SOUTH AMERICA 2026

South America wasn't planned as a conventional expedition with a fixed itinerary. The idea was much simpler: spend as much time in the mountains as possible.

Everest was already locked in for the spring, and the possibility of attempting multiple 8,000-metre mountains during the Nepal season meant I wanted to arrive in the best mountain shape of my life. Rather than train at home lock in a gym and climbing small local peaks, I decided the best preparation was to climb.

I started in Ecuador, where Victor joined me for a rapid progression through Illiniza Sur, Cotopaxi and Chimborazo. Quito became our unofficial base camp, we would climb, return to the city for a night or two to eat and recover, then head straight back into the mountains.

From Ecuador we flew to Chile and self-organized a quick expedition to Ojos del Salado, the highest volcano in the world. From there we continued almost immediately to Argentina for Aconcagua, before finishing the journey among the high peaks of Bolivia.

The itinerary evolved constantly. Weather, conditions and opportunity dictated what came next. Peru had originally been part of the plan, but conditions pushed us toward Bolivia instead, where we continued with Huayna Potosí and Sajama.

Victor eventually returned home and I kept going, joining Eduardo for Sajama, adding Acotango almost spontaneously, and finishing with a solo road trip to Potosí to climb Cerro Rico.

By the end, we'd crossed four countries and stacked mountain after mountain with very little recovery between them. Long summit days and rapid turnarounds had become normal, and I was moving comfortably above 6,000 metres.

That was exactly what I'd come to South America for.

The expedition wasn't really about any single summit. It was about building the fitness, acclimatization and ability to recover that I would need for what came next.

Nepal was getting closer.