with the weather forecast on the summit outside the check-in locations - this would be updated daily covering the week. I decided to go for a base camp support package with a local operator which included the following: • Transfers from Airport to Mendoza (arrival and departure) • 2 night hotel in Mendoza City (1 arrival, 1 return in Mendoza) • Coordination in the city and help to obtain the permit. • Private Transport Mendoza Penitentes • 1 hotel night in Penitentes (included dinner and breakfast) • Transport to Aconcagua Park • Mules service for up and down [all way up and down via Plaza Mulas] • 5 days of food and camp services in base camp BLD • Transport Aconcagua Park - Penitentes + 1 night in Penitentes in return • Transport Penitentes - Mendoza City. This was approx 1350USD at the time 22/23. You can, of course, opt for cheaper alternatives with reduced hotel stays, etc, but perhaps more of a hassel. I opted for mules to transport the bulk of my gear up/down to base camp (you can save costs here, but I don't believe it's worth the effort to carry everything thing up, it's a long walk to BC and extra weight will likely exhaust the body for the actual climb As for food and water, everything above basecamp I carried and cooked. Water source at camp 1 isn't fantastic bit of a small flow steam off the glacier and found it quite muddy. Camp 2 has the best source for water, where there is a glacier pool and camp 3 requires to melt snow/ice. I opted to stay at camp 2 for ease of water and saw a lot of people struggling carrying up gear to camp 3. Can go into further details if required. Let me know.
Cheers Frank. I used logistic support with mules to transport food to camp confluencia and base camp. No guide whilst physically walking. At the above mentioned camps, there was general support from the company for meals etc before. Everything after base camp was Solo
What company would you recommend? How many days were you solo prior to the summit? You got awesome weather for the most part. Congrats on such an amazing accomplishment.
Hey Liam, great video! Especially from a solos perspective! I'm definitely going to attempt Aconcagua at some point, maybe even this coming December. But I'm trying to figure out whether I have the capacity to do it unguided or not. I've got previous experience hiking solo in Scotland in winter and Wales in late summer (none of this required camping or anything) and I've also summited Kilimanjaro on the 8 day Lemosho route which was guided of course. Would you think Aconcagua unguided is too much of a leap? I'm looking to challenge myself moving forward but need to be smart about it. I have loads of other questions but figured I'd put this initial question out there first! Cheers!
Hey mate, certainly a goal to strive for but would build on the solo experience to be on the safe side. The mountain will always be there but getting up and down safely is essential. It’s a big mountain! I got pretty lucky with Aconcagua weather wise, a few days after my attempt the weather turned and the ground was covered with snow/ice. The weather on the mountain can get to extremes of up to -40C. If snow and ice are present, basic mountaineering skills are also essential. During my time I saw a lot of helicopter evacuations for altitude sickness and would suggest being comfortable with high solo altitude multiday hikes 5,000m + to get an understanding of how your body adjust with a full backpack of gear and food (mine was over 30kgs). Kili is a good starting point, it was my first taste of high altitude too, though since have done numerous solo hikes and climbs between 5 and 6K in altitude. Knowing what and how your gear operate is also pivotal. Eg Double layered mountaineering boots etc and the restrictions they causes when climbing/ walking if not used to them etc. Happy to discuss further if you would like more info etc, just tag my name as reply comment aren’t often notified.
Incredible journey. Inspiring to watch. I’m hoping to do the same early next year. What time of year was this recorded? Loved the filming. Got a real sense of the place. Congratulations!
@@ScalingSummits given you’re references to the World Cup I ought to have realised when it was you were hiking! Looking forward to seeing what you do next. Enjoyed your editting style too. Will take a leaf out of your book for my next video.
Hi I plan on doing this mountain soon. I have already done Kilimanjaro. Im just wondering what sort of experience you have before doing this to attempt to do it solo?
Killi was my first big mountain back into 2019. Since that I've done alot of high altitude treks solo plus several peaks over 6000m I just gradually got more and more experience in different environments, altitude and technical ability. I started with 1on1 guides and built to more advanced courses before I was confident in tackling peaks solo. Can go into further details if required. What I've shown on my channel is only a fraction of the peaks/treks experienced.
Pending where you live, most countries with a mountain range would other the mountaineering course vary from basic, intermediate to advanced. How much you do ultimately depends on what you want to get out of climbing etc. There is also the to go 1 on 1 guided in countries like Peru or Bolivia with glacier terrains etc where you can learn and gain confidence. People often hesitate due to the costs involved, but I tend to look at it from a different perspective - how much is your life worth? As a minimum, would be looking at courses that cover crampon techniques, self arrest, rope management, crevasse rescue. Mountains like Aconcuage are in theory a high altitude trek, but if the weather turns, should be prepared for the worst. It can and often snows throughout the season so learning to the basic skills above would be necessary, especially if planning to go solo. Alliteratively there is nothing wrong with learning the skills with a guided expedition.
