february 27, 2020, near Ruta de los Seis Miles, Argentina

I was all loaded up and ready to go, Not feeling too bad after 2 nights of camping around 4200m and I was hopeful that I can acclimatize properly, with a maximum timeframe of 14 days for climbing the 6893m Ojos del Salado.

Day 1 was a short day with a nice wind protected camp and water nearby, then a hike to near ridge topping off at around 4100m, I was camped at 3900.

Day two I pass by Aguas Calientes, a warm spring and a great site to set up camp for few days of acclimatization but thinking that I have this I load up about 14 L and move on just another 10km to set up camp. I want to have my days to acclimatize at higher altitudes.

by now I am realising just how heavy this backpack is and stowed a sizeable portion of gear and some food that I wont be needing and can get on the way back. Aside from a waypoint on my phone, I also make sure to remind myself under which rock my bag is.

then going up I met some humans and they have made it to base camp but had to turn back due to altitude sickness. They were calling this place the valley of the shadow of death because of all the vicuna bones and they can put on their backpacks without using a rock or starting on all 4’s :)

and so I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

and I set up camp at 4900m and to my surprise find a little trickle of water not too far away. This would be a great campsite.

I slept so-so at this altitude but felt okay in the morning. I brought most of my food up to 5500m to store and pick up tomorrow on the way to base camp.

Then I got my first glimpse at Ojos standing tall in the bland blue sky.

there is a nice field of penitentes nearby and these are bigger than most that i have seen so far

Yet somehow the distances here are deceiving, on the way back I realize that was almost a 20km day which doesn’t fit into the “light exercise” for acclimatizing. I make it back in the evening with a bad headache and decide to walk further down the valley (of the shadow of death) and set up camp at 4700.

Writing this some time later, I think at the time my hurried altitude gaining was because I wanted to have an extra two days at 5500m base camp, and one at 5900. Sleep and appetite were poor and while I feel better once i get moving in the morning a strong headache builds up by the end of the day. I decided its best to go and retrieve my food and head back to lower altitudes. In the morning I feel better so I decide to just spend another night here and climb a 6000m peak today (I’ve never been to that altitude!)

and at the top I get a great view of the Eyes.

I scramble in direct line to the pass where I left my food and this time take a little extra, it’s already getting late and clouds are rolling in. Another light day turned into a long walk. Lightning starts hitting the nearby mountains and I start feeling the electricity, there is buzzing and I quickly drop the hiking poles and the gopro selfie stick, this seems to help.

So far my days have started with high hopes and expectations only to end up with moderate to acute altitude sickness in the evening, thinking of lower altitudes. Today is no exception.

I set up at base camp and try to nap with no luck. I barely slept at 4700m and now I am at 5500. I am okay doing difficult things but how can you judge how far you can push altitude sickness? Starting in the mornings was great but afternoons during walking one could get almost blackout headaches. I decide to walk 5km toward an alternate route of going back so that in the morning I can start getting to lower altitude quicker

that was one of the coldest nights in south america

I walk fast, the backpack is lighter but not too light. Still a lot of food and garbage left, drone, crampons and an ice axe but as the altitude gets lower the headache lets down and I go all the way back to aguas calientes that day for a nice warm (still frost at night) camp.

another ~35km day and I am at the highway and will be looking for a ride over the border to Chile.

The first truck after the border control employees going to work stopped and picked me up, Jose and Ramon are going to see one of their friends who lives in Chile. We had a blast leaving Argentina and already found mentions of covid and the possible symptoms at the chilean entry point. At one point they ask me if i know how to use bluetooth and say that their car radio has it, I connect their phone to it and they start with their favorite song. Below is the video i sent them and it pretty much summarizes their whole trip, picking up a gringo, then towing up a car to the top of a pass and we all had a blast!

Then it was an overnight bus to Santiago de Chile, where I got to hang out with my human and canine friends, Tuco was happy to keep an eye on my clothes before they get washed

and then things got a little bit crazy in march and I was not able to return to chile but it somehow all worked out and from now on there will be a lot more riding than not in the vast canadian forests.

and hey if you’ve read that far here is an update of the summer 2020, new content (full episodes) will be out soon and consistently over the winter. Some of these are made on a cellphone so the quality is not great:
May update: https://youtu.be/RhL_4Xgbdj8
June update: https://youtu.be/s7LetwxSpN4
July update: https://youtu.be/b02uRdcyZmQ
August update: https://youtu.be/zrniNyzW6aI
September update: https://youtu.be/dMx8Qnzhrg0 (that one is available already)