Climbing Aconcagua - Full Expedition Documentary February 2020

[@donnabailiff5832]

Amazing accomplishment son! I love you and am VERY proud!

[@Samurai78420]

So cool that you commented to your son! I'm super tight with my mother so it hits a good nerve. Best wishes!

[@VictorOliveira-yg6ew]

Thanks so much for this video, Devon! I'm doing my research to head there this season and this is by far the best video that I have found. Watched videos in 3 languages and none had the full route description along with the scenes like yours! Appreciate it. Congrats for the summit and thanks again!

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks for watching! Really glad you find it useful. I watched everything I could on the mountain before heading down too, and was surprised at how little there was on KZbin. That was a big inspiration to make my video the way I did. Best of luck on your attempt!

[@enggarrenaldi]

So inspiring! Please come visit my channel! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIamgZilec56es0

[@le_kariuki2397]

So much important information. Thank you for sharing

[@devonbailiff]

Much appreciated! Thanks for watching

[@kangguruhiker]

An amazing adventure. I hope to hike Aconcagua next time

[@devonbailiff]

@@kangguruhiker Thanks! It was amazing, for sure. Hope you make it to the summit as well💪

[@kangguruhiker]

@@devonbailiff I am Komar, a hiker ang geography teacher from Indonesia.

[@suelenalvesdealmeida8718]

Loved the video. Thanks for sharing these amazing scenes. Congrats on your achievement.

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@stevee.7419]

Nice work mate! 👍🏼I enjoyed your video.

[@devonbailiff]

Much appreciated!

[@dishandas926]

Awesome mate👌👌🤟🤟 very helpful video

[@gcreen78]

great video, thanks for sharing

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks for watching!

[@matthewnighthawkcolson1109]

Awesome video. I've been looking for more current videos like yours, getting myself pumped up for the future. I'll be doing Ampato down in Peru in 2022, Denali in 23with Aconcagua in 24. Last year I did El Misti in Peru and caught the bug. I live in Colorado and now have set my eyes on the 14ers to get prepared.

[@devonbailiff]

Awesome man! I live in CO as well and used 14ers for training. Great way to get your body ready for the big mountains. Best of luck to you!

[@kmabernethy3877]

@@devonbailiff i’m jealous of all you Colorado folks! I live in flatland Texas which means my mountain training consist of a treadmill on incline…

[@victorkristensen7395]

awesome video and great job

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks Victor!

[@larryartzner6446]

Congrats on the summit! This is a great video. Best Aconcagua video I’ve seen on KZbin. I’m headed there in January, and this helps with knowing what to expect.

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks! And best of luck on your climb!

[@salcuellar7551]

I also head there next month!

[@LinusWilson]

Good job!🗻

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks man!

[@jeffelfont6887]

Nice video, congrats on summit. Did Direct Polish in 1993, a bit different route.

[@markbaker8857]

Congrats on the summit. I hope to do this some time. Great video too, no bullshit strait to the point. Onwards and upwards!!

[@collinhamlett1568]

Excellent video. Very well done. Thanks for sharing.

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks for watching!

[@allenlevine6301]

Nice video! It was great to meet you and Diego in Penitentes, and then later on the summit. Glad you made it home safely.

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks Allen and great meeting you too!

[@malasnyender4156]

Nice video and nice information 👍

[@Samurai78420]

Awesome man. Really. I was a Chef in Aspen for a couple seasons, and although it just wasn't for me, the scenery was staggeringly gorgeous. Thanks for the share

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks Eddie! Aspen is a beautiful place for sure - I live in CO and being able to get out in the Rockies regularly definitely helped me on Aconcagua!

[@enggarrenaldi]

So inspiring! Please come visit my channel! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIamgZilec56es0

[@salcuellar7551]

Thanks for an inspiring video man. I plan to vlog my journey next month! Hope to have an amazing journey as well 👍

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks for watching and best of luck to you next month!

[@aok5298]

Nice vid, well done on the climb 👍

[@southtexasoutfitters677]

Great meeting you on the mountain and having dinner in Mendoza - Jay Robertson

[@devonbailiff]

Jay! Great to hear from you man, hope you're doing well. Let me know when you make it back up to Colorado this ski season and we'll get some turns in

[@1121gsm]

I just watched your video again. I liked it so much I subscribed even though you only have one video. I've watched all the videos on Aconcagua and I have to say that yours is certainly one of the best. As you see from my previous comment (below) I have climbed a few higher altitude treks. I'm leaving tomorrow for Mt. Washington in NH and Mt. Mansfield in VT, which aren't that high but are challenging from what I have seen. A gear list would be much appreciated and where are you going next?

[@enggarrenaldi]

So inspiring! Please come visit my channel! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pIamgZilec56es0

[@jona1192]

Was it steep? Great video!