@@ScalingSummits Thankyou very much 🙏🙏🙏. Im planning on climbing acongagua as a stepping stone for cho oyu then go from there. I live in sydney ill look up mountaineering courses.
I’m Sydney based myself but currently down in VIC. New Zealand would be my go to for a course. They are all pretty professional over there and the season it’s coming up. I’ll be looking at manaslu possibly next year.
First of all Congrats, great video, and i am proud on your behalf, what are the price ranges for a Aconcagua expedition? Have a great day and stay safe ShaQ
Hi Shaq, Thanks for you comment, apologies for the delay response, I've been out in the mountains recently. I decided to go for a base camp support package with a local operator (Andesport) It was approx 1350USD at the time (December 2022) (excludes permit cost) and included the following: • Transfers from Airport to Mendoza (arrival and departure) • 2 night hotel in Mendoza City (1 arrival, 1 return in Mendoza) • Coordination in the city and help to obtain the permit. • Private Transport Mendoza Penitentes • 1 hotel night in Penitentes (included dinner and breakfast) • Transport to Aconcagua Park • Mules service for up and down [all way up and down via Plaza Mulas] • 5 days of food and camp services in base camp BLD • Transport Aconcagua Park - Penitentes + 1 night in Penitentes in return • Transport Penitentes - Mendoza City You can, of course, opt for cheaper alternatives with reduced hotel stays, etc, but perhaps more of a hassle. I opted for mules to transport the bulk of my gear up/down to base camp (you can save costs here, but I don't believe it's worth the effort to carry everything thing up, it's a long walk to BC and extra weight will likely exhaust the body for the actual climb above BC. The greatest saver is getting the climbing permit early in the season where there are often discounted to up to 50%. I got my permit late as i was unsure of dates for my climb. This cost around 800usd for the 22/23 season, though, if I'd booked it earlier, perhaps only 400usd If undertaking Aconcagua with a group expect to pay anyway north of 4.5K USD. Let me know if you require any further information.
Great achievement! I love climbing mountains solo as well! Few questions: 1. Are there things that I need to keep in mind as a solo climber? 2. Would you need food supplies for Confluencia and Plaza de Mulas campsites as well? Or just for camp Canada and Camp 2? 3. I see you did it in Mid December. Is there a window you suggest as a solo climber?
4. How well marked are the routes? How important are offline maps? 5. On the internet, I see a lot of sites saying this is a 16-21 days long trail. But I think you've done it in a much shorter time. What duration do you suggest?
Hi Vineet, 1. I guess the main consideration is confidence and knowledge of how your body adapts to the high altitude and knowing how to get yourself out of trouble being the main factors. Other factors to consider are Radio to communicate with base camp - can hire from companies at BC but rather expensive 15 per day. I would also factor in additional meals should the weather window not present itself. The climbing permit is generally cheaper if purchased well in advanced. There are local companies that can assist with this. The permit would require insurance for rescue and include mandatory medical checks at camp confluencia and plaza de mulas. 2. I decided to go for a base camp support package with a local operator which included Mules service for up and down [all way up and down via Plaza Mulas] • 5 days of food and camp services in base camp BLD. Everything above basecamp I carried and cooked. Water source at camp 1 isn't fantastic bit of a small flow steam off the glacier and found it quite muddy. Camp 2 has the best source for water, where there is a glacier pool and camp 3 requires to melt snow/ice. I opted to stay at camp 2 for ease of water and saw a lot of people struggling carrying up gear to camp 3. 3. I opted for Mid December as I prefer less crowds on mountains. Low season can also be cheaper with respect permit costs 4. The trails are fairly obvious along the the normal route. Though I still downloaded respective maps on my phone as standard procedures. Currently use All Trails and GAIA GPS 5. Duration will depend of how well your body adapts to the altitude and weather. I was semi acclimatised up to 4500m prior to my attempt. This allowed me to fast track rest days at base camp. I had a few days contingency factored into my expedition in case of bad weather, too. Can go into further details if required.
Thanks you! Constantly trying to improve so cheers. Sometimes the sound quality on the Gopro isn't fantastic and turning up the volume increases the wind ambient sound (working on this in future). I'm very quiet on the summit. The lack of air and swollen lips at altitude affected by ability to think and speak properly. Was actually up their for a good 30mins before recording and appear as if I've just finishes a sprinting a race.
