Adventures of 2017

Adventures of 2017

Let's see. Where do I begin? This is the year of several firsts, and many ambitious back-to-backs on red-eye flights and long distance buses, maximising all hours. Could not have experienced all these without the generosity and support of so many of you (spot yourselves in one or more adventures 😉). Grateful for the opportunities.

• January kicked off with my favourite HK100 race, and three days later I was in Argentina. Glad the Aconcagua summit did not evade me this third time. 🙏 • February saw me attempting the TransGrancanaria 125km in the Spanish Canary island, and my first DNF of the year. 🤦‍♀️ • March offered a hiking through the Big Bend national park in Texas, soaking in the vastness of the land and being so so close to the Mexican border. Plus a weekender to Quebec and Montreal to catch the Hotel de Glacé (ice hotel). Discovering my name on #27 of the new Ultra-Trail World Ranking was a surprise bonus perk-me-up! • April was a crazy month, presenting my second 100-miler at Zion100 - a breathtaking scenic meandering through the canyons just outside the Zion national park. A week later, it was The Boston Marathon, my very first! Followed by bucket-list Peru to gasp in wonder at the Machu Picchu ruins and trekking up the amazing Rainbow mountain. • Then Melvin came over to NYC in May where we went snow-shoeing in Colorado, and ran the TNF NY Bear Mountains - got my second DNF of the year. 😂 Graduated from my Masters programme with my family in attendance, and finally home-sweet-home to SGP. 😍
 
• June was the Muar Camel Run 22km, finished 9th place with loads of otah. Then a Krabi chill rock-climbing weekend. • July had the MSIG SG 50km, which was cut short by a thunderstorm, followed by a Malacca weekend drive. • August's poison was my first Craze Ultra 100km, where longans and coconut juice got me to 2nd place. Two weeks later was my first ever win at any event - the GreenRace 60km. • September squeezed in a recee training at Mt Kinabalu, a feeble attempt to "dash" up the mountain. A week later, it was off to Sapa for the Vietnam Mountain Marathon 100km. • Early October was my third Chicago marathon, good to be back in the Windy City. Followed by my first Mt Kinabalu Climbathon - glad I survived it. Loving the high altitude events. • November was relatively low-key, with only the Swissotel Vertical Climbathon, over in like 11min and finished 4th. So I basically chilled for almost two months, which felt like an eternity. • Glad to end December with a local favourite MR Ultra. Soaked up the camaraderie in my favouritest playground, had loads of fun, ran my eight loops with the support of several people, and closed 2017 with a 3rd placing.

Amidst all of this, read a tonne of books and journals and articles, juiced a couple of brain cells, wrote a stack of papers and assignments, organised a conference, completed my studies, re-adapted to work and picked up new skills, and connected with many new faces in our running community.

May 2018 be another year of exciting opportunities and adventures. Looking forward!

Adventures 2016

2016 has been a good year for races and adventures. Run more, climb more, go further. I am thankful for the many highlights and new experiences. With each step, I learn something more about myself and my limits. Below is a quick recap of my race/ events this year, so many memorable ones. If I had to choose..... it would be my Denali expedition and UTMB race, and signing off 2016 with an ultra-marathon of a lifetime. :) May 2017 be a similar year of growth, good health and adventures. Happy new year!

HK 20th Anniversary Marathon (42km) (17 Jan 2016)
The 20th anniversary of the HK Marathon. We were lucky to register two slots (fast fingers) and run the race together. It was a wet and cold run on race day, and we saw some runners turn around and did not even start the race. 3:57h.
 
HK100 (23 - 24 Jan 2016)
Still my favourite-st 100km race, simply because the HK100 was my maiden 100km undertaking in 2012. The 2016 event saw a freak hail/ice-storm in HK that iced up the last section on Tai Mo Shan, where we slid and skidded our way down the last 5km. A most eventful race. 24:41h. (Race blog)

Marin Ultra (80km) (12 Mar 2016) 
Marin County across San Francisco, where one gets a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean from the trails. Alas, it was raining the entire day, which brought the temperature a few notches down from the stated 12C. Wet, windy, foggy, chilly. 13:21h.

TNF Washington DC (80km) (9 Apr 2016)
This was a flat course through the Algonkian Park, DC, so I thought my timing should be pretty decent. Alas, it was a wet and cold day. The trails became all muddy and we sloshed our way through the slippery gooey stuff. The race took us along the Potomac River and past the scenic Great Falls, which made the run worthwhile. 12:25h.

TNF New York Bear Mountains (80km) (May 2016)
The Bear Mts course was one of the tougher ones in the TNF Endurance series, with fairly technical climbs and descents and a tight cut-off. I almost did not make it, being the last runner through one of the checkpoints before it was closed. Whew! Finish it, I must! It was also my first time in a technical trail race without using my trekking poles, and I definitely felt it in my knees post-race. 13:27h. (Race blog)

Mt. Denali (6,190m) (14 May - 7 Jun 2016)
One of the highlights in 2016 was definitely my expedition to Mt Denali, the highest peak in N.America (6,190m). It was an experience of a lifetime, I had never had so much snow and ice before. We landed directly on the glacier in full climbing gear, and I had my first trial at sledding my equipment across the snow fields. My 25 days of arctic survival included getting hemmed in by fierce winds and snow and forced to count days slipping by and our summit window narrowing, a 16h summit attempt followed by long descents towards basecamp through the 'night' (for the sun does not really set in summer), and then being stuck at basecamp because the glacier planes could not fly in. Few Singaporeans have climbed this mountain... precious memories.

MR Marathon (42km) (12 June 2016)
Back from NYC in time to run the MR marathon. Alas, cramps set in on the 3rd loop and my placing dropped from 5th to 9th. But it was good fun to be reacquainted with my favourite playground and fellow trail runners. :) 5:00h

TNF Lavaredo, Italy (119km) (24 - 26 June 2016)
119km in the gorgeous Dolomites mountain range & valleys, north-eastern Italy. Total elevation 5,850m. Cutoff time 30h. It was my first attempt at a distance over 100km, and it felt a lot more like a trekking trip than run with all the climbs, river crossings, and some technical descents. The scenery was breath-taking and some climbs fairly brutal. It was also my first time running close to 30h. I remember crossing the finishing line and wondering why I signed up for the upcoming UTMB... Eeeks! 29:33h.

TNF Ontario, Canada (50km) (16 July 2016)
TNF Ontario set in the lovely Blue Mountain Village, a quaint ski town resort area north of Toronto. My most blur race ever. (1) Misread the race elevation profile - change of 3,640m and thought it was gain. Mentally psyched to climb and wondered why we were not at the peak of some hills. (2) Confused by the loops and aid stations and thought I had 10km more to go. So convinced that I missed a turn somewhere, I was prepared to DQ and skip the finisher medal as I crossed the finish line. Then realised that I had misread the aid station distances all along - read the 50mi instead of 50k markers. Ah ha! Oh well, the slight DNF panic during the race made me run... It ended well. 6:56h. 

Laugavegur Trek, Iceland (55km; 2 days) (Aug 2016)
Attempted a solo trek on the famous Laugavegur trekking trail in Iceland. A typical trip would take took 3 - 4 days, and I compressed it within 2 days. It is also the same trail route for the Laugavegur ultra-marathon, so I figured that a fast hiker should be able to cover that distance in 2 days in good timing. I was also lucky to have long summer days up to 9pm, which allowed me to cover more distance each day. I There were four river crossings in fast flowing freezing waters which numbed my toes and threatened to sweep me off sideways. In return, I was rewarded with vast endless nature and beauty which no photos could do justice to. Hearts.

Reykjavik Marathon, Iceland (42km) (20 Aug 2016)
Reykjavik Marathon (20 Aug 2016). After a week of drizzles, the weather cleared up to a nice 13 - 17C, with sunshine along the way. Flag off 8:40am, self-seeded time zones. Icelanders were out in running vests and shorts, soaking in the sun. This is a fairly popular race with Europeans, Canadians and Americans, and I also heard some Cantonese and Mandarin. Pretty strong runners, many were chatting while yours truly was trying to keep pace. The 21km and 42km started together, and split off at 18km. It was relatively packed for the first 5km (though not sardine packed like in other major marathons), and then spaced out after the split. I was happily following the pacers' balloons until they went off with the 21km. Oh well...

The course was largely along the Reykjavik coastline with some gentle rolling slopes and bridges, and a teeny weeny bit of dirt track. We were treated to expansive views of blue waters that touched the blue skies, Mt Esja (highest peak in Reykjavik 914m), the Grotto lighthouse (where wildlife resides), and even a mini "waterfall" feature. I ran alongside an elderly gentleman wearing a "Everest Marathon" vest, who kindly shouted out for me to run on the inner lane; "it's shorter", he said. At the 41km point, he got caught in a random fishing string on the ground and took a slight tumble, but then caught up and overtook me. Inspiration! All in, one toilet break, two Gu gels, three refills of bottle, and a 3:47h time. No BQ, no PB but heaps of blue skies and fresh air.

