Experienced guide, politician and writer: Who are the Argentines who died in the Andes

On Monday (4), Chilean emergency teams found The bodies of three Argentines He lost his way while climbing Mount Marmolejo, in the Andes mountain range, near the border between Chile and Argentina. Ignacio Lucero, Raul Esper, and Sergio Berardo lost contact with the rest of the group – three other Argentines – on November 28 and were never seen alive again.

According to the Argentine newspaper Pagina 12, Lucero was 49 years old and a popular mountain guide. He has more than 30 years of experience and has made 46 ascents of Aconcagua, a mountain located in the Mendoza city area that is the highest outside Asia.

In 2011, Lucero suffered a heart attack at an altitude of 7,400 meters in the Himalayas, the highest mountain range in the world. Then he suffered a stroke and was hospitalized for 20 days in an Asian hospital.

For many years, the guide underwent rehabilitation to be able to speak again, which led to his depression. In the midst of all this, he rescued a stray dog - which he named Oro – who helped him through the long recovery process. The story of a mountaineer overcoming obstacles led him to become well-known and share his experiences in lectures around the world.

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In addition to his multiple ascents of Aconcagua, Lucero has climbed mountains such as Denali (Alaska), 6,190 meters above sea level; Manaslu (Nepal), 8162 meters above sea level; Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the European Union, is 4,805.59 meters above sea level. He also faced challenges in countries such as Spain, Chile, India and Tanzania.

Esper, 55 years old, was a politician. He was mayor of the city of General San Martín, in the province of Buenos Aires, where he assumed the role of mayor, and in this year’s elections he was able to be re-elected with 63% of the vote.

Before devoting himself to politics, he worked as a pharmacist. Like Lucero, Esper was passionate about mountaineering, as evidenced by his many trips documented on social media, such as Mount Domoyo in Neuquén.

Esper’s friend Berardo was working as a writer and had already gone on six expeditions with Lucero, whom he recommended for his experience and professionalism, and highlighted the safety and dedication he offered to those who accompanied him in the mountains. He even left a five-star review of Lucero on the professional tour guide company’s website.

“Personally, I feel safe traveling in the mountains with Nacho, because he has been climbing mountains since he was 13 years old, and his extensive experience and professionalism are the main features of his work,” he wrote. “The safety of those who climb with him is his priority. He will do everything in his power to reach the summit, if that is your wish, but only as long as there are conditions for that.”