Thank you! My experience might be a little unique as i was hiking and climbing for several months prior to attempting aconcagua which acted as by base fitness. Over those months I was consistently undertaking multi-day hikes with a large pack. These hikes varied in length and altitude. Just prior to aconcuga I spent several weeks at altitude hiking in Peru and along the Andes. Some of the hikes I've posted on my channel as an idea. If I was training specifically for aconcagua only, I would probably have started getting into shape 6months ahead of time and probably would have taken more time going up to adjust to the altitude.
I am actually considering Denali Next year. Was looking to be self sufficient. Nothing is locked in at this stage feel free to email me the dets - liam@scalingsummits.com
@@Lol-j7u3zWell the reason why I mentioned this on a fair amount of Denali & Aconcagua videos is because I was surprised to find out that different countries have different geography curriculums & people from those countries get oddly smug & defensive about their world views.
Cheers mate, appreciate the feedback. I'm just a mediocre amateur trying my best. Unfortunately I don't have the studio set up nor the high tech audio gadgets high up on a summit to battle against the elements and lack of oxygen.
Man... completely teared up with you when you reached the top. Your experience, and the recording of it, were truly inspiring. All the best mate!
Thanks mate! It was certainly a huge mental game battling the obstacle but so worth the perseverance!
This is an INCREDIBLE accomplishment !!!!!! And over all that, you took time to build up many videos sequences....... RESPECT !!!!!! AMAZING ♥
CONGRATULATIONS FOR SO MUCH EFFORT AND FOR THAT BEAUTIFUL SUMMIT!!!! This video made me remember and relive every minute of the journey. I was in January 2024, I entered Horcones on 01/14, with all the forecasts against it, a lot of people getting off without being able to get there, a lot of wind, very strong and low temperatures. Wednesday 01/24/2024 I crowned the summit in that BEAUTY CALLED ACONCAGUA!!! A long, hard trip, but absolutely UNFORGETTABLE!!
Cheers Javier, glad you could relive the experience in some form! Certainly a test of endurance and perseverance. Congrats on you summit!
Respect for your courage. Your fantastic shots really raised my blood pressure.
Thank you! appreciate the feedback
I’m so happy I came across this video… I felt moved when you reached the summit because I’m a solo hiker too… and I know what it means to us! Congrats and keep it up! Hugs from Italy 🇮🇹
Cheers mate! Appreciate it! Its certainly another layer of complexity tackling a mountain solo but so much more fulfilling when you over come the obstacles.
Congrats, well done solo and all
Thank you!
Q&A
What's the strange fashion item on your head between camp Confluencia and Plaza De Mulas? My Fleece jumper for sun protection (I accidently packed my buff inside by ruck sack that was being carried by the mule and I was too lazy to unpack everything.
What was the hardest part of the climb? Personally found Camp 1 to camp 2 the most challenging due to the weight of the backpack with all my gear and food (around 30Kg).
How cold was Summit day?
The Temperature had a -29 degree chill factor, the coldest section was at dawn and crossing the traverse. I tried to find cover from the wind, my feet and hands were numb and frozen and I seriously considered pulling the pin at this point. I ended up experiencing frost nip in my finger tips for several weeks after.
Why did you climb from camp two? I had originally planned to spend the night at camp 3, however upon my acclimatation hike, I witnessed a commercial group struggling to carry their gear up and subsequently changed my plans given I felt pretty good with my acclimatation hike. It was also easier to source water at camp 2 then 3
When did you climb?
Mid December 2022, during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Camps were rather quiet above base camp prior to the high season.
Why is your helmet positioned so high? I have an extremely large head and my helmet is the largest I could source. When it is cold and require to wear a beanie, my helmet no longer positions correctly. Would love recommendations for wider helmets.
Emozioni, sentimenti, sensazioni, paure, e privazioni, per raggiungere un sogno infinito quello di toccare la vetta di una montagna incredibile e di scenari meravigliosi, ma per te Liam con grande coraggio e tanta fiducia hai dimostrato anche da solo che si arriva. Grande stima....Massimo da Sora ciociaria.
Grazie, apprezzo le belle parole!
Looks absolutely amazing - Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Inspiring! I'll be smiling all day. Thank you for sharing.
Legend, thanks for watching!
Great work Liam thanks for sharing. Epic and inspirational.
Cheers Steven, much appreciated!
Wow! I want to do that too! Solo! Amazing. Congratulations! I can’t imagine how good it feels.
Thankyou! Follow your dreams! such a relief getting to the top and back down ha
You've visited Andes cordillera during one of the longest droughts on record, at the peak of a La Niña summer. That is why everything is so arid.
Makes sense! Though, luckily Argentina broke the FIFA drought.
@@ScalingSummits You are totally right. You gave us the lucky break!
This is awesome! Glad you pushed through
Thank you!
