Here we go...

Well, here we are in Mendoza, awaiting our pickup to go to Penitentes, our last stop before the trek proper begins. Yesterday was a day of travelling that saw us fly from Heathrow to Buenos Aires Pistarini airport, then get a lift-cum-guided tour across the city with Jeremy's friends Vicky and Julian, who were wonderful hosts. The short hop to Mendoza itself was pleasant on a half empty flight with acres of space, and all was going well.

Our guides had even managed to get our permits before we arrived (you're meant to apply in person). And then we realised that all the gear hire shops would be shut today for the New Year, and Jeremy hadn't yet acquired a pair of plastic boots. A slightly nervous stroll around Mendoza's beautiful, tree-lined streets ensued, before we found, t the third attempt, a shop that was only on the point of closing instead of already being shut. Job done, all set. Earlier, our guide Tommy, who is a rugby fan and has recently climbed Lhotse without oxygen, reviewed the rest of our kit and pronounced it adequate, so there remains only the problem of working out what to take for the first two days' walking, and what to send ahead with the mules.


Then there was time for more strolling around Mendoza in search of an open bar (they all shut last night at 8. Even the Irish pub. Why?). The city itself is something of a marvel. Built on a desert plain in the rainshadow of the Andes, it and its vineyards are fed by a vast network of irrigation canals that make life possible and allow trees to flourish along every street. We met the rest of our group for a New Year's dinner. Jakob and Carlos are from Mallorca, Victoria is a portena (as natives of the port city of Buenos Aires are known), who's prepared by climbing several 6,000m peaks. We've yet to meet the mysterious George, an Albanian who's lived in Canada for 20 years, but they seem a good bunch and I think we will get on well.

So, we're checked out, packed (Jeremy has gone ultra-light with his two-day pack. Mine is much bulkier and a fair bit heavier, but it's still lighter than my training load of Elspeth and Cora) and waiting in the lobby for our minibus. Wish us luck.