Those sunsets were mesmerising. Thanks for sharing. Being able to experience the power of the mountain and the proximity to The Sky really makes you feel humble.
Congratulations and thank you for sharing that awesome video! I’m heading there on Jan 24, 2024, and appreciate all the insights and motivation from your successful summit! 👍🏼👊🏼
Thx for the awesome video one of the best I have seen from Aconcagua. I was there in Jan.21, 2 guides of Grajales got covid sick, then four more of the group along the way, but we had to keep silence so the others , who did not get tested could go on. On Camp 2 I had to share a tent with someone, whose tent neighbor on Basecamp got sick. I was feelig well til Camp 3, but within 3 hours in Camp it changed drastically....so I couldnt go on much further, back in basecamp I finally got tested, POSITIVE, and had to stay quiet again. I really blame the company for not havig taken precautions. Everybody mingled after the second guide left us. This January I want to try again , hopefully under better circumstances. CONGRATULATIONS for your success!
Thanks for taking me along to the summit via your excellent video. I was really rooting for you. Doing that climb is a 90 percent mental struggle and you won the battle. Great job and congratulations!
Great video, looks like a great time! I love the clips of the sunrises and sunsets and would love to see it for myself. I saw the mountain when I was in Valparaiso, Chile but was told you can only get there through Argentina. I told myself one day I will see it. I would love to make it all the way up up up up up to... Camp 2 Camp 2 has the great views too. That's what I say.
Hi Lia, amazing video and congrats on your summit! Can you tell me about your high-altitude boots - are they double-boots/plastic boots? Brand, sizing etc? We've been recommended plastic double boots like a scarpa inferno, but want to weigh all options. Your feedback is appreciated!
I did it in January we started climbing on the 12th of Jan and summited on the 23rd I think! Yep the red ones are the double boots (I rented them) and those are the ones we used from plaza de mulas to the high camps and the summit! They're not as comfortable but much warmer!
Glad you made it! I was a member of one of the infamous Covid groups…7 of the 8 climbers got the nasty, as well as our lead guide and we had to turn back from plaza de Mulas. I have such mixed emotions watching your videos. It was very well done and I viewed it with a slight jealousy that you got to actually try to reach the summit. Well done
Thanks Greg! Oh no, I’m so so sorry! That’s absolutely gutting. We all know how much time, effort and money that goes into preparing for Aconcagua so that must’ve been incredibly devastating. We felt ridiculously lucky to have been spared. I hope you get to return one day to give it another crack!
Hi Lia, a very cool video, congratulations for the video and for the Aconcagua summit. I was also in the aconcagua this year so I'm sure we must have met, hahaha... maybe we'll see each other in another mountain. I wish you the best and that you continue with your adventures. pablo_tornil
Fantastic video Lia! Hard to believe this is your first and only video here, would definitely love to see more. You mentioned multiple times that you did not sleep well because you were cold. Would you mind sharing what specific gear you used (especially sleeping bag and pad) if you know? I'm starting to plan a possible trip to Aconcagua and am collecting as much info as I can.
Thanks so much! Sure no problem, and sorry about the delayed response! I knew I ran cold so I had super high quality 100% merinos (easy to find in NZ!), then I rented the sleeping bag, which while it was great quality it definitely was the wrong size- it was a medium and at 177cm I needed a tall as I wasn't able to pull the sleeping bag over my head which definitely didn't help. I wore my mountain hardwear expedition jacket to bed from plaza de mulas onwards. My mat was great, it was a thermorest neoair Xtherm but at the high camps we would wake up and find we were sleeping on a full layer of ice under our mats due to all of the condensation. I have no idea how to avoid this though. If I had my time again I would've packed more hand and feet warmers and better quality gloves, and of course a teller sleeping bag! I studied the gear list so hard before the trip and did my best to get great quality gear, I think I just run cold as a person because others had the same or less warm gear and were fine! Good luck on your expedition!!
@@liacane2400 Thank you so much for your answer! A fitting sleeping bag definitely makes life easier :D re: sleeping mats: The X-Therm is amazing, I think what people usually do when it is really cold is put a second foam pad (like the Thermarest Z-Lite) which makes it warmer but might also help reduce the condensation issue. Good gloves make a world of a difference, just noticed that again this weekend.