Just come across your channel, to do what you did on your own is absolutely Awesome , I know I've been there. Bravo dude 👏👏
Cheers Keith, much appreciated, It can be a brutal mountain with the elements!
Nicely done! Great work!! 🙌👏👏👏
Thank you! Cheers!
Great job! Such an unbelievably beautiful mountain.
Thank you very much!
Top shelf content mate, I'm a big fan of your dry delivery. Just watched the Fed video too, you've got some great mental and physical endurance to slug these trips out on your own.
Cheers mate, appreciate it, not every gets the dryness! As cliché as it sounds, the journey is ultimately the most fulfilling part of the up hill battle which is what gets me through the tough moments from a mental perspective.
Congratulations man, epic ! Un abrazo desde Argentina 😊
Gracias Amigo!!
Inspiring🙌🙌 congratulations man, this is EPIC👏👏👏
Thank you so much 😀
Just found your channel Liam, what I beautiful mountain. I have driven out to see it on a day trip from Mendoza. I was in Chile and Argentina for a couple of months hiking and climbing. Just came back from hiking in NZ. Rees/Dart track and Kepler… very beautiful, wasn’t lucky with the weather at cascade saddle sadly, too much snow they ended up closing access 😢 just have to go back again! Loving the climbing vids
Thank you! Very unique place and fortunate to have the world cup atmosphere throughout the climb.
Shame about your NZ hike, Cascade saddle is one of my favourite places in Aspiring NP. Actually heading over there end of the Jan to hike around Earnslaw burns & Aspiring.
@ Fabulous, love hiking in NZ. Check out the Rees/Dart Track if you have time it’s beautiful and not as busy as TGW. It’s also nice not having to think about snakes as well 🙃HNY
Great video! It was a beautiful time to climb Aconcagua. The weather and the world cup atmosphere were perfect! I summited on 16th Dec 22 so we probably crossed paths at base camp.
Thank you! Absolutely, couldn't believe the timing with the world cup and atmosphere. Congrats on the summit, we certainly would have crossed paths at some point.
Hey man this is really impressive you are living my dream, absolutely stunning mountains!
Thanks a ton! I was dreaming just like you too for a long time. Life's short, take a shot if you can.
Congrats! Well done with the summit and filming it. It looks an amazing journey. Good luck in your next one!
Cheers mate, appreciate it. Was certainly a full-filling adventure! Very keen for the next one.
Beautiful and serene! Thank you for sharing!
Cheers mate, appreciate it!
Views are awesome! Nice job!
Glad you like them! Cheers for watching!
Nice video clip I enjoyed this one have lots of Safe climbing and have Fun ! It's Beautiful that's 4 Sure !! ❤❤😊😊😊
Glad you enjoyed it and thank you!
so beautiful man. if i ever make it up there someday, i think i will be too cold and tired to record. thanks for capturing for all of us, congrats
Thanks Katia! Can confirm there are moments in the film that my speech/words are blurred due to lack of cognitive state being at high altitude and on set of fatigue. I was reluctant to film going up due to lack of motivation and just wanting to set up camp and rest etc but glad I preserved for something to look back on.
I just finished hiking Kilimanjaro a little over a week ago…watching you do this without porters is so impressive!!
Thanks Olivia, guess I like to suffer ha! Killi is a special mountain, I remember being mesmerised by the porter and how energetic they all were at came to sing and dance after hauling gear all day. There was no chance of me doing that on Aconcagua, I was buggered.
Genial! Felicitaciones por tu cumbre en el Aconcagua! Quiero hacerlo tambien en solitario.
Muchas gracias amigo. Es realmente una aventura cuando se intenta en solitario.
amazing movie, ur doing good job man
Cheers mate
1400m elevation gain in one push is insane especially at 5500m. Amazing work and shots
Thanks mate, certainly preferred the 1400m gain then haul the tent up to camp 3 ha.
Sensacional amigo!
Um abraço do Brasil 🇧🇷
Muchas gracias amigo!
Great video...👋
Thanks 👍
Big well done mate 🔥
Cheers mate, looking forward to seeing you progress with your own seven summit goal.
Bravo ❤
Nice one buddy 💪👍
Cheers for watching, appreciate it!
Thanks for sharing
Cheers for watching Fabian!
This is SOOO SICK dude!! Well done my dudeeeee!!!!
Really would love to do this solo. What time of year did you go?
Subbed will follow your adventures!
Cheers mate, appreciate it!
Based off your adventures, I'm sure you have the capacity to do it.
December last year is when I attempted it, peak season is usually Jan and Feb
Thanks so much buddy!! I appreciate it. Is the climb technical at any point? Any tips/warnings? Thanks again mate!!@@ScalingSummits
@ezeadventurer, largely a high alitude trek. The weather/snowfall introduces crampons and an ice axe. But nothing too major. A few days after my attempt the weather turned and the mountain had a layer of snow/ice.