[@devonbailiff]

La Canaleta was the steepest section, by far

[@Alex77439]

Awesome video and congrats for the summit! Cant wait to go climb it :D

[@devonbailiff]

Thank you and good luck on your own trip! It's an amazing experience

[@rustybailiff7904]

Love the video. Very excited and proud of you. Amazing accomplishment. I could definitely tell you were excited to reach the summit in the video.

[@Narendersinghyadavofficial]

Great job Amazing.............

[@devonbailiff]

Much appreciated!

[@marknh3312]

Nice video! Congrats on the summit. But damn what a pile of choss!

[@bgjhgjghkjuhgbg]

Thank you for your video. I was curious to know : you didn't have to use crampons at any point during your ascent ? Would you be able to give a price estimate for the whole trip ?

[@devonbailiff]

I packed crampons but conditions never called for them on my ascent. Definitely a must have though. Costs will vary greatly depending on if you use a guide service or not.

[@youradventure0710]

congratulations on the climb and a great video , what sort of weight did you carry to camp cholera and summit day please ?

[@ethanwingo4845]

What tour company did you choose to go with?

[@devonbailiff]

@@ethanwingo4845 AMG, they were great.

[@HDBnB1]

how many days did this take?

[@devonbailiff]

We spent 2 weeks on the mountain

[@d.l.1567]

Congrats on a successful summit bid! Nicely done! I've watched tons of videos and read a lot about the mountain before booking my expedition which will be next January. Yours is very real and authentic which I greatly appreciate it. Can you talk a little bit about the weather that you had and more specifically, the temps, especially as you moved up on the mountain? I'm trying to figure out my gear and have read a lot of contradictory information. I run cold, but don't want to go overboard and sweat like crazy, especially when it comes to boots. I'm also working on booking Denali for next May, so that's gonna be pretty easy to decide on. So any help would mean a lot.

[@devonbailiff]

Much appreciated, and thanks for watching! I went toward the end of the climbing season but still experienced great weather overall. Temps were as high as 80-90's through the valley but dropped significantly in the high camps - well below freezing at night. Only minor precipitation. As I'm sure you've read, wind is a big factor on Aconcagua for the entirety of the climb so plan accordingly. I wore double boots (La Sportiva G2 SM) and was happy with them throughout the climb. A little cold on summit day, but not terrible. My guide however wore and suggested triple boots (Scarpa Phantom). I'd likely go with something like this if you're looking to buy just one boot for both Aconcagua and Denali. Let me know if you need any other info on the climb.

[@Luizgcmotta]

The first camp looks like Mars

[@devonbailiff]

👽👽👽

[@josephjacobs6616]

Thanks for sharing and congratulations on your summit . Which outfitter/guide did you use ? How many total days on the mountain ? Thx

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks Joseph! I went through Aconcagua Mountain Guides and was super impressed with their service - highly recommend. Diego was my guide. We spent 18 days on the mountain.

[@kmabernethy3877]

@@devonbailiff Thanks for sharing what guide you used! I have a trip booked with Aconcagua mountain guides for later this year. Glad to hear you had a good experience with them. Awesome video man!

[@1121gsm]

Very good video. Excellent photography and I loved the commentary that let me know what was going on and what you were feeling. I've done Kilimanjaro, Everest Base Camp, Inca Trail, Grand Canyon and some state highest peaks. I would love to do Aconcagua. I noticed that you seemed to be wearing over-glasses sunglasses. If so what brand and do you like them. I wear contacts but not on dusty mountains. So my glasses need to be covered with sunglasses. I have a cheap pair that work well but I'd like to do better. Also, what company did you use; did you like them? I didn't see a tent mate. Did you have your own tent? Thanks again and any tips on gear would greatly be appreciated.

[@devonbailiff]

Hey man sorry for not responding sooner! The glasses are from Julbo. They aren’t specifically over eye glasses style, but they are oversized. I got them for full field of vision protection - you can damage your eyes without the side protectors. Think I paid around 100 bucks for them. Highly recommend!

[@javiervera7025]

Hi Devon, I watched your video and subscribed to your channel; I am scheduled for Aconcagua Dec 2024...ur summit day push seemed extremely difficult. Do you have any tips? I've done Kilimanjaro, and it was hard but not too hard.

