July 9, 2007

AAI guide Joey Elton left a very brief message from Bolivia today around 2pm. He said that on Saturday, the team hiked into their base camp in the Condoriri Valley under beautiful skies. They did some ice climbing on the glacier and went to bed after having a great chicken dinner. That night, the weather rolled in and brought clouds, wind and snow. At 6:45am, the group decided it was clear enough to make an attempt for the summit of Pyramida Blanca. The group enjoyed good snow pitches and a fun mixed pitch at the top. They persevered through a bit of weather and reached the summit in good form. The group is currently back at base camp, chilling out and reminiscing about their ascent over hot cocoa. Tomorrow the group will work on additional skills and then attempt more ascents the following day.