RMI Expeditions BlogRSS

Mt. Rainier: May 20th Update

Posted by: J.J. Justman, Jake Beren | May 20, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'

At 7:57 a.m. RMI Guides JJ Justman and Jake Beren were standing on Columbia Crest, the highest point on Mt. Rainier, enjoying the views.  There was a gentle 5 mph breeze on the “prettiest day in May that [JJ and Jake] have ever seen.”

The teams began their descent about 8:30 and we look forward to seeing them at Rainier Basecamp this afternoon.

Congratulations Summit Climbers!

6

---

Mt. McKinley: Walter & Team - The Winds Win Out

Posted by: Mike Walter, Solveig Waterfall, Ben Liken | May 20, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount McKinley
Elevation: 11,200'

We woke early this morning, had breakfast, and packed up camp, ready to move to 14,200’ before the sun had hit our tents. But the winds up high were too strong for my liking. We repitched our tents to seek shelter from the wind and waited for a few hours for the winds to abate. Unfortunately, the winds up high continued and a mean looking lenticular cloud had formed over Windy Corner, where we were headed. By noon we made the decision to stay in camp another day and avoid the risks of getting caught in a windstorm high in the mountains of Alaska.

So we wait another day. Such is expedition climbing. The weather forecast looks good for the next few days, and we’re confident that tomorrow will be the day to move camp. We’ll let you know how it goes.

RMI Guide Mike Walter

On The Map

Sign Up For Mount McKinley 2013 Email Alerts

3

---

Alaska Expedition Seminar: Marin & Team Practice Ice Climbing

Posted by: Andres Marin, Garrett Stevens, Katie Bono | May 20, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount McKinley
Elevation: 7,300'

There is something about ice climbing in a crevasse that is just mind blowing.  Today the group got to experience ice climbing and how much fun it is.

We headed for the foot hills of Mt. Francis to find a deep crevasse suitable for great climbing.  Big smiles all day long.  Tomorrow we are getting ready to go climbing Radio Tower.  The team is excited to climb higher tomorrow and are doing well!

RMI Guide Andres Marin

Sign Up For Mount McKinley 2013 Email Alerts

---

Mountaineering Training | Fit To Climb: Week 16

Posted by: | May 20, 2013
Categories: *Mountaineering Fitness & Training

Fit to Climb: Week 16 Schedule

DAY	WORKOUT	TOTAL TIME	DIFFICULTY
1	Rainier Dozen / Easy Hiking ( 30 min)	42 min.	Medium
2	Rainier Dozen / Stair Interval Training (30 min)	42 min.	Hard
3	Rest / Travel Day	-	Recovery
4	The Climb Begins!	-	-
	Total	1 hr 24 mins.

BRIEFING

To be honest, there is no way you can improve your fitness this week. Instead, the purpose of this week’s workouts is to simply allow your body to move, feel the benefit of some light exercise, and manage the stress of the upcoming climb. If any day this week you would rather not exercise at all, you should make that choice. Your top priority is being well rested and prepared by the end of the week!

DESCRIPTIONS OF WORKOUTS

Day 1: Rainier Dozen + Easy Hiking (30 Minutes)
Today’s hike is a recovery workout and you can always substitute it with a different activity, such as running, biking or swimming. The important thing is to move at a moderate pace for 30 to 45 minutes. The pace can be conversational and you do not need to be dripping with sweat at the end of the workout.

Day 2: Rainier Dozen +  Stair Interval Training (60 Minutes)
You are cutting the volume of this workout by 50%. You should also cut the intensity by the same amount. You’ve been training for 16 weeks and will be working hard on the mountain. You do not want to feel your legs burning in this workout and you certainly don’t want to deplete your energy stores. Just get out, have fun, celebrate your last stair workout, and maybe head to a nice restaurant with friends and savor the opportunity to eat with a knife and fork off a real plate.

Warm up for about 10 minutes, and then climb up and down a set of stairs, at a consistent pace, for about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool down with some stretching. 

Day 3: Rest / Travel Day
Today may be a long travel day for you. If you’re traveling by air, be sure to plan ahead to maintain your nutrition intake, paying attention especially to your hydration. If you don’t have to travel, consider today a bonus rest day.

Day 4: The Climb Begins!

SUMMARY

Mt. Rainier is a tough climb no matter what amount of preparation you have managed to put in. Remember that all of the training you’ve put in up to this point is just getting you to the trailhead. From here, it’s all about managing the challenges of the mountain as best you can in order to preserve your strength and energy through the entire climb. In the mountains the little things add up: keeping yourself at a comfortable temperature and eating and drinking continuously throughout the day will help you arrive into camp feeling good and with energy to spare. Conversely, ignoring that hot spot on your foot and not taking the time to pull out a snack at a break can mean that by the end of the day you’re dealing with blisters and running out of energy. You know how to manage all of these little things after the training hikes you’ve already completed - carry these habits through to the climb!

And most of all: have fun! Mt. Rainier is a beautiful climb and an unforgettable adventure - enjoy the experience!

Good luck and safe climbing!

Next week we will recap the Fit to Climb Program, discussing various things you can do to maintain - and continue to build - your fitness if your climb is still some weeks away.

- 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!

You can read the past Weekly Mountaineering Training Series on the RMI Blog.

