From Tom:
http://tomstravelpictures.shutterfly.com/112
Instructions: There is a link for slideshow in the column on the right hand side.
From Eric:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/gallery/creativeapps/slideShow/Main.jsp?token=546807589112:207470308
Instructions: Click the "play" icon at the bottom of the screen.
(To open in a new tab/window, right click the hyperlink and select open in new tab or new window).
Monday, February 15, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Return to NY
Paul and I safely made it back to NY yesterday. We've been doing a lot of catch up with stories of our trips and trying to regain some sense of normalcy. We are attempting to settle back into our typical routine and hopefully that will happen within a day or two.
For now, there are no exciting plans on the horizon...but I will blog about the other non-exciting things when they happen. In the immediate future that means grocery shopping, laundry, and going back to work....borrrrriinnnngggg!!!
For now, there are no exciting plans on the horizon...but I will blog about the other non-exciting things when they happen. In the immediate future that means grocery shopping, laundry, and going back to work....borrrrriinnnngggg!!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Back to the City
The tres were able to get a car to take them back to Mendoza a day early. They hiked the rest of the way out this morning and enjoyed a car ride back to the city. The hotel they had reservations for Friday night was booked tonight (Thurs) but the people there were kind enough to make some calls to find them a room somewhere else. Once there, the tres found it to be a nicer hotel, so they decided to cancel the other hotel and stay at this place tonight and tomorrow night.
They cleaned up and were heading to dinner after Paul and I got off the phone. They were going to take it easy tonight, get some rest, and plan on sleeping in tomorrow. They'll probably explore the city a little bit, shop for some souvenirs, and get some stuff packed up for their return trip on Saturday. : )
They cleaned up and were heading to dinner after Paul and I got off the phone. They were going to take it easy tonight, get some rest, and plan on sleeping in tomorrow. They'll probably explore the city a little bit, shop for some souvenirs, and get some stuff packed up for their return trip on Saturday. : )
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Confluencia Again
SPOT OK message was received at 6:20pm AT indicating they made it back to Confluencia. They have a short hike out tomorrow to get to Puente del Inca and then to Los Puquios where they will hopefully be able to get transportation back into Mendoza. If not, their mule service (located in Los Puquios) has a campground there they can use.
Weather in Mendoza is toasty. The tres will be in for a shock when they get into the city in 87-95 degree heat! They will spend some time in the city and will head home Saturday night, arriving in Syracuse on Sunday morning.
Weather in Mendoza is toasty. The tres will be in for a shock when they get into the city in 87-95 degree heat! They will spend some time in the city and will head home Saturday night, arriving in Syracuse on Sunday morning.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Partial Summit Success
I spoke with Paul a little while ago and while he and Eric made the summit, unfortunately Tom did not. :( Sounds like he was suffering from Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) and had to turn back shortly after leaving Camp 3. That was definitely disappointing news.
They will spend the night at Plaza de Mulas tonight to try to get some much needed rest. They will hike to Confluencia tomorrow and out to Puente del Inca Thursday. This does depend on if they can get transportation into the city. The original plan didn't have them coming out until Friday. Hopefully they can find out from the mule service at base camp if a car can be ready for them. If for some reason they wind up spending an extra night at base camp, Paul said he'd let me know.
After we got off the phone they went to the webcam to let us get a few photos.
Here they are:
They will spend the night at Plaza de Mulas tonight to try to get some much needed rest. They will hike to Confluencia tomorrow and out to Puente del Inca Thursday. This does depend on if they can get transportation into the city. The original plan didn't have them coming out until Friday. Hopefully they can find out from the mule service at base camp if a car can be ready for them. If for some reason they wind up spending an extra night at base camp, Paul said he'd let me know.
After we got off the phone they went to the webcam to let us get a few photos.
