A JOURNEY WITHIN: Crowned with a splendor of snow and ice

                                                       Parque Nacionale de los Glaciares

I awake in the night, shaking illusions and dreams from my night´s journey to other worldly realms of monolithic gods and goddesses of stone, trees and ice---only to realize they are places in the here and now, on earth.  Magical realms that inspire myth and imagination where truth and fiction dance tango, in a give and take relationship.

Ever since the first night I rode away on a bus, leaving Mendoza, seeing the towering Cerro Aconcagua, my waking and night trips within my mind have been haunted by the forever taunting spirit of Aconcagua (the roof of the Americas).  The ceiling of the western hemisphere holding down my potential for imagination, wonder and story-telling.

                                                                    Elfen foot
The sky screams to me, ¨Shake dreams from your head my child, my sweet one!  The sky is the limit and your potential is limitless don´t let the ceiling of other´s fears hold you down or back from your hearts deepest desires.  Soar with the condors above and below the summit of your dreams.  Climb to the top and get their good tidings.  Don´t be scared, I am with you to hold your hand.  Sure times will be tough, but push on.  The top is near, one step at a time, one breath at a time.  Take your time.  The whole journey of LIFE is sacred.  So take care and know that I am there.  VAMOS, let´s go.¨

The first thing I see, when I awoke on the bus outside of Mendoza this morning, the second time around, is the only mountain showing; Aconcagua wrapped in a veil of mystery and cloud.  The Mountain beckons, standing and patiently waiting for my return like a setinel.  Here I am, mountain, in a few days beginning Monday I will attempt an ascent and descent over the course of the next eighteen to twenty days.  Hopefullly, summitting on or near my 34th birthday, on the 27th of January, but only if the mountain and the weather gods allow permission.  About fifty percent of the people who attempt actually make it to the top, the others turn around because lack of oxygen and their heads hurt and muscles start deterioriating.  I am not scared to turn around and if I have too, then I will.

My friend and I and a jackass that we will be renting will be heading for the goal.  The mule will be carrying our food and some of our gear as far as ït¨ will be allowed to go.  The rest will be up to us; a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual journey to the highest summit in the western hemisphere just under 23,000 ft (6962m) above sea level.  It will be mostly mental after a certain point.  Another friend, Ben backed out after meeting a beautiful Chilean girl, Ingrid and decided to go kick it on the beach, which is damn fine idea. I would have done the same.

pictures of Perito Moreno Glacier-gods and goddesses of ice; over 20 stories high and moving meters a day.  It is the size of the city of Buenos Aires at  97 square miles big, and 19 miles long.