UTMB, Mont Blanc (170km) (26 - 28 Aug 2016)
THE trail race of the year, 10 year in the making. 170km, 10,000m elevation. From clocking qualifying points from races just to get a chance to ballot for UMTB, to lead-up training races, toeing the start line, experiencing sleep deprivation and hallucination, receiving generous cheers and support from friends, to finally crossing that finishing line.... it was a dream come true. An epic race and experience, difficult to repeat. 44:11h, and maybe the 2nd SGP female finisher. Gasp! (Race blog)

Chicago Marathon (42km) (9 Oct 2016)
Last year, I clocked my PB and BQ timing at Chicago. This year, I decided to run it again to see how I would fare. Chicago is known for its flat and fast timing. The race did not disappoint. I managed to clock a BQ of 3:42h, just 3min within the timing for my age-group. Hopefully this timing will get accepted at Boston 2018. Fingers crossed.

Philly Marathon (42km) (20 Nov 2016)
My second time at the Philadelphia marathon. It was a super windy race day, with wind chill bringing down the temperatures to 0C. At times, there was helpful tail wind, but for most parts, the wind was just blasting in our faces and swirling up leaves and twigs on the ground. 3:48h. 

MR Ultra (12h cut-off) (18 Dec 2016)
Again, I got back to Singapore just in time for the MR Ultra, my final race for the year. It was a nice cool day because of the overnight rain and cloudy skies. I stayed conservative and tried not to over-push so that I would not get cramps. The race went well and I was in the 1st - 2nd lead, until I did a superman spectacular flat-face fall near the Jelutong Tower and suffered a deep cut (two stitches) above my eyebrow. The first-aid and subsequent medical checks cost me a good amount of time and I was lucky to be able to regain a steady pace on the next few loops. Managed a 3rd place with 8 loops (80km) in 11:36h.

Elbrus, the Climb (26 Jul - 7 Aug 2014)

It was an expedition that went fortuitously well. I had awesome weather where the rain missed us on a daily basis; an experienced guide, Gennady, who set a steady deliberate pace; and wonderful team-mates who were as gregarious as they were generous.


Elbrus, the Climb

A chance encounter with the team
To climb Elbrus on a whim
The stairwells our permanent playground
Up and up, step by step, round and round

Off we trooped with big duffels
A motley crew of seven
Laughter aplenty, no ruffles
Blessed with weather from heaven

Lovely Terskol we did our drills
Hikes through valleys and the hills
Ski-lift whisked to Barrels Hut
A quaint base camp to calm our hearts

Above the clouds and powdery snow
Majestic Caucasus and starry nights
Climb high, sleep low
The West Peak always in sight

“No porridge, no summit”
Declared Maria our matronly cook
“Keep my pace, wear your mitts!”
Barked our guide Gennady with a commanding look

Six-and-a-half hours we plodded on
Mental devils we fought to con
Up the traverse, down the saddle
At last, beaming in the summit cradle


~ PS, 7 Aug 2014
(summit 2 Aug 2014)

Exploring new trails

We managed to move into our new place on new year's eve and I just adore its location. I love it that I can just step out of the house and in 1:50min hit the trails. :) I love how the air is so fresh, and the surroundings so tranquil (I'm not one for noise and crowds). I explored the trails over a few weekends and loving it!

The trail from BT to MR is supposedly 10.9km one way. So a round trip would be about 22km. What I would do it run to MR, do a complete loop, and run home. I seemed to take forever for that distance! I averaged 2:45h, throw in a couple of toilet or water breaks and we are looking at a 3h run each time. Am I that slow? Once I attempted two loops in MR before heading home. It took me close to 4h!

There is another loop about 10+km which I do. It goes along the mountain bike trail at Dairy Farm, pitstop at the visitor centre toilet, cross to Zhenghua park, and back along Rifle Range Road. That takes me about 1:20h.

Then there is the usual tarmac road loop, which is about 1:20h too, but easier and longer. It should be about 12-13km.

I have also started to do lunges, push-ups and dips after each run. Hopefully they make me stronger to tackle the trails! 

Nepal EBC Trek

I managed to convince a couple of friends to go on an Everest Base Camp and Kala Patthar trek with me over the Dec hols. I had been there about ten years ago, and I had unfinished business to complete. There were five of us and we decided to maximise the time we have in Nepal and chose to skip the annual Singapore marathon. We flew off that morning as many of our running friends were chugging their lungs out. I was very much looking forward to the trip, it had been many long and stressful weeks leading up to this.

A trek to EBC and Kala Pattar takes minimally 12 days. Throw in a buffer day for the weather, and another 2 days to fly in and out of Nepal, and we are looking at a 15-day (minimal) itinerary:

4 – 18 Dec 2011  ITINERARY:

4-Dec: Day 1 – Arrive in Kathmandu

5-Dec: Day 2 – Fly to Lukla (2800m) , Trek to Phakding (2650m)

Day 3 – Phakding to Namche Bazaar (3400m)

Day 4 – Namche Bazaar rest day, short acclimatisation hike

Day 5 – Namche Bazaar to Tyangboche (3900m) and Deboche (3700m)

Day 6 – Deboche to Dingboche (4200m)

Day 7 – Dingboche rest day, short acclimatisation hike

Day 8 – Dingboche to Lobuche (4900m)

Day 9 – Lobuche to Gorakshep (5150m), then Everest Base Camp (5350m) after lunch

Day 10 – Gorakshep to Kala Patthar (5550m, highest point), descend to Periche (4280m)

Day 11 – Periche to Namche Bazaar

Day 12 – Namche Bazaar to Lukla

Day 13 – Spare day (for flight delays or extra rest day)

17-Dec: Day 14 – Lukla fly to Kathmandu

18-Dec: Day 15 – Depart Kathmandu

This itinerary allowed for proper acclimatisation, but our descent was a bit of a rush. We actually got to Lukla by Day 12, but could not get onto a flight out to Kathmandu. For those 'proven' above 5,000m, you could potentially remove the rest day at Namche. Some people chose to climb Kala Patthar after lunch in Gorakshep on Day 9 and trek to EBC in the morning of Day 10 instead.

We were very lucky in that we could fly out to Lukla right on schedule. Flight delays between Kathmandu and Lukla are very common because of the fog. When a small window of clear weather opened up, all the airlines scrambled to send flights out on the 35 - 45min flight. The flight is memorable for first-time visitors to the Everest region, the aircraft is a dodgy-looking propeller plane, squashed and tiny. But don't worry, the pilots are amongst the most experienced in the world, simply because the Lukla landing strip is such a short one, any miscue and one would overshoot into the mountains or off the cliff. :) The runway is deliberately sloped so that the planes make use of gravity to brake or takeoff. (Tip: If you are flying from Kathmandu to Lukla, sit on the left hand side of the aircraft so that you can see the mountain range as you approach Lukla. On the return, sit on the right hand side.)

In the initial days, we were greeted with lush greenery, endless suspension bridges over rapid rivers (shudders to think how cold the water would be) and many stupas and prayer wheels. Nepalis walk around those objects of blessings in a clockwise manner. We were on a teahouse trek (ie. staying in the lodges rather than outdoor tents). On our first day's trek to Phakding, our porter overshot the lodge and almost reached Namche. He had my and WH's duffels and had all of us worried when it was nearing sunset and our things were nowhere to be seen. Our assistant guide and another porter went back down towards Lukla to look for him, while our guide went upwards towards Namche. Someone finally found him and it was a huge relief when he showed up with our duffels. 

The food in the teahouses was generally the same. One could get the usual dal baht (rice with veg and lentil soup), fried rice/ noodles, momos (like gyozas) toast (if there was bread), eggs, pizzas and chicken or yak steak if there was meat. The menu was the same over 12 days, the only difference being the prices in the right hand column. Things got more expensive as we trekked higher, since everything had to be manually transported from Kathmandu to Lukla to wherever the destination was. It was amazing to see teenage boys carrying supplies up the mountainous trails, their steady cadence and assured footsteps putting us to shame. I saw one boy who had 2 boxes of Pepsi on his back, each containing 9 x 1.5L bottle, amongst many other things. The Pepsi alone weighed close to 30kg. On the average, each porter carried 50 - 60kg of duffels (approx 2-3 bags), and easily outwalked anyone of us.

Anyway, back to the food. After a few days of staring at the same menu, we ran out of options and appetite. The comfort food we brought from home offered much relief. Ikan billis, preserved olive veg (the kind that goes with porridge), green chilli (no sambal in case the stomach churned in high altitude), Japanese sesame seasoning flakes, preserved bean curd, and lots of savoury chips and nuts. Bah kwa would have been nice but we forgot to pack it in. Oops.

We trekked through awesome scenery and up-close views of famous mountains like Ama Dablam, Chola East, Lobuche, and of course Everest. At one teahouse, my window had a perfect view of Ama Dablam (I called it my ice-cream cone because it was shaped like a semi-licked Mac cone!). We got to Gorakshep in the afternoon and decided not to attempt the Kala Pattar summit in case we did not have enough time. We opted to trek to the Everest Base Camp instead. Our guy gave us a turn-around cutoff time of 3pm so that we had enough sunlight to get back to the tea house. It was a mad dash, literally! But we made it the base camp in about 2h, a lot less time than usual. So I finally saw what EBC was like. That was the closest that I had gotten to Everest. *dream...*

The next morning, we set off for Kala Pattar at 430am. Kala Pattar meant "Black Rock", so there it was, a rocky peak at about 5,500m. There was enough moonlight but it was cold. I wore my down jacket and shell. Not as windy or brutal as Aconcagua, but still enough to numb my toes. We got to the summit just slightly after day break. The last stretch to the peak required some scrambling, and it was only a small area to house so many trekkers. Unfortunately, we missed the snow on our trip. Typically, the EBC would have been all white and snowed under. One would have witnessed snow from Tyangboche or Dingboche. But that year, it was zilch. EBC was exposed rocks, brown and grey throughout. Kala Pattar was similarly drab. :(  Perhaps that was why the weather was so chilly, the cold before the snow.

