Ojos Day 12 - Summit Ojos del Salado - 6893m

The video of the summit:




The photos of the climb:

I like this moment: everyone happy to be there ;)

Freakin' cold

This is why we do it

Magic...

The crater of Ojos del Salado

One step for 4 breaths.... A snail's race. I could never catch up with the guys you see on the photo.

Snail's race 2.

The fixed ropes.

The fixed ropes 2.

Argentinian summit.

Proud Olivier, and rightfully so. 6893m above sea level. A personal record that is difficult to beat.

Fernando and Ides (who looks 10 years older).

Hail Mary...

Fernando personal lucky charm ;)

The descent. Veeeery long.

Ojos Day 11 - campamento Tejos - 5835m

After a good night's sleep, breakfast and at 12:00, departure for Tejos. We walk in shitty and slightly snowy weather. It takes us 3h10 to walk up the 600m of positive altitude difference, walking at a leisure pace and taking our time in pauses. Amazing to see how well we can breathe at this altitude, like a stroll in the Alps!

Fernando collecting water for the evening.

The inside of the Tejos containers-camp. Hard to believe we're at 5835m of altitude...

Ojos Day 10 - campamento Atacama - 5250m

We wake up in a glorious sun. The views of El Muerto are unsurpassable, hence I take a few more shots, with zooms of the saddle.

Even a 10-star hotel doesn't have this view!

The climb happened on the clearly visible slope from left down to right up. We passed left of the visible boulder wall, and engaged into the saddle.

The saddle, seen from another angle.

Atacama camp is the base camp for Ojos del Salado. It is made of a shack full of memorabilia of expeditions, a few spots for placing tents and pit toilets. The funny thing about the toilets is that, by a trick of wind effect, the paper flies up when it blows. The paper from the pit, I mean. So, when busy, you find yourself trying to avoid toilet paper flying from top to bottom to top and delicately brushing you when passing :)

Ojos Day 9 - Rest day campamento El Muerto - 5080m

Today is a well deserved rest day. We have the choice of spending it at the base of El Muerto, or go spend a day in Atacama camp at 5250m. We choose to rest where we are. Reading, drinking coffee, walking a bit around, siesta.... A day with a lot of wind, and clouds. But we are well acclimatized. I sleep like a baby, 8h or more per night. I am reading Mario Vargas Llosa, "comme un poisson dans l'eau", a fascinating account of the life and political campaign of Mario for the Peruvian presidency in 1990, which he lost against Alberto Fujimori.

Ojos Day 8 - El Muerto attempt - 6300m

Today is a big day ahead: 1400m of positive altitude gain, starting from 5080m. We get up at 3:30am, dress up for the cold and try to ingest toasts with Jamon and melted cheese. Beurk! luckily the tea washes the mouthfuls sticking to the back of the throat.

Psychedelic sunrise

The snow is ankle deep at places, and the slopes are sandy and offer poor support

Fernando's legendary latino elegance

Contemplating the task ahead

200 metres below the summit: 6300 meters. Olivier and Fernando reached about 6350 metres.

Here is the highest point attained shown on the map (point B):



Agrandir le plan

And now, the looong descent, during which Olivier has terrible headaches.

The way down passes through knee-deep snow patches.

Ojos del Salado, in its worrying grandeur.

El Muerto.

Nevado de Tres Cruces in the background, and Vigunas and Barrancas Blancas on the right.

Homomorphic lava boulders. This one looks like a Moai from Easter Island.

A well deserved rest... with odoriferous feet!

Ojos Day 7 - Campamento El Muerto - 5080m

Time to leave the Laguna Verde. Serious things are to begin: if all goes according to plan, we will not descend below 5000m in the next 6 days, and climb two big 6000m.

The target in its glory. Impressive.

The base camp of El Muerto is located at the base of El Muerto, not very far (5km) from the base camp of Ojos del Salado. It takes about 1h to reach the Muerto base camp from the Laguna Verde.

Our faithful vehicle, riding cool above 5000m. Ojos del Salado in the background.

The proof.

Grrrrrrrrr...

Cold. Biting sun. Lack of oxygen. What else?

Even on glorious enterprises, you do not escape from mundane tasks.

A lot of nothing. The rocks are solidified lava blocks from an El Muerto eruption.

The map (A is the camp):




Agrandir le plan
The camp is located S27.0406, W68.52623.

Ojos Day 6 - Laguna Verde - 4350m

Today is rest day. Much needed. I cannot grow tired of the Laguna, so here are more shots :)