(Videos at bottom of page)
Surrounded by blowing clouds and the deep deep blue of the high altitude sky, the three of us took a few more excited breaths. With just one more right turn around some loose scree and medium sized rocks, we came into view of our goal: South America's summit. The clock had just reached 5pm, signaling the 10th hour since starting at our ~19,200' high camp earlier that morning. Full of great enthusiasim and pride, the three members of the AF team hugged and then unfolded the Air Force flag atop the nearly 23,000ft Mt. Aconcagua. Success!!
It had been an amazing two weeks leading up to that moment. From the beginning of the journey, there was much talk about the bad weather, with many claiming the '06/'07 season the worst in 20 years. As we worked upward through the Andes with our unaffilated group of international climbers, stories of mishaps, bad luck, destoryed tents, and even deaths filtered down from the stormy peaks above. It was far from what we were hoping to hear, but we pressed on, determined that we'd give it 100% and the rest would take care of itself. Luckily for team USAF 7 Summits it did!
On the 27th of Feb, the three members of the team hit the trail at 0700, quickly dealing with wind chills reaching -40F, but blessed to have clear skies and good health! Right away other climbers in our expedition were getting delayed due to personal issues, so we helped to encourage and lead them, always keeping the timeline in mind. As the day progessed, we encountered numerous delays as climbers would slow and stop due to the effect of the altitude, cold temperatures, and lack of energy. As for the AF team members, we were all feeling well, but worried the delays might eliminate our ability to reach the summit in time. At a critical juncture, once it was assured the other climbers could all safely descend with the help of guides, we were given the green light by our lead guide to seperate from the large group of exhausted climbers and press for the summit. We were sad to see our friends turn around, but knew it was the only safe option for them (you will make it next time!). The last 1500ft were steep and rocky, but good training, mutual support, and that deep inner drive pushed all three to the top! After 30 minutes of photos, flag flying, pushups, and even a few minutes of kite flying (no kidding), we decended down, reaching camp two hours later. It was a fantastic journey!!
We dedicate this great event to all the men and women serving the nation as members of the US Air Force and to the familes that have lost someone in the line of duty. We're proud and honored to be part of the USAF and to climb on its behalf!!
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The Team on Top of the Summit of S. America!
Knocking out 50+ Pushups at nearly 23,000' for SOWF Charity
View from Cerro Bonnete, part of an aclimatization climb
