Today, we woke up at 7 a.m., ready for our hike to Camp One. The morning began with an hour spent packing up the inside of the tent, including sleeping bags and mattresses. Once that was done, we organized our belongings into three separate bags: one for the hike up, one to be sent to the next base camp, and one to be sent back to Mendoza. After cramming everything into our backpacks, we headed to breakfast at 8 a.m., where we were served chocolate pancakes. We ate as much as we could to fuel ourselves for the long day ahead.
After breakfast, it was time to dismantle the tent and finalize our packing. My backpack for the hike weighed 20 kg—4 kg heavier than last time. With everything ready, we hoisted our backpacks and began the climb back up the mountain.
At first, the weight of the backpacks felt heavy, but after a while, I adjusted and it became easier to manage. We followed the same path as before, taking breaks in similar spots. After the first break, we encountered the first set of penitentes, which looked more weathered compared to two days ago.
We continued up the mountain at a steady pace without encountering any major issues. The final section of the hike was just as challenging as before, especially since I had to assist Harry, who had lost the path. I ended up creating a route through the trickiest part of the section to ensure we reached the top safely.
When we arrived at Camp One, we were served a light snack of sushi, cheese, and crackers, which we enjoyed while recovering from the demanding hike. After the break, we set up our tent, finding what we hoped would be a sheltered spot to avoid excessive wind. The effort of setting up camp left me feeling exhausted and with a slight headache, so I tried to take a nap inside the tent. However, it was a bit too warm, so I attempted to nap outside, but it was too cold.
By 7 p.m., we gathered in the dome tent for tea and dinner. The dining setup was improvised, with everyone either sitting on the floor, rocks, or small benches. Dinner was served on small plates by our guides and consisted of beef, potatoes, rice, and vegetables. For dessert, we had some chocolate, which was a nice treat.
After dinner I brushed my teeth and returned to the tent by 8:30 p.m. Though it felt early, we were all tired from the day’s hike and ready to rest for whatever lay ahead.