Fotos: Aconcagua, Vison and McKinley
Hi - this is Jenny, (Bram's wife)! I'm the one setting up this blog, actually a little bit against Bram's own will.. but I've had so many requests from family and friends, to follow Bram's trips around the world. This is a great tool to make that possible. Bram doesn't think much of his achievements, however I disagree and think it's worth sharing.
There have been quite a few trips already, not blogged..
- frequent alpinism in the french alps
- Mount Adams in Washington state, USA for his 40th birthday
- going higher hiking in the Himalayas with Arno
- crazy climbing trip with Tim in the Bolivian andes - Potosi summit +6000m, during a state coup in 2005
- Kilimanjaro in 2006 with Tim and the start of a Tanzania Massai Project & Friendship
And now we're only a week away from the departure to Argentina and the summit of Aconcagua, the highest mountain on the South America continent, stretching almost 7000m above the sea (6962m exactly). A well planned and prepared 3-week trip, starting off in Mendoza, the wine mecca of Argentina. If weather and conditions allow, the summit attempt will take place somewhere mid february. This mountain might not technically be so complicated to summit, but is weather wise a pain in the ass... often with high winds and hard conditions. Statistically you have a 60% chance to succeed. Bram and his lifelong friend Tim go with two guides and have incl some margin for bad weather... hopefully they'll get up there! And down.
I often get the question if I'm not afraid something will happen - the answer is no. Of course there are risks involved, calculated and not calculated. Bram is well trained, very responsible, mentally very strong and know when not to pursue further. Not the hazardous type. And you have to live your dreams and passions, that is what makes you a happy and better person. So I fully support his trips, but prefer to share them this way than in a harnass. I'm not fond of altitudes...
I'll try to keep this blog alive, hopefully with live coverage from Bram and Tim on the mountain in the coming weeks. And hopefully with many more adventures to come.... Vison in Antartica and Denali (McKinley) in Alaska are two hot spots for 2009 and 2010. A bientôt.. xx Jen