The summit day was a very long-drawn day. After descending to Gorakshep and getting some lunch, we rushed downwards to Periche. We arrived there close to 5pm, a full 12h cycle since we started off in the wee morning. One of my friends enquired about horse riding the rest of the way, and it was a whooping USD300! So we walked on and took about another 2 days to trek out to Lukla. However, there was a backlog of flight delay and stuck passengers who were waiting to fly out. So we had to stay an extra night and could only fly out to Kathmandu 2 days after reaching Lukla.

It was a very fun trip, especially when the company is good. You learn a lot of things about one another that you don't get a glimpse of in urban fast-paced Singapore. I was pleased that we ended the trip with more converts and fans of the mountains, and we started to dream of our next destination. Ahhh, put me in the moutnains any day! :)

You can view our trip photos online. 

An Adventurous 2010

One week into 2011 and I am trying to recall the highlights of 2010. We had welcomed 2010 with a house party with good friends and training kakis. Those were folks who saw me dripping wet from inelegant swims, sweaty from my clumsy rides, who heard me grumble and swear on the run, and in all degrees of unglam race situations. Those friends never gave up on me, and cheered me on during races. We toasted farewell to 2009 and popped crackers on New Year's Day.

2010 was a year of travels and races, crowned by a long mountaineering expedition to Argentina. I am thankful that I had my health, fitness and mobility to pursue the extreme sports that I love. I continued my 'tradition' of having some race or event each month. It was not intentional, but I just could not sit still without some adventure or distraction.

I started the year teaming up with KC for the Safra Avventure Race. We had a bad puncture that cost us much time, but it was good fun. Once again I thought seriously about getting a mountain bike, but never got to doing it.

Then I plunged into more swim, bike and run than I ever did before. I tackled my second Ironman in February. It was the last IM Langkawi, touted to be the hottest race in the series. Many athletes suffered at the lack of water and soaring temperatures. I was glad to complete the race and earn my finisher tee.

I did more trackwork and intervals, but IM had introduced a new concept of slowness. My speed plummeted from all the ultra distances and endurance races that I did. March saw the inaugural 218km NTU Run Round Singapore. I offered to pace Melvin for a short segment, which eventually turned out to be 60km. Totally unplanned, but I had great fun and was inspired.

In April, I gamely joined friends for the 6.5km Kapas Marang Swim. The maximum distance I ever covered in the open sea was 3.8km, and only because of Ironman races. I swam half and finished the distance on the police jet ski. It was amazing to see people who can swim fast like fish in the open waters.

Back on the roads, I paced Alber for one round (42km) of his Sundown 84km Ultra Marathon. I was not conditioned for long distance road running and cycled the second run, dishing out drinks and food. It was interesting to be a supporter instead. No pressure, just enjoying myself and the atmostphere.

I spent a good part of June in Scandinavia, soaking in MidSummer Night and the never-ending summer "days". Serendipitously, I visited Pat in her new home in Norway and learnt much more about her than I ever did when we were training in Singapore. I had hoped to join a race in Scandinavia, but summer races were so popular they were sold out almost a year in advance! I was almost up for a St. Petersburg Marathon but pulled out at the last minute. There was a little tinge of regret but I am sure I would have the chance to run other interesting races in the future.

Fresh from the trip, we headed for Port Dickson OD Triathlon. Short, fast races were not my cup of tea, but the convoy drive up to Malaysia and road trip made up for the bad timings. Races were just an excuse to get together.

Unfortunately, good things do not last long. I battled lower back and ITB problems soon after the race. I must have overused the muscles. That meant a lull of two months in August and September, while I spent an inordinate amount of time and money on treatments, with an eye to recover for my next key race. It was a jittery and trying period. My mood went on a lull as well as I diligently did all my stretching and strengthening as instructed by my physios.

In September, I decided to add stairs climbing to my training routine. I had an expedition to Mt Aconcagua at the end of the year and figured I should start training for it. It was somewhat opportune with my injury because stairs was low-impact and did not seem to induce much pain.

By October, I managed to recover enough to run somewhat pain-free. It was mentally agonizing and I tested my recovery at the Desaru long-distance triathlon. It was another road trip with training kakis, and I had no expectations except to complete the race. Thankfully I did. My "ace race" was the TNF 100 Duo and I wanted to defend my podium position from last year. I had an excellent partner in Lai Chee and we came in first. I was ecstatic, my very first "Champion" trophy!

I took a short break to go rock climbing in Krabi with Alber, before resuming my training for my climbing expedition. We then made our annual trip in November to Powerman Malaysia to battle the hot weather for a gruelling long distance duathlon.

Amidst my triathlon trainings, my focus shifted from local races to my Mt Aconcagua expedition in December. But there was one last race for the year, the Singapore Marathon. Totally unprepared for it, but I had a free slot two weeks before the event and took the chance to slowly burn some tarmac.

The marathon somewhat calmed my nerves. I was all too anxious and apprehensive over my climb a few days away. It was a bold decision, to venture to Argentina alone for a month. It was a mountain that I trained for, and a region that I had never been to. I was too long out of the mountains and the thought fascinated me. No Singaporean female climber had scaled Aconcagua and I wondered if I would be the first.

I made a short acclimatization climb to Mt Vallecitos and readied myself for Aconcagua. Alas, planning for expedition dates and timing the summit weather was like trying to strike lottery on hindsight. I did not summit the mountain, coming 400m short of the peak. I was really disappointed, but every climb teaches us something useful for the next expedition. I surprised myself with each successful ferrying to higher altitudes, with pack weights that I never imagined I would carry. There was some solace in that.

I ended 2010 and began 2011 in the mountains. I only hope that 2011 will be as fruitful and eventful (minus the injuries) as before. I am certainly looking forward to more exciting adventures. I had a list of activities that I would love to attempt in this lifetime. Maybe I might frame it up as a constant reminder to myself:

- Mt Denali in Alaska
- Mt Vinson in Antartica
- Run a polar marathon (basically visit the N and S Poles)
- Trek & pull snow sled across Antartica
- High altitude trail ultra-marathon
- Mt Elbrus in Russia
- Mt Everest.....

In the meanwhile, there are some races already lined up for 2011. But what I really eagerly look forward to, is my impending flight home in 18h. Can't wait! :)

Mt Aconcagua Climb

Pictures:
Album 1 - Start to Base Camp
Album 2 - High Camp 1 to Summit Day
Album 3 - Post-Summit


It is not possible to record all the events in the past 20 climbing days in a single blog entry. Should I note down the factual bits, when we did what, numbers and how? Should I focus on the summit day in particular, or a theme perhaps like food? It was a long climb. Tiring. I had lines and ideas flowing through my mind on the many long treks, but now that I am comfortable in my Hyatt room, where do I even start?

Chronological Events -

16-Dec: We had 3 guides and 11 clients. We got our permits and drove 4-5h from Mendoza (800m) to Penitentes (2400m). We stayed at a nice ski hotel with hot shower. We organized and weighed our duffel bags for the mules, and had a good steak dinner. I had my last ice-cream for the year 2010!

17-Dec: We did a slow and easy trek from 11am to 5pm (with hourly breaks), going from 2400m to 2800m. The route followed along the river. We carried only our jackets and food. The approach was very windy but hot and dry. We reached Pampa de Lanas campsite and pitched our own tents. We were expected to do so at each campsite. We had a traditional Argentinian meat BBQ dinner, cooked by the mule drivers. It was my best steak ever, succulent, juicy with crispy skin. Ooooh...

18-Dec: Breakfast was scrambled egg. Then we broke tents and set off at 1030am. There was a short bridge crossing along the way. It was very windy along the way and anything that was not secured got blown away. We arrived at the next campsite at 5pm, 3200m. We had some tea and snacks. The guides made us avocado & salad with bread. Then dinner, which was typically some pasta or carbs of sorts.

19-Dec: Basecamp: River-crossing day! Not exactly because it was a dry season and the "river" had shrunk by two-thirds. What was left was a few metres of cold water about calf deep. We chose not to bother with changing and carrying wet shoes, and got a mule driver to ferry us across, one-by-one. We started at 915am and stopped at 2pm for a picnic lunch. I totally over-ate. The subsequent trek to our Basecamp (BC) Plaza Argentina was an absolute chore. We arrived at 330pm, 4200m. The BC was a luxury. We had a big dining tent with tables, chairs and laid out cutlery. Juice, nuts and snacks were prepared for us. There was a huge tent by Daniel Lopez that offered B&B service, internet, phone and so on. A hot shower cost USD20! We had shepard's pie for dinner and cake for dessert. Bliss.

20-Dec: It was a rest day at BC. Food was amazingly good, we were very well taken care of by two young Spanish ladies who manned the kitchen tent. It was fully equipped with a giant oven and all sorts of culinary contraceptions. After an idle breakfast, we went to the medical tent to be checked by the BC doctor. Everyone had to be measured and 'approved' by him. Readings: O2=84, pulse=90, BP=110/80. Lunch was a sumptuous grilled chicken thigh and vegetables. I cleaned off the meat to bare bones. Then our guides handed out snack packs and briefed us on the ferrying routine for the next days and what to pack.

