Murder on Aconcagua? The mystery of John Cooper and Janet Johnson

August 21, 2024 History aconcagua, andes, argentina, climbing fatalities, history of mountaineering, polish glacier, south america 0 Comment

In February 2020, a camera was found on a glacier in Argentina that revived a long-forgotten story of intrigue high on the slopes of Aconcagua. In 1973, two American climbers failed to return from an expedition to climb the Polish Glacier, and many people suspected that it was no ordinary climbing accident.

5 stepping stones on the path to high altitude

August 22, 2018 Opinion and advice aconcagua, argentina, everest base camp, hill walking, jebel toubkal, kilimanjaro, mera peak, morocco, nepal, seven summits, tanzania, trekking 8 Comments

Are you keen to branch out and develop the skills to climb higher peaks? Here is a series of mountains further afield that more experienced hikers should visit if you are interested in reaching a challenging altitude.

The first ascent of the South Face of Aconcagua

May 11, 2016 History aconcagua, annapurna, argentina, first ascents, martin conway, maurice herzog, reinhold messner, seven summits, seven summits treks 1 Comment

The South Face of Aconcagua, with its tumble of icy seracs and snow chutes, has long been attractive to extreme alpinists who need a liberal sprinkling of danger with their climbing. The first team to climb it certainly got that.

Aconcagua and a first taste of expedition life: an extract from my book

May 13, 2015 My books and writing acclimatisation, aconcagua, alex roddie, andes, argentina, book extract, seven steps from snowdon to everest, seven summits, travel writing 5 Comments

It’s time to update you once more on current progress with the book I’m threatening to publish about my journey from simple hill walker to Everest summiteer. Here’s the latest, along with a teaser from the book to try and convince you to buy it.

Climbing big mountains isn’t everyone’s cup of tea

February 5, 2014 Opinion and advice aconcagua, andes, argentina, high altitude mountaineering, mera peak, seven summits, south america, travel writing, trekking 7 Comments

We’re all different; some of us enjoy walking all day up a steep hill and going to sleep in a tent, while others prefer lying on a beach or partying all night. Luckily the world is big enough to accommodate all of us, but there seems to be a surprisingly large number of people who climb big mountains when they’re really not enjoying themselves.

Cerro San Lorenzo and the Patagonian summer

January 15, 2014 Trip reports alberto maria de agostini, andes, argentina, cerro san lorenzo, cerro torre, chile, jagged globe, patagonia, south america, thierry levenq, weather 4 Comments

Sometimes it’s useful to have low expectations so that when the impossible doesn’t happen, you’re not disappointed. This is especially true in Patagonia, where the weather is temperamental. I didn’t have high hopes of reaching the summit of 3706m Cerro San Lorenzo, but I was determined to give it a go.

Why would anyone spend Christmas in Patagonia?

December 18, 2013 Expedition dispatches alberto maria de agostini, andes, argentina, cerro san lorenzo, chile, patagonia, south america, southern patagonian ice field, tierra del fuego, torres del paine, weather 0 Comment

There’s not really a good time of year to visit Chilean Patagonia. Quite a lot of wind circulates the globe at that latitude and slams into its mountains with full force, producing severe and prolonged storms and freezing temperatures. So why will I be returning there this Christmas for the first time in ten years?

Everest’s most extraordinary false summit claim

November 20, 2013 Humour aconcagua, alan arnette, argentina, augusto ortega, everest, everest base camp, false summit claims, ladakh, media sensationalism, nepal 14 Comments

Last week the world’s mainstream media were awash with stories about the world’s first dog to climb Mount Everest. It was a heart-warming tale about a cute little doggie who had been rescued from a garbage dump in India and went on to become a pioneering canine mountaineer. But how on earth could it be true?

Adiós Leo Rasnik, guide of Aconcagua

July 17, 2013 Reviews and tributes aconcagua, andes, argentina, aventuras patagonicas, climbing fatalities, cordillera blanca, leonardo rasnik, mountain guides, obituaries, peru, seven summits, south america, tocllaraju 6 Comments

It’s time to say goodbye to another friend from South America who has lost his life in the mountains. The Argentine climber Leonardo Rasnik was found dead in the Peruvian Andes on Thursday. He was assistant guide when I climbed Aconcagua in 2010, and a more cheerful and enthusiastic human being you couldn’t wish to meet

First ascent of Aconcagua: a story of self-inflicted altitude sickness

February 27, 2013 History aconcagua, altitude sickness, andes, argentina, chimborazo, edward fitzgerald, edward whymper, first ascents, history of mountaineering, matthias zurbriggen, mountain literature, seven summits 5 Comments

When the Swiss guide Matthias Zurbriggen stood on the highest point in South America in 1897, as far as anyone knew it was the highest place man had ever been, but he stood there alone. His expedition leader Edward Fitzgerald had been left behind with altitude sickness at 6000m.

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