Back in January, The Forshaw Group was delighted to share that its managing director Liam Hanlon along with Steve Hayes, as part of the Tri-4-Life team, successfully summitted Mount Aconcagua.
Here, Liam recounts the steps required to achieve this fantastic challenge:
The adventure begins
The team flew from Manchester airport on Saturday 3 January 2026 to Frankfurt, where they continued on to Mendoza, reaching it after 30 hours of travelling. The next day, they met their mountain guides, and then traveled to Penitentes, Refugio Cruz De Cana on Monday 5 January, an abandoned ski resort. The site hasn’t seen snow in over eight years but is now used as a base for parties seeking to climb Mount Aconcagua.
Tuesday 6 January
Liam and Steve began their trek to Mount Aconcagua with a 6.5 hour walk to Pampa de Lenas, the first camp at 2,864m, where they camped overnight.
Wednesday 7 January
The team then continued with another 7.5-hour hike, climbing up to 3,400m to the next camp at Casa De Piedra. Although the climb began to steepen into the valleys, they were rewarded with stunning scenery.
Thursday 8 January
The next day was overcast with light rain, but this did not dampen the team’s spirit, as the next camp would be Base Camp for Mount Aconcagua.
Friday 9 January
After an 8-hour trek, the team arrived at Base Camp, Plaza Argentina at 4,198m. The team encountered snow for the first time on their trek and even spotted wild vicuna (related to llamas and alpacas).
Saturday 10 – Tuesday 13 January
Liam and Steve then began their 9-hour rotation trek to Camp one (at 4,950m), and then back down to Base Camp, and then back to Camp one, to help with the climatisation process. They started this leg of the journey in clear skies and good spirits, despite carrying 15 kilos each! The trek provided the team with a good indication for how they would fare for the rest of the trip. And at this height, the team was starting to feel the effects of altitude sickness, with headaches and nausea, and the promise of more cold and snow on the way.
Wednesday 14 January
Wednesday 14 January saw the team begin its ascent to Camp two, Guanacos, a trek of 5.5 hours. Stunning views and snow formations awaited the team, serving as a reminder of why the effort was all worthwhile. After seeing the deepest snowfall for decades, the team were informed that, shortly after leaving Camp two, the whole of the mountain had been closed to climbers due to snowfall and avalanche risks.
All the teams at lower camps were removed from the mountain and all roads in and out of the passes were closed. This meant that Liam and Steve were now just one of a handful of teams left on the mountain. With more heavy snow and tough climbs ahead, they could only wait and see what nature would reveal in their bid to summit.
Thursday 15 January
Now at Camp three, at 5,400m, this provided Liam and Steve with a much-needed rest day to acclimatise. The going was becoming tougher, with nausea and headaches from altitude acclimatisation. Weather conditions were also proving tough, with 100km winds expected on the summit. Their support teams were busy working out the windows of opportunity, weather permitting, for them to move to High Camp ready for their summit bid.
Friday 16 January
Liam and Steve remained stuck at Camp three whilst they waited for the winds to abate. But finally, the team was able to begin its ascent again to High Camp, Colera, a 5.5-hour trek to 5,907m.
Saturday 17 January
After a short rest, the conditions were favourable enough for a summit attempt at 4am, with a grueling 10-hour trek ahead of them to reach the peak at 6,962m. At 4pm that day, the team made it!
Rewarded with glorious panoramic views from the highest point in Argentina, South America, Liam and Steve were left feeling on top of the world! What an achievement for themselves, Tri-4-Life, and Southport Lifeboat, the team’s chosen charity for this climb.
The team then began their slow descent to get back down the mountain by Monday 19 January, before starting their journey home from Mendoza.
Support the cause
To make a donation, visit the Southport Lifeboat donation page, and state that it is in support of the Aconcagua Challenge, here: https://www.southport-lifeboat.org.uk/donate
Watch the full adventure here:
