Aconcagua 2009 Expedition

La Sportiva Spantik's... awesome boot, but can I get the right size for my feet?

So, after much thought and several times in the gym with the boots on, I decided to re-order the 44.5 La Sportiva Spantiks…

The 45’s I currently have with the thin superfeet insoles have a good amount of movement, and I am concerned they are too big and will be heavy, clumsy, and could put me at risk for falling.  Ultimately, I think I returned the original pair of 44.5’s I ordered prematurely (after only wearing at home and walking 10-40 feet or so in them).

My plan this time is to put the thin superfeet in the 44.5 boots, then put them through their paces at the gym during my next trainer workout after they arrive.  I need to be nimble on my feet on Aconcagua, and some balance and stability exercises should help me know if the 44.5’s will be better for me than the 45’s and not put my toes or feet at risk.  It’s a cold mountain, and a heavy trek up and down Aconcagua, and I can’t afford to have a boot fit less than perfect.

I ordered the new pair from REI yesterday and anxiously await their arrival sometime between now and the 30th.  Thank goodness for REI – they are the best!

I will post again once I have tried out the new 44.5’s with black superfeet…

Today I will review several more snacks I have been working with over the past couple weeks during my training…  I have also ordered a tub of EFS endurance drink mix powder that I will be testing in the coming weeks.

Snacks:

Sharkies fruit chews – I tried a couple more bags of these over the past couple weeks… I really like them.  sweet, chewy (but not gummy), and organic.  I have yet to try them out of the freezer though to see how they perform in extreme cold. 8/10

sharkies fruit chews... yum!

honey stinger chews - the best so far.

Bonk Buster bars – these are good… real good.  tried the peanut butter chocolate chip and it was almost like a peanutbutter cookie.  soft, chewy, and very tasty… I ordered a couple more of these from REI (great discount at REI when you buy 12 or more food items… this time it was 20% off).  8/10

Drinks:

Vitalyte - Good ‘ol gookinaid.  I still think this stuff is great and the best drink mix for during exercise… slightly sweet, goes down almost too easy (it’s easy to drink too much and get bloated especially when pounding it after a workout!) and seems to not sit in the stomach long… still a 9/10

Jelly Belly Sport Beans variety pack from jellybelly.com

Next up will be the various flavors of honey stinger chews (if I mention them enough, will I get sponsored? )…  I am also going to be trying the honey stinger energy bars which come HIGHLY recommended from my triathalete friend David…  we’ll see and I will report back on the various flavors in another week or so.

Well, to say that advice on even bringing a hydration pack to Aconcagua is polar would be an understatement… from DO NOT BRING A HYDRTION PACK, to “you must carry one”…  what’s the right call?

For me, the answer was pretty simple – it is very easy to get dehydrated, and fumbling with a bottle stuffed in a pack pocket is miserable…  now I know I will have to bring a bottle insulator strapped to my waist, but what about a hydration pack? 

The main concern with the hydration pack or camelbak at altitude is water freezing in the tube…  this would be very bad… 1 – you no longer have access to water (that you happen to be carrying), and 2 – you will have to fumble around to get the water out of the pack and into another bottle, or chuck-it (which is a no-no… not only are you giving up water you definitely need, but polluting the mountain with trash).  Several companies sell insulated sleeves/tubes but this is still considered insufficient to completely eliminate tube freezing.  Most people that have used hydration packs (at least somewhat) successfully at altitude recommend a sip-blow approach where you take a sip of water, then blow into the tube to eliminate the water…

I am looking into a creative though surely not original solution – utilizing a “packless” insulated hydration sleve reverse-halter style so the pack is on my front, under my jacket.  My hypothesis is that keeping it in front will allow me to keep the water warmer and from freezing, and having the pack on the front will yield a shorter tube with less area exposed to the elements…  essentially from my collar to my mouth is all that would be exposed.

CamelBak StoAway 70 oz Hydration Pack

I ordered the (apparently one of the last available) CamelBak StoAway 70 oz Hydration Pack.  It is essentially the sleeve in an insulated pouch with an insulated tube.  I plan to cut the tube to size and at least at first use webbing to make the halter and see how it feels and carries.  since the pouch has 4 strapping points, I may be able to buy accessory backpack straps and use the pack interchangeably front or back depending on the conditions… we will see…

T-185 days and counting…

sounds like a lot of time right?  so why do I have butterflys in my stomach already?…

Let’s see where I am for being ready:

• Physical conditioning – still a long way to go.  I have yet to start packing on the dirt-miles (hiking outside)… training is getting kicking into high gear this week.  180 days seems like a short time to be in the condition I want to be in.
• Gear – I have my boots, bag, pack, crampons, axe, and most clothing, but need transport bags, organization, and lots of miscellaneous items (like googles).  I got a gear list from a nice guy on Summit Post, and am going through it with a fine-toothed comb. 

So, basically – I have a lot to do, and 185 days is not a huge amount of time to get it all done in.

