Ulm: Marc Grün conquers Aconcagua and is already planning the next expedition!

Marc Grün from Ulm has successfully conquered the Aconcagua, which is considered the highest mountain in America at 6961 meters. After a failed attempt in 2016, when he had to reverse 500 meters from the summit due to bad weather, the 46-year-old now made a new attempt. Grün, who works as a project engineer at Uhlmann in Laupheim, recently traveled to the province of Mendoza, Argentina, and was finally able to realize his dream in February 2025 after a rehabilitation of shoulder surgery.

In his preparations for the expedition, which included a three -day hike to the base camp at 4,200 meters, he did daily endurance training and undertook several mountain tours. Despite a cold and a sunstroke at the beginning of the expedition, he managed to advance to the high camps in a group of three mountain guides and eight other mountaineers and finally reach the summit.

successful summit ascent

On December 12, 2024, the group reached high warehouse 3 at 6000 meters. After a long climb the next morning, green and five other comrades managed to climb the summit after around ten hours -at temperatures of -25 degrees Celsius and strong wind, the group remained about half an hour on the summit of the Aconcagua. The team was particularly careful on the return because more than two thirds of all accidents happen on the descent. On December 14, 2024, Grün returned to the base camp in nature after about three weeks, from where he started his failed attempt in 2016.

already plans to GRIEN's next expedition to Gasherbrum II, the 8034 meter high mountain in the Karakorum, Pakistan, which underlines his passion for mountaineering.

Against the background of green as a successful ascent, it is remarkable that the aconcagua has a long history in mountaineering literature. Contributions report about previous expeditions, such as that of Matthias Zurbriggen, who reached the summit in 1897, of the challenges such as altitude and extreme cold. These historical covers underline the risks and the need for the right acclimatization, which are of crucial importance for climbing at great heights, as also shows an analysis of the first ascent of the aconcagua.