Manuel Bustelo: Back to the sources

On Friday 19th December 2008, at 14.20 hrs I was back to the sources.

Twelve years have passed since I first put step on Aconcagua summit. I was there again with a clear blue sky above us. 'Us' meant me and a group of five wonderful friends with whom I spent twelve days in this mountain.

Aconcagua has been my source of inspiration to start high altitude climbing. As a kid travelling with my family to Chile, I often saw this mountain from the car window. As a teenager I wondered what it felt to be up there. Shortly after, I climbed it.

Aconcagua is a truly gigantic mountain when compared to those ones around it. Although the origin of the name is contested, the local Indians 'Quechuas' already call it 'Ackon Cahuak' (Sentinel of Stone). This is truly enigmatic mountain, the Indians used it to sacrifice and offer their children to the Gods by the Incas in the 15th century. Last, but not least, Aconcagua is a beautiful mountain that offers breathtaking views.

Suunto X10 has become my preferred tool on the mountains. Paired with a Solio solar charger, it has a GPS that works any time you need during the entire length of the expedition. No need to worry about how many spare batteries you have left. On the other hand, it is a precise and accurate altitude and pressure reader. The last one is very important when you need to forecast what type of weather you might have on a summit day.

Finally, this summit climb is dedicated to my friend and climber German Gonzales Mena. He shot the documentary produced for Suunto called 'No Bike's Land'. As a professional mountain photographer and cameraman, he loved working on Aconcagua. He was known for taking the most reputable aerial images of Aconcagua. German passed away two days after I came back down from this mountain. He fought bravely for a year against leukemia. He was only 43 years old. May his soul rest in peace over a mountain that was a source of inspiration for both of us.

Text and images by Manuel Bustelo

Read more about Manuel and check out his blog at manuelbustelo.blogspot.com