Mount Aconcagua

The highest peak in South America • 6,961 meters • USA

Aconcagua, at 6,961 meters, is the highest peak in South America, and the highest outside of the Himalayan ranges. I signed up for the expedition with a regional travel agency. After a hike of several days through the Aconcagua base camp, we began the climb. My guide was Mariano, a brilliant and charismatic Argentinian guide.

I had settled on an ambition to scale Everest relatively soon after climbing Mount Elbrus. I also had a longer-term ambition to complete the Seven Summits – the highest peak on each continent. Nearly all successful expeditions to the world’s highest mountain are in May or June. If I were to attempt Everest the year after my climbs of Kilimanjaro and Elbrus, it made sense to fit in a preparatory expedition in the northern hemisphere winter of 2018-2019. This led me to consider an expedition to Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, 32 degrees south of the Equator. The Christmas period, midsummer, is the best time for a climb.

To begin with, the climbing went well, but as we reached higher altitudes on the summit push, I started to feel ill, even though I had completed a rotation as high as Camp 2. When I reached Camp 2 on the final push, the symptoms became worse. I vomited and felt weak. Strong winds caused us to have to stay at Camp 2 for two days, during which time my symptoms did not improve. Reluctantly, I had to take the advice that my altitude sickness was too severe and I headed back down the mountain.

This setback was chastening, but did not deter me in my ambition to continue mountaineering, and to reach the summit of Everest.