I have 3 items to give an update on today - First of which I checked off the list is my primary duffel for transport to Argentina, and for packing on the mules to base camp.  I decided on an XL North Face Base camp duffel, in bright and shiney red…  When deciding on the bag

The North Face Base Camp Duffel (XL)

color, my first thought was – do I want to be standing at the carosel looking at 1000 black bags trying to figure out which one is mine?  uh, no… OK, so my choices are white (not sure how that would hold up or look after being on a mule’s back… but then again – who cares), some nasty “orange” color that looks more like 50% orange 50% brown, olive green, black, or ferrari red… well, my pack is red (it’s a Gregory Denali Pro), my mittens are red (OR expedition mitt), why not get a duffel that’s red too.  I ordered the duffel this weekend since I saw it on sale, and will report more once I receive it.

I still need to figure out and purchase a second bag… I am trying to decide if I need to get a medium or a large in the duffel.  Since I will likely need to balance the weight between two pieces of checked luggage (to stay under the 50lbs magic number), I want to make sure I have enough room to accomodate some weight balancing between the bags, but don’t want it to be too large and unweildy.  right now I am leaning towards the Large figuring I can compress it down and it’s better to have more room than I need than not enough room.

I also purchased a set of slim superfeet inserts for my size 45 Sportiva Spantik boots this weekend.  The SuperFeet inserts feel well, and with a liner and mountaineering sock there is enough room to “scrunch” my toes in the boots…

black SuperFeet inserts

 I was really torn between the 44.5’s and the 45’s and ultimately decided on the 45’s since the 44.5s were already exerting a minute amount of pressure on the tops and bottoms of my feet when at rest .  I figure that if my feet are going to swell some during a long day on my feet and at altitude, the last thing I want is a boot that’s too tight.  I may consider getting a second pair of thicker superfeet inserts for when I am not wearing multiple sock layers, and keep the slim ones for when I have multiple sock layers and/or use vapor barrier socks plus mountaineering socks.

My third and last topic for this weekend is the search for the perfect snack.  Why is a snack so high on my priority list?  Well, I know a few things:

1. everyone loses weight at altitude… and the less you eat, the more you lose.
2. the less you eat, the weaker you are… no biggie if your exercise for the day is lifting the tv remote, but a serious issue if you are carrying a load up to 19,000 feet on Aconcagua.
3. hydration + energy = less chance for AMS and cold injuries…  being able to drink lots of fluids, and keep my electrolytes and energy up will be extremely helpful especially in a place where nausea can make keeping the body in peak condition very difficult.
4. satisfaction – if its cold, you haven’t showered in over a week, have to doggie-bag your own poop ever day, and are living in cramped quarters with others… a crummy snack can really bum you out…  on the other hand, having something that is familiar, tasty, and feels good can sure lift one’s spirits!

So far, I am going to “evaluate” the following (drink mixes and snacks):

• Vitalyte
• Accerlerade
• Endurox R4
• Sharkies fruit chews
• Jelly Belly Extreme Sport beans (w/ caffeine)
• Jelly Belly Sport Beans
• Honey Stinger Energy Chews
• Honey Stinger Protein Bars
• Bonk Buster bars
• First Endurance EFS bar

I’ll report more once I’ve started my taste/performance testing…

After a lot of mental anguish over which boots to get, I finally decided on the Spantik from La Sportiva.  From the reviews and information, they are one of the warmest boots available, and should fit a moderately wide foot comfortably.  I ordered two pair (33.5, 44.5) and bought some vb socks at REI to go with them.

Upon trying on the boots with a triple sock layer (liner, vapor barrier, mountaineering) I found the 33.5’s to be WAY too small… the 44.5’s were also snug across the forefoot.  I got some input from some folks on summitpost, and reduced my sock combo to liner + mountaineering… I figure if it is rediculously cold I could swap the vb socks for the standard liner, since the vapor barrier socks have a soft fabric interior so my feet wouldn’t be completely swimming. 

I returned the 33.5’s and ordered a pair of 45’s which were just delivered the day before yesterday.  with the 2-layer sock combo, they felt great… I think these are a keeper.  I plan to try them on again tonight and compare to the 44.5’s to make sure they fit better than the 44.5’s.

On the Parka front – I received (with some much appreciated help!) a size medium Marmot 8000M parka…  First impression – holy smokes this thing is warm!  Granted – I tried it on inside the house and it was over 80 degrees inside, but it was sweltering almost instantly…  I could feel the body heat radiating back on me.

Have you over owned a jacket that comes with a sleeping bag storage bag and a stuff-sack?  Me neither, until now!

The medium size seems to fit very well – it feels long enough, and has a handy 2-button – cinchable draft collar at the waistline to keep cold air out.  The hood is super-puffy and seems that it will provide considerable warmth.  it too can be cinched down around the face, though with the incredible loft, I don’t think it will be necessary unless it is quite windy.  I did not try it on with a helmet, but think the Petzl Ecrin Roc might fit a bit snugly underneath it.  it is roomy, but not overly spacious.  I looked at myself in the mirror, and I looked like a Tang colored Michelin man…

The zippers are well protected from the wind, and the front pockets seem perfectly protected from breezes.  There is also an interior pocket I have yet to really examine.  The big question for me will be putting keeping the nalgene bottles inside the jacket conveniently stored but accessible… 

I’ll post more once I’ve examined the jacket in more detail, and have a final decision on the boots.