Hi guys,
I want to climb Aconcagua in January/February 2012. I'm a bit uncomfortable to sign up for a private climb with a commercial organization. I really like to climb in a group and I'm looking for buddies to do this together. The type of people I'm looking for can look after themselves and behave with social grace around others (=don't grump around but enjoy nature and eachother's company). I have no idea where and how to find such people... help!
Some background info about me: I am a bit of a newbie to hiking/climbing. I did the Three Peaks of Yorkshire and Kilimanjaro this year (without much difficulty). On both occasions I teamed up with friends who had the same level of expertise as me (=none at the time
). Me and my friends are fit people who work out several times a week, but the hiking / climbing was a whole different experience. In retrospect, it was quite dangerous as some people didn't seem very conscious of their physical state and could not adjust their behavior to what would have been appropriate on the mountain. The results: blackouts, puking, crying, panic attacks... it wasn't pretty.
After these experiences, I'm a bit afraid to end up on a more dangerous mountain with people who are not very realistic about their capabilities and have a high chance on getting hurt physically and/or emotionally. I would feel very bad if anything happened. Also, I just want to enjoy the experience and I don't want to worry about others all the time.
Any advice is welcome. Thanks!