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Posts from 09/2011

Mt. Rainier: Muir Seminar Concludes Their Week of Training and the Season

Posted by: Casey Grom, Tyler Jones | September 30, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,500'

Our Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir was a microcosm of mountaineering: athletic, challenging, moments of joy and occasional disappointment, but ultimately and most importantly a safe adventure.  Heavy rain on Monday negated our planned ascent to Camp Muir, but we had a productive day at Rainier Basecamp going over numerous techniques.  We reached Camp Muir on Tuesday and spent the next three days practicing skills and preparing folks for future climbs.  These skills were crevasse rescue, cramponing, ice climbing, beacon searches, rope travel, route finding and more!  Conditions at Muir were sunny, windy and icy most of the week.  We encountered a layer of hard ice on the surface of the Cowlitz Glacier (and above) which unfortunately prevented a summit attempt.  Our high point was the top of Cathedral Gap, approximately 10,500’. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom

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Mt. Rainier: Expedition Skill Seminar- Muir Climb for Five Recap

Posted by: Linden Mallory | September 27, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'

Like most good climbing plans, I was told that the idea for the Climb for Five was hatched in a pub a while back. Already involved in the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer charity that raises money for childhood cancer research, the three climbers came up with the idea of tackling serious mountaineering objectives in an effort to raise money and awareness for St. Baldrick’s by using the metaphor of climbing to illustrate the challenges and trials children go through while battling cancer.  Hence, on Sunday September 18th, Patrick, Eric, Jon and I gathered under a thick layer of grey and drizzly clouds hanging over Rainier BaseCamp to tackle Mt. Rainier over the course of a 5 day Expedition Skills Seminar - Camp Muir.

The days of near fifty degree temperatures and rain, coming down in sheets at times, did not do much to instill confidence in the conditions above. Yet within a half an hour of leaving the trail head at Paradise the clouds thinned and by the time we reached 7,600’ on the Muir Snowfield we were standing in the sun above the low-lying maritime clouds. Above us Mt. Rainier stood proudly with a fresh layer of snow from the recent storm blanketing its’ slopes. During the rest of the climb to Muir, Patrick further explained the concept for Climb for Five to me: St. Baldrick’s chooses five Ambassador Kids every year, representing that for every 5 children that get childhood cancer only 4 survive. The Climb for Five honors those Ambassadors; each day of the climb is chosen to honor one of the kids and the climbers carried keepsakes from each of the kids with them throughout the climb.

After a full day of training, learning the fundamentals of safe climbing and glacier travel techniques, exploring the Cowlitz Glacier outside of Camp Muir, and preparing ourselves for the climbing above, we set off on our summit bid under a beautifully starry sky early Wednesday morning. The new snow on the mountain smoothed over the rocky sections of the mountain and we made good progress across Cowlitz and Ingraham Glaciers and onto Disappointment Cleaver. Just before sunrise, breathing hard from the exertion at those altitudes, we reached the top of the Cleaver and added more clothes to fight the biting predawn winds. Continuing above the Cleaver the sun finally began to break above the horizon of eastern Washington and gave way to one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever seen on the mountain. The unsettled layers of clouds filtered the light such that shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, green, and blue were simultaneously covering the mountain’s glaciers and the surrounding landscape below. The array of colors around us contrasted sharply with the traditional monotones of high alpine environments of rock, ice, and snow. Unfortunately, those same unsettled clouds soon overtook the sun and by 13,500’ we were enveloped in a cloud cap, covering us in a thick layer of rime ice and blowing just enough to add to the challenge of making the final 900’ of climbing to the summit.

Standing on top, buffeted by the wind and precipitation, Eric and Patrick unfurled the St. Baldrick’s Banner and then pulled out a few keepsakes in memory of Arden, the Ambassador Kid for whom we were climbing that day. We then turned back and set our sights on descending. Like children battling cancer, reaching the summit is only half of the battle - the road to recovery once defeating the cancer is as long and as challenging as retracing one’s route back down the mountain. We carefully picked our way back down Mt. Rainier’s flanks, weaving our way amongst the seracs and around the gaping late-season crevasses that cover the mountain back to camp.

The winds from higher on the mountain descended not long behind us and continued to blow for the next several days while we finished the rest of the Seminar: building snow anchors, practicing the rigging systems needed for crevasse rescue, and ice climbing on the Cowlitz Glacier before descending back to Ashford on Friday. Taking part in the Climb for Five was a special experience for me and I feel fortunate to be involved. Having lost a sister to cancer as a kid,  I share the same with the climbers of the Climb for Five and the entire climb struck a chord with me and I look forward to future climbs with this team. Thanks to Patrick, Eric, Jon, and St. Baldrick’s for pursuing this endeavor, RMI is proud to be a part of it.

