Arian Lemal, The Sweeper of the Peaks

The eight: a friend to do a port of material to 5100m for clients, I asked him to accompany him and then go through camp canada for the waste down. The day is beautiful, everything goes fine, except that my knee is painful! but hopefully, we descend to base camp, and all the waste that I picked up his base camp and leave tomorrow for the park entrance.
The project is a real success, everyone is delighted, and several guides and porters tell me that the camp berlin is cleaner, we see the difference.

Here for the new sweeper tops, I think out of the park on January 11. I'll be able to eat fresh fruit, and make me a good breakfast with cornflakes and milk .... gonna be happy!!
I'll come back around the new Jan. 12!

Very good day to you all,
Arian, the sweeper of the peaks

January 3: it was cold that night, my sleeping bag is still full of ice crystals! (8:30 AM)
The sun begins to warm up my tent, the sky is blue, the wind blows gently, everything goes very well! My tent, I look for shipments from camp 2, 5900m. There are many today! ca tomorrow may rub on the way up ... Today I'm going to rest, and go around the nido to look for waste under rocks! Tomorrow, I will ascend to Camp 2!

The 4: 11am, I went to camp 2, camp or Berlin to clean the remaining waste. The weather was still stable with a little wind. During my cleaning, a nice South Korea has offered me orange juice boiling (weird at first but it warms) and Korean cookies! It was very nice of him, I sat outside a set of his tent, and while my moisturizer, I discussed a variety of climbs with her! Around 3am, I went back down with my waste and end of a day was spent chatting with Norwegian!
The sunset was beautiful, almost no wind and dazzling colors of beauty!

The 5: I go back in berlin, 5900m around 11am and then go to a place called "piedra blanca", simply because there are white stones everywhere. There is a 6100m. I head to this place because there is a tent torn and abandoned the top I want clean! Here I am a tent, it is filled with snow and ice solid as concrete! around 15h, I start to work with my ax, I hit the ice, knock, knock, knock ... still I rest 3 minutes, and I again! Ice exploding into small pieces that I whip his face ... but hopefully, the sun shines, it's almost good, and I am progressing well! 1:45 later, here the tent free from its ice, I let it dry in the sun while I collect some waste around. It is almost 5am. At that moment, I see a "guardaparque" which climbs ... he said he will seek someone who has a problem above 300m! 5 minutes later, here's a second "guardaparque" passing, friendly people greet! An hour later, come back with the "evacuated", they descend slowly surrounding and supporting the man!
25 minutes later, I began my descent with my waste. I joined the camp and I see two guardaparque to enable the climber to moisturize ... it sits with no activity on a stone, it does not move, he is absent! I am getting closer and I recognize an Austrian 40 years that I had met previously at base camp! I approach him, he speaks almost no ... I learn that he spent a night in the canaletta he reached the summit VAIT 7 pm Jan. 4! He is dehydrated, tired, completely disoriented, but seems to have no frostbite or critical problems. I will talk with friends, and I begin my descent. I meet one of the "guardaparque" with the Austrian descent, he is not moving at all, it is laborious! It is 7pm, the night falls, we must come down! I intend to help the guardaparque, he accepted with pleasure. Him before and behind me, we advance not a snail ... twice, the Austrian stumbles, I caught him by the backpack inextremis. The descent is laborious seriously ... but we're lucky, the weather is stable and comfortable temperature. During the descent, the Austrian Hermann called, we said, "this is really not far away camp, it really is not far." Soutennons us about it and we say that we must continue the descent. It's not far, but we must continue ... every 6-7 minutes I hermann motivated to continue the descent (the guardaparque speaks very little English). It merely has to tell us that the camp is not far, and look at the camp without moving .... The descent took us 2:30, instead of 45 minutes! couchñe the sun, but the sky is red, orange, we still see clear enough! I ask him where is his tent .. "It by" ... not hermann, there is nothing over there ... "then it's here" .... Hermann not, it's not yours .... he no longer knows his tent ... or is it gives me the make and color, and I go look for the tent, she was the al'opposé or we were ... Several times during the descent, he was asked how it went, He responded well, or better, he would just drink a lot! Arriving in the tent, Hermann wants to show us his photos, he does not care at all about his body, he wants to show us he was at the top, and he was a strong man reaching the top ... his mind works very wrong ... I kindly told him that we regaderons it all together tomorrow morning. I force because it does not! He sat in his tent, he told me that it's going better, he'll drink a lot ... I asked him again if all goes well, he responds "yes yes yes, thank you, I'll put in my bag sleeping and sleep. " this seems acceptable, the guardaparque accept, we are below 1500m, the situation is out of danger! The guardaparque invites me to drink hot tea and eat something. We congratulate each other for the descent, and say that Hermann really lucky, fortunately he had an equipment of very good quality down jacket with a super hot!
30 minutes, we say we're going to see if all goes well on the side of Hermann. He seemed quite conscious. Arriving in his tent, he is still sitting, shoes still on their feet, like the jacket ... he did not move a muscle! but even when he drank a little. His gaze is empty, it is still in the midst of his tent ... It is a body without soul ... Everything must be done for him ... you start to remove the boots ... a sock ... "oooohh mierda" say the guardaparque, the foot is purple up to half. We feared the worst for the second scenario ... even dark purple! he has both feet frozen, CEST ugly to see! guardaparque takes the live radio and started to discuss the situation with the base. I seek socks dry in the tent, and clothes to surround your feet! Hermann is rather small but grassouillais .... I was just getting up, move and has the al'installer in his sleeping bag fully clothed, the jacket surrounding his feet and with 2 pairs of socks and a fleece all around! hermann just wants to sleep now, we give an aspirin to thin the blood, two thermoses of hot tea ... he was told to drink well, and if necessary the guardaparque is not far ... It's 11pm, I am tired, I go to bed ... the guardaparque me thank a lot for my English without help because it would have been a lot of issues regarding ...
The next day around 7am, my tent, I hear the helicopter, hermann is certainly evacuated. I would learn later that he did all his needs on him during the night, and had to wear it for the al'helico Take affected ... it will be taken directly to the hospital. I do not know the rest of the story!

