waXology wrote:ok n00b question here. but do you guys take the waypoints for research before, to familiarize yourselves with the route? Or do you take a GPS with you in case of poor visibility etc..?
Aconcagua's Normal Route is well-traveled, and following it isn't too much of an issue. Although, there have been cases of people going the wrong way up high, where the route is not so clear.
I gathered as much information as I could before the trip, with maps, photos, descriptions, and GPS coordinates, because I had never been there before, and I wanted to visualize the route and know where I was going, not just blindly follow the other people on the route.
On the slog up to base camp, it was nice to have a point marked, so I could count down the distance. It's not at all essential; it's just enjoyable for me.
On the trip, I used the GPS to keep an electronic record of the entire hike. This electronic record keeping is something that interests me. Other people might write in a journal. Still others might not care to do either.
In poor visiblilty, I would use any tool at my disposal, including GPS, but I don't believe in relying on a GPS as my ONLY way back to safety. The thing could stop working for a number of reasons. So I always want to make sure I don't ever wind up in a situation where I'm screwed if that happens.