21-Dec: It was our first ferry/ carry attempt. Above BC, we started wearing our plastic boots all the way. The idea was to bring some personal gear up for storage at HighCamp 1. Some of our climbers chose to engage personal porters. I prepared my pack, it was 17kg. My new Osprey Ariel 75 was put to good use, it dwarfed me. We left at 1030am and arrived at HC1 at 340pm, 4900m. It was a tough terrain, with lots of loose scree along the way. We deposited our gear and headed back to BC. The descent took about 3h. It was a long day, and some of our climbers felt sick from the altitude. Oxymeter reading: 80 (O2)/ 95 (pulse).

22-Dec: Another rest day at BC, much appreciated. One of our climbers, Martin, decided to stop the climb. But before he left, he kindly shared his satellite phone minutes with everyone, as an early xmas present. Awww.... I managed a call back to Singapore. And also rewarded myself with a hot shower. My hair was feeling yucky and starting to itch by that point and it was irritating to sleep on them. The shower was a great investment, I felt so clean and refreshed after that! It was grooming time, helped by the very hot day at BC today. Everything was pulled out of the tent to be aired in the sun. We had lasagne for lunch, and an awesome steak for dinner. Oxy-reading: 85/90.

23-Dec: HighCamp 1: Today we move from BC to HC1, leaving behind the comfort and fine dining. My pack was 14kg. We left at 1030am and arrived at 330pm to super-duper heavy winds. It was a challenge setting up our tents. Everything was flapping and rattling away. We could not do much but lied in our tents and waited out the weather. Underneath the shelter, we could hear our tent poles rattling viciously in the wind. I went outside to pee and nearly got blown off balance by the sudden gusts of wind. One of our climbers was diagnosed with HAPE by a doctor who was at the campsite. He ordered her to descend immediately and a guide went with her. It was a sad moment for the expedition.

24-Dec: We did a carry/ ferry to HC2 at 5300m. It took us 4h from 11am to 3pm. We had to cross a col, and did a short section on ice using crampons. I took some group gear and my pack was 15kg. It was not as tough a carry compared to BC-HC1. We left our gear and returned to HC1 by 5pm. I used the infamous 'grey shit bag' for the first time. Climbers in Aconcagua were expected to carry all litter out, including poo. So each of us were issued bags to collect them. It was 'challenging', I squatted over the bag until I almost cramped. It was Xmas eve and we had pasta with choc chip xmas bread. The guides gave us an Aconcagua collar pin each as present. One climber, Christina, had some xmas songs on her iTouch. Everyone was in a festive mood. Another group of climbers had xmas tinsels and bells on their tents.

25-Dec: It was a rest day for us at HC1. It was also Xmas Day. We woke up to find 2 gold chocolate coins outside our tents. I think one of our climbers left them there because the coins had Fort Knox and US Quarter imprints. It was a nice gesture. It was a hot day, no more winds. But it was hard to kill time because we had left all our books in BC. There was absolutely nothing to do but sit around. There was a limit to how often one can trim those nails, clean one's face and do more grooming. Oxy-reading: 79/94.

26-Dec: HighCamp 2: We moved from HC1 to HC2 at 5300m today. It took us 5h from 10am to 2pm, longer than the previous carry. I had 18kg on me today - whew! my heaviest ever. It was more than one-third my body weight. I had half my tent, and my tent-mate, Brett, took the other half. It was indeed energy sapping, I felt like a porter. Each porter in Aconcagua is limited to 20kg of carry. Oxy-reading: 79/84.

27-Dec: We continued our carry to HC3 in the morning. I had a light pack, perhaps 12kg. But it was cold and snowy. I felt the cuts of the snow and wind across my face, and visibility was low. Everything was shrouded in white. It was a tough trek because of the weather. We took 3h from 11am to 2pm to reach 5800m, and just 1h to return to HC2. Oxy-reading: 72/89.

28-Dec: Rest day at HC2, another day of doing nothing and trying to stay sane. Some of the girls played game using soil and stones. The weather was ok so we had lunch outside in the open. Oxy-reading: 71/97.

29-Dec: HighCamp 3: We move to HC3 today. Yes!! No more waiting around. I was excited because that meant summit attempt would be the next day. HC3 was too high to be 'staying and resting' there unnecessarily. We took slightly less than 4h from 11am to 2:50pm. There was snow but not cold. We set up our tents at 5800m and got organized for summit attempt. Dinner was instant mashed potato with canned tuna. Delicious really at that altitude. We were each given 2L of boiled water for the summit push.

30-Dec: Summit Attempt: I had a restless night and kept looking at my watch. We finally heard the shouts of "Hot Water!" from the guides at about 5am. We reluctantly got up and readied ourselves. There was some wind but not strong. We had to put on all our warm clothings and crampons. I wore a thermal, micro-fleece, down jacket and shell. I put on two pairs of socks and inserted hand-warmers in between them, on the arches of my feet. Then I wrapped on my gaiters and strapped on the crampons. I did not have time for breakfast and took a cereal bar instead. It was cold outside, the warmers did not feel like they worked. I skipped the ones for my hands (a BIG mistake) and put on my glove liners and down mitts. We were told to put 1x nalgene bottle in our down jackets, and another bottle in the backpack. All our food was within access in our shell jackets. By the time we started, it was almost bright and there was no need for headlamps. We set off at 630am.

Barely an hour into the attempt, all except 4 climbers (out of 9) had turned back to the campsite. So it left 4 of us and 3 guides, trudging on. I made good progress in the first 1-2h. But the lack of breakfast soon caught up with me, and I could feel my energy sapping out. I reached for a Clif Bar, but it had frozen in the cold and was impossible to bite off. I sucked on a sweet, but it was insufficient. It was also almost impossible to unwrap the tiny candy in my clumsy mitts. Like a battery draining, by the 4th hour I was quite flat. I managed to get an Quaker cereal bar, and endured. Meanwhile, one of our guides, Maria, had problems with the altitude and chose to descend. She asked if I wanted to go with her, but the thoughts of summit were too tempting. I pressed on with 3 other climbers and 2 guides, but not for long. I was moving extremely slowly and would not have lasted another 8h. There was still another 4h up to cover that last 400+m, and 4h down to HC3.

I turned around with one guide at about 6500m. Sadly. I actually felt quite strong and confident for this climb. According to our guides, it was a tough summit day - it was not as cold nor windy, but there was too much snow which made the trek up very tiring. At many points, the snow was more than calf deep. It took me another 2h to descend to HC3, very slowly. I discovered that 3 fingers on my left hand felt numb and looked discoloured. I think they were mildly frost-bitten. *gasp*! It was my first time encountering frost-bite! Maria gave me some hot noodle soup, which I took in Dawn's & Olya's tent. It was always warm and cosy in there. I was so exhausted that I just lied there and had my first nap of the expedition. In the meanwhile, we waited anxiously for radio updates from the rest of the climbers. They met with some winds and bad incoming weather, and finally turned around at close to 6900m. They were so close to the summit, about 45min - 1h away, but everyone was very drained as well. They took another few hours to descend, totaling a 12h summit attempt. I skipped dinner that night and slept all the way.

31-Dec: Those of us who attempted the summit were still tired. We were supposed to break camp and pack up to go down to Plaza de Mulas (the basecamp of the normal route). I was very slow and unfocused in the morning. The descent took about 4h, and the first hour was through thick snow that was very tiring. I woke up late and did not get breakfast again. That, coupled with the no-dinner last night, meant that I was moving along uninspired and at a subsistence pace. Plaza de Mulas was a HUGE campsite at 4200m, totally commercialized because there were so many groups there, each with their own set of dining support, camping grounds, shower/ toilets and other support facilities. We used the facilities offered by Grajales. It was NY's eve and apparently there would be some bonfire and celebrations around the campsite. But I was too tired. Dawn and I were given two free bunk beds in one of the B&B tents, we promptly fell asleep. The rest of our team was snuggled together in the big dining tent.

1-Jan-2010: The first day of the year!! But we were to spend 8h walking on a dried river bed and trekking through an endless valley to get to Penitentes. It was utterly boring because after 2h, the surrounding sights seemed the same. Just a long never-ending walk with no end in sight. We stopped a few times for very quick drinks and plodded on. Everyone was stretched (mentally) by the trek out. It was not tough, given that we were dropping altitude. It was just too long. We finally got to the Park entrance and waited for our van, and arrived at Penitentes close to 8pm. Whew! That marked the end of our Aconcagua expedition - the physically demanding segment was over, almost too soon. We all headed for a well-deserved hot shower.

Start of Expedition

Pictures

Today we set off and leave Mendoza to go to Penitentes. In the morning, we went to the permit and tourist offices to get our climbing permits. This being the high season, it was an astonishing AR3000 = USD757 = SGD1000!! *breathless* We got the "Ascent/ Climbing Permit" as opposed to the rest of the short/ long trekking permits. Those who needed last minute gear rental etc went off to settle our last errands. We have a doctor on board this expedition, so that was good. I hope he stays with us throughout the climb.

We would be setting off on the 3.5h drive to Penitentes, where we would stay a night, organize our duffels for the mules, and start our approach trek towards Base Camp tomorrow. The approach to Base Camp at Plaza Argentina (4200m) would take approximately 3 days. Our tentative climbing itinerary is dynamic and would change depending on the weather and climbers' conditions. Our guides will also be sending dispatches to the expedition coordinator in the city, who will upload it on the company's website.

May we get good weather and a safe climb. :)

Til I am back next year.
Merry Xmas and Happy New Year!!