This is easily one of the best made videos on Aconcagua. Awesome scenery and I love the upbeat music! How heavy were your packs at the heaviest point? Going in Jan. '25
@@erichter66 thank you so much that means a lot! Packs were about 20kg at the heaviest point, I was very glad I had done some weighted pack training hikes beforehand! That’s so exciting, enjoy every moment, I wish you all the best on your summit!
Hi Lia, What month did you do Aconcagua, I'm going in 50 days! I'm soo excited! What advice could you give me, I've climbed Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp so far. Thanks, Laura
Thanks so exciting! Sorry about the late response! I did it in January last year :) I would say ENJOY it. Every day of it. Take the focus off the summit and take one day at a time. Soak in every moment, and never miss a sunset even if your tent is super cosy. They are always worth it. Drink, drink and then drink some more. Good luck!!
Thanks Javier! Yes 90% was just my IPhone 12. I had a go pro but didn’t end up using it much. There were charging stations at Plaza De Mulas and I just used a power bank for charging up the high camps.
Amazing video! I had the opportunity to climb Cotopaxi and Chimborazo in Ecuador. I realize that Aconcagua is a longer hike, but overall, is it more difficult than Chimborazo? Aconcagua is my dream!
Oh wow thats awesome! I'm not sure if it's more difficult as I haven't done Chimborazo but I'm sure your experience at high altitude will definitely help a lot on Aconcagua! I'm sure you'll smash it!
Thanks! Awesome, I’m so excited for you! I wish I could do it all over again. No the guides recommend against Diamox for Aconcagua. I took it for Kilimanjaro but with Aconcagua they give you plenty of time to acclimatise naturally without medication. Personally I took deer velvet supplements prior and during the trip which I believe helped my altitude sickness a lot as it increases both red and white blood cells in the body. www.canesdeervelvet.com is the best quality there is!
The Highest Mountain in the Americas. The name Aconcagua comes from the native South American language Keichowa (Quechua) and means "the stone sentinel". ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I like how u talk about frost bite in your fingers without gloves on. On Candeleta and on the summit you did not even have liner gloves on. You should have been wearing expedition mitts. If u are wearing a parka u need gloves.
I heard some people believe that Aconcagua & Denali are in the same continent apparently. Even the Spanish wiki page says they are. (I don’t agree with that). I learned it’s because Spanish geography classes teach people that Denali & Aconcagua are on the same continent.
Aconcagua Mountain Guides. Yes overall were happy with them. We had AMAZING guides that made the trip so much fun and stress free. I will say though, tip the guides and porters well because they are getting such a tiny fraction of what you are paying the company which is what I found disappointing, but I do think many companies on Aconcagua are like this not just AMG.
Normal route, I initially booked the polish route and would've loved to have done that but it was closed due to covid. Normal route was still absolutely beautiful though!
Many congrats!! So many questions for you. Did you use Aconcagua Mountain Guides (I'm guessing from your tents) or another operator? Did you use your main pack the entire way or did you have a smaller approach pack for getting to Plaza de Mulas? Did you take your main pack to the summit or did you leave it at the Canalata or did you use a smaller pack for summit day (perhaps your approach pack)? Thank you.
Hi Paul! Thanks!! And yes we did use AMG ☺️ They were great! We just took the smaller pack from the entrance to Plaza de Mulas, and the mules carried our duffels (with our main packs inside) up. Then from Plaza de Mulas up to Colera we carry our main packs (some use porters- if you want to, it’s better to hire on the mountain at the time rather than paying for them online beforehand because otherwise the porters themselves only get 20% of what you pay. 😢 It also works out cheaper for you). There is also the option of just getting a porter for just 10kg (so around half) of your pack which is a good option. For summit day you just take your small bag, with as little weight as possible. You spend the night before and after summit at Colera so you just leave your main pack there and take it all the way down to Mulas following day. Hope this helps! Happy to answer any more questions you may have! ☺️ PS you can never pack too many hand/body warmers!!
@@liacane2400 - Thanks for this detailed response. Great info on the porters -- most guide services I've read say that it is cheaper to pay for the extra porters ahead of time. What size pack di you use for your approach to Plaza de Mulas and on Summit day ... is 30L big enough for that? Conversely, what's the max weight you carried to the upper camps? Would love to know for training purposes. Another funny thing, is that I recently watched a guide video recommending just 6 hand warmers with 10 at the maximum. Do you run cold?
