Warning regarding the presence of counterfeit versions of Petzl products
Over the years, Petzl has discovered counterfeits or copies of several of its products:
- counterfeit headlamps with the Petzl logo, including headlamps from the TIKKA and MYO lines
- counterfeit copies of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) without the Petzl logo, such as ASCENSION handled ascenders, the ASAP, etc.
I have just returned home after another great season on Aconcagua. In all, i had three expeditions and made the top, with members two more times. Bringing my personal total to five summits out of six attempts. What finally stopped me you ask? The answer: wind.
Ganesh Adventures guide Chris Szymiec on top of Aconcagua 6962M
I had always had great luck on Aconcagua. The first time i made the summit, via the False Polish Traverse route, my whole group insisted on taking a rest day at camp Colera at about 5950M. I insisted that if, at 6am the weather was good, we go for the top. I managed to convince 3 members to plan on leaving early the next morning at 5:10am. Sure enough, we awoke to pure silence, no wind. Amazing. We all topped out and some 40 people staying at Colera spent the day in their tents and either descended that afternoon or waited until the next day when 65km/hr winds forced everyone off the mountain. The motto: Always go for it. If it gets to bad, go back and sleep for the rest of the day, at least you did something.
The second time was very similar but it was actually really windy at camp Colera. We still went for it, summited and in the end, were the only ones who made it that day. Some 20 people at camp Colera all descended to Mulas base camp and the on to Mendoza. A real shame.
The third time we took the killer line up the Polish Glacier. That was an amazing day for sure. A perfect day: conditions, weather, people. I will talk more about the Polish Glacier Direct Route in a later article.
The forth, standard long day from camp 2 on the False Polish Route. The fifth and latest, another trip up from Colera. Some ask me if i ever get bored with climbing the same mountain. I ask them, don’t they get bored going into the same office?
On the Polish Glacier Direct route on Aconcagua in 2010, just below the bottleneck.
Oh right, that time i didn’t make the top. It was the very first official Ganesh Adventures expedition. A one:one private climb aiming for the Polish Glacier Direct Route in very early season conditions. Typically, by mid-November, the winds subside and the more stable weather of the summer season start to present itself. This year (2010) was not the case. The two of us had permits number 0004 and 0005 for the season, just behind a group of “self-supported” Polish climbers. Actually, Nestor, Aleshandro, Alex and i were “self-supported” too; it just so happened that Nestor was the worlds best expedition cook, Aleshandro was a crack High Altitude porter and base camp manager. haha, everyone has their own style of climbing. Anyways, in the end, the Aconcagua was not at all user friendly and we were forced to abort our climb in favor of the three M’s of Argentina. Mendoza, Malbec, and meat. Regardless of the result, that was still one of the best trips i have ever been on. Great times, great people and no one at Plaza Argentina base camp.
I am still working freelance on high mountain expeditions while slowly getting Ganesh Adventures off the ground. I am hoping to have Alex return for a trip to Ama Dablam in the fall as well as a small Aconcagua Polish Glacier climb in early 2012. Stay tuned.
Holmes Pantoja better known as APU , sets a new record of ascent in 20 hrs, starting from the park rangers at the entrance Horcones, and reaching the top of the Colossus of America “Aconcagua” by the grace of the Poles.
Apu began his tour on Friday, 4 in the night, followed the normal route to the last camp there Cholera and headed for the Polish Glacier, to reach the summit at 18:15 the next day, had 20 hours elapse since it began its ascent.
Emotional and tired recounts the details of his feat, the Friends tonight at the Hotel Windsor receive it with a barbecue and lots of wine.
Had previously established the following records:
Holmes Pantoja Has your passion for mountain Professional Mountain Guide and has been guiding since 1997, has made several promotions in the major peaks of the Cordillera Blanca.
Our congratulations to Apu for such a remarkable feat.
Good friends Orne & Mati sporting the team colors
The time has finally come for Alex and I to depart Mendoza and begin our trip up the Polish Glacier of Aconcagua. After a couple of days making final preparations we are all set to head into the Andes on the very first day of the Aconcagua climbing season.
Mendoza is very quiet right now. Spring has just sprung and the usual gore-tex clad Aconcagua climbers are few and far between. In the beginning I thought Alex and I would be alone for the first few days of the expedition but as luck would have it, climbers have started to arrive and everyone is heading up to the mountains in the next few days.
As i was shopping for groceries and supplies yesterday, i noticed a few others loading up on noodles, sausage and powdered potatoes. It seems, as is usual, everyone is going to the Polish Glacier. I talked to three different groups of climbers all with the same mission in mind. Let’s hope for all of our sakes that the mountain will permit us to even set foot on the Glacier.
On the flight from Santiago to Mendoza i really noticed the lack of snow in the mountains. It seems that this winter was a very dry one and nearly all of the ski resorts didn’t even open for a single day this season. I cant say that this will make any difference for our ascent though. My experience on Aconcagua is that conditions can change 180 degrees in the blink of an eye and although it is summer now, it is not unusual to get a 50cm dump of snow overnight. Whatever happens, Alex and i will play everything very safe and very secure. We are both well aware of the realities of climbing a big mountain such as Aconcagua and safety is always first, next comes having fun and finally, if it all works out, making the summit.
