Climbing Mt Aconcagua Polish Traverse - Extreme Adventure Full Documentary

[@ThePgruss]

great video now I´m famous........

[@SummitUp]

Hey Pablo! Glad you enjoyed it. I read the online diary for your most recent expedition. Congrats on another summit! Looks like your group got their rest day at Camp 2 - that’s very important it seems.

[@SummitUp]

Correct.

[@noahborthen3533]

That moment when you see a mountain for the first time that you've thought, learned, and dreamed about for so long is genuinely tough to put into words. I'm glad you made sure to capture it on screen.

[@suginami123]

Magnificent film. Well done. Especially the hard bits. Falling down. Struggling to get up Very real.

[@antday]

Awesome climb Colin, well done. Nice ending of the video with the dancing in Mendoza.

[@chapster100]

Absolutely brilliant. Well done to all who were there, and well done on a fantastic documentary of the whole experience. Looking forward to the next one.

[@Gru692]

Awesome video Watched it many times .. love S AFRICA

[@donaldknowles9640]

Wow - what a trek to get to the mountain

[@nickagent]

amazing footage, great story telling too

[@peternews007]

I climbed in Jan this year and did a movie about it as well. So I know how much effort is involved. You have lots of good content with great level of detail for people who intend to climb Aconcagua for the first time. I did the normal route so it was interesting to see the other side. Thank you for sharing!

[@SummitUp]

Thanks Peter! That means a lot coming from someone who created the most professional Aconcagua documentary to date. :-) Let's stay in touch - perhaps we can share another mountain one day and use our shared enthusiasm for mountaineering and video editing to create something even more spectacular.

[@MS-it2qn]

Wonderfully edited and filmed. Loved watching your journey. Congrats!

[@donaldknowles9640]

Congratulations - the highest that I have climbed is Northcliff Ridge in Joburg with great views of the city - really enjoyed this video

[@chessfox]

Wow that was great. That last part looked really intense. Great video too. Well done.

[@darksoul479]

Awesome! Well done. I usually don't watch videos that are not in the Himalayas, but I really enjoyed that. Actually I just accidentally lied to you, I love Yosemite. 😀

[@SummitUp]

Thanks Troy! I hope you subscribed - there's another non-Himalayan non-Yosemite film in progress that may interest you. ☺

[@zappafan3473]

great footage. my highest adventure was kilimanjaro and I'm looking for the next adventure. This is inspirational.

[@Moniczka2224]

Great job! I want to climb Aconcagua next year and I was looking for a video like that. Thank you!

[@nullobject5668]

Badass video, thanks for posting.

[@andreawebber1876]

Fantastic Colin very proud of you well done..

[@enzomaidana5369]

Great work . Unfortunately at 46 I'm too old for this. Too late for me but at least I get to go up there and see what is like thanks to you guys.

[@libettrick]

Too old? No way bro!

[@ackbuilder8262]

I am 47, just summited mount Elbrus for my first accent, it’s around 18-19k feet. It’s never later as long as you prepare for 3-4 months.

[@Saromandro]

Beautiful Aconcagua!!! 9.03 is something very similar to a female Tabanus glacuopis. Take care about viruses/bacteria/protozoa and other parasite they can spread.

[@SF-fb6lv]

Great video - this is serious...

[@SummitUp]

Yes, some videos make it look really easy but it is a serious challenge!

[@peterlikesfriedrice]

I climbed it about a month ago and summited via the normal route. It felt like the hardest thing I've ever done. Now I'm training for Denali this June.

[@SummitUp]

Congrats and good luck for Denali!

[@donaldknowles9640]

Dinali is considered extremely hard - harder than Everest - did you go with climbing the seven summits - Aconqua is their stepping stone for Dinali

[@delightrie]

Nice documentary! Congrats!

[@nesanesa333]

Bravo and thank You for sharing 🌷

[@mykookiekoko]

Love the music at the 4000m+ altitude 😁

[@criticalmass6249]

Yo tambièn ! Me too !!! :)

[@2008marin]

That was a great video

[@mohammadyaseenlone104]

Nice video. Best wishes from indian occupied Kashmir

[@germanou]

amazing film. Looking forward for this adventure. Any advices or sugestions?

