Milestone 4 Details
Milestone 4. Into Thin Air - The ascent to Nido de Condores.
Congratulations on reaching Plaza de Mulas! You are now officially leaving behind the realm of trekking and entering the world of mountaineering. Above basecamp, the terrain changes radically: you are now covering minimal distances but very steep terrain with heavy loads. Your next task is to reach Camp Nido de Condores at 18,251ft above sea level, which requires an ascent of 3,970 ft.
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EXTRA INFO ON MILESTONE #4
Nido de Condores (“The Nest of the Condor”) traditionally serves as Camp II on Aconcagua’s upper mountain, meaning that most climbers don’t proceed straight to Nido but instead establish a Camp I lower down in a spot called Camp Canada. That said, Nido is a much more welcoming (meaning: flat & protected) and scenic spot than Camp Canada. And if you’re lucky, you might in fact spot one of the Andean Condors that Nido is named for — which is a rare occurrence, and a sight to behold. Andean Condors can reach a wingspan of more than 10ft and weigh up to 30lbs. They are the largest flying bird in the world, and getting to see them soar up high on Aconcagua is a rare and special treat.
Bonus challenge: Cover the 3,970 ft of ascent twice, for a total of 7,940ft. Why? Most climbers need between 70-80lbs of gear (for clothing, food and camping equipment) to climb Aconcagua. Since there are no mules above basecamp, the traditional method of moving all that cargo up the mountain is to divide the weight into two loads and do two trips in between camps on consecutive days. This doesn’t just help keep the weight manageable, it also aids acclimatization as expedition climbers return to and sleep at their lower camp after the first carry. This also means, though, that each climber is essentially climbing most of the mountain twice. (Note: Completing this bonus ascent should not be reported in your results but photos should definitely be posted in our Facebook group for kudos!)
EXTRA Bonus challenge: Do all of the above while carrying 4 gallons of water (or 34lbs), to embrace the actual pack weight that climbers are dealing with on Aconcagua!
*Sunny's story about Nido: By now, I have spent several weeks of my life at Nido de Condores - not just while guiding teams for AWExpeditions, but also during preparations for my speed records where I would spend a week or more doing nothing at Nido, simply to aid my acclimatization. Nido is at 18,251ft above sea level, and everything feels hard here: Putting your boots on feels hard. Walking feels hard. Eating feels hard. Peeing feels hard. Sleeping feels hard. It is amazing to observe though how our bodies and minds adapt, and how quickly we can accept new baselines for difficulty and discomfort. It is here at Nido where I have learned a lot about what I’m made of and how far I can push myself. By the way - when I set the women’s speed record on the Normal Route, it took me just under three hours to ascend from Plaza de Mulas all the way to Nido de Condores.