Apparently many of the larger expedition outfitters have only just begun to build up their extensive base camps. I will endeavor to keep family and friends up to date on our progress but as is usually the case, nothing is guaranteed. The Ganesh Adventures base camp is all set up in Plaza Argentina with our cooks and crew well into their preparations for our arrival. I am really excited to be on Aconcagua so early in the season. The crowds will be way down and the experience a little more genuine. Very stoked!
Chris from Mendoza
Chris Szymiec on the Polish Glacier in 2010
It has begun. This is going to be a big year on Aconcagua not only for Ganesh Adventures, but also for Chris Szymiec. Ganesh is offering 2 expeditions to Aconcagua this season via the Polish Glacier Direct and also the False Polish Traverse. In addition to these, Chris is also guiding Aconcagua for Adventure Peaks’ December 17 and Jan 8 Falso expeditions. FTA is also running December and January expeditions led by Ben Kane of Australia. More from Chris…
6600M on the Polish Glacier, Aconcagua
… was my response when Alex contacted me looking for a guide to climb the Polish Glacier Direct line on Aconcagua. Initially i was slated in to work 2 trips with Adventure Peaks and 1 for Ganesh Adventures in February 2011, but as luck would have it, Alex called me up and set my immediate future in motion. I was actually sitting in my ambulance in northern Alberta working the night shift when the call came in. Something like this always get me excited and the rest of the night was spent rehearsing how i would tell my great boss that i was leaving. Alas, here i am boarding a plane to Mendoza, Argentina for another wicked season in South America.
The first trip is a private 1:1 up the Polish Glacier beginning November 14, 2010. I will be on the ground a few days ahead of time getting ready for the adventure ahead. There is a lot of shopping and packing to do but in reality, everyone know what i will be really doing in Mendoza. Life there is just too great to spend your whole day rummaging through food and equipment.
To my dismay, i read the new price list for climbing permits on Aconcagua. A high season permit now cost 770 usd, up 50% from last year. In addition to the extra charges, the park has officially removed helicopter evacuation from the list of services offered on Aconcagua ascent permits. Last year, this was listed in the fine print but now, it is front and center. Helicopter evacuation coverage is now the responsibility of the climber, not the park. I always though it was too good to be true. Regardless, Aconcagua is on so many people’s tick lists that i doubt this will deter anyone from attempting the highest peak in the Americas and for many, the first of their 7 summits.
As usual, i will be doing my very best to keep everyone updated on our progress throughout the expeditions.
I have also added a gear list and route descriptions for both of the Aconcagua routes mentioned above. If you are interested in joining the February trip, please contact me. I will likely be on the mountain but i will do my very best to get back to you in a timely manner. All the best and have a great climbing season.
Nov 11, 2010 from Banff, Canada, Chris Szymiec
Get ready for the 2011 Aconcagua False Polish Expedition led by Chris Szymiec of Ganesh Adventures. A fully guided deluxe Aconcagua expedition run by an Aconcagua veteran. February 7 – February 27th, 2011. We are currently accepting applications for this exciting and excellent expedition to the highest peak in the Americas and the second highest on the famed seven summits(7 summits) list.
Please feel free to contact us now if you are either interested in joining the 2011 Aconcagua February expedition or if you have any questions about high altitude climbing at all.
Ben, Brian and Erika on the Polish Glacier
I must say, it was really great to climb Aconcagua instead of just walking up it. At 3am Ben, Chris, Erika, Mitch and Brian set off for the foot of the Polish Glacier. Shortly after setting out, Mitch decided it just wasn’t his day and returned to camp 2 and the 4 of us carried on into the darkness. We chose not to rope up for the first 300M of the climb but as the angle increased we tied in and made things a little more secure.
The route is actually pretty straightforward despite its reputation. In my opinion the most important thing is speed. We never once pitched out the climb choosing instead to simu-climb with a running belay. This offers good protection as well as being able to keep moving at all times. The climb is about 40 degrees up to 70 degrees in the bottle neck area and above. Its a great steep snow climb with amazing views but beware, once you are at the top of the face it is still at least 2-4 hours to the summit, depending on conditions and fatigue.
Once you arrive at the top of the face, the technical portion of the climb is over and now the thin air at nearly 6900M is a lot for some to deal with. Amazing views though. We made our descent via the False Polish route and back to camp 2.
Chris in the Bottleneck
It’s great to be finished with another successful season on Aconcagua. This year we had small groups and all became great friends. We were also fortunate enough to have Augistina from Ushuia cooking for us at base camp. She really went out of her way to accommodate us and make our days at base camp really comfortable. Oh yeah, she is also an amazing cook. A big thanks also to our great members this season. Greg, Brooks, Isabel, Erika, Marty, Mitch and Brian, it was great to have you all on the hill with Ben and I.
Here are some more photos from our expedition in 2010 from my facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=153254&id=505386125&l=98a597d66d
Chris from Mendoza.