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Dispatch#17
January 2nd, 2002. Aconcagua Base Camp,
Argentina. Team I Greetings
to all from Aconcagua Base Camp in Argentina, this
is Willi Prittie reporting for Alpine Ascents
International. Just a quick update on our
first team of the 2002 season, and by the way Happy
New Year everyone. All expedition members
yesterday descended from Camp IV at 20,600 feet to
Base Camp at just under 14,000 feet for a good 7,000
foot descent with heavy packs. You can imagine
a few gnarly toes from boot bang and a few numb toes
etc, from common cold damage on summit day, but here
everyone is now enjoying a warm, sunny windless day
in Base Camp. A special congratulations to
both Eric Remza and Lhakpa Rita Sherpa, they did a
fine job of descending with everyone, I had actually
picked up a lung infection up high and had to climb
on summit day with it, and descended immediately to
Base Camp after everyone had gotten back to High
Camp, once again congratulations to both of them.
Also a note, Todd Kelley and I made
no attempt on the Polish Glacier due to deep
snow and windslab conditions prevailing on the
glacier. While we've enjoyed in general the
best and calmest weather in a decade, about every
third day, high altitude (as in over 19,000 feet)
afternoon snows, have kept conditions very snowy and
unstable on the Polish Direct Route. Therefore
there was really no opportunity to make an attempt
and no one has climbed the Direct Route probably
since late November, or the first week in December
at the very very latest.
So that's all from Aconcagua Base
Camp for the first expedition of the season for
Alpine Ascents. We will actually be heading
out on an enjoyable three day trek out to get to the
highway and return to Mendoza, and we'll give a
final update via telephone for the internet from
Mendoza, so that's all for now.
 Dispatches
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