@@TrekStar30 no problem! Yes I had read that aswell, my friend payed for the full service beforehand but definitely payed more than necessary. And so little actually goes to the porters. My small pack was 30L and was perfect size. I think the heaviest I carried was 18kg? I trained with 20-25kg packs but definitely still struggled. Altitude changes everything! Luckily they’re only short hikes, 2-4 hours to the high camps so not too bad. I did hire a 10kg porter on one of the days which helped a lot. And yep despite having good quality gear I was absolutely freezing, especially at night and wish I had taken way more hand and body warmers. They take up hardly and space but putting them in your sleeping bag at night is so helpful. The 3 nights before summit I averaged about 3-4 hours of sleep just because I was cold.
I was there in January - unfortunately - after being delayed by the strong winds I had to descend without summiting. I wish now Id have hung around a bit longer !
Those sunsets were mesmerising. Thanks for sharing.
Being able to experience the power of the mountain and the proximity to The Sky really makes you feel humble.
Congratulations and thank you for sharing that awesome video! I’m heading there on Jan 24, 2024, and appreciate all the insights and motivation from your successful summit! 👍🏼👊🏼
Beautiful the Aconcagua and beautiful eyes Lia .!!!
Thank you!!
that's a great video. I will always cheer for you in Korea I'm looking forward to a great video. Have a nice day.
Amazing! So inspirational. Thank you for posting.
Excellent job! Great video. Congrats. Next up..Mount Vinson?
Beautiful video !!
Cannot tell you how much I enjoyed this! Thank you!❤
Thx for the awesome video one of the best I have seen from Aconcagua. I was there in Jan.21, 2 guides of Grajales got covid sick, then four more of the group along the way, but we had to keep silence so the others , who did not get tested could go on. On Camp 2 I had to share a tent with someone, whose tent neighbor on Basecamp got sick. I was feelig well til Camp 3, but within 3 hours in Camp it changed drastically....so I couldnt go on much further, back in basecamp I finally got tested, POSITIVE, and had to stay quiet again. I really blame the company for not havig taken precautions. Everybody mingled after the second guide left us.
This January I want to try again , hopefully under better circumstances. CONGRATULATIONS for your success!
Congratulations!
I will be there shortly.
Good luck!
Amazing video and great job! Climbing that mountain is a dream.
What an inspiring video. Love your work and thanks so much for the effort.
Thanks for taking me along to the summit via your excellent video. I was really rooting for you. Doing that climb is a 90 percent mental struggle and you won the battle. Great job and congratulations!
Thank you so much!! 😊
Wow sounds a lot more daunting than Kili, which we summited 5 weeks ago. Fantastic job guys
Never climbed a mountain abs one day I will, loved your video - south africa 🇿🇦
Great video, looks like a great time! I love the clips of the sunrises and sunsets and would love to see it for myself.
I saw the mountain when I was in Valparaiso, Chile but was told you can only get there through Argentina. I told myself one day I will see it.
I would love to make it all the way up up up up up to...
Camp 2
Camp 2 has the great views too. That's what I say.
Thanks so much! The snow storm sunset was definitely a highlight of the whole trip!
What a video. 🎉🎉
Great video 💪😁
Great video and well done! Just a little correction: the summit of Aconcagua is at 6962m not 6992 🙂
Hi Lia, amazing video and congrats on your summit! Can you tell me about your high-altitude boots - are they double-boots/plastic boots? Brand, sizing etc? We've been recommended plastic double boots like a scarpa inferno, but want to weigh all options. Your feedback is appreciated!
Great video Lia! Could you link us viewers with a list of the gear you brought? I'm preparing for Aconcagua too and so many gear choices!
This video is a boon for mountaineering clothiers. Every time I watch it I buy warmer exorbitantly priced clothes.
Can you link your mountain Hardwear jacket ? Do you think it worked good ?
Hello, when I climbed Aconcagua, in January 1997, its altitude was 6962 meters... Obviously, this has changed a lot since then.
brilliant ! which month were you doing it?
and which boots are you using on the day 7? are those the summit boots?
thanks!
I did it in January we started climbing on the 12th of Jan and summited on the 23rd I think! Yep the red ones are the double boots (I rented them) and those are the ones we used from plaza de mulas to the high camps and the summit! They're not as comfortable but much warmer!
