Mountaineer Rafael Gutierrez Summits Aconcagua in Argentina

At a time when most people are starting to see their new year's resolutions dissipate, Rafael Gutierrez , a Dad and engineer from Dublin, summited Aconcagua along with an expedition team of 5 other members.

Aconcagua in Argentina is part of the Andes mountain range and not only is it the highest mountain in South America, it is also the tallest peak in all of the Americas, as well as the Southern and Western Hemispheres.

Part of Rafael's attraction to these mountaineering adventures is the opportunity to get lost in time and meditative silence and he says: "You don't always know which day it is and there is such quiet - there are stretches when you don't see other people for days."

On this occasion he was part of a team of mountaineers who tackled the challenging Polish Glacier Traverse Route rather than the more common route up Aconcagua which is known as the Normal Route. Base Camp at the Normal route is like a small city and even has a bar said Rafael. He therefore preferred to experience the less travelled route with his climbing companions who hailed from Scandinavia, Germany and Canada. The more popular Normal Route follows the Northwest Ridge up Aconcagua and is 20% shorter than the Polish Glacier Traverse route. Both of these routes require no technical climbing to reach the summit.

Reaching the summit is not a straightforward ascent and descent but rather involves hiking to the base of the mountain, establishing camps, doing acclimatization climbs, summiting and descending in stages. Since these routes are described as requiring no technical climbing skills, thousands of people every year attempt to reach the summit however most of these people do not succeed in their mission as they neglect one crucial factor namely the altitude of Aconcagua.

As a general rule of thumb the altitude sickness line is about 2,400 meters (7874. feet) although this will vary from person to person as some will experience symptoms below this altitude while others may be able to go much higher. Aconcagua is 22,841 feet (6,962 meters) above sea level.

The altitude is therefore not be to be underestimated. On this expedition there was also more snow than anticipated and high winds that gusted up to 100 km/h. The unusual weather was attributed to the El Nino phenomenon. The team had to take special precautions to secure their tents with heavy stones at night to counteract the high winds. When asked how he managed to sleep under those conditions Rafael responded "You don't really sleep. You doze off for short naps."

Aconcagua is the second highest of the Seven Summits (the highest peaks on each continent).

Patch had spoken to Rafael after his previous expedition in Nepal which had been a stepping stone to his latest mountaineering achievement. When asked how this expedition compared to his previous one, Rafael indicated that it was much more demanding and if the former expedition could be considered beginner level in mountaineering terms then Aconcagua would be considered as 'intermediate' in his view.

For example there are no porters as in Nepal so the team is responsible for moving both the supplies and equipment in addition to their personal belongings. Moving from one camp to the next therefore requires them to traverse the same route twice in order to move everything they need. Items are distributed evenly to each team member by weight.

The harsh and cold conditions require water to be rationed and conserved so sometimes climbers forgo toothbrushing in order to save water to drink. Everything outside of the sleeping bag freezes over night, even inside the tents, so the bottom of the sleeping bag becomes a storage area for the most precious items that need to be protected.

Embarking on these adventures is a costly exercise - both in time and money. Rafael took over a year to prepare for his 14 day adventure and included his family at certain times so they got to spend more time together. His wife, Tanibet and daughters Jakdhale and Tanivet accompanied him on training hikes in Tallac in Tahoe and to Half Dome in Yosemite. Tanibet recalls how they set off at midnight to reach Yosemite in the early morning to start hiking at 6am. "In the beginning we were happy and singing" she said "at the early stages were excited by what we saw and stopped to take pictures of the breathtaking views but by the time we had been walking for more than 6 hours fatigue was setting in and there were no more pictures!"

Their experience gave them just a small taste of the physical demands that Rafael would face on his expedition. "I am extremely proud of his accomplishment," said Tanibet "I know he trained very hard and prepared well and although I was nervous when he was incommunicado I was delighted that he reached the summit."

Rafael feels that there are many parallels between life and mountaineering. Goal setting, determination and perseverance are the keys to success and go hand-in-hand with hard work and thorough preparation. "You have to know how badly you want to achieve your dream and believe in yourself" he says " no matter how many beautiful pictures are taken, he has not yet found a camera that captures the emotion and elation of summiting - it's something that has to be experienced."