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Posts from 01/2013

Aconcagua: Van Deventer & Team Resting at Camp 2

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Leon Davis, Mike King | January 31, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 18,000

Hey all,

We had a fabulous rest day at Camp 2 today. We went for a short walk to look at the route above us, ate, and napped. We did get a new forecast today, and with the new info, we’ve decided to rest tomorrow again at Camp 2, then move up Saturday to summit Sunday. This sets us up better for winds, and Camp 2 is a great place to acclimate and get strong. So tomorrow: Groundhog Day! We’ll be in touch soon.

Cheers,

The Aconcagua crew

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Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Nestled in at the Base of the Barranco Wall

Posted by: Casey Grom | January 31, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 12,800'

We departed the Shira Plateau this morning in a light mist.  Last night brought significant precipitation and muddied the trails a bit.  However, the night rain afforded us a beautiful view of the mountain and its new snow.  The day’s traverse provided great views of the landscape and curious vegetation.  About five hours from the onset, we walked down through rolling fog to our camp nestled underneath the Barranco Wall.  Spirits are high and bellies are full.  Tomorrow, we wake up early to traverse beneath the Southern Breach Wall.

Stay tuned,
RMI Climber Dan C.

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Aconcagua: Van Deventer & Team Move to Camp 2

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Leon Davis, Mike King | January 30, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 18,000'

We made the jump! Camp One was old news and folks were sick of the same old scenery, so we decided to move to Camp Two at 18,000’ today. We had beautiful climbing conditions: a light breeze and sunshine, and arrived at camp to find it mostly empty. We got our pick of tent sites before several groups rolled in after us.

Because RMI Guide JJ Justman’s team was kind enough to leave us a cache of food and fuel at Camp 3, we have decided not to carry tomorrow, but to rest instead. That sets us up to potentially move to Camp 3 on Friday, and potentially summit on Saturday. There are a lot of ifs in that sentence, and we have to remain flexible up here, but we have our fingers crossed. We’ll keep you updated.

Cheers,

RMI Guides Pete, Leon, Mike, and the crew

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Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team Navigate Their Way to Shira Camp

Posted by: Casey Grom | January 30, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 12,200'

All is well here in Africa and the team is doing great.

We started early again today to stay ahead of the massive group that is climbing alongside us. We recently heard that it is the largest group ever allowed to climb together on Kilimanjaro. However they are doing a good job of staggering themselves on the trail.

We started out under cloudy skies which made for comfortable hiking but didn’t help with the drying out. However, since we have arrived at camp the sun has come out and it looks like everything will dry in time for tomorrow. We hiked for about four hours today and chose not to have a sit down lunch as we were a little worried it could rain, and luckily for us it didn’t.

We are relaxing here at Camp 2 on top of the Shira Plateau that overlooks the Great Rift Valley. It’s incredibly beautiful and we even have a nice view of the upper mountain too.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

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Aconcagua: Van Deventer & Team Good Day for Rest

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Leon Davis, Mike King | January 29, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 16,200'

Just as planned, we spent today lounging at Camp 1. Snow plumes off of the col above us indicated high winds this morning, and made us glad we had gotten our carry out of the way yesterday. Otherwise, the sky was clear, and the sun we had been missing for the last couple days made things pleasantly warm. Today was a day for recovery, organizing for tomorrow, and eating all of the extra lunch food we could. Tomorrow will be our move to Camp 2 (18,000 ft)! We’ll check from there.

Cheers,
RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer and the RMI Aconcagua team

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RMI Guides Tyler Reid and Solveig Waterfall Make First Ski Descent of The Pipeline

Posted by: Tyler Reid, Solveig Waterfall | January 29, 2013
Categories: *Guide News

RMI Guides Tyler Reid and Solveig Waterfall make first ski descent of The Pipeline on Mt. Angeles in the Olympic Mountains of Washington.

Follow this link to Tyler’s blog for more exciting photos!

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Kilimanjaro: Grom & Team at Machame Camp

Posted by: Casey Grom | January 29, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Kilimanjaro
Elevation: 9,800'

The team was up by 6:30 and out the door by 7:30 after a quick breakfast. We loaded up all the gear and food then drove for just over a hour to Kilimanjaro National Park. Once we were at the park entrance we registered our team and picked the 20+ porters to help us along the way. We were the first team to start walking thankfully, as a team of 100 showed up and began picking their 300+ porters. It was busy at the gate but we managed to stay out front all the way to camp. It was far from a perfect day here on Kilimanjaro. We encountered a very heavy rain after about two hours of hiking that soaked us almost to the bone. Everyone did great and remained positive despite the less than ideal weather.

We are currently relaxing in our tents now that the rain has subsided and are getting ready for dinner. Tomorrow we’ll have more than a few items hanging from our pack to dry in the sun.

Enjoying the adventure!

