SummitPost.org

Well, I'm stuck in Mendoza. Been here since Wednesday. The road to las penitientes is shut and a whole. Unch of people up there are stranded. Haven't hazard how people are doing on the mountain. Hope you guys are all right.

I will try to go to cordon del plata tomorrow and do a 6 day warm up hike up cerro plata. I'm hoping the road to Aconcagua will be reopened by then. Today I was told ten days perhaps. This is devastating.

Any info on why the road is closed?

In 2002, I took a ride from Penitentes through a tunnel near the ski resort that entered Chile in Portillo....and was about 4-5 hours to Santiago. This avoided going back to Mendoza. If time is of the essence, it may be faster to get back to Santiago and get a ride to Penititentes through Chile. Before Argentina required passes to Aconcagua be picked up in Mendoza, most climbs to Acconcagua started in Santiago and bypassed Mendoza.

Mudslide, clear now

http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-inc ... 2ech7.html

"...the Australian climbers tried to get around path controls in the area to try to reach the base of Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain in the Americas.... park rangers saw the Australians try to avoid the park controls and stopped them from continuing on their journey."

Well, I climbed cerro plata yesterday in hurricane wind. Lots of other Aconcagua diverted climbers there with me.

The road is now apparently open, so I am headed to Aconcagua tomorrow. Finally! I've got only around 10 days to get it done, but hopefully this will be enough as I've already acclimatised. I'll need some help from the weather gods.