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Originally posted by SnowSeeker

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Originally posted by Too Many Canyons
Sorry buddy!

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Oh oh...

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Aconcagua Speed Record
Report by Matt Heason

on 16 February 2006


We were recently sent the following email detailing a new speed record on Aconcagua.

A new world speed record in Aconcagua was established by the andinist and Peruvian mountain guide Holmes Pantoja Bayona on the 3th of February. He climbed 4.112 meters of desnivel in only 13 hours.

The attempt consisted in reaching the roof of America, 6.962 m, from the valley Horcones at 2.850. Moreover, the Peruvian guy returned to the same place after 20 hours 35min. without having a rest. The previous record was held by the well known mountain guide Willy Benegas of the North Face Team, who did the same trail in a little more than 23 hours.

Most of mountaineers who attempt to break the speed record, try this from the Base Camp Plaza de Mulas at 4.200 meters, but few of them try to do the entire trail, which starts from the entrance of the National Park Aconcagua.

First, the Peruvian guide of 28 years old, climbed Cerro Penitentes (4.800m) together with his colleague to acclimate. The next day they passed the whole day hydrating and resting till 22:45 pm, when they left for the inmense valley of Horcones, with the minimum of mountain equipment, to protect them from the cold.

For this speed ascent, they only wore sport shoes and the minimum of necessary clothes. Further more they carried some chocolate bars, a discman and water for the entire way. They choose to do the normal route or the northwest face of the mountain, where temperatures reach minus 18 degrees and parts of the trail are covered with frozen snow at higher altitudes.

At 12:35 on the 3 of February, Holmes Pantoja reached the summit of the Aconcagua and communicated his arrival to the Park Guards. His colleague, with whom he started the ascent, accompanied him till Camp Canadá at 4.800 meters.

Holmes immediately started to descend and reached very quickly the Base Camp Plaza de Mulas, from where he continued descending to his starting point, where he arrived at 19:26 pm. That's how he managed to set a new record for this route.

Some participants of the Andinist Club of Buenos Aires were witness to the event, which has also been registered in the Book of the Park Guards.

In comparison the current speed record from Everest Base Camp to Everest Summit, a vertical height gain of 3455m is 8 hours and 10 minutes

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Originally posted by Eco

Great info Dru .. That kind of info places everyones fitness level into perspective. The Everest speed record is astounding! I believe I heard once that Sherpa folks genetically evolved to have thicker skin and larger lung capacity than us lowlanders. Built for altitude.

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Originally posted by mick range


Got two things to say about this pic...

"Done that before"( though in my case not after bagging Aconcagua )
or
"Goddamn, I gotta stop dri....no, 'nother round, bartender"

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