Here they are:
Monday, February 1, 2010
Back at Camp 3
Just received a SPOT OK message from back at Camp 3. The message came in at 12:55pm AT. So, what we know is that they are back at White Rocks. What we don't know is if they made the summit. Unfortunately, we have no SPOT tracks to follow and won't know who made the summit until I get a phone call from base camp hopefully tomorrow.
If I get any additional information, I will post an update.
If I get any additional information, I will post an update.
On the Move
They are on the move, summit bound!
The SPOT page was down for nearly an hour but it finally came back up. The first track came in at 4:43am AT....all we can do now is watch!
UPDATE: 6:22am AT...
I've received three SPOT messages so far. The last one was received about 5am AT. It hasn't updated since. It's possible SPOT is no longer working. There could be several reasons:
1. Batteries died.
2. It's too cold.
3. The altitude is affecting it.
4. It's not getting a good signal (may have shifted on the pack).
5. There may still be a problem with the shared page updating.
I will continue to monitor the page. Unfortunately, we may not be able to follow the rest of their journey to the summit. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it may update later. Sometimes this happens. Let's hope that's the case!
The SPOT page was down for nearly an hour but it finally came back up. The first track came in at 4:43am AT....all we can do now is watch!
UPDATE: 6:22am AT...
I've received three SPOT messages so far. The last one was received about 5am AT. It hasn't updated since. It's possible SPOT is no longer working. There could be several reasons:
1. Batteries died.
2. It's too cold.
3. The altitude is affecting it.
4. It's not getting a good signal (may have shifted on the pack).
5. There may still be a problem with the shared page updating.
I will continue to monitor the page. Unfortunately, we may not be able to follow the rest of their journey to the summit. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it may update later. Sometimes this happens. Let's hope that's the case!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
The Summit Push
It's time! After being on the mountain for 9 days, the time has finally come to make an attempt on the summit of The Stone Sentinel at 22,841 feet.
They will get an alpine start, but I can't say exactly what time they will leave Camp 3. I'm assuming it will be somewhere between 2-3am AT. This may depend on several factors, but that was the plan when they left the US.
Weather looks favorable:
Description:
Summit:
Summit marker:
Image courtesy of Panoramio.com
Stay close to the blog for updates! : ) This is it, people!
They will get an alpine start, but I can't say exactly what time they will leave Camp 3. I'm assuming it will be somewhere between 2-3am AT. This may depend on several factors, but that was the plan when they left the US.
Weather looks favorable:
Description:
Summit:
Summit marker:
Image courtesy of Panoramio.com
Stay close to the blog for updates! : ) This is it, people!
Day 9
The tres moved up to White Rocks (Camp 3) at 19,882 feet at 2:30pm AT. This will be a temporary home for them today, as they plan to leave for the summit in the middle of the night tonight. For now, it's important for them to eat and rest as much as possible before they leave for what's one of their hardest days of climbing since they arrived at base camp.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Camp 3
The tres made it up to the higher camp of White Rocks at 19,882 and left their cache there. They just made it back to Nido at 1:53pm AT. They must be feeling good if they were able to make the higher camp. This will make their summit day slightly shorter. : )
Day 8
Today the plan is to make a cache to either Berlin at 19,455 feet or slightly higher White Rocks at 19,882 feet. Whichever place they choose will act as Camp 3, their last high camp before the summit. The continued plan will be to move to Camp 3 tomorrow (Sunday) morning, rest, then get an alpine start for their summit push. Odds are they'll start out between 2-3am AT.
They are currently on track for their cache, but I won't know which camp they choose for a little while. I at least wanted to get a quick post out since I'll be out of town for the day. If I get a SPOT OK message before I leave, I'll be sure to post to let you know which camp they chose.
