Beyond the heights of Aconcagua
It was early Autumn 2018 when I heard for the first time about the possibility of going on an expedition to Aconcagua in South America. Finally, 3 months before going, I was invited to join a two-person expedition in the Andes, climbing the highest peak in South America, Aconcagua.
As a young mountaineer, my response to that invitation was clear. “What will you drink,” said the waiter again after I didn’t hear him the first time. I was already visualizing our trip and our expedition, and the reality of where I was in the coffee shop was unfamiliar to me. Kirkovski was the leader of this expedition, planning to make a speed ascent on the mountain from its base to the top. The idea was for me to be his assistant in all of that, including the acclimatization climb to the summit. It was funny and scary at the same time when I heard the term “acclimatization climb to the summit”, but I kept that for myself, considering the serious talk we had. This project was the biggest since I got into the mountaineering world. Kirkovski was the man, the mountaineer, I looked up to. I liked his style of moving, thinking and creating things. I was sure I could trust him and give my best to this expedition. For sure, it was a big step for me in high-altitude mountaineering, as was it for Kirkovski.
Our training for this was regular, ordinary, everyday movement. Indeed, we adjusted some things in our preparations, but mainly, we kept our focus on being outdoors and enjoying what we were already doing. One rainy day, I got up my 35 kg backpack and went hiking Mount Vodno, thinking, this is what it will look like. I was moving fast enough with my heavy backpack, but invisible to others, and passing people all the time. I knew that I was in good physical shape. What about the mental aspect? That winter, these two months before going to the Andes, we were often on the high ridges of the Sar Mountains, where the wind had been blowing since the beginning of the Earth. Facing temperatures of -20 in our home mountains was our plan. We were lucky that the winter of 2018/2019 was cold and windy. That’s what we needed.
Arriving in the peak of the summer, with a down jacket and hat, we land in Argentina. At that time, the southern hemisphere was enjoying the summer to the fullest. After the shock had passed, together with our expedition gear, we headed out to Buenos Aires. The city was beautiful. Our friend Ivan was our host for these 3 days. Ivan was born in Argentina, with roots in Croatia. He introduces Buenos Aires as best he can. One morning, we told him we would go for a walk. He didn’t know that our walks are 30 to 35 kilometres per day, making almost 100 km on for these 3 days. It was time for us to head up to Mendoza, a city in west Argentina.
After 13 hours of travelling, we arrived in Mendoza. We found our lovely hotel, full of plants, wooden stairs, big rooms, and a view of the streets that somehow produced a cute noise. We hit our usual walk again. We stayed for a few days in Mendoza, waiting for permission to enter the Aconcagua National Park. I’ts not a problem, both for me and Kirkovski, to wait here. As we were curious, we went everywhere around the city, learning, analyzing and talking about cultures, geography, adventures, nature, etc.
Our expedition finally started. We got permission to stay in the National Park for about 21 days. From the ramp, where the entrance to the park is, when the weather is clear, you can see the summit of Aconcagua. This time, the weather was clear, so we took some pictures and went hiking to our first camp. You need three days to go to the base camp of Aconcagua. The second day after we passed the ramp, we were at Plaza de Mulas, a 4,350 m base camp. The same day we arrived, after a 30 km long walk from the previous camp, Kirkovski went even higher. I was very tired and decided to leave my body at peace. After spending 7 days in the mountains, going up and down, doing our proper acclimation, we felt ready; as Laozi has said, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. Playing chess in our free time was the main activity. The results were many victories for Kirkovski, less for me. I think that was because we played very slow chess, as I am better at blitz. Apart from the chess, we were analyzing the weather forces on the mountain. “The weather after tomorrow will be great for the summit,” said Kirkovski.
The weather predictions were that we would have a clear sky, a bit of wind and - 25 Celsius. On the 8th day of our stay on the mountain, we went to a higher camp called Nido, which was 5,400 meters high. Usually, people climb Acconcuaga from the highest camp at 5,900 meters. “The advantage of starting from the camp of Nido is that we have the frozen lake nearby where we can refill our water,” said Kirkovski. He was right. On the 9th day since we entered the park of Acongauca, we went for a summit push. It was a long, 9-hour climb to the summit. Kirkovski was faster. I left my tent at 02 AM, looked at the billions of stars in the dark sky and made my first step. I was feeling strong, fresh and motivated. Fearless and curious to see what I can do. Finding my pace and breathing properly, I reached 6,700 meters. There, I felt the first signals of fatigue. “200 hundred meters to the summit, I can see people standing there. I can do it, too,” I thought. Step by step, feeling the altitude and thinking of what Kirkovski said to me when he passed me, starting 2 hours after me, I gathered my strength and climbed the summit. Sitting on the highest summit of South America, 6,960 meters, together with one American who was the same age as me, and talking about how beautiful it is, I felt a bit proud. Now, I must bring my tired body down, safe and sound.
Aconcagua is not a technical mountain to climb if you use the normal route. But it's extremely challenging, both physically and mentally. The mountain is known for its cold and windy behaviour. The high altitude is something every mountaineer needs to deal with, and the long summit day can test your belief. After 2 days of resting, Kirkovski made the first Macedonian speed ascent on the mountain, climbing the summit of Aconcagua in less than 10 hours from the base camp to the summit and back. Our movie is on YouTube at the end of this story.
This expedition taught me a lot of things. I learned how to control my body, including all my feelings and emotions. To listen to my body and plan accordingly. High-altitude mountaineering is a science. It takes a lot from you, and it gives you something more valuable in return.