RMI Guide Linden Mallory

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Mt. Rainier: September 25th Update

Posted by: Casey Grom, Pete Van Deventer | September 25, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,060'

The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer and the Five Day Summit Climb led by Casey Grom checked in from Camp Muir this morning.  Due to high winds, blowing snow and poor visibility the climbers were unable to leave Camp Muir this morning to make their summit attempt.  The telemetry at Camp Muir and the guides state that wind speeds were consistently 70 - 80 mph with a high of 102 mph during the 1 am hour.  The teams are safe and warm in the hut enjoying breakfast and hot drinks at 10,000’.  They will be starting their descent from Camp Muir at 9 a.m. PT.

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Shishapangma: Team Checks in from Advanced Base Camp

Posted by: Eric Frank | September 24, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Guide News *Everest
Elevation: 18,400'

Hello this is the Shishapangma Team calling from our advance base camp. This morning we woke up to a dusting of snow on the ground here at 18,400’ and it seems as though the storm left a few feet on the upper mountain.

Part of the team is finishing their first rotation through camp one up near 21,000’ and will be descending either tonight or tomorrow. It seems as though we will be sitting here at our advanced base camp for a few days resting and then hoping for clear weather to go up on our next rotation. Everyone is doing well and climbing strong. We will call back in a few days and check in then.

Bye!

RMI Guide Eric Frank

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Mt. Rainier: September 24th - Update

Posted by: | September 24, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,060

Very strong winds prevented our Four Day Summit Climb team led by JJ Justman from making their summit attempt today. Camp Muir had reported wind gusts of 105 mph during the night.  The teams will be having breakfast, warm drinks and plan to pack up and descend to Paradise at 9 a.m. PST.

Congratulations on a safe climb!

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Kilimanjaro: Team Enjoys Final Sunset Together

Posted by: Seth Waterfall | September 23, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Kilimanjaro

Jambo!

The Safari Team is back at the Dik Dik!  We’ve had a great couple of weeks but our trip is just about over.  Last night we stayed at Kikoti Camp, an amazing safari camp that has tons of wildlife literally right in the middle of it. We went on a great little hike to a rock outcropping where we had drinks delivered while we enjoyed the sunset. It made for a great finish to an outstanding trip.  Now everyone is busy getting ready for their respective flights home.

Thanks for a great trip guys!

RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

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Kilimanjaro: Last Day on Safari

Posted by: Seth Waterfall | September 22, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Kilimanjaro

This is Seth and the safari crew checking in from the Kikoti Camp at Tarangire National Park. This was our last full day of safari and it was a good one. We managed to see several big cats again including a leopard. That was the last one we needed to complete our finding of the ‘Big Five’. The Big Five includes: lions, elephants, water buffalo, leopard and the rhino. The game viewing has been outstanding for us. Tomorrow we are heading back to town as several folks have an afternoon flight from Arusha heading home.

Our trip has been awesome and we will enjoy this last day before we board planes tomorrow and head back to our friends and family.

RMI Guide Seth Waterfall

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Mt. Rainier: Expedition Skills Seminar - Summit!

Posted by: | September 21, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir led by RMI Guides Brent Okita, Billy Nugent and Linden Mallory reached the summit of Mt. Rainier today.  The team was walking into the crater rim at 8:20 a.m.  Winds are 20 mph and there is a cloud cap on the mountain this morning.  The teams will return to Camp Muir and continue their training of expedition skills.  They will descend from Camp Muir to Paradise on Friday and conclude the program at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today’s climbing teams!  Enjoy the rest of your time on the mountain.

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Kilimanjaro: Big Cats in Ngorongoro

Posted by: Seth Waterfall | September 21, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Kilimanjaro

It’s been a great day for viewing big cats in Ngorongoro Crater.  This huge caldera is home to thousands of animals and usually the cats will rest in the heat of the day.  But today the weather is cool enough for the cats to be mobile.  We had a young male lion walk right in front of our cars as soon a we pulled into the crater this morning.  We’ve also seen a cheetah and caught a rare sighting of a serval, a smaller, spotted cat that hunts in the grassy plains.

Tonight we are staying at the Plantation Lodge again before heading to Tarangire National Park tomorrow.

RMI Guide Seth Waterfall & the Safari Crew

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Shishapangma: RMI Team Ready to Begin Rotations Above Camp 1

Posted by: Jake Beren | September 20, 2011
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Guide News *Everest

Hey guys, this is the Shishapangma team.  We are just calling to check in.  Everybody is well.  We did feel the big earthquake the other day.  Both our team up at Camp 1 and our team at BC are just fine.

We are going to send another team up in the direction of Camp 1 later this afternoon.  We are going to start our rotations a little higher up.  All is well here.  We are waiting for a weather window and just hanging out.

So, we hope all is well back in Ashford.  We’ll be giving you a shout when we have a little more to say.  That is all from Tibet.

RMI Guide Jake Beren

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