To track us:
Climb itinerary
Progress dispatches
(15 Dec season)

Expedition Meetup - Last Day in Mendoza

Today is the day my expedition team meets in the Hyatt Hotel. This is the most expensive and possibly the only 5-star hotel in Mendoza, a grand structure overlooking the Plaza Independencia. I have the unenviable task of moving all my duffel and barang from the Monkey Hostel to the Hyatt, half a block away. There was no way I could bring everything across, I needed two trips. In between, I squeezed in a phone call to Singapore and a side trip to the money changer.

The Hyatt lived up to its American heritage, and expensive rates. The difference between a USD30 private hostel room and this USD200 Hyatt room is that the latter gives you a bathroom weighing scale and makes you pay for wifi in the room. Ok, I could have gotten free wifi in the hotel lobby, but I decided to treat myself this little luxury of connecting in the comfort of my room. Afterall, we paid for this huge extravagant bedroom.

The guides from Patagonicas went around checking everyone's gear. And I mean literally, everything. They started from the feet (boots, pants etc) and worked their way up. I had to physically take out and show them each item for approval. Impressive that they take the trouble for each client. Responsible.

My room mate was a girl from DC. She arrived this afternoon but not her duffel. They were stuck in transit at Santiago, and now we anxiously await those bags. Apparently, the guide said it happened often, and typically the missing bags go on the next flight out to Mendoza. Hopefully they will get here by this evening. Not a pleasant experience even if one could claim travel insurance for this. Too traumatising for me, especially since I took a bus from Buenos Aires and not a flight. I could not imagine what might happen if my bags missed my flight. Shudder.

Later in the evening, the team met in the lobby to fill out some paperwork and for an admin briefing. There was a mixed group across ages, but mostly from the USA. Looks were deceiving because many times, people who seemed inexperienced ended up performing superbly in the mountains. After the briefing, we headed for dinner at the same restaurant I went last night. Too much wine and food, I was struggling to stay awake (after last night's meagre 4h of snooze) without seeming rude.

Tomorrow we go to get our climbing permits done. The high season fee was USD757! Man, daylight robbery. :(( Then it's off to Penitentes and the start of our climbing expedition. We can track our status at: http://patagonicas.com/2010-2011-season-dispatches/

Acclimatization Climb - Mt Vallecitos (10 - 14 Dec 2010)

10 Dec 2010 (Mendoza - Refugio Mausy @ 2900m)

Pictures

I had booked myself for an acclimatization climb from 10 - 14 Dec 2010. I checked out of my hostel and left with my guide on a 2h ride from Mendoza to the mountains. We were in a 4WD and I was happy to leave the hot and dusty city weather behind.

We arrived at Refugio Mausy (2900m) just before noon. It was a cosy wooden lodge in the Cordon del Plata region. It was one of several that dotted the winding road to the mountain. They housed hikers and climbers who were attempting short hikes in the cool weather, or climbing the many peaks there. This region is a favourite amongst climbers who are acclimatizing for Aconcagua. It has similar terrain and weather to Aconcagua, and offers several peaks, each scalable within a few days. We could choose between Cerro Plata (6000m) or Cerro Vallecitos (5500m), both shared the same approach right up to the High Camp. Although in Apu's opinion, it was better to take it easy and climb Vallecitos, because the idea was to acclimatize. It would not be wise to over-stress the body before Aconcagua.

After a lazy sandwich bite, we headed out for a short hike, up to 3200m. I also managed to have a hot shower that afternoon, a luxury in the mountains. :) My guide, Apu, made us dinner that night - stewed steak & potato.


11 Dec 2010 (Refugio Mausy to Camp 1 @ 3600m)

I got up at 9am and got organized. I had arranged for Walter to bring my pack to the first camp. Walter was looking after the Refugio Mausy and could also provide 'porter' services. The concept of porter was certainly different from what we were accustomed to in Nepal. I must admit that Nepal trekking hospitality totally spoilt us all, unmatched in any other parts of the mountaineering world.

We set off at 11am for a slow easy trek to Camp 1. The terrain comprised loose rocks all the way. We passed some greenery and moved to a dry desert like landscape. Camp 1 was at 3600m, and we arrived at 1.30pm (2.5h). Walter passed us along the way, with my much loaded backpack.

Apu & Walter set up the tent. We had some bites of bread, ham and cheese for lunch. It was windy that day, and all my down gear was out. We lazed around in the tent and campsite. I could sleep a lot when I am in the mountains. An afternoon snooze in the sun, with the wind cooling things down sounded promising. Soon, Apu made us dinner - sausages and potato soup!

In the mountains, the summer daylight was from 6am to 845pm. It felt really good to have such long hours of sunshine. I did not have to use my headlamp at all. I did my usual routine of wet wipes and was snug in my sleeping bag by 830pm. It started snowing lightly.


12 Dec 2010 (Camp 1 to High Camp @ 4200m)

It continued snowing throughout the night. I woke up intermittently and heard the spattering of snow on the tent. By morning, we were covered in snow and assaulted by howling winds. The view at 8am outside my tent was not pleasant. The climbers in the other tents were discussing if they should set off or stay put. Walter had arrived with our other supplies. He was meant to carry them up to the High Camp, but with the weather questionable, we told him to leave the things and go back. We arranged to meet him again the next day at 4pm.

Miraculously, the weather cleared up at 10am. Such was the weather in the region. Climbers began to break camp. We now had a problem of how to bring all our gear between Apu and myself. We somehow managed to strap everything - I am so so thankful I bought this Ariel 75L backpack! My pack was not that heavy - perhaps 12 - 15kg? But it was so stuffed, it looked bigger than me.

We set off at 11am and arrived at the high camp at 2:30pm. We were now at 4200m, and the weather was glorious. Bright sunshine and clear skies. There was even some melting snow nearby that we could get water from. I made a bottle of Tang orange juice in my Nalgene bottle. It was a satchet mixed with water. It was my first time trying the drink, but the sweet flavouring at high altitude was welcoming. For dinner, Apu boiled us some cheese ravioli pasta, accompanied by canned tuna. I also had the luxury of hot tea.


13 Dec 2010 (High Camp - Vallecitos Summit @ 5500m - Refugio Mausy)

We woke up at 4am to prepare for the summit. We set off at 5am and were blessed with great weather. There was no wind at all - a huge difference in the mountains - and visibility was good. I was decked in my new Scarpa boots, down jacket, and shell. There was no snow, but the double boots were an insulation against the cold. It was not so extreme that morning, and I did not have to use my down mitts or balaclava. Nonetheless, I carried them in my pack (just in case) together with my water bottle. I was using a stow-able summit pack (a handy Tatonka travel backpack that kept into a tiny pouch in itself, a birthday gift from friends).

There was a residential dog at High Camp that followed us all the way. We also met a pair of Swiss climbers along the way. Or rather, they overtook me. They were also going to Aconcagua two weeks later. The summit of Mt Vallecitos looked so far. The slopes were steep (we were going from 4200 to 5500m!) and I was going very slowly. We finally made it to the summit at 11am, some 6h after setting off. :) The dog included. Wow! Mt Vallecitos was pronounced as "Val-yel-ci-tos". In Espanol, the double-L sounded like a "Yel".

The descent was not easy at all. All the loose rocks meant a lot of sliding and strain on my knees. I took 3h (2pm) just to get back to High Camp. We hurriedly ate something, packed up and rushed to Camp 1. We were supposed to meet Walter at 4pm and most likely not be able to make it. Apu rushed ahead to try and catch Walter. My knees were feeling the strain from all that descent. More loose rocks. I arrived at Refugio Mausy at 630pm. It had been a long long day, almost 13h of trekking.

We wanted to have pizza for dinner - real food. To my surprise, Walter promptly whipped out his pots and started kneading one from scratch! In the meanwhile, I had another hot shower. Ah bliss. The pizza was heavenly too. All in, I paid Walter Ar 580 for the porter and dinner services. Gladly.

I was extremely sleepy by 9pm. My knees were sore, and my right ankle felt wobbly - the result of a loosened boot on loose rocks. Luckily it was ok after some ankle rotation and stretching.


14 Dec 2010 (Refugio Mausy - Mendoza)

There was a bunch of Argentinian youngsters at the Refugio last night. They were on summer vacation and stayed there for a few days, just doing short hikes and enjoying the outing. How nice! Pity we could not do that sort of escapades in Singapore. Looking at the mountains around me, I would have loved to be there and go trail running everyday. Apu said that he ever ran from Refugio Mausy to Mt Plata in 8h. And that in 2006, he ran up Aconcagua in 20h (road to road)! Gosh, I would be happy if I could do that in 20 days!

The drive back to Mendoza was a rude welcoming to the heat and dust. I spent the afternoon updating Alber and my Facebook photos, and just chilling out. I sent my clothes to the laundry and walked around. I managed to order some lunch - sandwich and tea - via sign language. I did not speak a word of Espanol, and most people did not speak English either. I popped by Carrefour to buy more water, tea bags and Tang orange juice satchets. It was extremely well-stocked, I should not have brought so many items from Singapore. Anyway, the heat was just too much, I bailed out after 2h and returned to my hostel. Sitting in the dining area and writing my blog seemed a better idea. Maybe I would go out to get dinner much later - as the locals do.