The weather/wind is the major player for most people as it can get down to -38c
Altitude is obviously the other major factor and just pacing yourself.
There are recuse guides that monitor and climb the mountain and have cut off times for the summit pending if they believe the weather is going to turn.
Generally base camp set up is fairly sophisticated and most expeditions companies can support logistic services.
Can go into further detail if needed, let me know.
Awesome! Many other videos I see or when going through guide sites, they all recommend summit suits and 8k Meter boots. Your video and experience seem way different.
I get their recommendations as the mountain can get extremely cold. The morning of my summit bid was freezing. Guess I was lucky there was no snow on the ground and that the wind stopped throughout the day and particularly up on the summit.
I took 6000m boots and was wearing multiple layers. (thermal base, fleece jumper, wool jumper, puffer and hard shell) I'm generally a "warm" hiker/climber and don't feel the cold as soon as other would.
Well done 👏 been there 2018 but weather cancelled us at camp 3 .
Thank you!
That’s tough having it canceled and being so close. Assuming because of some nasty weather.
Yea pretty bad .@@ScalingSummits
Hi Liam. Great video. Like you I’m a solo mountain walker but less accomplished. I started off solo summitting Mont Blanc in 2019 & encouraged by my success that summer I went to Ecuador and climbed Cotopaxi in January 2020. Shortly after this the pandemic halted my climbing ambition. However, next year I retire and will continue where I left off. Probably the main reason that I solo climb is that I cannot afford a guided summit. Aconcagua has been on my mind for years. So with that in mind I’d like to ask you some questions about your trip. Things like the cost of you summit; the tented camps - how do you pay for them or do you carry your own tent; what about food & water for a 9-10 day hike - carry your own or is there some at the base camp. Fascinated to discover more details about your adventure. Many thanks.
Hi Willie,
It's certainly a solid and challenging goal to strive for and can relate with the cost aspect of an expensive hobby.
I decided to go for a base camp support package with a local operator (Andesport)
It was approx 1350USD (excludes permit cost) and included the following:
• Transfers from Airport to Mendoza (arrival and departure)
• 2 night hotel in Mendoza City (1 arrival, 1 return in Mendoza)
• Coordination in the city and help to obtain the permit.
• Private Transport Mendoza Penitentes
• 1 hotel night in Penitentes (included dinner and breakfast)
• Transport to Aconcagua Park
• Mules service for up and down [all way up and down via Plaza Mulas]
• 5 days of food and camp services in base camp BLD
• Transport Aconcagua Park - Penitentes + 1 night in Penitentes in return
• Transport Penitentes - Mendoza City
You can, of course, opt for cheaper alternatives with reduced hotel stays, etc, but perhaps more of a hassel.
I opted for mules to transport the bulk of my gear up/down to base camp (you can save costs here, but I don't believe it's worth the effort to carry everything thing up, it's a long walk to BC and extra weight will likely exhaust the body for the actual climb above BC.
The greatest saver is getting the climbing permit early in the season where there are often discounted to up to 50%. I got my permit late as i was unsure of dates for my climb. This cost around 800usd for the 22/23 season, though, if I'd booked it earlier, perhaps only 400usd
Other factors to consider
Radio to communicate with base camp - can hire but rather expensive 15 per day
And additional meals should the weather window not present itself.
I was semi acclimatised up to 4500m prior to my attempt. This allowed me to fast track rest days at base camp. I had a few days contingency factored into my expedition in case of bad weather, too.
Part of the permit includes compulsory medical checks at camp confluencia and plaza de mulas.
Aa for gear, I took everything with me, which included a 3kg mountaineering tent. Other larger expedition who's offer base camp support logistics have their own tents set up at the camps above BC, which can possibly be used at cost if required.
As for food and water, everything above basecamp I carried and cooked. Water source at camp 1 isn't fantastic bit of a small flow steam off the glacier and found it quite muddy. Camp 2 has the best source for water, where there is a glacier pool and camp 3 requires to melt snow/ice. I opted to stay at camp 2 for ease of water and saw a lot of people struggling carrying up gear to camp 3.
Can go into further details if required. Let me know.
@@ScalingSummits Thanks for your detailed response to my enquiry. Not sure if I would have found out by myself that this was an option so I’m glad that I asked you. I’m very encouraged by this possible approach & am looking forward to 2025. My pipe dream is to attempt summiting several ~5 -6000m peaks whilst cycling through central and South America culminating in an Aconcagua summit finale. I won’t have to worry about getting back to work so can take my time. If it’s okay with you I’d like the opportunity to get more advice after I’ve done more Aconcagua research. 👍
Sounds like a stella trip in the making Willie! Always happy to help with further details or suggestions.
great video
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it
Congratulations! Very inspiring, and doing it solo is on another level, it takes a lot of mental strength to do it that way.
