This trip was done solo and unsupported. The plan was to do it with a friend who preferred to go to the beach instead…
I was always wondering if La Paloma could be done in a day, instead of the regular 3 days approach. After having done altitude acclimatation on Cerro Plomo, a 5424m summit, and having taken a week’s rest, it was time to check it.
After a night in the tent in Villa Paulina, I started around 4 a.m. Conditions were too nice, with an isotherm at 5100 m, no wind and a brilliant moon to help the headlamp.
In my mind, I had cut this trip in four sections: up to the mirador at the end of the valley (1), the rock field (2), the Rincon Glacier (3) and the final push to the summit with its icy ridge (4).
Section 1 is, as always, frustrating. This part is the cleanest but there are still tricks such as loose rocks to make you trip and lose some time. It is considerably better after Las Cascadas where the trail gets more mountainous. I felt sick at the beginning, lots of people were partying at the camp to avoid Covid restrictions in the city, and my breakfast was certainly too heavy and too close from the start. It passed quickly, after 1h30 maybe, and I cruised easily to the end of the valley, with a nice sunrise over the surrounding mountains.
Section 2 was awful. I knew there was no water source after Piedra Carnaval, but when I was there, I met two guys who slept there, super sick because of the water. Their plan was to push for the summit, but they turned around instead. I did not lose time to look for proper water, thinking, ‘Hey there is a glacier further on the route, you will have plenty of water’. My bad. There was not, especially this early in the day. The rock field, full a big and small boulders, with nothing stable, almost convinced me today was not the day. I decided if I was not at 9 a.m. in sight of the glacier, no way I would continue.
I arrived on time for section 3 where snow conditions and chill temperatures helped me to regain some speed. Passing far right of the glacier, crampons allowed to unplug the brain and just go for it. The cold helped me to manage my thirst. I arrived around 10 a.m. at the top of the glacier with the false summit in sight.
Section 4 was the most enjoyable with a good terrain to move. I was slow because of dehydration, having not drink for a while now. Getting the first false summit, I took a break just to regroup myself before facing the ridge leading to the summit. Nothing super complicated but a fall could be quickly catastrophic. I arrived at the summit 7:30 am after departure.
Then, I quickly turned around to find some water on the way down, which I did on the glacier, the coming heat having melted some ice. The best water of my life! Section 2 in descent was as awful on the way up, if not more as it was frustrating to see that I didn’t gain time here. When I got finally to Piedra Carnaval, the heat finished destroying my average speed. I was aiming under 12 hours at some points, but I needed to spend time around streams of fresh water to recover some humanity.
Apart from section 1, I saw nobody on the mountain. It was just a pure moment between her and me.