Finally, Mendoza

9-Dec-2010 (AR time)

Pictures

Some 30-odd hours after leaving Singapore, I finally arrive at the city of Mendoza. This is the access point to the Andes, but I don't see many trekkers or climbers on the street. I am thankful that my bags and I all made it intact here. The bus ride last night was very decent, the seats are 180-deg-inclined so that I could stretch out fully. Meals & drinks were served on-board the ride. For all that, it was only half the price of an airfare from Buenos Aires to Mendoza. Quite a good deal.

Mendoza is a sleepy city. It is sweltering hot here, summer time. The temperature today was 34degC, almost like in Singapore. But it is very dry, minus the humidity. And dusty. The toilet system here is like China's - one cannot throw paper into the toilet, but into a bin provided. Deja vu.

Everything literally shuts down after lunch, when people take their siestas (not joking). Things come alive again after 5pm, and dinner time is past 8pm. It is still bright now at 8pm. I had gone out much earlier for dinner and the dining places were still empty. I had a non-descript pasta, the cheapest item on the menu. Dining out was not cheap here. Restaurants charge for bottled water and expect tips. Some of the South Am guys here are gorgeous, with their olive-kissed tan bods. Just like in the movies! Ooooh. Good to look at.

I am now back in my hostel room, which is in a mess. Earlier in the day, my guide came by to check my equipment. I am going for an acclimatization climb for the next 5 days to Mt Plata (abt 6,000m) or Mt Vallecitos (5,500m). Then I come back to Mendoza next week and wait for my Aconcagua team to arrive. My guide is Peruvian and have been guiding for about 10 years. He sounded experienced, and I should be in good hands. He took me to a few gear shops to look for down mitts. I eventually rented a pair as he insisted that they were necessary for Aconcagua.

Singapore is 11h ahead of Argentina, and my body clock is confused after all that flying and transits. But the good thing from that is that I could sleep anywhere, anytime and not having much problem with jet lag.

The Journey Begins - Argentina

Leaving was tough. I hadn't count on that. I certainly didn't think of that when I made my bookings and plans for the climb. The thought of being away for 1 month already got me missing everything. It must be age. 5years ago, I would have gladly jumped on any flight that took me far and long. I was apprehensive, and for all that uncertainty in the planning, I was glad I took SQ. Leaving wasn't easy, but SQ made it more bearable. Something reliable that I was familiar with. I realised that I was more nervous than going for an IM race. That would ending 17h. This would be 25 days of non-stop adventure. Very different from a triathlon for sure, too many elements outside of our control.

I managed to sleep 7h on a flight of 10.5h. Decent! The flight was not full and I could lie across three seats and snooze. There was a moment as we descended to Johannesburg when the plane was flying at 6,700m. A sudden reality spank when I realised that I was trying to climb above this plane?! Aconcagua stands at 6,900+m. Gosh!

I'm now in transit in Johannesburg. I hope my bags made it onto the plane too. I had an enormous giant duffel at 20kg, and a smaller one at 8.5kg. Putting everything into one bag would have made it impossible to lug it. I wonder how I would manage them when I arrive in Buenos Aires, but I would leave the worrying to 12h later. My next flight is 11h. I have not flown South African Airways before, I hope it goes well.

The journey has started. I was told by friends that no Singaporean female climber has summitted Aconcagua. Really? I found that hard to believe. Let's see how my climb goes. At the very least, I will be back with new lungs. :)

Planning an Aconcagua Expedition

I had been planning for my Aconcagua expedition since the start of this year. However, I was very undecided about the climb, paid a deposit, still indecisive, and only committed a few months prior to the trip when we had to pay the balance. And that began a series of last minute scrambles to get myself trained and organized. Oops. Friends had asked about various aspects of my expedition, so I am jotting down my logistics and planning thoughts for future reference.

(To be updated along the way)


Climb

My climbing portion (as it is now being planned) comprises 2 segments: (1) an acclimatization climb to Mt Plata (~6,000m), and (2) the actual Aconcagua climb (6,900m).

Acclimatization Climb

Many climbers do an acclimatization climb prior to attempting Aconcagua. If you have some days ahead to spare, consider signing up for one. There are many easy trekking peaks in the valley near Aconcagua ranging from 4,000+m to 6,000m. Popular acclimatization climbs include Cerro (Mt) Vallecitos (5,538m) and Cerro Plata (6,000m).

I chose to do my acclimatization climb on Cerro Plata with a company called Andes Vertical.

They gave me a low quote of USD800 (+ USD100 for transport) for a private climb, whereas Patagonicas and 7Summits quoted me around USD1500 - 2000+ for a single pax. I am not sure why there is a such a huge discrepancy, and I will find out after my trip. *gasp*

Aconcagua Expedition

The company I am going with for my main Aconcagua is Patagonicas, and we are climbing via the ameghino-valley-upper-guanacos-traverse route. Patagonicas is a Colorado-based climbing company and also operates out of Chile.

I paid USD3,700. They usually have offers for the next season from Feb/ Mar onwards - I signed up very early this year. The non-early-bird rate is currently USD3,900 but I expect this to increase next year because the climbing permit fees for foreigners have just increased substantially. The peak season permits used to be USD500, but was just upped to USD700.

Patagonicas seemed very experienced & professional over the emails, logistics, admin instructions etc. I have also spoken to them over the phone. The lady, Bonnie, manning the office in Colorado was very experienced and organized, and could recognize my name just from the email exchanges when I called her! She was very friendly and helpful. They were not hard-selling. I was indecisive of my trip, so they told me not to rush, and that the mountain would always be there. Then I wanted to switch my dates, and Bonnie highlighted that I would be the only female in my new choice, and advised me to reconsider. I felt like they were thinking of issues from the client's angle, rather than just wanting me to haphazardly commit and pay up. Do email them to ask for quotations.

I know some friends who went with a local company called Grajales a few years ago. It was much cheaper, below USD3,000. But I had problems getting email replies from them, typically a few days after my email. That made it very difficult for me to seek clarifications and advice.


Getting There

See a world map. To get to Aconcagua and the Andes region, you will need to get to Mendoza in Argentina. Mendoza is closer to Santiago, Chile than to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

From SGP to Buenos Aires: Qatar Airways, Malaysia Airways, British Airways/ Qantas - these are on OneWorld. Some people chose to fly in via Santiago instead of Buenos Aires.

For Star Alliance routes - the shortest is to go thru South Africa, next is to route thru Auckland/ Australia. A long way is to route thru Europe and, even longer via USA (East Coast).

I deliberately did want to fly through USA because it would be (1) much longer, and (2) usu via East Coast, and those airports are known to close in heavy snow storms (Dallas, Chicago, NYC) in Dec/ Jan periods, and (3) SGP to east coast requires an extra transit stop in between.

From Mar 2011, SQ flies direct to Sao Paolo (Brazil). If they had it this year, I would have taken it! I do not want to risk lost bags, delayed & cancelled flights etc. Now I have one sector on South Africa Airways, whose reviews are only 1-star. :(

I am taking a 13h overnight coach from Buenos - Mendoza and saving on one night's lodging. An one-way ticket on a first-class coach costs about SGD180, with a fully-inclined seat and served meals. An one-way domestic flight ticket would cost USD180.

But if you're flying all the way, do not break up your international ticket. An international ticket gets a higher baggage allowance than a separate domestic ticket. And travelling with big duffels & backpack & expensive gear, I would not want to keep transferring my luggage multiple times. So I prefer flying from Changi instead of going to KLIA for a cheaper ticket on Malaysia Airlines. It will be very tiring to move those bags & risk them getting lost in airport transits.


Accommodation

Hostels in Argentina are very cheap, so do not worry abt where to stay. Will be able to give you more feedback after my trip.

There are several decent hotels and hostels in Mendoza. For the couple of days that I was alone, I stayed at the Monkey Hostel, half a block from the Hyatt Mendoza (5-star) (where my expedition would be staying). These are next to the Plaza Independencia (the main square). Nearby, there is Hotel Internacional (4-star), Hotel Mendoza and various others. My guide stays at the Hotel Windsor (1-2 star) for a month when he is in Mendoza. Another decent hostel is the Mendoza Hostel. All within walking distance to Carrefour and tourist services.


Tips:

1. If arriving from Buenos Aires airport, change your USD to Argentinian peso at the bank outlet right outside the Arrival hall (after clearing immigration). The money changers' rates on the inside are much worse.

2. Carrefour in Mendoza is very very well-stocked, and cheap. There is no to bring all the toiletries and munchies for the climb from Singapore. J&J baby wet wipes come in more variety than in Watsons! Not to mention a whole variety of other toiletries & personal hygiene items.

3. Tang orange powder mix comes in satchets for Ar 0.95 each (S$0.30). Very handy for the climb.

4. The weather in Mendoza is very very hot and dry. Drink lots and lots of water to adjust.

5. Summer days are very long, still bright at 8pm. Shops close from 2-5pm for siesta, and re-open at 5-8pm. Dinner starts after 8pm and lasts til 1am.

The Sine Curve of a Climb - Naya Kanga (5,846m), Nepal

NAYA KANGA (5,846m), NEPAL
(8 – 27 DEC 2008)
http://picasaweb.google.com/simsps/NayaKangaNepal827Dec2008#
http://www.slideshare.net/Pheisunn/naya-kanga-thoughts-presentation/



The 3-week adventure was to climb Naya Kanga (5,846m) in the Langtang region, Nepal, and traverse the valley (instead of back-tracking the same route). During my last climb in Mustagh Ata (7,546m/ 2007) in Xinjiang, China, I described the acclimatization process as painting the mountain face - every brush swoosh going longer and higher than before. This time we turned mathematicians, tracing sine curves along the way. On the map, our route resembled a giant "question mark". Imagine drawing a "?" with a dancing sine wave, gently rolling over the throes of the Himalayan ranges and valleys. There was no standalone mountain and to access any required days of trekking and traversing the crests of the ranges.