What boots were you wearing on your summit day?
Thank you! Was wearing scarpa phantom 6000m boots for this climb.
Solo is crazy
100%, but so much more satisfying!
I was wondering what month you went. What are you doing to check weather? Did you have to book stays at bascamp and the refuge? Is there water sources the whole way?
Hi Travis,
apologies for the delayed responses, I've been out in the mountains recently.
I undertook my expedition during mid-December, so not as busy as expected.
There two way to check the weather situations
option 1 - use base camp wifi to review on standard mountain weather apps such as mountain-forecast and taking screenshot of each of the days data before ascending above basecamp. This could also be double checked with base camp through two way radio comms if the weather changed/ required to stay longer up at the higher camps.
Option 2 - double check conditions with local ranger at base camp - they would typical update a white board with the weather forecast on the summit outside the check-in locations - this would be updated daily covering the week.
I decided to go for a base camp support package with a local operator which included the following: • Transfers from Airport to Mendoza (arrival and departure) • 2 night hotel in Mendoza City (1 arrival, 1 return in Mendoza) • Coordination in the city and help to obtain the permit. • Private Transport Mendoza Penitentes • 1 hotel night in Penitentes (included dinner and breakfast) • Transport to Aconcagua Park • Mules service for up and down [all way up and down via Plaza Mulas] • 5 days of food and camp services in base camp BLD • Transport Aconcagua Park - Penitentes + 1 night in Penitentes in return • Transport Penitentes - Mendoza City. This was approx 1350USD at the time 22/23. You can, of course, opt for cheaper alternatives with reduced hotel stays, etc, but perhaps more of a hassel. I opted for mules to transport the bulk of my gear up/down to base camp (you can save costs here, but I don't believe it's worth the effort to carry everything thing up, it's a long walk to BC and extra weight will likely exhaust the body for the actual climb
As for food and water, everything above basecamp I carried and cooked. Water source at camp 1 isn't fantastic bit of a small flow steam off the glacier and found it quite muddy. Camp 2 has the best source for water, where there is a glacier pool and camp 3 requires to melt snow/ice. I opted to stay at camp 2 for ease of water and saw a lot of people struggling carrying up gear to camp 3.
Can go into further details if required. Let me know.
South America The Wonder of the Americas
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
you were in the highest place on earth leaving ASIA apart.! congrats!!!
Thank You Sir! Aconcagua a very unique place to experience!
Amazing. i want to do this in a few years. did you use a guide to get to the first base camp?
Cheers Frank. I used logistic support with mules to transport food to camp confluencia and base camp. No guide whilst physically walking. At the above mentioned camps, there was general support from the company for meals etc before. Everything after base camp was Solo
What company would you recommend?
How many days were you solo prior to the summit?
You got awesome weather for the most part. Congrats on such an amazing accomplishment.
❤❤❤
Great video, what camera gear did you use and when did you summit it?
Cheers! I've always used a Gopro Hero 9 or 10 due to weight etc. Summitted in Dec 22
Congratulations and a fantastic video! One question- Did you not use hiking poles?
Thank you! Don't use poles, prefer not to carry anything in my hands.
Hey Liam, great video! Especially from a solos perspective! I'm definitely going to attempt Aconcagua at some point, maybe even this coming December. But I'm trying to figure out whether I have the capacity to do it unguided or not. I've got previous experience hiking solo in Scotland in winter and Wales in late summer (none of this required camping or anything) and I've also summited Kilimanjaro on the 8 day Lemosho route which was guided of course. Would you think Aconcagua unguided is too much of a leap? I'm looking to challenge myself moving forward but need to be smart about it. I have loads of other questions but figured I'd put this initial question out there first! Cheers!
Hey mate, certainly a goal to strive for but would build on the solo experience to be on the safe side. The mountain will always be there but getting up and down safely is essential. It’s a big mountain! I got pretty lucky with Aconcagua weather wise, a few days after my attempt the weather turned and the ground was covered with snow/ice. The weather on the mountain can get to extremes of up to -40C. If snow and ice are present, basic mountaineering skills are also essential. During my time I saw a lot of helicopter evacuations for altitude sickness and would suggest being comfortable with high solo altitude multiday hikes 5,000m + to get an understanding of how your body adjust with a full backpack of gear and food (mine was over 30kgs). Kili is a good starting point, it was my first taste of high altitude too, though since have done numerous solo hikes and climbs between 5 and 6K in altitude. Knowing what and how your gear operate is also pivotal. Eg Double layered mountaineering boots etc and the restrictions they causes when climbing/ walking if not used to them etc. Happy to discuss further if you would like more info etc, just tag my name as reply comment aren’t often notified.