The 6: Rest day was 5300m and cleaning of waste last camp1. Descent of two bags of garbage has 4900m, camp canada. Approximately 25kg. I go back to camp 1.

The seven, storage of the tent above sea level, preparation of the bag, and back down with a garbage bag at base camp. I'm almost 46 kg on his back ... the descent is long and my right knee pain ...
I retrouvre base camp with all its "comfort". my patella tendon suffered during the descent, that is painful. But hopefully, I'm back at base camp, the waste is down, but two bags at a camp canada 4900m Ill go get that tomorrow.

The 2-01-2007: Summit Day: departure time around 3am. I can not seem to sleep, so around 1:30 I started to prepare myself and I go to 2:30. It is -15 degrees in my tent, the wind blows gently, the moon is full, the night sky: it's wonderful to leave for the summit. I drink hot chocolate, I eat a cereal bar, I dress warm, I enfille my shoes, my gloves down, my bag, my sticks ... and off you go!
The cold night is silent, I hear only the sound of my footsteps on the snow clenched, my sticks and metallic sound and the sound of my breathing in the rarefied oxygen. It is quite as magical moment, alone in the night sky. Several times, I look up to admire the stars and bright moon. My progress is normal, but my legs are heavy, it is curious! An hour later, I stopped at Camp Berlin (5900m) for me to moisturize and 5 minutes later, I'm leaving! My legs are still heavy .... I say it's mental as sensation because I have already traveled this road a week ago and I just feel it is long and I do not advance! Not enough oxygen in my brain I think ... Anyway, rather laboriously, I arrive Independencia camp (6400m), the night is still deep and the wind rose: a wind that freezes my face and frozen condensation my breath on my scarf (a scarf that I wear to avoid breathing in cold air and thus aggravate my sore throat). I find myself with a scarf covered with ice crystals ... it feels weird! In addition, it does not take much on my face, so I have to remove my gloves to give it to me frozen hands in 2 minutes. Above independencia, after passing a snow cornice, I "tumbling" in the "great Acareo" a very long journey of 1:30 and above all very windy! It does not fail, when I pass the ledge, I am literally a slap of icy wind was 50km-h. Immediately I think "ohhh happiness."
Small parenthesis, I come back in 30 minutes: Independencia has happened, I thought laboriously forward, but when I look at my watch, it says 5:23. 3 hours to arrive at independencia, instead of 3:45 last year, it's very motivating!
Back in the crossing: to protect me from the cold wind happening to me right, I turn my head slightly to the left and I crab: rather amusing situation 6500m, right?
At the time, I was not the happiest of climbers .... ah ah ah ah! It's 6:30, I'm well into the crossing, and the sun rises! I do not see the sun, it is hidden behind the Aconcagua, however the colors blue, purple, orange and unfold on the horizon behind me, the show is wonderful. I have super cold, but it's beautiful, beautiful, BEAUTIFUL!!!
Despite my technical crab, the wind makes me cry, and the tears froze on my lashes ... Occasionally, I take off my lashes top and bottom! The crossing is quick, and here I am at the foot of canaletta, small corridor of 200m in altitude, steep (35 degrees), is here with a scree and large boulders. Both say that it slide, it is unstable and it is a labyrinth of stones. The last years, this corridor was full of snow. This year, there's glare ice from time to time! Come on, I'm starting, and not 10 and I stopped, and not 10 and I stop ... ahhhh ... and not thin, I have to decline by 3! The beard! the sun has not yet passed over the Aconcagua, which means that I'm still in the dark and the cold persists, but I'm progressing well ... a little crash from time to time and I continue. I am always alone, I look far back (about 3 hours of ascent), and person! The January 2, I'm all alone from the top, or it is too early (8am) to be as high!