Glad you made it! I was a member of one of the infamous Covid groups…7 of the 8 climbers got the nasty, as well as our lead guide and we had to turn back from plaza de Mulas. I have such mixed emotions watching your videos. It was very well done and I viewed it with a slight jealousy that you got to actually try to reach the summit. Well done
Thanks Greg! Oh no, I’m so so sorry! That’s absolutely gutting. We all know how much time, effort and money that goes into preparing for Aconcagua so that must’ve been incredibly devastating. We felt ridiculously lucky to have been spared. I hope you get to return one day to give it another crack!
Hi Lia, a very cool video, congratulations for the video and for the Aconcagua summit. I was also in the aconcagua this year so I'm sure we must have met, hahaha... maybe we'll see each other in another mountain. I wish you the best and that you continue with your adventures. pablo_tornil
Thanks Pablo! I hope so, good luck with your future adventures!
@@liacane2400 I´m planning to climb the Alpamayo in Peru this year, you are very welcome!!
OMG where did you get those amazing "Wonka" sunglasses?! please :)
Hi Louie! They are the brand Oakley, I got them from a ski shop in NZ but I also saw them in stores in Mendoza!
Fantastic video Lia! Hard to believe this is your first and only video here, would definitely love to see more.
You mentioned multiple times that you did not sleep well because you were cold. Would you mind sharing what specific gear you used (especially sleeping bag and pad) if you know? I'm starting to plan a possible trip to Aconcagua and am collecting as much info as I can.
Thanks so much! Sure no problem, and sorry about the delayed response! I knew I ran cold so I had super high quality 100% merinos (easy to find in NZ!), then I rented the sleeping bag, which while it was great quality it definitely was the wrong size- it was a medium and at 177cm I needed a tall as I wasn't able to pull the sleeping bag over my head which definitely didn't help. I wore my mountain hardwear expedition jacket to bed from plaza de mulas onwards. My mat was great, it was a thermorest neoair Xtherm but at the high camps we would wake up and find we were sleeping on a full layer of ice under our mats due to all of the condensation. I have no idea how to avoid this though. If I had my time again I would've packed more hand and feet warmers and better quality gloves, and of course a teller sleeping bag! I studied the gear list so hard before the trip and did my best to get great quality gear, I think I just run cold as a person because others had the same or less warm gear and were fine! Good luck on your expedition!!
@@liacane2400 Thank you so much for your answer! A fitting sleeping bag definitely makes life easier :D re: sleeping mats: The X-Therm is amazing, I think what people usually do when it is really cold is put a second foam pad (like the Thermarest Z-Lite) which makes it warmer but might also help reduce the condensation issue. Good gloves make a world of a difference, just noticed that again this weekend.
This is easily one of the best made videos on Aconcagua. Awesome scenery and I love the upbeat music! How heavy were your packs at the heaviest point? Going in Jan. '25
@@erichter66 thank you so much that means a lot! Packs were about 20kg at the heaviest point, I was very glad I had done some weighted pack training hikes beforehand! That’s so exciting, enjoy every moment, I wish you all the best on your summit!
Fantastic, I loved watching. I am climbing this season. Which kind of Ski Goggles are better for Aconcagua? Day or Night vision or Photochromic?
Just saw ur video - is there a faster option
Hi Lia, What month did you do Aconcagua, I'm going in 50 days! I'm soo excited! What advice could you give me, I've climbed Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp so far. Thanks, Laura
Thanks so exciting! Sorry about the late response! I did it in January last year :) I would say ENJOY it. Every day of it. Take the focus off the summit and take one day at a time. Soak in every moment, and never miss a sunset even if your tent is super cosy. They are always worth it. Drink, drink and then drink some more. Good luck!!
Nice crocs
well i guess "we've lost john and paul" has a completely different meaning on aconcagua and k2
Haha I definitely should've worded that differently!
Have you contemplated Cho Oyu?
Awesome video Lia. Question. Did u use ur iphone to film? And how did u keep ur battery charged for the whole trip
Thanks Javier! Yes 90% was just my IPhone 12. I had a go pro but didn’t end up using it much. There were charging stations at Plaza De Mulas and I just used a power bank for charging up the high camps.
Amazing video! I had the opportunity to climb Cotopaxi and Chimborazo in Ecuador. I realize that Aconcagua is a longer hike, but overall, is it more difficult than Chimborazo? Aconcagua is my dream!
Do it!!
