A huge congratulations goes out to Alan Arnette who has sent another audio dispatch from Aconcagua with the excellent news that he has summitted Aconcagua for the second time.
It wasn't an easy summit however, even though, as he notes, Aconcagua is known as "hike up mountain." Alan says that they woke up this morning to clear skies and great weather, but that it was very cold going up to the summit. He even says that he was worried about his toes as he went up, despite wearing his mountaineering boots and warm wool socks. Fortunately, upon his return to camp, all of his digits are intact and none the worse for wear. The team topped out at 11:45 AM local time this morning, a little later than anticipated, but better late than never.
Tomorrow, the team will begin the process of picking up their gear, cleaning up camp, and heading down the mountain. By all accounts everyone is healthy, strong, and in good spirits, and no doubt looking forward to spending some time in a warm environment.
Aconcagua is Alan's most recent step on his Road Back To Everest this Spring. Next up, he'll be climbing Orizaba in just a few weeks as he completes his training climbs before returning to Nepal. This time out, Alan is climbing to raise money and awareness for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund, a cause that is very near and dear to his heart.
Congratulations Alan! This summit is well deserved and I'm very happy for you. And thanks to Cathy for delivering the news when the batteries on the Iridium phone went dead on the summit! :)
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