Here I am in Mendoza, and I am finally ready for climbing the mountain, one of the principle motivations for the trip.
I've been here since the 25th of Jan, and in that time have had two trips out into the mountains camping to get my body and my mind ready for the final trip out to go after the goal of climbing Aconcagua.
The mountains are so beautiful here- so raw and sharp and relatively new. There is no thrill like riding the motor bike out into the hills that surely grow into snow and glacier capped mountains of the most awesome proportion. A real joy for me is the very evident change in climate that I can experience in the course of just one day: from the high alpine regions where the only plants are lichens and the temperatures are generally below freezing, to the high desert plane, filled with all manner of birds, insects, cacti and sage-brush like plants.
The scent of a campfire made with the left behind dead bones of the plants out in the desert is like no other aroma, and the beauty of the first flowers that one sees when coming down a mountain, peaking through the snow sometimes, is really great.
I've been enjoying drinking some pure, clean, fresh-ice-melt water off of glaciers. I've been through the trial of acclimatizing to the high altitude, though this time I took it relatively slow and did not suffer too much.
Mendoza is a nice civilized town, with lots of wine, nice pedestrian-friendly town center, and a fine old cathedral(which is only open in the morning and the evening during the week). I am enjoying being in town to strengthen up before the climb, but I am discouraged and tired by the mundane lives that I see most people living- and equally troubled by those who are just out touring or adventuring, with no higher apparent purpose. Its a riddle of contentment.
In answer to what I do for protection at night- now I am in the city, staying in a hostel, but out in the bush, I have a pretty good camp set-up. I guess that when I get up on the mountain, especially higher up, more than 4500 meters, I will use a stronger tent that I can rent here in town.
mine is the not-so-bright yellow tent kind of by itself to the left in the picture. This is camp "Salto de Agua" in the Cordon de Plata.
Love to all,
Trale
