January 23, 2015
Things are moving along now with the climb. The entire team climbed up to Camp Canada or our camp one location yesterday. We had a nice night up high enjoying the west aspect of the mountain late sunset. After dinner we talked a bit about glaciers as we had a beautiful view down to the Horcones glacier below.
Today is a combination of rest day ‘for the guys with prosthetics’ and a carry day for everyone else. Our guide staff is busy shuttling loads of food and gear ahead to Nido de Condores or camp two. The rest of our team will carry part of their personal gear forward to the camp and we all return to sleep another night in camp one. Spirits are high and we continue to work hard but also have fun!
Disabled Sports USA’s Warfighter Sports Team of severely wounded warriors is attempting a summit of Aconcagua, a nearly 23,000’ mountain in the Andes of Argentina, South America. Aconcagua is the world’s highest mountain outside of Asia. For world class mountain climbers, Aconcagua is one of the prized “Seven Summits”, the tallest mountain on each of the seven continents of the world.
The Warfighter Sports Team consists of four wounded warriors from two generations and three wars, a doctor, John Podraza, MD, from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, a world class guide, Ryan Waters, who has accomplished the “Adventurers Grand Slam,” Alexander (Alf) Garner, from Willis, a sponsor of the climb. The wounded warriors are Sgt. Chris Buckminster, USMC, who is dealing with Traumatic Brain Injury;Lance Corporal Colton Carlson, USMC, a double leg amputee; Captain Dave Borden, USMC, an above knee amputee; and Sgt. Kirk Bauer, US Army, an above knee amputee from the Vietnam war and executive director of Disabled Sports USA/Warfighter Sports. For more information go to: