Aconcagua, South Face, Messner Route. Mike French, Englishman ...

Aconcagua, South Face, M essner R oute. Mike French, Englishm an H ugh Grandfield and I set our Base Cam p at the Plaza F rancia on F eb ­ ruary 19. A fter ten days of acclimatizing, we started up the route, hoping to m ake the second ascent of it and the first alpine ascent. Unseasonably heavy snowfall and unusually bad w eather caused m ajor delays. On M arch 13 at 22,300 feet in a change of lead, Grandfield sustained a fatal fall when for some reason he completely unhooked his rope to effect the change-over. U nable to reach the sum m it that day, F ren ch and I biv­ ouacked on the G uanaco Ridge. The cold and wind were fierce and F rench and I were both frostbitten in the ensuing storm. W e reached the sum m it on M arch 14. B r i a n A. B e r g , U SA F Pararescue Team