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

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Aconcagua: Van Deventer & Team Carry to Camp 2

Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Leon Davis, Mike King | January 28, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Aconcagua
Elevation: 16,200'

Last night was a windy one, though when we woke we realized that it sounded much worse inside the tents than it was outside. A couple centimeters of new snow fell overnight freshening up our surroundings, but it was quickly transported by the wind with much of it ending up in the vestibules of our tents. With some sun above and winds not too bad, we decided to make our carry to Camp 2 to cache food and personal gear. As we hoped, the winds stayed relatively light, and we had a pleasant climb. Throughout this climb, we have been just behind a large crowd, so that we hear rumors of camps being full, but arrive to find them deserted. It appeared today that everyone had just vacated Camp 2 for high camp. This works in our favor as we don’t have to fight for tent sites.

As we began our descent, the winds strengthened, with several strong gusts. We were all happy to get back to the tents and crawl into fluffy sleeping bags for the afternoon to recover from yet another big effort. With a great meal of tortellini sticking to our ribs, everyone is psyched for the scheduled rest day tomorrow.

Cheers,

Aconcagua Campo Uno residents

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Mountaineering Training | Introduction to the Fit To Climb Program

Posted by: | January 28, 2013
Categories: *Mountaineering Fitness & Training

Beginning next week we are excited to begin a weekly trainings series from the book Fit to Climb: The Adventx 16 week Mount Rainier Training Program authored by former RMI Guide John Colver! This conditioning plan is designed to help you train for a successful Mount Rainier climb. 
 
As the plan unfolds you’ll quickly gain momentum, achieving milestones, and navigating each phase of training. Before you’re halfway through, you’ll feel confident in your abilities and have experienced significant physical gains.
 
Features of the Fit To Climb plan are:

• A progressive training schedule with measurable milestones
• A weekly chart with day by day workout descriptions
• The ‘Rainier Dozen’ daily strengthening workout
• Tips on cross-training and alternative training options
• Instruction on aerobic endurance, anaerobic endurance, and strength training
• Nutrition for training and climbing
• Tips on motivation, goal setting, and mental preparation

The Fit To Climb Program is designed to be done anywhere and with the minimal of equipment. No matter where you live, you’ll be able to participate and each week you’ll build strength and endurance for the climb ahead.
 
The 16 weeks are comprised of four phases:

• Phase one = Adaptation training (Weeks 1 - 2)
• Phase two = Foundation training (Weeks 3 - 10)
• Phase three = Peak training (Weeks 10 - 15)
• Phase four = Expedition (Week 16)

These phases are the building blocks, each ending in milestones. We start with general conditioning, then add endurance, followed by the addition of high intensity interval training in the peak phase and ending with a short ‘tapering’ phase during the final preparation in the week before your climb. 
 
The timing of the sixteen weeks is designed to prepare you for a June Mount Rainier climb. If your climb is later or sooner you can adjust the timing as necessary, either getting a head-start or beginning in the appropriate week.

The Fit To Climb Program can easily be tailored to prepare you for any mountain beyond Mt. Rainier. In developing training plans for other climbs, plan your training with the end in mind: is the major challenge the high altitude, extreme temperatures, heavy pack, or multiple days or weeks? 
 
As you create the training map, ensure that there are stepping stones to gain new skills and strengths as well as milestones where you can “test” your ability. One principle of training for mountaineering in all ranges, is that aerobic endurance conditioning is the primary training component for most climbers. Start by making sure that you have what it takes to “go long,” then focus on the specific challenges of your climb or expedition.  
 
Join us next week for the first post of the Fit To Climb series! If you’d like to find out more about John’s book, preorder a copy, or gain additional training support, visit the Fit To Climb site at www.fittoclimb.com.  

- John Colver

John Colver is a longtime climber, former mountain guide, and certified personal trainer with the American Council of Exercise. Colver introduced outdoor fitness classes to athletic clubs throughout the greater Puget Sound region before creating his adventX brand. Currently, adventX leads training programs in Seattle and Colver presents clinics on outdoor fitness at companies such as Microsoft, Boeing, the American Lung Association, and REI. Colver lives in Seattle, and is working on his second book, Fit to Climb - a 16 week Mount Rainier Fitness Program.

Questions? Comments? Share your thoughts with John and other readers on the RMI Blog!

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Kilimanjaro: Casey Grom and Team Arrive in Africa

Posted by: Casey Grom | January 28, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Kilimanjaro

Jambo (Hello) from Africa,

The team arrived late last night after some very long flights (18hrs). We wasted no time getting back to the hotel and called it a night after a quick dinner. This morning we had our team meeting and discussed the upcoming climb and gear needed. We then took a break and enjoyed a little sunshine by the pool. Its basically summer here and most of us are on vacation after all. After lunch we took a short ride into Arusha and did a little sightseeing. Arusha is busy city of 300’000+ with a very rural and simple feeling. The team has just finished a wonderful 5 course meal provided by the Dik Dik Hotel and are headed off to bed.

We’ll be getting up early and headed for the trailhead tomorrow so that all for tonight.

RMI Guide Casey Grom & Team

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