[@SummitUp]

Thanks germano.rodrigues, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Will you be climbing the Normal or Polish Traverse route? Are you climbing this month (season almost over) or next season? My 2cents advice, but I have no idea of your experience level so may not be worth much: 1) decide now whether you're going to take diamox and stick to your plan. 2) Don't carry too much. Pack your bags then get rid of 25%. e.g. Little things like biodegradable wetwipes (for personal hygiene) all add weight. I hardly sweated above 4000m and brought most back unused. There are plenty of things you think you need but don't. 3) On the other hand, there are certain things you should have enough of, e.g. socks. Never hike in wet/sweaty socks. Keep a fresh pair for summit day. 4) Have a good layering system. I had carried RAB down pants just for the summit. Heavy and unnecessary for this mountain. Rather have more thinner layers. 5) Take some cash to tip the muleteers who carry the duffels to base camp. You can tip the guides once you return from the mountain. 6) Don't underestimate how annoying the horseflies can be. Cover up. 7) Choose your tent partner very carefully. It's a long time to share that confined space in potentially stressful conditions. 8) Gloves. On summit day your hands are at risk of frostbite (or at least frostnip). When you put your crampons on at Indepencia Hut, take your time using thicker gloves (e.g. -20degree). Don't be tempted to take gloves off or use your 60sec gloves. 9) On summit day your water bottles might freeze. Finish one before opening other and keep them warm inside your down parka. 10) Take a video camera and share your own film afterwards - it keeps the experience fresh in your memory for years!

[@RFE812]

I learned that geography classes in certain other countries teach people that Aconcagua & Denali are on the same continent.

[@suspower]

Great video! Could you please provide details on the company that you went with ? and approximate costs if possible ?

[@SummitUp]

Thanks Clinton, glad you enjoyed it! We used an Argentinian company, Acomara. Good value for money compared to the big (USA) guide companies. Prices we paid are irrelevant since this was a few years ago (Feb 2016). Having done a few climbs now I would suggest signing up with the most reputable company you can afford. You generally get what you pay for! I can highly recommend Mountain Trip (Colorado company) and will likely climb with them in future.

[@VegasCyclingFreak]

Looks exhausting at the end but you made it

[@gabrielmarias972]

Hi, how many water do you drink front plaza mulas to camp 1, camp 1 to 2..and with how many water went for the summit push? People ise thin merino gloves under the down mitt, considering when you take off the mitt for some seconds to drink etc , not will be better a thin windstopper glove or a thin but warmer than just merino? Thanks!

[@SummitUp]

Hi Gabriel. I can't remember specifically, but generally we filled two bottles/liters per hiking section and then drank many, many more when not climbing (water helps with acclimatisation, reduces headaches). I wore 3 layers of gloves on summit day. Should have only taken off the outer mitt, I made a mistake.

[@YnseSchaap]

Winter camping in South Africa Hell Yeah !

[@NoSecondSeason]

Great video, which company did you go with? And what time of year please?

[@SummitUp]

Thanks! We climbed mid-February with a company in Mendoza named Acomara.

[@victorcanejo]

Awesome mate !!

[@idealsoninlaw]

How is this organised? How do you find people to do this with?

[@ianwebber6778]

crazy climb

[@GangdamStyle20]

Good job guys!!! It looks quite easy climbing technically. Did you ever use ropes? Were there parts which were very "exposed" (very step sections or ridge walks). Also I was very surprised how few snow was on the mountain! For example the top was totaly snow free! How long did you acclimatise? Did you use any medication? Sorry I am very curious... :-)

[@SummitUp]

Hey Pasoa, thanks for your interest & questions. :-) We had ropes and I feel we should have used them on summit day but never did. The guides' reasoning was that we were too inexperienced to know what to do if someone fell. Having done alpine training since this climb I realise they were right. The feeling of exposure is relative. When Pierre turned around the conditions were not good so the section we were walking on felt dangerous. But on the way down it the weather was better there so it seemed completely safe. Mid summer, so yes, less snow. There was snow in most places though - even the summit. Acclimatisation & medication answers are in the video ;-) unless there's something specific you need to know that's not in there?

[@benge9406]

Joli!

[@30803080308030803081]

What was Denali like?

[@SummitUp]

Beautiful but extremely cold.

[@KowalskyLeon]

Now what's left is K2 via Polish route!

[@SummitUp]

LOL, yes, don't get those two climbs confused.

[@SF-fb6lv]

Why would the guides discourage acetazolamide use?

[@SummitUp]

Great question. The guides and base camp doctor gave different reasons: Acetazolamide/Diamox/Azomid is a diuretic. At high altitudes there is little to no water so the guides regularly melt snow and/or glacier ice for the climbers. Melting ice requires fuel (white gas) that needs to be carried. If climbers are peeing at twice the rate then more fuel results in a heavier burden. Secondly there is a theory that such medication hides AMS symptoms. The doctors on Aconcagua prefer natural acclimatisation so that if AMS does occur then Diamox can be administered to quickly help the situation. If the climber has already been taking Diamox then the only course of action is rapid descent. However, the thinking around this is starting to change around the world. As you might know, on Kilimanjaro such medication is almost mandatory because the ascent is so fast that there is not enough time for proper acclimatisation. But even on a very long slow climb like Denali most people I asked (including the guides) used preventative medication from the start. I chose to climb Denali without medication (ego) and suffered unnecessarily. If I climb above 4000m again I will always take medication.

[@RJ-se9op]

You can just take high doses of thiamine if you think diamox has side effects or issues. I don’t think those people saying diamox covers up altitude sickness are correct because the way it works is to make your co2 retention better and probably oxygen dissasociation from red blood cells. There are a number of other things you can take that would help too and they all work in a basic fundamental way, they don’t “cover up” anything in the way those people are saying.