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks for watching the video and best of luck to you next December! In your training, I’d be sure to focus not only on cardio, but strength training a lot as well. I think a lot of people underestimate the importance of strength training and it’s impact on climbing well at altitude. You carry quite a bit of weight throughout the climb when going to the lower camps. It really beats you down over time. You need to be able to retain strength through the trek and still have good energy in your legs and back muscles to make the summit push, in my opinion. If not, you’ll just pack the strength needed to push to the top. Summit day is very slow and very cold/windy. It’s going to take longer than you think. So be mentally prepared for this. The length of the day on our summit push caught me a little off guard to be honest. Also be sure to carry whatever food/water is best suited for your body and appetite. It’s really hard to stomach food at that altitude, but you need the calories. So have some good snacks or gels set aside for the summit push specifically. Obviously only carry what you really need to the summit - every ounce matters up there. Personally, I saved one set of thick socks that I didn’t touch until summit day. That way I knew I had clean, warm socks for this day in particular. Looking back, I think this helped me personally with being more comfortable. La Canaleta is the crux of the summit push in my opinion. Very steep and very loose. Need to stay focused on moving efficiently in this area. Watch each step so you’re not wasting energy stumbling around. Definitely practice rest stepping here. Kili is a great pre requisite for Aconcagua, but as I’m sure you already know, climbing Aconcagua will be significantly longer and harder. The more you train and the more time you spend at altitude before the trip, the easier the expedition will be. Sounds like you’re prepping plenty of time in advance so I’m sure you’ll do great up there!

[@javiervera7025]

@@devonbailiff EXCELLENT advice, last question bro....did you pack like 18 pairs of socks? Did you wear the same pants shirts for multiple days?

[@devonbailiff]

@@javiervera7025 I think I packed around 7 pairs of socks, including the pair I saved for the summit day. You're definitely going to be wearing the same pairs of socks, pants, shirts, underwear, etc. multiple times throughout the climb

[@RFE812]

I’ve heard some people(even the Spanish wiki) say that Aconcagua & Denali are apparently in the same continent.(which I disagree with).

[@devonbailiff]

Interesting... I would have to disagree with that as well haha

[@RFE812]

@@devonbailiffI wonder why people say that Denali & Aconcagua are on the same continent anyway.

[@ommba07]

Awesome video! I did Kilimanjaro this summer, and Aconcagua is very tempting! Have you done Kili? How does it compare to Aconcagua?

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks! Kili is on my to do list. I haven’t gone for it myself, but I talked to folks on Aconcagua who had climbed kili. It was a pretty unanimous feeling that Aconcagua is a significant step up in difficulty.

[@ommba07]

@@devonbailiff That's what I was thinking as well... Good luck on your future climbs!

[@XxDreamBotxX]

Hey would you happen to have a gear list you can share, was hoping to hit Acon last year but international traveling and the park were forced to close it would be cool to see how my current geat stacks up to a more recent list (lots of online stuff seems really dated)

[@rcreek00]

this was with aconcagua mountain guides correct? how were they as a hiking company? im selecting companies now for 2022

[@devonbailiff]

I had a great experience with AMG - my guide Diego was world class

[@KenMathTeacher]

Awesome video. I plan on going in February 2024 or 2025 with Inka Expeditions. Any words of advice or must need gear? I was planning on ditching the big parka in favor of more layers (i.e. down hoody, plus synthetic hoody, plus hard shell with hoody). Whats your opinion? Any words of advice is much appreciated!

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks for watching! I run cold so I was happy to have the big parka but, depending on conditions, you could probably get by with layering up multiple jackets/shells. Agree that a down/synthetic combo is a good idea. Best of luck!

[@KenMathTeacher]

@@devonbailiff Thanks for the reply! : )

[@nateredman3925]

Congrats!!! Going in Dec. what camera did you use?

[@devonbailiff]

Awesome, good luck! I packed a Sony a6300 with a wide angle and zoom lens, my go pro 7, and my iPhone X.

[@NeolineTheChaos]

how was the preparation to climb the mountain? can you give some advice?

[@devonbailiff]

I spent a summer climbing 14k peaks in Colorado, followed by about 4 months of climbing specific training in the gym. I recommend “Training for the new alpinism” as a book for getting ready for a climb like Aconcagua 👍🏼 focus on strength, not just endurance. You’ll need it as you get higher in elevation and still need to pack heavy loads.

[@NeolineTheChaos]

@@devonbailiff i'm planning a 2 year traning, i guess it will be enough to get in niño de condores at least. Tank you for the video, and for your time

[@devonbailiff]

@@NeolineTheChaos you got it!

[@Teacher2Polis2XtraRice]

Are you using a North Face Bastion tent?

[@devonbailiff]

VE-25

[@davidyoung9716]

You like talking don't you? Nice scenery though.

[@devonbailiff]

I provided lots of commentary so that people who were interested in doing the climb themselves had a better understanding of what to expect. Lots of folks who upload videos of themselves on Aconcagua like to just show the scenery - I wanted to provide context so that people knew the real challenges they'd face on this mountain. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find the motivation to talk into a camera at 20,000 feet ;)

[@amyhrenyk70]

Great video and thanks for sharing! What boots and parka did you use? Heading there in January !

[@devonbailiff]

Thanks! I used the TNF L6 Belay Parka and my boots were La Sportiva G2SM. Both were perfect for the climb, highly recommend. Best of luck to you in January!