Update 4:

On Saturday 23rd January 2010 Jimmy successfully sumitted Aconcagua (22,841ft - the highest mountain of the Andes and South America!)  The weather forecast was for severe storms on the days they had scheduled to summit.  They agreed to miss an acclimatisation day and go for the summit one day early.  9 out of the group of 14 were successful in making it to the top and Jimmy was one of them.  A severe storm broke out when they were on the summit and the mountain was officially closed.  The group had a very quick window to take some pictures from the top before heading back to base camp.  The group of 9 returned to base  camp safely.  Jimmy said it is the toughest thing he has ever done but delighted he has successfully achieved what he set out to do.  Jimmy has now successfully climbed 3 of the 7 summits, the highest mountains on the 7 continents.  He thanks everyone for all their support throughout his journey and looks forward to getting home to see his family.

 

Update 3:

Jimmy successfully reached camp 1 on the 17th and camp 2 on the 18th.  Camp 2 is situated at 17,100ft and had freezing temparatures.  The group dropped off food and returned to base camp.  These days were to assist with acclimatisation and final preparations for summit attempt.  Jimmy also passed the two medicals that were required to proceed to the summit.  Jimmy returned to camp 1 on 20th and camp 2 on 21st this now being the journey to the summit.   He is still feeling strong and prepared for the challenges that lie ahead, in particular the summit day!  First possible summit day will be Sunday 24th January but will depend on the weather.  Three days have been scheduled to reach the summit, giving spare time in case of bad weather, but the summit will be attempted on the first possible day.

 

Update 2:

On day 9 of this adventure, Jimmy successfully summited Bonete Peak (16,420ft).  This was a tough day with 4 hours of uphill on scree.  It took them 4 hours to reach the summit from base camp and the freshly fallen deep snow added to the challenge.  However from the top he saw the entire route to the top of Aconcagua.  It only took 40 mins to return to base camp, screeing all the way!  This was an excellent acclimatisation day.  The next few days will take Jimmy to Camp 1 (16,500ft) and Camp 2 (17,100ft).

 

Update 1:

Jimmy is currently on day 8 of his challenge and on schedule. After 40 miles of walking and 6,000ft ascent he reached base camp at 14,322 ft.  It was a very tough day but he is feeling good and strong with only a slight headache due to altitude.  It is hot by day and freezing at night and last night they experienced strong winds of 60mph which resulted in the tents almost blowing away.  Today he had an acclimatisation and rest day and tomorrow he summit's Bonete Peak (16,420ft).  Further update in a few days.

 

 

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Hi, my name is Jimmy Munro and  I'm challenging myself to climb Aconcagua the highest mountain  in the Andes on the South American continent. At almost 23,000ft and with no bottled oxygen it will take a lung bursting effort in the thin air. So for my efforts    I want to try and  raise  money for "Yorkhill Childrens Foundation" along the way.   I'm fully funding this expedition on my own so every penny donated will go to the kids charity.

I also want to strike a blow for the older generation and get rid of the perception that at over 65 you're "past it" .   Having already climbed Kilimanjaro  (Highest in African Continent) and Mount Elbrus (Highest in Europe)  I want to prove  that, with the right preparation & training,  the  65+ age group can still physically reach a high level of fitness.    

In setting out to prove my point what better way to do it  than to raise money for the sick children of Scotland.

I'm currently training & prepareing in the Scottish mountains with the assistance of son Andy & daughter Audrey, both also keen climbers.

I leave on 7th January next  and fly to Mendoza in Argentina starting the climb on the 10th January.  All going well I'll summit around the 25th to 27th depending on weather conditions. ( storms can blow up on this mountain at almost any time)    

I'll  text home regularly  so that  this page can be updated with my progress

PLEASE  HELP  ME TO RAISE SOME FUNDS FOR THE SICK CHILDREN OF SCOTLAND.

THANKS

 

JIMMY

 

 

 

 

 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.