Climbing@alanarnette.com

The team is at Base Camp after a 3 day trek through the Vacas Valley.

To hear this Aconcagua 2008 audio dispatch, just click on the play button. Thanks for listening and following Alan on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains....

Climb On!

Alan

Alan describes the carry to Camp 1 and how the team is doing.

To hear this Aconcagua 2008 audio dispatch, just click on the play button. Thanks for listening and following me on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains....

Climb On!

Alan

Alan describes the team's carry to Camp 2 and some serious weather forecasts that will impact their summit plans.

To hear this Aconcagua 2008 audio dispatch, just click on the play button. Thanks for listening and following me on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains....

Climb On!

Alan

Alan describes the team's preparation for the summit push from to Camp 2 later tonight.

To hear this Aconcagua 2008 audio dispatch, just click on the play button.Thanks for listening and following Alan on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains....

Climb On!

Alan

Alan reports that the Mountain Professionals team made the summit (22,841') this morning at 11:45 a.m. local time where it is currently very cold and windy. His sat phone battery is low so he will be unable to leave an audio dispatch at this time. Congratulations to the team on a successful summit!

Remember...Memories are Everything

Cathy

Alan describes the team's summit success in extreme high winds and brutally cold temperatures.

To hear this Aconcagua 2008 audio dispatch, just click on the play button. Thanks for listening and following me on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains....

Climb On!

Alan

Wow, what a long strange journey ... since the summit! As I write this, I just cleared security and customs at the Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport after standing in place for over 5 hours. And I mean not moving. It seems that the problem was that 50 people missed their flight the previous day and staged a sit-down to protest. For some reason they were able to completely shut the airport down. My fellow passengers and I stood in mile long lines waiting for a peaceful conclusion to this drama. The local Argentines apologized on behalf of their country - a sincere gesture.

This will be a special climb since...

We all arrived in various states into Mexico City last night and have met Dave at the hotel. We leave in a few hours for Tlachichuca. Mexico City is as smoggy as advertised. Here is a look out my hotel window! I am glad we are leaving for the countryside soon.

Climb On!

This is Alan

Also ....

The following information is a correction to the last dispatch regarding the dates for the fund raising events in California...

Alan will be speaking at several fund raisers for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund (CAF) on March 4th and 5th in the Santa Clara and Palo Alto areas of Northern California.

Thank you...Cathy

Rural Mexico has a lot in common with many other countries I have traveled in to climb mountains - rugged terrane, wide open spaces, dusty roads and poverty. And big smiles, hard workers and friendly faces. We arrived in Tlachichuca an hour after sunset and entered the walled compound of Senior Reyes. He is a surgeon at the local hospital AND runs a climber hostel. The compound was a soap factory for almost 100 years run by his Great and Grandfathers and Father. It is a unique building with a living room next to the old boiler (made in Titusville PA in 1930s) . Upstairs is the bunk room with bunk beds for 50 or more.

To hear this Orizaba 2008 audio dispatch, just click on the play button. Thanks for listening and following Alan on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains....

Climb On!

Alan

To hear this Orizaba 2008 audio dispatch, just click on the play button. Thanks for listening and following Alan on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains....

Climb On!

Alan

To hear this Orizaba 2008 audio dispatch, just click on the play button. Thanks for listening and following Alan on The Road Back to Mt. Everest: Memories are Everything. This is about more than just climbing mountains....

Climb On!

Alan

We are back in Mexico City with some people flying home today. I will catch my flight early tomorrow. We had a nice descent from the summit of Orizaba yesterday. The snow was somewhat packed making it easier than if it had been soft or mushy. That was one benefit of starting so early and avoiding the hot sun of the afternoon. As promised, here are a few pictures of summit day. I will do a complete recap plus posts more pictures next week. Also I will provide the final details of climbing slide show for the Cure Alzheimer's Fund taking place in California and Colorado in March.