Disturbed Podcast Narrator

It'll be convenient to have current photos on file. If anyone doesn't make it off the mountain. Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy. You can find us here every Wednesday. Today, we're covering two mysterious deaths near the summit of Aconcagua. Officially, they were accidents.

It'll be convenient to have current photos on file. If anyone doesn't make it off the mountain. Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy. You can find us here every Wednesday. Today, we're covering two mysterious deaths near the summit of Aconcagua. Officially, they were accidents.

It'll be convenient to have current photos on file. If anyone doesn't make it off the mountain. Welcome to Conspiracy Theories, a Spotify podcast. I'm Carter Roy. You can find us here every Wednesday. Today, we're covering two mysterious deaths near the summit of Aconcagua. Officially, they were accidents.

But ever since the bodies were recovered, theories have flown about murder on the mountaintop. Be sure to check us out on Instagram, at The Conspiracy Pod, and we would love to hear from you. So if you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. Stay with us.

But ever since the bodies were recovered, theories have flown about murder on the mountaintop. Be sure to check us out on Instagram, at The Conspiracy Pod, and we would love to hear from you. So if you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. Stay with us.

But ever since the bodies were recovered, theories have flown about murder on the mountaintop. Be sure to check us out on Instagram, at The Conspiracy Pod, and we would love to hear from you. So if you're listening on the Spotify app, swipe up and give us your thoughts. Stay with us.

Aconcagua has a reputation as an easy mountain, because compared to some other mountains that reach record-breaking heights, the trek doesn't require a lot of technical expertise. But that's not to say that climbing Aconcagua is actually easy. The landscape might be stunning, but it's also brutal. Windswept, blinding, and dotted with penitentes.

Aconcagua has a reputation as an easy mountain, because compared to some other mountains that reach record-breaking heights, the trek doesn't require a lot of technical expertise. But that's not to say that climbing Aconcagua is actually easy. The landscape might be stunning, but it's also brutal. Windswept, blinding, and dotted with penitentes.

Aconcagua has a reputation as an easy mountain, because compared to some other mountains that reach record-breaking heights, the trek doesn't require a lot of technical expertise. But that's not to say that climbing Aconcagua is actually easy. The landscape might be stunning, but it's also brutal. Windswept, blinding, and dotted with penitentes.

They're like stalagmites rising from the floor of a cave, but made out of ice. Climbers have to navigate through fields of these otherworldly formations, some as tall as six feet. And getting up the mountain is not always a linear trip.

They're like stalagmites rising from the floor of a cave, but made out of ice. Climbers have to navigate through fields of these otherworldly formations, some as tall as six feet. And getting up the mountain is not always a linear trip.

They're like stalagmites rising from the floor of a cave, but made out of ice. Climbers have to navigate through fields of these otherworldly formations, some as tall as six feet. And getting up the mountain is not always a linear trip.

In 1973, the American climbers needed more supplies than they could carry at once, so their ascent was actually a maddening logistical nightmare of shuttling equipment up the mountain, then turning around to go down for the next load, for days on end. And then there's the elevation. Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside of Asia. Base camp is at roughly 13,500 feet.

In 1973, the American climbers needed more supplies than they could carry at once, so their ascent was actually a maddening logistical nightmare of shuttling equipment up the mountain, then turning around to go down for the next load, for days on end. And then there's the elevation. Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside of Asia. Base camp is at roughly 13,500 feet.

In 1973, the American climbers needed more supplies than they could carry at once, so their ascent was actually a maddening logistical nightmare of shuttling equipment up the mountain, then turning around to go down for the next load, for days on end. And then there's the elevation. Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside of Asia. Base camp is at roughly 13,500 feet.

That's just a thousand feet shy of the highest point in the continental United States. And this is the starting point for the Polish route. From there, it's another 8,000 feet up to the summit at around 22,800 feet, over four miles above sea level. The physical effort of getting to that elevation is no joke, but that's not why it's hard.

That's just a thousand feet shy of the highest point in the continental United States. And this is the starting point for the Polish route. From there, it's another 8,000 feet up to the summit at around 22,800 feet, over four miles above sea level. The physical effort of getting to that elevation is no joke, but that's not why it's hard.

That's just a thousand feet shy of the highest point in the continental United States. And this is the starting point for the Polish route. From there, it's another 8,000 feet up to the summit at around 22,800 feet, over four miles above sea level. The physical effort of getting to that elevation is no joke, but that's not why it's hard.

Add to this the fact that the human body doesn't function well at high altitudes because the air doesn't have as much oxygen. And the higher you go, the less oxygen there is. Take it from me, I went to Everest Base Camp, climbed Kalapatar. At 16,000 feet, every breath feels like a hammer in your head. It is hard. That low oxygen forces climbers to breathe deeper and faster.

Add to this the fact that the human body doesn't function well at high altitudes because the air doesn't have as much oxygen. And the higher you go, the less oxygen there is. Take it from me, I went to Everest Base Camp, climbed Kalapatar. At 16,000 feet, every breath feels like a hammer in your head. It is hard. That low oxygen forces climbers to breathe deeper and faster.