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Annebel (no login)
Posted Nov 6, 2010 3:58 PM
A galant also at 6962 m altitude
Los Andes 04.11.2010.
"Facundo Arana descended the Aconcagua holding tight in his hands the flag of his campaign of solidarity. Fourteen days took the expedition inspired by the motto "Donating blood saves lives " . The soap opera actor summed up the feeling at the top: "I screamed inside: Summit, summit, summit!"
It is six o'clock in the afternoon and the gold that you see in the ocher-blue landscape of the Aconcagua Park is the long blond hair of Facundo Arana, who with adventurous step, comes down from Confluencia. But when he is about to cross the obligated bridge to return (the one on which Brad Pitt balanced years ago), what you make dazzle is his smile.
It's not because he is pretty. Not because he is tanned and marked by the wind. Not because of a 12 hours walk for the descent only but because he is surprised saying in a great mood :
Wow, how nice it this, how good youre here!
Arana, who already has felt the pulse of the mountain , wanted to push blood into a solidarity campaign. "There is no bigger honor for a cause than to make sense," he says with his hair disheveled due to excitement and gusts of wind. "At the summit? "Cold cold, wind wind" double echo the other three climbers (Ulises Corvalán, Herman Kneeteman and Pablo Betancourt) who also carry in their eyes the view of the summit as a postcard.
"It was crazy what happened to us," says Facundo to the group of rangers who welcome him. "When we were about at the peak, the Aconcagua putted us onto our tiptoe."
The metaphor could not be more graphic. With measuring instruments in his hand, Ulises explains us that a pressure drop caused the sensation of 7,200 meters (when in reality it is 6962 m). "The Aconcagua stretched upon us, we spent ten hours on the final climb and four in the descend."
You may assimilate Facundo Arana to the list of galants for the small screen, you may find him a better or worse actor but seeing him here, holding flags with burned hands, the person (rather than the character) becomes convincing.
"We have gone everywhere, talking to a housewife, to children, the media, teachers, trying to raise awareness about the importance of donating blood. This must be understood well. We came over here to give more echo to this cause.
"And just there, always ready as a missionary, along with the shirt of" No to mining pollution that came from Uspallata, he pulls out the flag wit the slogan "Donating blood saves lives."
- And you're what factor?
(Laughter) B positive.
Obvious. There is not a bead of negativity in their eagerness to please everyone, for taking the photos we requested, by showing respect and, above all, thanks to those who made possible the ascent. Well, as we know, the park season official opens on 15th of November. So this crusade has been a kind of special operation with high doses of seriousness.
"You do not know. They even put me in a capsule to study my red blood cells!" refers Arana. But far from a joke, he ensures that all areas proceeded flawlessly, granting permission only for being a campaign to save lives.
"And what did you feel there, near the sky? "I screamed inside " he says with what is left of his voice.
Summit, summit, summit! "Besides-and this he also would like to say, I felt something deep when we passed the tanks set up by the foundation after the Campanini tragedy. This, he tells to Ariel Ghilardi (the head of the high mountain area) gave him peace.
We understand the glances, gestures. They were speaking a little more about these drums with oxygen that were installed in February and already, have saved many lives.
Gradually, the Cordillera says farewell with his breath of mist and dark. Facundo is been carried away by saying goodbye and promises of return. He turns just once more, as a subtle bow to the Pacha, perhaps to tell the colossus: See you!
Translation Annebel.
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