[@donuttime2507]

With exception of altitude this looked a fairly straight forward climb....On this root it seemed more of a slog than anything to technical? Am i right?

[@SummitUp]

Correct. It is supposedly the highest nontechnical climb. The challenges are altitude and cold temperatures.

[@donuttime2507]

@@SummitUp Still a fantastic effort though. Its the climb i would choose if and when i decide to do a big climb. Fab documentary!

[@SummitUp]

I really appreciate the feedback @Adidas Lover. :) Be sure to subscribe - my upcoming Denali video is a step up from this.

[@kenconley9642]

NO Trees??? (Pine forests?), maybe @ lower alt.,but didn't see any...

[@ackbuilder8262]

At 22k feet with wind? Lol

[@kenconley9642]

@@ackbuilder8262 I know right? I really meant at the lower elevations leading up to the mountain, there are no trees(in the timber zone)Desert climates I guess. Not any conifers.

[@SayaChekguCheper]

Terbaik

[@suzannekathro4958]

Who is carrying the huge pack at 29:47? Yikes!!

[@SummitUp]

Hey Suzanne. That's one of the porters. Mules are used below ~4300m, only humans above base camp. Some guiding expedition companies charge a bit for the privilege of lightening client load to give people a better chance of summiting.

[@csmotoresengenharia6322]

nice to see another guy using a blue contour roam up to this point haha

[@SummitUp]

Yeah, great little action cam :)

[@csmotoresengenharia6322]

lovely video aswell, can't wait to climb aconcagua myself, thanks

[@sourgummiez]

Please dont use FISH EYE LENSES. the earth is beautiful all on its own without using manipulating lenses.

[@SummitUp]

Fair comment Courtney Pie, you're right! At the time I knew nothing about lenses and selected the fixed-lens Contour Roam 2 head cam because of its small size/weight and 3hr battery life. If you subscribe you'll be notified when my next video (about Denali) is published. On that mountain I used a Panasonic GH5 with 12-35mm lens (MFT, so equivalent to 24-70mm full frame). No excessive earth curvature. I hope you approve. :-)

[@cynthiamarston2208]

Id wear every piece of clothes. Earmuffs ( had to wear just to play tennis on a cool morning or ear ache). Layer gloves. Face mask like a ski person. Closed goggles ( hate wind in my eyes) my inhalers. A pee bottle. I have a colostomy already from cancer so easy pooping. Of course oxygen….and just sleep on ground after a handful of sleeping pills. Just back pack for jugs of sweetened green tea, hydrocodone pain pills and pounds of protein bars meals.Ha ha I could do this! Just not the summit….too much work and not ok with heights. Thanks for a nice trip!

[@claptonhousecat8092]

Seriously the size of packs on those animals then people riding them trotting uphill….then they complain about the horseflies for the people who can swat them…..really……guess it’s all about the human experience

[@abhishekmasih986]

Very less ice 😶

[@SummitUp]

Yes, it's quite a dry mountain in late summer. However it's still cold! :)

[@660stihl]

Nice and beautifull vid, but what is it with grown ups and selfie sticks? Bit silly!

[@SummitUp]

Thanks 660stihl! Fair comment about Selfie sticks, but this video is also for my own memories and to share with my friends and family. Without a selfie stick they would never see me.

[@SummitUp]

If you subscribe then you’ll be alerted to my next video, on Denali. I’m in Talkeetna, Alaska at the moment, due to start climbing tomorrow. Expect the video in a few months time. :)

[@660stihl]

SummitUp I'll subscribe, good luck and stay safe!

[@SummitUp]

Ah... Good question @Morpheus. I have some great footage from Denali but have not got around to editing it. Comments like yours encourage me to do so! I'll get it done in a few months time - watch this space. :)

[@zappafan3473]

@@SummitUp Get some of that Denali footage online bruh, the world awaits.

[@30803080308030803081]

"Aconcagua is the highest non-technical climb in the world." Actually, that title appears to belong to Muztagh Ata. A 7,509-meter peak in Xinjiang, China, it's roughly 300 km to the Northwest of K2. Many people with zero mountaineering skills hike up this mountain.

[@SummitUp]

Thanks for this info. Very interesting.

[@Nils_Hammarsten]

Well dokumented. Not for me. Preferr Sarek nationalpark. This is a desert.

[@SummitUp]

Thank you Nils. :) Yes, Aconcagua is very dry and dusty in general, although I found the Relinchos valley to be more beautiful (there is a raging river there so more vegetation) and of course the penitentes fields above 4000m were spectacular.

[@criticalmass6249]

Only an idiot would relieve themselves into perfectly good drinking water... wait? thats what most of us do everyday... smh 🙄

[@1jummen]

Allahu akbar

[@Arthur-Silva]

24:55 😂