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CLIMBING TO THE NORTH COL - MOUNT EVEREST, TIBET [0150EVE071]

CLIMBING TO THE NORTH COL - MOUNT EVEREST, TIBET [0017EVE071]

CAMP 2 - MOUNT EVEREST, TIBET [0033EVE071]

ABOVE THE CLOUDS - DENALI, ALASKA [3050 US] This is the last camp, at 17,500 feet, before heading for the summit. We were lucky - we had excellent weather and summited the next day. Denali (The High One) is the native Athabascan word for North America’s highest peak (20,320 feet / 6194 meters). In 1897 the Mountain was officially renamed Mount McKinley, after the U.S. president William McKinley. Ralph Regula, the congressman from President McKinley's district in Ohio, continues to block any effort to change the name back to Denali in the U.S. Board of Geographic Names. Denali is the official name recognized by the State of Alaska and is preferred by the mountaineering community.

DESCENDING FROM HIGH CAMP - DENALI, ALASKA [3054 US]

INTO THE CLOUDS - DENALI, ALASKA [3051 US] For me, this photo captures so much about expedition climbing. The mountains are beautiful, yet ominous. It's exhausting, yet exhilarating - there's a huge sense of accomplishment following a summit, no matter how tired and spent you are. And I know that's how I felt when I took this picture. We arrived at base camp at 6am after a successful climb and a long walk through the night. This photo was taken during our descent just under 14,000 feet as we were literally walking into the clouds. For this brief time we could see the strange contrast between the blue sunny sky above and the dark clouds below. We were soon in the clouds but closer to returning home safely.

ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA - At 22,841 feet, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere, Aconcagua is probably the highest "hike" in the world. Because there are many non-technical routes to the top, it is often under estimated.

ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA [3520 AR] Here is Conan as we make our way to camp 1 (15,400 feet)

ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA - We arrived at high camp at 20,600 feet, welcomed by a lenticular cloud and the worst summer storm the mountain had seen in 10 years. After a few days, during a short break in the weather, we descended from high camp. Some people decided to try for the summit and were stuck high on the mountain with scarce provisions. Many suffered severe frostbite, lung infections and pulmonary and cerebral edema, resulting in the deaths of two people.

ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA

ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA - At the time I took this shot looking back at Aconcagua, I didn't think I'd return. Three years later I joined another team and reached the summit via the Guanacos Valley Route. Photos from that trip follow.

LENTICULAR CLOUD - ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA [3028 AR] Typical Aconcagua - A lenticular cloud and penitentes. Clouds are the visible expression of condensation. Unlike other clouds, no matter how strong the wind is, lenticular clouds don't move. The air being forced up by the mountains cools off as it rises and expands. This causes the water vapor that it contains to condense and form the cloud but, in the case of the lenticular cloud, the air, or wind, keeps going and soon starts to descend again after it passes the top of the mountain or wave. This causes the air to heat up and revaporize the condensed water so the air becomes clear again. I don't really know this stuff: I just copy it off the internet. What it means is STAY AWAY.

CLIMBING THE PENITENTES - ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA [3000 AR] Selected in National Geographic Adventure's Action Photo Contest. Does this look like fun or what?

WAITING FOR SUNSET - ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA [3001 AR] Winner of the American Alpine Institute Photo Contest (Mar-07) - Male bonding on Aconcagua. Mountaineering has become more popular with women but it's still heavily male dominated. This can be uncomfortable for some women, although I think most women who find themselves high on a mountain are already used to the discomforts of outdoor life. Something I often hear on the mountain: "Altitude and modesty are inversely related. As altitude goes up, modesty comes down." Very true.

CLIMBING ACONCAGUA - ARGENTINA [3039 AR]

TO HIGH CAMP - ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA [3012 AR] We ascended via Guanacos Valley, on the east side of the mountain, summitted from our high camp at about 19,000 feet (just at the other side of the rocks above), and descended via the Normal Route on the northwest face of the mountain. A few tunes in The Wizard of Oz come to mind when I look at this picture.

TO HIGH CAMP - ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA [3013 AR] In a group, everyone typically likes to stay with the leader (if they can). It's hard to get good photos if you are walking right behind someone and in front of another. I've been in rope teams on most mountains, but Aconcagua is climbed without ropes. So I stayed back most of this trip, except on summit day. There's just something about summit day that makes me want to focus only on the climb.

THE GERMAN TEAM - ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA [3011 AR] This team was a day ahead of us. They all summitted with the exception of two Belgians who were severely sunburned because they didn't wear sunscreen high on the mountain.

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ACONCAGUA, ARGENTINA - At 22,841 feet, the highest mountain in the western hemisphere, Aconcagua is probably the highest "hike" in the world. Because there are many non-technical routes to the top, it is often under estimated.

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