Dispatch#6 December 26th, 2001.  Aconcagua Base Camp, Argentina. Hello everyone out there on the Alpine Ascents website.  This is Ellie, reporting in from Aconcagua Base Camp.  I just heard from Willi Prittie's group I, they are up at Camp I at this point, Willi reports that on Christmas morning, Santa's reindeer just flew by and it seems that Santa left candy canes and presents for everyone at Camp I.  Everyone was also treated to a white Christmas on Christmas afternoon. We have had some snow flurries, lightning and thunder, and there are reports of snow up high at the 19,200 foot camp and also a lot of snow on the Polish Glacier so we'll see what that looks like when they get up there.  The carry to Camp II on Christmas Day went very well, Camp II is at 17,600 feet, so it was pretty much everybody's first time up that high.  They spent three hours getting from Camp I to Camp II.

Some additional personal messages going out: 
From Eric, "Hello Melissa, Merry Christmas, thinking of you.  
From Cory "Merry Christmas everyone, especially Jessica.  I love you all, better buy me some damn good presents."
From Roy, "Miss you and love you, Stephanie, R2, and Sky."
From Todd, "Merry Christmas to everyone from Encina, Truckee and Reno, Liz miss you and can't wait to see you, Mom, scratch the dog for me."

So that's all from Aconcagua, from the first group as they are moving up to Camp II, and we'll find out later how that went for them.  Bye for now.