I begin to see the top, top left, it is still far, but I approach with my baby steps "crab". A little nostalgic feeling develops in me ... 30 minutes later, here I am on the summit ridge, I turn around and before me, appears at the top of the south face ... beautiful and majestic! I continue my progress on a lot that I do not like: loose rocks and ice with a nice near vertical slope to my left! stay focused! One step, two, three and here before me the cross summit of Aconcagua. I can not believe it ... after one year of work, bronchitis, sore throat and antibiotics at altitude, I managed to reach the top to get my message! I am happy, but I cry! 6962m all alone, I cry with joy! All is well, Aconcagua me again accepted the top and gives me the opportunity to get my message of this mythical place. Aconcagua thank you!
Last year, I made the mistake of staying on top 3am and even fall asleep! This time, I stay focused, I take pictures, I do live video, I collect some waste around the cross, and 45 minutes later here I am on the way down! I do not like going downhill, they are dangerous, so I increased vigilance ... has three times I slipped and landed on my buttocks and on the backpack, my left elbow gets hurt a little violent. Arian careful! 35 minutes later I'm at the foot of canaletta in the distance I perceive a climbing expedition. Here are the first climbers I see it is almost 11am! All these climbers did not look like some way to climb even unstable and unreliable ... Little encouragement from me, and I continue my descent to Camp Independencia (6400m) where I had spotted waste. Pleasant surprise, the waste is always, I leave my bag cleaning, I put my mitt, and I clean this abandoned shack! 30 minutes later and 15 pounds heavier on my back, I continued my descent. The bag is heavy on my shoulders and my legs are really starting to tire ... tell me this is normal after 1600m of ascent above 6000m, and a descent with 15kg of waste. The last meters to my tent is long and difficult. It's 13:15, I just arrived at my tent after a huge morning from 11am! I drop my bag on the floor, and I sat looking at the top of where I come from. I had an excellent acclimatization, which allowed me to reach the summit in 6:30 from Camp 1, 5300m. I am very happy, yet my toue came back and it bothers me! I hope it will go!
10 minutes later, I removed my boots altitude, my jacket, my hat, my pole, my two pants, socks, colant ... I find myself in shorts and t-shirt, I drink a liter and a half water, and I faufille in my sleeping bag to rest ... I will sleep two short hours! To 16h, the "guardaparque" come see me and congratulate the top, and tell me that the helicopter this morning came looking for the waste down! Its a great news! In fact, the helicopter deposited the living and material, and then back down took waste!
This morning in the canaletta, 1200 m above, I heard the helicopter and when I turned, I saw him at camp 1 (a small flying saucer full of lights), but I thought it was an outlet for ... waste disposal at the end!
In short, this day of February 2 is EXCELLENT!!
The end of the day takes place was quietly chatting with friends very interested in the summit since the attempt in two days!
In the evening, I faufille in my sleeping bag, I do émergerai later than 10am!

Hello,

First, a very good year all those following this adventure environment. I hope the holidays went well and that you have very good intentions for the beautiful planet we live on ... From the base camp of Aconcagua, I wish you very good things for this new year. It's been nine days that you were waiting for the new sweeper tops ... Here they are:

After 4 days of rest at base camp to recuperate from my angina pain, I had back in altitude to continue cleaning up this beautiful mountain.

