We get up and have a descent breakfast, eggs, yogurt, cereal, cheese, sliced meat….and very dry hard toast.  Breakfasts are always the same (sometimes the eggs have meat or cheese in them) but they are always good, except for the toast.  We pick up some sandwiches for lunch and some cereal bars and an apple.  

 

We are driven to the entrance of the park, check in at the gate house with our climbing permits and start a 5 mile hike up to Confluencia Camp at 3300m (10827ft).  It is a clear day and we have beautiful views up the valley to Aconcagua.  It gets windy around lunch every day.  The air is filled with dirt, which clogs your nose.  The sun is relentless; Jack and Vicki give me some sun screen.  We stop for lunch.  Let’s talk about the lunch for a minute.  The sandwich is made with very dry bread and overcooked dry meat and has no mustard or mayo.  I am guessing that they do this to make you drink more water, but I would prefer food that actually tastes good that I would want to eat.  The apple is delicious and juicy and the cereal bars are nice.  This is the same every day, except we only get an apple on the first day.  I catch on quick and after 2 days I start to really pack up lots of cereal bars.  I take the sandwiches too but rarely can stomach more than half of one.  The camp has hard candies set on the breakfast drink table, which help to cut the dirt in the air and provide sugar calories as you hike.  No one tells us that they are here, someone in the group eventually stumbles onto them and we all grab a few each day for hiking.  The guides stress that you should use drink mix instead of straight water all the time to provide needed calories, however they only provide a single packet for your lunch.  I have a few Gatorade packages to supplement but then start taking 2 or 3 packets or asking for more to be provided.  

 

The hike to Confluecia camp with lunch break takes about 4 hours.  Confluencia camp is very large with many huge guiding agencies and a few people who are going on their own or with climbing partners.  There are outhouses with running water and toilets.  There is also volleyball.  We learn how to set up the North Face tents provided that we will be setting/breaking down as we change camps.  The views are incredible here and the Andes are beautiful.

 

The guides are in constant radio contact with the other camps and to Puente del Inca and back to the tour agency in Mendoza.  This is fantastic as they can check on the status of my bags for the morning and afternoon flights from Santiago, where my bags are still sitting.  Delta says that LAN must come and get them.  LAN says Delta must send them over.  I climbing a 22,841 ft mountain without any gear and wish that someone would get off their ass and walk 2 minutes across the baggage area to transfer the bag to the other and set it on a plane.