I want to share with you an article that I read, and I found it very interesting. One always talks about Aconcagua hike, or how to climb Aconcagua or seeks advice to climb Mount Aconcagua, etc. I think it is exciting to read stories like the ones I’m going to share with you now. On January 8, 1985, when trying to reach the summit of Cerro Aconcagua along a little-traveled route, five members of the Mendoza Andean Club found 5300 meters high, in a sector with two thick stone walls, a funeral bundle.
When unpacking it, it was found that it was the body of a boy, male and with very harmonious features. It was wrapped with numerous fabrics, and among these, others had been placed as a filler.
Part of the skull had been broken when exposed to the surface; there were bunches of long feathers placed on top of the bundle. Other red and yellow feathers formed a mantle that covered the posterior sector. A pair of small sandals and two vegetable fiber bags were deposited on the middle part of the bundle. In a small semicircular niche near the wall, six statuettes were unearthed, three of them human-made of rolled gold, silver with copper alloy and mollusk shell, and three zoomorphic (llamas) made of similar raw materials.
After years of studies, some conclusions were reached: It was determined that he had died from frostbite at an approximate age of 7 years. Some feathers are from a macaw and some smaller ones from a toucan. The macaw and the toucan are from eastern Peru.
The figurines are rolled gold, silver, a mollusk shell highly valued by the Incas. They are very schematic, perhaps the representation of men and llamas, symbolizing the journey.
In the clothing, there are elements from the coast of Ecuador, from the jungle, and there are also three cloaks with embroidered birds, decoration that is typical of the central coast of Peru.
The plume had feathers of various colors, in the middle a staggered decoration. It had two necklaces, one made of multi-colored stones and the other made of shells.
Analysis of a sample of internal tissue has revealed a very ancient genetic lineage. The child is a native of a population group that appeared 14,300 years ago in Peru.
My experience in Aconcagua was excellent; please read my following comments. They dropped off a stash of gear at 5900m so they could be lighter the next time they climbed, and they got a close look at the ice and snow-covered route above. The guide reported a total move time of 4.5 hours, and Frank was firm and strong. We had excellent weather for the summit teams.
Frank reported another excellent night’s sleep for both himself and Mark. The winds were low at the time, so they continued with the plan and climbed to Camp 2 at 19,400 ‘/ 6000m
Most people take 4-6 hours to make this move, but Frank’s months of mountain training started to pay off, and they got better in just 3.5 hours. They set up camp for the night and planned to tag Camp 2 the following day.