The 30: 11 am, I just had a discussion with "guardaparque" base camp, the chief was not aware of my project, and this same problem arose because I had no paper or Administrative Official stating my right on the mountain and my project. Lack of communication simply ... Anyway, I have re-explain everything and even argue for my project, but even when he congratulated me for my effort. He simply saw a lot of people want to come clean and free of Aconcagua, except that these people had never climbed the Aconcagua and just wanted to abuse ... well, some ill caring makes things more difficult ... and I quite understand the guardaparque.
The end of the discussion was very friendly and warm as it realized who I was and the seriousness of my project. At the end, it was even impressed. However, bad news: he does not want to raise the helicopter has just 5300m for waste, which means I'll have all the waste down to base camp. That is to say down certain waste of 2000m, 1000m and other ... imagine, I have already collected about 100kg of waste .... gonna make a bad back and legs!! It complicates things a bit, but doable. You just have to be determined and motivated.

31: 8:30 to start my camp 1. The soleile rises slowly, the wind is minimal, it is a day to go up in altitude magnfique without freezing your hands ... I'm still on antibiotics, I am better, but I do not feel all my strength.
The climb was long (4300m has 5300m) and difficult, I stopped very often because my legs were heavy, but heavy ...
However, it took only 4:20 am to join my tent, which is a quite acceptable time. I have not coughed so too the situation is quite good. For three days now, temperatures are ski and wind disappeared! This is happiness Aconcagua right now, I adoreeeeee!!
Arriving in my tent, I was pleasantly surprised to see that she was still but also a small brook ran around and above. The snow is melting very quickly right now, what do it trickles from the slope and eventually my tent ca .... Genial! ha ha ha, it's better to laugh than cry ... As we speak I'm writing these few lines in my notebook, I hear the water flowing at 5 m from my tent. In short, while I go out of the tent, I pick up the anchors, and I move my tent to dry. It was at gadouilleux possible .... but all is well, life is good!
I spill my tent and left to dry and the rest. I'm lucky that this day is hot, sunny and windless. It's great! For the first time this trip, the camp is a viable and enjoyable. I do not wear gloves, no jacket, no ski mask .... great short!
And to change, I'll get some snow and I get to work. I sit outside sitting on a stone with a magnificent view of one camp and the surrounding mountains! It's beautiful! 2:30 later, I have 5 liters of water, I'm happy! Now it is 17:30 and I rest in my tent with the sound of the stream of life ... not bad, eh?
Tonight will be my first Christmas Eve has 5300m of altitude alone. Tomorrow, I will wish good year for other climbers!

The 1-01-2007: New year starts, it is 15:50, the sun shines, the wind is minimal, I walk around the camp for a pick up litter, and I rest. I think going to the top tomorrow. Since I can not sleep between midnight and was 4am, to make time pass more quickly, much as I put on my boots and I walk to the summit ...

Hello,
For a few days I was unable to write because I was at high altitude (between 5300 and 6500m). Here are finally some new fresh and old:

The 19 was a day resting at base camp and preparing for my bag back the next day at altitude. The day was windy, but sunny. She passed quietly.

On 20: I slept badly again! But hey, I'm getting used. Quick breakfast around 8:30, and 8:50 for departure to Camp 1, 5300m. The weather is fairly stable, a little icy wind from time to time, a landscape still "lunairement beautiful", and the rise looks good. I feel very motivated for this climb, my morale at the top. When you gotta go, gotta go! I cover myself with my many different clothes (4 different layers to keep warm and protect from the wind). Against by the end of an hour, I realize I'm wearing a t-shirt "no molding", which turns out to be a big mistake! Air infiltrates and cools my chest ... which is dangerous for my bronchitis. While walking, I thought "I hope I will not regret it." In short, this scares me cold, but I must continue! The ascent is very good, I have a good steady pace, I found a good feeling ... like in January. By 4am, I join my tent 5300m, she expects all fair, and especially me present an air of protection and home. What happiness! I found Rex, we're all happy to be back! Before I moved into my tent, I'll fill a bag of snow to produce water thereafter. And yes, I have more water flowing from the glacier, simply tap over. The water becomes more scarce and valuable than before.
The atmosphere is once again a joke and has a good humor with Rex. Our tents are a 1m from each other. I am invited to lunch in his tent, it is 14h. The meal finished, I slipped into my tent and begins the long process to produce water and hydrate me. Speaking of me hydrated, I must drink a little! Slim, I reversed my sleeping bag on the ... no!
The wind begins to rise, he is violent (80 km-h), the tent shaking all over, it folds, it folds, it stirs ... but always returns to its initial state. Thank you "Mountain Hardwear" for its high quality equipment. He - 4 degrees in the tent. Our respective tents, and Rex month we speak, we ask how it's going, what we did (at the bottom of the sleeping bag warm) ... short of rain and good weather. I have a headache, the altitude is felt ... I therefore slowly. I have a tidy little near my tent to make it my new home ... in total, even when I spend about 20 days.