The Beginning

The journey began with a public bus ride from Kathmandu to the Langtang region. Our team comprised 5 climbers, 3 guides and a kitchen-porter crew of 18. The 10h ride took us over winding rocky mountain roads on dodgy tires that held up surprisingly well. Often, the bus had to reverse and slowly maneuver its way up the slopes, with a steep cliff drop-off to the side. A typical public bus in a developing country, it was cramped, crowded, and over-loaded. People filled the aisles and open upper deck. Occasionally, one would witness a shower of food bits splattering on the windows, as passengers threw up from the deck above. The strategy to surviving the journey was to keep one’s windows and eyes tightly shut, and sleep through the ride.

Living Conditions

We started our 6-day trek-in to the base camp for our climb. It was a relatively comfortable trip compared to my previous expeditions. We stayed in teahouse lodges for the first 6 days up to 3,900m, and it was a luxury to shower and wash my hair daily. Outside temperatures ranged from 10degC in the sun, to 2-4degC in the shade. Shower water was solar-heated and dependent on the amount of sunshine each day. Sometimes it was chilly water, which meant a quick 5-min wash – hold your breath, bravely expose body part by part (hair, arms, legs, torso), heart rate increases rapidly from cold water but persevere! – before wriggling back into the same set of warm thermals.

Meals were either bought from teahouses or prepared by our competent kitchen crew – Kumar the cook, an assistant cook and 2 kitchen helpers. There must be a monopoly printer because all the teahouses had identical menus with different prices. Teahouse operators even displayed tourism certificates that announced their training in managing small lodges. While my friends loaded up on garlic soup, fried rice and dhal baht, I often had egg noodle soup (aka instant mee) and masala (spicy) tea or hot chocolate.

At some teahouses, the owners grew their own vegetables. As we placed our orders, they would pluck plump, fresh leaves from the plots. One could taste the wholesome sweetness of the organic vegetables in the dishes. Having one’s meal framed against picturesque valleys and mountains was such a privilege. I savoured the fresh and unpolluted air as much as I could. Fresh meat was lacking in the higher altitudes and there was limited canned meat. We simply turned vegetarians for two weeks. For breakfast, our cook would prepare rice porridge (Teochew porridge style), fried or hard-boiled eggs and toast. My favourite was rice porridge with Marmite and two sunny-side-ups, and I had that for breakfast and dinner almost daily. Marmite was such comfort food, reminiscent of childhood days. On inspired occasions, Kumar would whip up an apple pie, cakes, cheese strudels, and pizzas. All that, over two portable kerosene stoves.

Acclimatization

Kyanjin Gompa (3,900m) was our acclimatization point for 3 days. It was the last permanent settlement in the Langtang valley and there was a cheese factory founded by the Swiss in 1955. Yak cheese was produced there and sent to Kathmandu for sale. Fermented from yak milk, it tasted fresh and cheesy with a slight hollowness and chewy texture. For acclimatization, we climbed two nearby peaks from our lodge – Kyanjin-Ri (4,700m) and Tsergo-ri (4,984m), and rested a 3rd day. Then we set off for base and high camps. The rest of the trip was a camping arrangement.

They say that mountaineers are a special breed. One required the finesse of a rock climber and trekker to skip around the scree and rocks, the confidence of an ice-climber to kick the crampons into snow, the lungs of an endurance athlete to last the duration, and the strength of a gym-builder to carry loads at altitude, held together by mental tenacity to go the distance. That was the ideal climber. I was far from that. We usually carried backpacks of 7-10kg, comprising an extra fleece or outer-shell jacket, drinking water, food, and headlamp. I was typically 15min/ 800m behind my team-mates, and often without a pack. It was quite demoralizing to see them far ahead on the next mountain range or slope. My ever-helpful guide deemed me too slow to be burdened by a pack. He solemnly proclaimed that I needed more fats to be stronger, and regularly took over my load. Our porters were as impressive. They carried an average of 30-40kg each and sped ahead of us in their mock-Croc sandals or sneakers. They could very well fit me in a basket and carried me!

13h Summit Attempt

High camp was situated in the snow at 4,900m. I shared a tent with Joanne and the temperature inside was -4degC in the evening. Summit day was a blessing with clear skies and no wind. We set off before 5am for the long trudge up the peak. It was a test of balancing skills on crampons as we crossed a mixed terrain of ice/ snow, giant rocks and scree before hitting pure snow line. It was good to be on compact snow. Front-point, side-step, front-point, side-step, and up we go. Daylight was breaking and our surroundings came alive.

Along the way, I munched on kit-kats and ClifBars. We clipped ourselves into the fixed rope and used our jumars to ascend the steep slopes. We had to cross several slopes before reaching the Northeast Ridge that led to the summit. The Ridge resembled the sharp end of an axe blade, and Joanne and I were climbing on it without any ropes. The summit loomed ahead, alluring, teasing. 100-200m vertical height from us and another 30min-1h climb. On either side of us, the ridge sloped steeply into the valleys.

Unfortunately, our guides underestimated the length of rope required. It was a tedious process for them to repeatedly bring up the ‘used’ ropes from behind, and rush ahead to anchor them. That cost us unnecessary waiting times and also the summit. It was 1pm, we had overshot our turnaround time and there was not enough time to haul up ropes for the last stretch. Joanne decided to turn back and begin our descent. At that rate, we would likely have to descend in the dark and cold. Nepali guides and porters are known for their excellent strength and service. That afternoon, some of our porters showed up at the base of the snow line, waiting with hot lime juice. We returned to High Camp at 6-7pm. Kumar had baked a cake, but our mood was hardly celebratory after a 13h climb and a missed summit.

Ganja-la High Pass

On a normal expedition, the summit day was usually the climax. For us, it was the start of many adventures and the expedition was just beginning. The next morning was a challenging trek over the Ganja-La High Pass (5,120m). It was a terrain of rocks and snow, up steeply towards a narrow ridge and pass, before descending over the other side. It took us 3h just to cross the Pass, and another 3h to descend to our next campsite, a lovely field beside a flowing river. We moved out of High Camp because it was warmer and better to rest at lowered altitudes. Our crew did not have enough warm clothing it was a harsh environment camping in snow. More crucially, we were using up precious kerosene because there was no running water and it took more energy to melt snow for water.

11h Trek in Search of Water

Sunshine and water are the source and sustenance of life. Electricity betters it. Basic needs that we take for granted are magnified in the mountains. Our next campsite was a 6-7h trek away. We crossed countless of mountain belts, descending a mere 50-100m every 2h before ascending again. The hide-and-seek continued for 7h, as one’s emotions roller-coastered from frustration, anger, to resignation and blank. And then the bombshell. The intended campsite had no water source nearby and there was no way to set up camp. The kitchen crew had thus gone ahead to find alternative grounds. We continued walking. The sun was setting and the prospects of trekking aimlessly in the dark sank in. It was soon 7pm and I was desperately praying hard for a solution, for everyone’s safety and hopefully no mutiny. In less established countries, porters were notorious for walking out on clients or extorting money during a crisis.

From afar, we saw a beeping red beacon to signal the crew’s location. We headed towards it, expectantly. Alas, it was not a campsite, but a landslide! We waited with the porters as some went ahead to clear a path. Everyone was hungry, tired and thirsty. The crew had trekked since morning with little food and no water. I had only two muesli bars and one kit-kat for the entire day. We shared the remaining of our drinking water with some of the guides and porters. Silently we trekked in the dark, mentally prepared to walk through the night if necessary. I had no idea where we were, except that we passed various scents – juniper fragrance filled the air, followed by crisp pine. No water source in sight. At one point, we passed a deep puddle of water amongst the roots. The crew thirstily crouched around and drank from it.

We reached a used campsite and rested. There was a makeshift shed, someone lit a fire and we crowded around it. The kitchen crew had ran ahead to scout for water. Finally, news returned that they found water an hour from the campsite. With great relief, we pitched a giant dining tent for 5 of us to sleep in. As we settled down and prepared to sleep, our remarkable cook produced piping hot thermos flasks of tea, popcorn, tomato soup and pasta. At 1am! We were speechless.

The Finishing

The rest of the expedition involved relatively easy but long 6-7h treks into villages as we made our way out of the Langtang valley and finally back to Kathmandu. It was an eclectic city, the colourful Thamel stretch overflowing with shops and touts catering to tourists’ whims. Power cuts had increased from 2h to 8h each night compared to when we first arrived. The supply of hot showers was questionable depending on where one stayed. Food options were plentiful, ranging from cheap local meals to pricier international cuisines. Even so, I was starting to miss the comforts of home and Singapore hawker food.

Every expedition, I would mentally bemoan the associated hardships and lack of creature comforts. Yet after days of urban recovery, I would eagerly look forward to the next trip. Would I gripe? Sure. Would I do it again? You bet. Bring on the climbs!