---

Mt. Everest: Dave Hahn Calls With an Update from C2

Posted by: Dave Hahn, Seth Waterfall, Mark Tucker | May 19, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Everest
Elevation: 21,300'

Hello, this is Dave Hahn calling from Camp 2 on Mount Everest, 21,300’.  All is well.  We moved up this morning from Camp 1 in perfect weather conditions, actually a little bit hot in the Western Cwm.  Very much aware of the dramas playing out above us on the mountain.  A number of our friends went to the summit safely and returned in these last couple of days. But, there’s also been some problems up high and much of the mountain was pre-occupied these last couple of days, especially today with trying to help a climber, incapacitated high on Lhotse.  And the drama is still playing out.  Lam Babu, our Sirdar, is putting together a team of Sherpas who will go up tonight and try to get that individual down the Lhotse Face.  So we’re certainly concerned and going to be tuning in to try and back up Lam; meanwhile, trying to continue our own climb.  We’re all doing fine here at Advanced Basecamp.  Our intention is to stage out of here tomorrow to rest and recuperate from our climb up and get ready for a climb higher.  Anyway, lots of exciting times now on Mount Everest as everybody is in motion going for the top and coming down.  All good for us and stay tuned.  Bye for now.

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

On The Map

Sign Up For Everest 2013 Email Alerts

1

---

Mt. Rainier: The Ascending Summit Climb Enjoys Blue Skies to Muir

Posted by: J.J. Justman, Jake Beren | May 19, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,000'

It’s quite a bit different than my last climb three days ago. Instead of bitter cold walking up to Camp Muir it was scorching hot!!

The team did great and we are rehydrating and getting ready for our summit bid. Stay tuned and see how well our climb goes!!

RMI Guide JJ Justman

---

Mt. Rainier: Muir Seminar Starts Their Week at Rainier Basecamp

Posted by: Casey Grom, Adam Knoff | May 19, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 1,762'

RMI Guides Casey Grom and Adam Knoff are leading our first Expedition Skills Seminar - Muir of the 2013 season.  Today they are spending the day at Rainier Basecamp preparing for their next five days on Mt. Rainier.  Team introductions, gear organizing, and technical training is on their agenda.

While the team was testing out their boots on a hike from Basecamp, they ran into Lou Whittaker, the man who started RMI 44 years ago!  Some stories were told and photos were taken, then it was back to training.

The team is anxious to head up on the mountain tomorrow!

9

---

Mt. McKinley:  Nugent & Team “Walking the Pigs”

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Kel Rossiter, Levi Kepsel | May 19, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount McKinley
Elevation: 7,600'

“Pigs” is the term of endearment climbers use to describe any heavy load on a climb.  On Denali our “pigs” are our sleds, and today we took them for their first walk.  The team woke to a bluebird day—welcome after the days of gray—learned about packing, strapping, and roping up our sleds, and then took them out on the trail from Basecamp to 7,600’.  Day one of “walking the pigs” can often be a porcine rodeo with lots of grappling and twisting going on, but this crew made it look more like walking poodles at the Westchester Dog Show.  We’re now at the base of Ski Hill, firing the skillet with fajitas, enjoying the stunning scenery up the Northeast Fork of the Kahiltna, and getting ready for tomorrow’s push into steeper terrain—this crew is ready for it.

RMI Guide Kel Rossiter

On The Map

Sign Up For Mount McKinley 2013 Email Alerts

2

---

Mt. McKinley: Nugent & Team Fly on to the Kahiltna Glacier!

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Kel Rossiter, Levi Kepsel | May 19, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount McKinley
Elevation: 7,300'

Hey everybody, checking in from the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier where we are settled into Basecamp after a day of exciting weather. We woke this morning in Talkeetna to a couple inches of new snow on the ground and thought it was going to be another day of waiting around for flyable weather. But when I checked in with K2 at 8:00 they said it was actually clear at Basecamp and that as soon as the snow showers in town stopped we’d potentially be on our way.

Well, the clouds broke around noon and our intrepid crew loaded up onto a pair of otters and headed for the Alaska Range. Clouds enroute nearly forced us to turn around but our pilots were able to make it happen and delivered us safely to the Southeast Fork. Some unfortunate planes were forced to turn around after the runway shutdown because of a bank of clouds that rolled in soon after our arrival. These folks eventually made it in later on in the evening when everything cleared up. The views here are breathtaking, if a little humbling.

Wish us luck as we head out on the route first thing tomorrow!

RMI Guide Billy Nugent

On The Map

Sign Up For Mount McKinley 2013 Email Alerts

---

Alaska Expedition Seminar: Marin & Team Enjoy Spectacular Views While Training

Posted by: Andres Marin, Garrett Stevens, Katie Bono | May 19, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount McKinley
Elevation: 7,300'

Today we woke up with clear skies!  After breakfast we shouldered our packs and went for a hike to the Southeast Fork of the Kahiltna Glacier. The Fork offers spectacular views of the North Buttress of Mt. Hunter, South Face of Radio Tower, and the West Face of Kahiltna Queen.  We also learned about snow anchors and glacier travel.  It was really nice to be able to stretch our legs and hike around.  It certainly was a fantastic day.

We also had the opportunity to eat dinner outside enjoying the incredible views.  The weather is looking nice for the rest of the week, so we will be getting around.

Everyone is doing great!

RMI Guide Andres Marin

Sign Up For Mount McKinley 2013 Email Alerts

2

---

Previous Page More Entries

Expedition Stats

Recent Images

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•