Incredible journey. Inspiring to watch. I’m hoping to do the same early next year. What time of year was this recorded?
Loved the filming. Got a real sense of the place. Congratulations!
Cheers for watching! Appreciate the feedback. Decided to tackle it early season - mid December 12th to 24th
@@ScalingSummits given you’re references to the World Cup I ought to have realised when it was you were hiking! Looking forward to seeing what you do next. Enjoyed your editting style too. Will take a leaf out of your book for my next video.
I didin´t know that Aconcagua lost it snow in summer, so high but no snow cap or preciptation like on Peruvian and Bolivian Andes.
Yeah it’s still extremely cold up there. A few days after my ascent there was a massive snow dumping
Hi I plan on doing this mountain soon. I have already done Kilimanjaro. Im just wondering what sort of experience you have before doing this to attempt to do it solo?
Killi was my first big mountain back into 2019. Since that I've done alot of high altitude treks solo plus several peaks over 6000m
I just gradually got more and more experience in different environments, altitude and technical ability.
I started with 1on1 guides and built to more advanced courses before I was confident in tackling peaks solo. Can go into further details if required. What I've shown on my channel is only a fraction of the peaks/treks experienced.
@@ScalingSummits Thanks for your reply mate, appreciate it. What sort of courses can you do to help upskill
Pending where you live, most countries with a mountain range would other the mountaineering course vary from basic, intermediate to advanced. How much you do ultimately depends on what you want to get out of climbing etc. There is also the to go 1 on 1 guided in countries like Peru or Bolivia with glacier terrains etc where you can learn and gain confidence. People often hesitate due to the costs involved, but I tend to look at it from a different perspective - how much is your life worth?
As a minimum, would be looking at courses that cover crampon techniques, self arrest, rope management, crevasse rescue. Mountains like Aconcuage are in theory a high altitude trek, but if the weather turns, should be prepared for the worst. It can and often snows throughout the season so learning to the basic skills above would be necessary, especially if planning to go solo. Alliteratively there is nothing wrong with learning the skills with a guided expedition.
@@ScalingSummits Thankyou very much 🙏🙏🙏. Im planning on climbing acongagua as a stepping stone for cho oyu then go from there. I live in sydney ill look up mountaineering courses.
I’m Sydney based myself but currently down in VIC. New Zealand would be my go to for a course. They are all pretty professional over there and the season it’s coming up.
I’ll be looking at manaslu possibly next year.
What time of year did you climb..December January?
Climbed between the 12th and 24th December. Not many people during that time.
First of all Congrats, great video, and i am proud on
your behalf, what are the price ranges for a Aconcagua expedition?
Have a great day and stay safe
ShaQ
Hi Shaq, Thanks for you comment, apologies for the delay response, I've been out in the mountains recently.
I decided to go for a base camp support package with a local operator (Andesport) It was approx 1350USD at the time (December 2022) (excludes permit cost) and included the following: • Transfers from Airport to Mendoza (arrival and departure) • 2 night hotel in Mendoza City (1 arrival, 1 return in Mendoza) • Coordination in the city and help to obtain the permit. • Private Transport Mendoza Penitentes • 1 hotel night in Penitentes (included dinner and breakfast) • Transport to Aconcagua Park • Mules service for up and down [all way up and down via Plaza Mulas] • 5 days of food and camp services in base camp BLD • Transport Aconcagua Park - Penitentes + 1 night in Penitentes in return • Transport Penitentes - Mendoza City You can, of course, opt for cheaper alternatives with reduced hotel stays, etc, but perhaps more of a hassle. I opted for mules to transport the bulk of my gear up/down to base camp (you can save costs here, but I don't believe it's worth the effort to carry everything thing up, it's a long walk to BC and extra weight will likely exhaust the body for the actual climb above BC.
The greatest saver is getting the climbing permit early in the season where there are often discounted to up to 50%. I got my permit late as i was unsure of dates for my climb. This cost around 800usd for the 22/23 season, though, if I'd booked it earlier, perhaps only 400usd
If undertaking Aconcagua with a group expect to pay anyway north of 4.5K USD. Let me know if you require any further information.
Great achievement! I love climbing mountains solo as well!
Few questions:
1. Are there things that I need to keep in mind as a solo climber?
2. Would you need food supplies for Confluencia and Plaza de Mulas campsites as well? Or just for camp Canada and Camp 2?
