SEISMILES EN CATAMARCA !!

INCAHUASI (6640 masl) and SAN FRANCISCO (6016 masl) !!

Last March a tremendous expedition left for CATAMARCA along the Ruta de los Seismiles

After a trip by truck from Mendoza passing through San Juan, La Rioja and Catamarca, we arrived in Fiambalá, once the operation was resolved we went up to 3 thousand meters to start with the acclimatization that would continue in Las Grutas at 4 thousand meters, for that We also climbed the Cerro Falso Morocho 4478 meters above sea level, with that beautiful view of the two giants behind, targets that were coming.

We also include the ascent of the Bertrand Volcano 5265 masl to continue enjoying those heights. We took a rest day in the outdoor hot springs to recover our strength, super stressed haha.

It goes without saying that the landscape that accompanied it was amazing vicuñas and guanacos everywhere, lagoons with flamingos, priceless sunsets, and also mountaineer friends came and went

It was the turn of one of the big guys in a long day and with very snowy terrain although with very good conditions to travel and some wind we entered the San Francisco Volcano 6016 meters above sea level

We even went down to Fiambalá to solve technical problems and relax. And we came back to face two “giant cakes” as a friend would say. We faced with the truck and then camp 1 and 2 to hit the Inca Chico 5848 masl there we had to abandon 4 canes because the static of the storm requested it, so they were left as an offering at the summit haha. Once we rest in the tent, we have dinner and Diego and Payo tell us that it went well for them in the Incahuasi, we celebrate the two summits, the plan is that the next day they break down camp and go down to the truck and in the meantime I shoot the summit in the Incahuasi to go straight down to the truck, a hard hit but super possible.

The issue is that it does not stop snowing and continues to accumulate. Inside I say to myself “well, lock in another time it will be the mountain, it will continue to be there”, we continue to hydrate and eat what we have left, I also prepare the equipment just in case. And at about 10 p.m., incredibly, it completely cleared, no wind, the entire mountain had accumulated 20 to 30 cm. I return hopes and the original plan goes up! At 2 o’clock I wake up and have a firm breakfast, I put on almost all of my coat, crampons and helmet and leave the tent to face the gutter that will take me to the summit plateau. It was 7 hours of making a mark and looking for the summit that I wanted to escape at first. Summit celebration on an incredible clear day without wind amazing 360 view Reaching the top I feel something strange in my left foot was the crampon that had broken the toe, and now? Haha how do I lower that gutter, well fix it with cord and down. I carefully go down the gutter, I rest in camp 2, I keep going down, I rest in camp 1 and load some things that were left, and I arrive at the van at 3:00 p.m., ready for the mates and the trip back to Fiambala !!

Everything went great and we renewed the energies for the projects that are coming in 2022!!