Here’s a quick report from Team CWVC to get everyone up-to-speed on the Aconcagua Summit Challenge.

Sunday was the initial travel day with some unfortunate results.

It was a rough travel start for our team, according to Pete Quintanilla, Team Leader…

• Four hour delay in Tampa (missed all international connections)
• Good news: The guys did watch the Super Bowl in its entirety.
• Bad News: They watched it on dee plane…dee plane! Without appropriate gametime food and drinks.

After arriving in Miami…the fun continued.

• Team split to three different hotels in Miami (no flights out so they stayed overnight.)
• Team split into two teams: Team 1 to Santiago, Chile; Team 2 to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with link up in Mendoza, Argentina.
• Team 2 luggage- somewhere between Miami and Mendoza….did not arrive in Buenos Aires.
• Buenos Aires International Airport is about 45 minutes from domestic airport….taxi ride was fun. (no speakey eenglash).

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise that 18 bags did not show up in Buenos Aires all at once.

• Waiting to board to Mendoza, seven hour layover…
• Climbing Mt. Aconcagua with a bunch of battle hardy wounded warriors while conducting some case studies in freezing temperatures…PRICELESS!

The team has spent several days in Mendoza finalizing lunch packing, gear packing and obtaining all the permits. Today our team leaves Mendoza and travels to Penitentes, which is 8,465 feet above sea level. This is an important acclimatization period for them. The guys will definitely feel the altitude and must get settled for the February 7th approach hike. The assault on Aconcagua begins!