3. I see you did it in Mid December. Is there a window you suggest as a solo climber?
4. How well marked are the routes? How important are offline maps?
5. On the internet, I see a lot of sites saying this is a 16-21 days long trail. But I think you've done it in a much shorter time. What duration do you suggest?
Hi Vineet,
1. I guess the main consideration is confidence and knowledge of how your body adapts to the high altitude and knowing how to get yourself out of trouble being the main factors. Other factors to consider are Radio to communicate with base camp - can hire from companies at BC but rather expensive 15 per day. I would also factor in additional meals should the weather window not present itself.
The climbing permit is generally cheaper if purchased well in advanced. There are local companies that can assist with this. The permit would require insurance for rescue and include mandatory medical checks at camp confluencia and plaza de mulas.
2. I decided to go for a base camp support package with a local operator which included Mules service for up and down [all way up and down via Plaza Mulas] • 5 days of food and camp services in base camp BLD. Everything above basecamp I carried and cooked. Water source at camp 1 isn't fantastic bit of a small flow steam off the glacier and found it quite muddy. Camp 2 has the best source for water, where there is a glacier pool and camp 3 requires to melt snow/ice. I opted to stay at camp 2 for ease of water and saw a lot of people struggling carrying up gear to camp 3.
3. I opted for Mid December as I prefer less crowds on mountains. Low season can also be cheaper with respect permit costs
4. The trails are fairly obvious along the the normal route. Though I still downloaded respective maps on my phone as standard procedures. Currently use All Trails and GAIA GPS
5. Duration will depend of how well your body adapts to the altitude and weather. I was semi acclimatised up to 4500m prior to my attempt. This allowed me to fast track rest days at base camp. I had a few days contingency factored into my expedition in case of bad weather, too.
Can go into further details if required.
Great video but next time when editing video volume up on youre voice because you are very quiet, great adventure wish you all the best🤗
Thanks you!
Constantly trying to improve so cheers. Sometimes the sound quality on the Gopro isn't fantastic and turning up the volume increases the wind ambient sound (working on this in future).
I'm very quiet on the summit. The lack of air and swollen lips at altitude affected by ability to think and speak properly. Was actually up their for a good 30mins before recording and appear as if I've just finishes a sprinting a race.
Congrats!!! Well done! Question; how did you prepare your self? What kind of trainings, for how long?
Thank you!
My experience might be a little unique as i was hiking and climbing for several months prior to attempting aconcagua which acted as by base fitness.
Over those months I was consistently undertaking multi-day hikes with a large pack. These hikes varied in length and altitude. Just prior to aconcuga I spent several weeks at altitude hiking in Peru and along the Andes. Some of the hikes I've posted on my channel as an idea.
If I was training specifically for aconcagua only, I would probably have started getting into shape 6months ahead of time and probably would have taken more time going up to adjust to the altitude.
Great! Thx for your valuable insides! Good luck! @@ScalingSummits
Catch up with me, if you haven’t done Denali. I’m getting a team together for next May, for our second attempt
I am actually considering Denali Next year. Was looking to be self sufficient. Nothing is locked in at this stage feel free to email me the dets - liam@scalingsummits.com
Alternatively message me on IG - Liam__veigel
Great video. We make videos as well. Well done. We liked and subscribed.
Awesome! Thank you!
Keep your uploads coming!
I learned that geography classes in some other countries teach people that Denali & Aconcagua are on the same continent.
you put this comment on every Aconcagua video 🤣🤣
@@Lol-j7u3zWell the reason why I mentioned this on a fair amount of Denali & Aconcagua videos is because I was surprised to find out that different countries have different geography curriculums & people from those countries get oddly smug & defensive about their world views.
I get your point, I've seen several arguments on other videos around the topic!
Well, in Spain, when I was in highschool, North America and South America is just "America". But yea in many countries and continents differ.
Might be worth lowering the music volume a little if you are speaking. It was a bit hard to catch some words. Good effort mate, awesome footage 👏👍
Noted! Cheers for the feedback mate and thanks for watching.
Great video.. but the landscape is really ugly. I went to Huaraz to climb Alpamayo instead hehe
Thank you! Yes, I much prefer the climbs and landscapes in Huaraz too. Need to return again to attempt Alpamayo, must have been epic!
the highest mountain on the entire continent.
another video ruined with seaworld music.
I’ll make sure to entertain your music genre for the next film with the Barbie theme song.
good video/material but AUDIO IS HORRENDOUS
Cheers mate, appreciate the feedback. I'm just a mediocre amateur trying my best. Unfortunately I don't have the studio set up nor the high tech audio gadgets high up on a summit to battle against the elements and lack of oxygen.
It's not a solo climb to the top when you used mules for support
Guess I should have just taken a helicopter to the top too.
right, that is how you did it without mules
Aconcagua