2-week Mercedario Ascent via the Normal Route, Andes

Generally the group is too large for the number of guide. I am not the only hiker who felt that there are politics throughout the trip in the guide trying to reduce the group number. Some people were called in to additional medical checks in what felt like an attempt to reduce numbers. Earlier in the track a hiker passed medical and yet got asked to turn around. On my summit attempt I had gloves with hand warmers. However, the hand warmers didn't kick in and my index finger was becoming numb. I asked to stop to put on mittens, the guide reluctantly stopped and assisted with putting in mitten, except that he shoved the mittens on my hand and my thumb was not in the glove properly. I was unable to hold on to my walking stick and was effectively fumbling around with the walking stick. later I was behind another hiker we were both told to follow the guide for 15min and if we were too slow we'd have to turn back. I have enough to speed up at the time, even with my hand not being able to hold the poles. However, by then I'm really disappointed with the way the tour was being run and made no attempt to argue - I was stuck behind a slower hiker (i can't go any quicker) and my mittens were not on properly. Really at that altitude, how you feel does play a big factor in motivation, when the guide asked me and the other hiker to turn back, I'm really over the experience and wanted to get out. Not because of being fatigue but will all the politics that goes on I've had enough. I'm on holiday in the mountains - if i want to play politics, I'd stay in the office. made a point of helicoptering out the next day. What is frustrating is that our groups is so fast that we caught up with another group also from Inka and summited 2 hours before the cut off time. And yet hikers were turned around prematurely. I had enough energy on the hike down on the same day I was running down the chute section. I think you'd seen many negative comment about not client focused. I have to say I agree. I can't blame the guides for this but the lack of guide to hiker ratio. Maybe consider that for someone like me to even get into Argentina, it took months of effort. Summit is not really the point, is more to that I'm not even pushing myself to breaking point and was denied this - this is all a mountaineer wanted, to test the limits and sometimes we make the summit sometimes we don't and I get that. All I can say is taht logistics wise, food, supplies, porters, everything was well run. I would not recommend anyone that I know on this tour, if anything I learnt from other hikers to run a private expedition using Inka as Logistics.

The expedition company inka was not organised, poor communication, and planning. The guides were a bit rude, not client focused and walking fast. when I requested them to walk slow they became rude and aggressive. I didn't feel like the expedition was well structured and worth the money I spent. Would not recommend.