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25/03/2009 Archived Article: "Stig Breivik, of Camino de Gibraltar, climbs highest mountain in North/South America"

The Aconcagua mountain, near Mendoza, Argentina, is the highest mountain in the Americas, at 6.962 meters high. Mendoza is near the border of Chile, in the Andes mountains.

Stig climbed with a group of 12 Norwegians, and he was the oldest, at 56 years old. There was one woman, who did not make it to the top, but did get to the third and last camp. Of the 12, only 4 made it to the summit. From the third, last camp, it was 8 hours up to the summit, and was a beautiful calm day. (Aconcagua is known for hard winds.) It took 3 hours to walk back down to the camp. Stig began the climb on New Year´s Day, 2009. Each day 40 to 50 climbers attempt to get to the summit. Aconcagua can be climbed without special equipment, and Stig didn´t even take a pole. Dark glasses are necessary, and fingers and toes must be especially protected. Mountaineers do have cell phones and walkie-talkies.

40 to 50 climbers die EVERY YEAR scaling Aconcagua, and 90% of those who attempt it, turn back, usually due to altitude sickness. While Stig was on the mountain, the rescue choppers were working constantly. However, helicopters can go no higher than 5000 meters, because any higher and they can´t lift off, due to the thin air. The day before he arrived at the base camp (4000 meters), a climber had died and the body was still on the mountain. The day he began to climb, 5 mountaineers had gone missing. This year an Italian attempted to scale Aconcagua, followed by a TV team to document the climb. He died on camera. At the base camp there is a doctor who amputates frostbitten toes and fingers every day. There is also internet, and eating and bathing facilities, though primitive. The group stayed at the base camp three days to get acclimated to the altitude.

People who die usually are climbing alone. They get disoriented in a trance state, forget to drink and eat, sit down, throw up, sleep, and freeze to death.

In Stig´s group the climbers were well-attended by three guides, who took blood pressure and oxygen readings daily. However, he did return to Gaucin with an injury (besides the normal slightly frostbitten fingers and toes): Coming back, at the base camp he changed from his hiking boots into sneakers, then walked 11 hours to the bus pick-up point. The result was bad injury to his feet.

The mountain is kept scrupulously clean, and climbers must bring back everything they take with them, including their excrement. The top of the mountain is almost as flat and large as a football pitch.

Why did Stig climb the mountain? On January 1, 2000, he got to the summit of Kilimanjaro (5.895 meters), the highest mountain in Africa. He has also climbed Elbrus (5.642 meters), in the Russian Caucasus, the highest mountain in Europe. The highest mountain in the Americas was the next stop, but he will not try Everest, the highest mountain in Asia. Next October he will climb Mulhacén (3483 meters), the highest peak in Spain, with Ian Baillie of Calle Convento. Die-hard climbers often want to do the 7 summits: (the highest mountains of each of the 5 continents + the North and South Poles.) Of his three climbs, Stig thinks Aconcagua was the most difficult.