Oh wow thats awesome! I'm not sure if it's more difficult as I haven't done Chimborazo but I'm sure your experience at high altitude will definitely help a lot on Aconcagua! I'm sure you'll smash it!
HI LIa, great video; I'm planning on doing this hike in 2024; question, did you take Diamox? for altitude sickness?
Thanks! Awesome, I’m so excited for you! I wish I could do it all over again. No the guides recommend against Diamox for Aconcagua. I took it for Kilimanjaro but with Aconcagua they give you plenty of time to acclimatise naturally without medication. Personally I took deer velvet supplements prior and during the trip which I believe helped my altitude sickness a lot as it increases both red and white blood cells in the body.
www.canesdeervelvet.com is the best quality there is!
The Highest Mountain in the Americas.
The name Aconcagua comes from the native South American language Keichowa (Quechua) and means "the stone sentinel".
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I like how u talk about frost bite in your fingers without gloves on. On Candeleta and on the summit you did not even have liner gloves on. You should have been wearing expedition mitts. If u are wearing a parka u need gloves.
I heard some people believe that Aconcagua & Denali are in the same continent apparently. Even the Spanish wiki page says they are. (I don’t agree with that). I learned it’s because Spanish geography classes teach people that Denali & Aconcagua are on the same continent.
amazing, welcome to Nepal Mera peak higherpathtreks
Which company did you use ??? Were you happy with them?
Aconcagua Mountain Guides. Yes overall were happy with them. We had AMAZING guides that made the trip so much fun and stress free. I will say though, tip the guides and porters well because they are getting such a tiny fraction of what you are paying the company which is what I found disappointing, but I do think many companies on Aconcagua are like this not just AMG.
@@liacane2400 Aloha Lia ! Hey thanks for getting back to me..appreciate it! Mahalo 🤙
Also a question this was the normal route or the Polish Traverse route? Thanks in advance.
Normal route, I initially booked the polish route and would've loved to have done that but it was closed due to covid. Normal route was still absolutely beautiful though!
Many congrats!! So many questions for you. Did you use Aconcagua Mountain Guides (I'm guessing from your tents) or another operator? Did you use your main pack the entire way or did you have a smaller approach pack for getting to Plaza de Mulas? Did you take your main pack to the summit or did you leave it at the Canalata or did you use a smaller pack for summit day (perhaps your approach pack)? Thank you.
Hi Paul! Thanks!! And yes we did use AMG ☺️ They were great! We just took the smaller pack from the entrance to Plaza de Mulas, and the mules carried our duffels (with our main packs inside) up. Then from Plaza de Mulas up to Colera we carry our main packs (some use porters- if you want to, it’s better to hire on the mountain at the time rather than paying for them online beforehand because otherwise the porters themselves only get 20% of what you pay. 😢 It also works out cheaper for you). There is also the option of just getting a porter for just 10kg (so around half) of your pack which is a good option. For summit day you just take your small bag, with as little weight as possible. You spend the night before and after summit at Colera so you just leave your main pack there and take it all the way down to Mulas following day.
Hope this helps! Happy to answer any more questions you may have! ☺️
PS you can never pack too many hand/body warmers!!
@@liacane2400 - Thanks for this detailed response. Great info on the porters -- most guide services I've read say that it is cheaper to pay for the extra porters ahead of time. What size pack di you use for your approach to Plaza de Mulas and on Summit day ... is 30L big enough for that? Conversely, what's the max weight you carried to the upper camps? Would love to know for training purposes. Another funny thing, is that I recently watched a guide video recommending just 6 hand warmers with 10 at the maximum. Do you run cold?
@@TrekStar30 no problem! Yes I had read that aswell, my friend payed for the full service beforehand but definitely payed more than necessary. And so little actually goes to the porters. My small pack was 30L and was perfect size. I think the heaviest I carried was 18kg? I trained with 20-25kg packs but definitely still struggled. Altitude changes everything! Luckily they’re only short hikes, 2-4 hours to the high camps so not too bad. I did hire a 10kg porter on one of the days which helped a lot. And yep despite having good quality gear I was absolutely freezing, especially at night and wish I had taken way more hand and body warmers. They take up hardly and space but putting them in your sleeping bag at night is so helpful. The 3 nights before summit I averaged about 3-4 hours of sleep just because I was cold.
I was there in January - unfortunately - after being delayed by the strong winds I had to descend without summiting. I wish now Id have hung around a bit longer !