They are currently on track for their cache, but I won't know which camp they choose for a little while. I at least wanted to get a quick post out since I'll be out of town for the day. If I get a SPOT OK message before I leave, I'll be sure to post to let you know which camp they chose.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Day 7
The tres moved up to Nido de Condores (Camp 2) at 18,241 feet today. They sent a SPOT OK message at 12:40 AT indicating they were done for the day. More rest this afternoon and preparation for making a cache to either Berlin or White Rocks tomorrow. : )
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Day 6
Today the plan is to make a cache to Nido de Condores--Camp 2 (Condor's Nest) at 18,241 feet. They will bring food and gear up and secure it there, then come back down and stay at Camp Canada tonight.
By looking at their SPOT track and comparing it to my maps and waypoint data, it looks like they made it to Nido and are currently on their way back down. And actually, just now (12:45 AT) I received a SPOT OK message confirming they are back to Camp Canada. They'll spend the remainder of today resting and preparing to move up to Nido tomorrow.
By looking at their SPOT track and comparing it to my maps and waypoint data, it looks like they made it to Nido and are currently on their way back down. And actually, just now (12:45 AT) I received a SPOT OK message confirming they are back to Camp Canada. They'll spend the remainder of today resting and preparing to move up to Nido tomorrow.
Day 5, Part 2
The tres moved up to Camp Canada (Camp 1) at 16,568 feet today. Attached is a copy of their track.
: )
: )
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Day 5
Paul, Tom, and Eric will be moving up to Camp Canada today (Wednesday). They haven't been using the tracking feature on SPOT because they've been trying to conserve batteries. I asked Paul to begin tracking as they move up the mountain so we can see their route better. I will be out of town most of the day, but will update the blog later tonight with their track.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Cache 1 Complete
I spoke with Paul from base camp a few minutes ago. They successfully made their cache to Camp 1 and returned back to base camp. So far they are doing fine, with only minor headaches. Morale seems to be good. They will move to Camp 1 tomorrow and continue with their push toward the summit.
My time on the phone went by so quickly and there was a lengthy delay, so it was a little tricky to talk. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask him several things. I wanted to ask him to go find the webcam and stand in front of it for a few minutes so I could get some pictures of him.
It was strange then, when I sat down at the computer after our conversation and by chance I checked the webcam. The person in the screen looked like Tom! I couldn't be sure because it was a side view shot. I refreshed the page and captured this image--which looks like Tom and Paul on the extreme right side of the shot. When I talk to him from base camp on their way down, I'll be sure to tell him to go back to the camera to take a few photos AND to stand closer so we can tell it's them! : )
My time on the phone went by so quickly and there was a lengthy delay, so it was a little tricky to talk. Unfortunately, I forgot to ask him several things. I wanted to ask him to go find the webcam and stand in front of it for a few minutes so I could get some pictures of him.
It was strange then, when I sat down at the computer after our conversation and by chance I checked the webcam. The person in the screen looked like Tom! I couldn't be sure because it was a side view shot. I refreshed the page and captured this image--which looks like Tom and Paul on the extreme right side of the shot. When I talk to him from base camp on their way down, I'll be sure to tell him to go back to the camera to take a few photos AND to stand closer so we can tell it's them! : )
Day 4
Today the tres' plan was to hike up to Camp Canada (Camp 1) and drop a cache of food and gear. They will leave it there and hike back down to base camp. This is what's called the Climb High, Sleep Low philosophy. It helps climbers acclimatize to altitude more efficiently.
I haven't received a SPOT message from them yet, but I expect I will get one soon. I will post back later today.
I haven't received a SPOT message from them yet, but I expect I will get one soon. I will post back later today.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Day 3
The tres sent a SPOT message at 11:03 AT indicating they made it to base camp (Plaza de Mulas) at 14,272 feet. They did send another SPOT message at 3:14 AT indicating they are staying put for the day which is exactly what we expected. Hopefully I'll be able to talk to Paul sometime either today or tomorrow to see how things are going. : )
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Day 2
Received a SPOT message from the tres (three) today at 4:50 AT. They made it to Piedra Ibanez at 12,434 feet. They will camp there tonight and move to Plaza de Mulas tomorrow.
