Sunset on our approach to El Sosneado

Eduardo and two of his children, Pedro and Sofia

Driving into the Andes

A view of the Valley of Tears from the base of El Sosneado. The valley where the survivors lived is at the base of the snowy walls.

Jane Hoffman

Riding horses to our first camp

Crossing the Atuel river

Our great friend Edgardo Barrios

Pedro Strauch (Eduardo's son) on his first visit to the valley followed by his dad.

Jared Minor

Eduardo at a scenic part of the trail.

Sofia Strauch (Eduardo's daughter) also on her first trip to the valley.

Kevin Ellington

Jeff Muhr with an airplane part we found by the Lagrimas river

Pedro and David Williams

One of the steepest parts of our trail to the memorial site

Alpine Expeditions guide Ana Lorena Fox

Inside our tent on our second camp at the Valley of Tears. We were about 1/2 mile from where Eduardo and his mates spent 72 days in 1972. We spend one night at this 11,800' high camp before returning the next day to our lower camp at 9000'

The group around the memorial

The next day we examined one of the wings that is near by.

Enrique Polak and his son (to his right) and Pedro Strauch (to his left) at the site where the Fairchild fuselage was in 1972

Ricardo Peña at the Fairchild site again (Feb 2006), two months after having been there for the National Geographic Expedition to re-trace the survivors escape route (Dec 2005).

The headwall as it looked on February 2006

Looking up towards the gulley the Airplane came down on. Also this is where the killer avalanche came down from, on the survivors in 1972.

The view East towards El Sosneado (where we came from). This is the view the survivors stared at for days and months, leaning against the fuselage on warm afternoons. The only difference is that at the time of year they were here it was all completely covered in snow.

We begin our return to camp 1.

Crossing the Lagrimas river

As we drop elevation temperatures get warmer, and vegetation appears.

The group approaching camp 1

The next day we descended to the Atuel river and back to El Sosneado. Here is the group with a beautiful view of the Andes in the background.

David Williams undisputed winner of the "Award for bringing the absolute most worthless piece of gear on the mountain". Here proudly displaying his winning piece...the bath tub plug he brought up to 12,000' and back!