Day 1 in Kathmandu

We arrived in Nepal Kathmandu yesterday. It was my 3rd trip here, but the place looked the same. We stayed in this dinghy place called Potala Tourist Home. It was anything but a home. First there was no hot water. The lady in charge looked at the window and commented 'with this weather (cloudy), there's no water'. And that was it! Luckily our other room had a gas canister heater, so I managed to get a shower in the afternoon. The rest were not so lucky, as they waited til evening to wash up. By which time, there was a power cut (every zone had a 2-3h power cut every day), and then the water supply started becoming erratic too. So they either washed in the cold, or had the water stopped in the middle of the shower. *shake head* We skipped dinner I slept around 7pm.... all the way until the next morning 7am. Shiok!

Today we went around the shops to get our equipment etc. Breakfast and lunch were both satisfying. At least the food here was good and cheap. My strategy was to get back to the room while there was still light, and wash my hair, pack my stuff etc. True enough, today's power cut started at 5pm and lasted til 8pm. Which explains why I'm using the internet only after power resumed.

Tomorrow we are off. A 10h bus ride to the start of our trek. We leave early at 6am to take a local bus (ie. public, ie. crowded and dirty and totally uncomfortable).

Herbal Chicken & Oxygen Galore! (Mustagh Ata 2)

A reflection on my Mustagh Ata climb in July 2007....

My face feels like an apple crumble. There's a perpetual burnt flaky layer peeling off. The result of being toasted in the relentless sun and snow in the mountains. I'm now back in sunshine Singapore. Happy to be snuggling under duvet blankets instead of goose feather bags. Happy that I can control the aircon instead of being blasted by sub-zero winds and shaking ice flakes & snow off tents. And most importantly, happy that I've achieved my aim of reaching 7,000m on this climb.

After we rested in the town of Tashkorgan, we headed back to Basecamp to prepare for our summit attempt. It was 3 days each of 9hrs upward plodding from Camps 1 to 3. Thank goodness for the bright sunshine - warmth gives strength and always helps us take a few more steps forward. We'd done Camps 1 & 2 before so we were confident of reaching them. The route from Camp 2 to Camp 3 was new though, and it was sheer mental that took me through. Not to mention a necessity, or there would be no place to sleep if I did not reach the tents! Throughout the climb, I was moving along on a 4-count pacing. Each 4-count cycle translated into 2 trekking pole 'steps' + 2 footsteps, which meant.... 2 steps forward. Last I measured, each 4-count rhythm took abt 10-15secs! That was how slow I was moving....

On summit morning, we woke abt 5am to prepare. It was a squeeze - 3 girls in one tent - to eat, get dressed and be ready. Buckles and straps that normally clicked-on were suddenly jammed by the cold. Feet refused to squeeze into plastic boots, snow shoe straps that refused to catch.... Finally we were ready to move. It started off without much winds, but we were moving on an exposed snow slope. It was not steep or treacherous etc, it was just super super cold. Around us, the other mountain ranges basked in the rays of sunrise. I watched with envy as the sunrays warmed our surroundings.... everywhere else but our slope!

Mustag is 7,546m. I wasn't aiming for the peak - it was too much misery. I reached 7,000m on that summit morning, the magic number that brought me to a new threshold, and decided it was high enough. That "little" extra vertical 546m would have translated into 6-7hr of trudging. My 3 friends summitted after a gruelling 9h upward climb in the cold. I figured I wouldn't last that long in the blistering cold. I was down to zero internal insulation. I'm not sure how to describe, but it's the sort of cold that emanates from inside. Despite wearing 4 layers of all the right clothing, I was shivering involuntarily even on the move. After I made an early descent to my tent, I was still shivering while sitting inside it. Milo to the rescue! Yes, milo 3-in-1 sachet powder (no water) tasted excellent.

A good friend's gem of wisdom - going up is optional, coming down is not. Too many people underestimate and over-push, forgetting that they need energy to descend. I'm the kiasee-kiasu type. I prefer to leave a bit of reserve for emergencies. I prefer to be able to think and walk down the mountain, instead of being on a stretcher. As I was descending to Basecamp, there were 2 rescue ops alongside me. One was a Swiss lady skier who was in bad shape at Camp 3, apparently very bad Altitude Mountain Sickness. They had to bundle her in a sleeping mat and dragged her down the snow slopes. The other was a Korean body they had to bring down the mountain. A Korean team ran into trouble at Camp 3 last week - they were climbing without guides, alpine style. Three members were rescued from the tents after 2-3 days of no food & water. The 4th member (team leader) was later found frozen dead near the summit.

I've learnt a lot from this climb, never mind if I did not summit. People at Basecamp tried to justify my "failed" attempt and asked if I was sick or something. I simply replied that I've reached my personal goal of 7,000m and that was enough. I don't think they quite understand, for they seemed surprised. Like it was blasphemous to come to a mountain so high and not aim for the peak. Perhaps it wasn't meant to be a conquest of the mountain - be humble! - but a conquest of oneself. The mountain would embrace you if it so wished to. I am totally thankful for the wonderful weather throughout the climb, that allowed us to keep to our planned itinerary. And I am happy to be tested at 7,000m with very little AMS.


Til the next adventure :))

Chicken-in-a-biscuit, Potato Chips & French Fries (Mustagh Ata 1)

Dear wonderful friends in sunny land(s),

In my last instalment, we signed off from the small town of Tashkorgan to begin our climb of mighty Mustagh Ata (7,564m). It's now 10days later, and nope, we're not done with our task yet.

The climb consists of 5 sections - Basecamp BC (4,400m), Camp1 (5,500m), Camp2 (6,200m), Camp3 (6,900m) and Summit (7,564m). What we've been doing for the past 10 days was going up and down from BC -> C1, back down, BC -> C1 stay overnight, down. BC -> C1 -> C2 stay overnight, down. Imagine the mountain as a canvas and you're painting. Every swoosh of the paintbrush paints a longer stroke than before. You get the picture. Except that each upward swoosh took an average of 7-9h, and each downward ~3-6h, depending on where we started. We were relatively lucky, with good weather & schedule on track.

That was how we spent our last 10 days. Acclimatizing. In between every swoosh, we get a 1-day break/ rest at basecamp. We've now completed our 'homework' of reaching C2 and staying a night, beforedescending to BC. We are now having a 2-day break before our summit attempt on 17th July. That's when we will go from BC -> C1(night) -> C2(night) -> C3(night) -> Summit -> and rapid descent hopefully to BC. That should take us abt 3-4 days non-break. Breathe!

All that swooshing sounds easy. But it's totally taxing. Basecamp is higher than the highest Mt. Kinabalu in SE Asia. We've now gone to C1 at 5,500m three times. That is like scaling Siguniang's Peak 3 times within 1 week. And C2 at 6,200m is like Island Peak of Nepal. When we next reach C3 at 6,900m, we would have covered Mt Aconcagua in Argentina. And we aren't even at the summit yet! Set in that context, it is all at once motivating and daunting.

Basecamp is a rather luxurious affair, the best I've witnessed. At least the logistics and tents look impressive. The guy who set it up was a recent basecamp manager at Everest, hence the semblance of orderliness. We each had a tent to ourselves at BC - the need for personal space & privacy during rest time was vital. There was just a simple problem - the food was horrible.

Food is an art to any true-blooded Sporean. In the mountains, we need it to replenish and repair. Our resting heartrates at Basecamp averaged 80-100. That was almost double our sea-level of 48-50ish. Just sitting around doing nothing, the basal metabolic rates have increased. On each swooshing of 7-9hr, we typically consumed 1pkt Gu-gel, some Oreos, vacuum-packed sausage &/ or chocs. In relative comparison, we take abt 3-4 gels per marathon. That was how much abuse our bodies were getting.

At Basecamp, food-oh-glorious was reduced to beneath functionality. There were tonnes of carbo, but nothing nutritious that allowed for recovery of loss muscles, strength etc. Vegetables were always cooked with mutton (!!), and after a week we were totally sick of the meat, despite it not reeking of mutton odour.

High altitude does funny tweaking to one's tastebuds. We started fantasizing of everything salty. Like chicken-in-a-biscuit, potato chips, french fries... We tried boiling YaKun style eggs, but alas, boiled water was not hot enough at Basecamp to cook it even after 15min of soaking. Then we tried asking our Cook to fry eggs sunny-side up - they turned up drenched in oil with cooked yolks. Sigh. Which was why we'd rather take this 4h journey each way from Basecamp out to this small town, to recuperate, wash-up before we head back tomorrow in preparation for summit.

Climbing is a lonely affair. I'm typically way behind (1-2hr) my team mates. It is fair that we do not expect our friends to wait in the cold. I think it's partly because I lack the reserves (aka fats) to keep up with all that swooshings, and also, weaker. But my years of running in silence has trained me to self-entertain without the use of iPods or devices. I am ace at self-talk, self-indulgence, conjuring up countless poems, songs and prayers just to get me through those taxing 7-9hrs of swooshings. I'm usually not a religious person, neither am I physically strong nor mental. But I've lost count of how many prayers I've mouthed in the last few days, to every almighty there could be, for good weather, for strength and resilience, to get through it.

I met a friend I knew from last year's ice-climbing. A guy I quite admire, for his raw passion in climbing, without the need for accolades. It was sheer luck/ fate that we were to meet again at Mustagh this season. He shared with me about the zen of climbing, or doing whatever we did, to enjoy the activity. I found it quite inspirational. It is like running in that 'state/zone'. I'm happy to keep his words with me, to focus on enjoying the process and not get stressed by summitting. As long as I've reached my greatest altitude to my best effort, I'm good with that result. Sunburnt face and all. Yes, zen.

Wish us luck for the next week! :)