My latest fundraising email went out last night and the response has been fantastic. Thanks to Kathryn, Howard, Claire, Iain, Hugo, Geoff, the West-Marwoods, Sarah, Martin and an anonymous donor, we're now at £2,845.
In mountain terms, that moves us from the tip of South America to the Chilean Central Valley, and to a couple of metres below the summit of Villarica, one of Chile's most active volcanoes. We're now only about 400 miles from Aconcagua itself, and in terms of the trek I would be nearing the start of the Horcones Valley, where the first day of actual walking begins.
I'll hit that point on 2 January - so here's a challenge for you.Can we raise enough funds that each day in December we match the altitude of the campsite for each equivalent day in January? If we add in the Gift Aid we've raised, we're just shy of Confluencia (£3,390), which I'll reach on 3 January. But from 4th to 9th January we will make our base camp at Plaza de Mulas [1] - £4,350. [2]
Do you think we can make it? Of course we can. I believe in you all.
[1] So named because it's the highest place that mules will go to. Up til that point, a beast of burden can carry your gear, but from then on you're lugging it yourself.
[2] We won't just be hanging out there for 5 days - there are a couple of rest days, but mainly we will be doing acclimatisation trips to climb Cerro Bonete (5,004m) and carry equipment and food to Plaza Canada (£5,050) - the next campsite.
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