We decided to stay an extra night in the relative luxury of Base Camp for the New Year celebrations.  Our guide Eli had let slip that her boyfriend, also a guide, would be passing through for New Years and by way of thanks to her for guiding us back down we offered to stay on so she could see him.   (Of course due to the law of sod he never made it – I’m sure this trip was jinxed!).  Anyhoo’s, we spent New Years Eve with the next group of victim’s preparing to climb.  Of course my face was great encouragement for them especially as by that time the skin on my swollen stretched face had started to split and ooze and when it solidified I had problems opening my mouth to eat (didn’t stop me talking though – ha ha in your face!).   Not the best advertisement for those waiting to climb!

It was an interesting group of clashing characters and whilst we had a great evening laughing along with them (and at them to be honest!) we felt grateful to have been in such a harmonious group when we climbed.  It was great to switch off and laugh along with others for a while as we had both been experiencing a real roller-coaster of emotions having been made to turn around so close to the summit.  Disappointment, despondency, frustration, anger, the list goes on.  But we had to keep telling ourselves that we came to Aconcagua to learn and one thing we had learnt was more about the effects of altitude and to have more confidence in our own decision making.  Better to have to learn these things now than when we get to Everest!  

We also learnt that we were able to cope well with living in a tent for a number of weeks and that we had both thoroughly enjoyed this aspect of the trip.  There’s something beautifully simplistic about being on a mountaineering expedition.  You get up, you eat something and you climb, you eat something else and then you sleep.  Then the next day you do it all again!  No phone calls, no supermarket shop, no e-mails, no bills to pay.  No cars rushing past, no noisy neighbours, you don’t hear the news; everyday life seems like a million miles away.  And although you know it’s all out there, still going on, for a short time it’s forgotten.  For a short time it’s just about you and the mountain. 

Another good thing about spending some extra time at Base Camp was that we got to see all the backstage stuff that goes on between the arrivals of groups of climbers.  Helicopters swooped in to pick up the toilet waste and the lovely poo bags we had carried down with us!  (Couldn’t help laughing at the thought of this being dropped on unsuspecting climbers on the mountain above!).  The Mules arrived to take our bags away and the chefs got ready for the next big arrival.  They all got used to us knocking about and we were made very welcome in the kitchen tent where we were very well fed!  (Made my face even fatter!)

Then on the morning of the 1^st January 2011 we took a few more photo’s for sponsors before we set off for another two days of hiking to get back down to Penitentes ski resort where we would meet up again with our group.  They were coming down the much quicker normal route (sore subject – don’t get me started!) and so would arrive back at the same time as us.  It was beautiful weather again and we tried to get a few photos on the way down.  Of course we had an enormous distance to cover and so Eli set off at practically a running pace while we huffed and puffed along behind her.  (This girl was a beast!  She could carry enormous loads and never stopped smiling and laughing – a true gem!). 

Now that we were close to the finish line I had started to feel slightly homesick.  It was all over for us on Aconcagua and I started to crave a shower and my little house back in North Wales.  It’s funny what you learn about yourself on expeditions such as this – I discovered that as much as I love an adventure, I also love to come back to my home at the end of it, to catch up with my family and friends.  And I felt so grateful to have someone like Stevie by my side no matter what, to share in all my experiences, the good and the bad.  The whole trip had involved some fantastic highs and some crushing lows accompanied by both mental and physical tests that sent me on a journey of self-discovery that will stay with me for the rest of my life.  (Fortunately the fat face has not!).  And I look forward to continuing this journey on our next trip and then on to Everest.