- Mount Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the Western and Southern Hemispheres. It is located in Argentina, close to the border with Chile.
- Rising to 6,959 metres or 22,834 feet, Mount Aconcagua is the highest mountain in the world outside Asia.
- Aconcagua is a giant mass of rock. It may not be picturesque in the traditional Alpine sense but is certainly awe-inspiring in its size. Aconcagua dominates the skyline, and is visible all the way to the Pacific coast 100 miles away in neighbouring Chile.
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- The mountain’s peak and radiating ridges are largely windswept free of snow but large glaciers fill the valleys on all but the Southern and Western edges.
- Many climbing routes to the top are deceptively straightforward. This may be part of the reason why Aconcagua has one of the highest mountain death tolls in the world. Some climbers ascend the mountain too rapidly, with little consideration for elevation or weather, which can quickly become severe. The extreme cold, stormy winds and altitude make this mountain a serious undertaking.
- The Climb with PRIDE – Aconcagua 2007 expedition will use the Vacas and Relinchos Valley Route.
- The Climb with PRIDE – Aconcagua 2007 expedition will be led by breast cancer survivor, Rene’e Aziz Ahmad.
- The expedition will last for 26 days from 14 January to 9 February 2007, beginning and ending in the city of Mendoza, Argentina.
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- This timeframe includes both the climb itself as well as travel days, essential training in basic mountaineering, rest and acclimatization.
- The route selected for the Climb with PRIDE – Aconcagua 2007 expedition is known as the Vacas and Relinchos Valley Route.
- The Vacas and Relinchos Valley Route is one of the greatest non-technical ways of climbing Aconcagua. The Aconcagua Vacas and Relinchos valley expedition ascends the Vacas and Relinchos Valleys Route. At the base of the Polish Glacier the climbers will traverse the mountain. Upon summiting, they will descend the Normal Route, offering a wide spectrum of the entire mountain by travelling through three different river valleys; the Vacas, Relinchos and Horcones, experiencing the entire mountain, and past the four tremendous main faces of Aconcagua.
- Weather conditions on the mountain can change abruptly and climbers must be trained in the use of crampons and ice axes for their own safety and well-being during the expedition.
- The steady elevation gain between camps allows for less problematic acclimatization to altitude than on other routes.
- Prior to the expedition, local centralized training sessions will be held for essential bonding and teamwork development. This training will also strengthen their endurance, and aid acclimatization to altitude, with a minimum 3 days camp-out at the summit of Mount Kinabalu.
- Main sponsor: Eau Claire Mineral Water. Other sponsors: PLUS Expressway Berhad, Telekom Malaysia Berhad, CoreZone, Powerbar and Air Asia. Official broadcaster: Astro.
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