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Mexico Volcanoes: Team at Altizmoni Hut on Ixta

Posted by: J.J. Justman, Adam Knoff | March 04, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mexico
Elevation: 12,000'

Hello everyone! The Mexico Team is officially at the lower hut on Ixta. The morning started out in style with a terrific buffet breakfast at La Mission Hotel and Spa. I love sitting in that restaurant sipping coffee overlooking a waterfall.

After we had our fill we did a last minute grocery shop and then we made our way to the mountain. It is always flattering when the team says tonight was the best dinner yet. Carne asada, fresh sautéed veggies, black beans on top of cheese on fresh corn tortillas.

The team is doing great and we are prepared to head on up to high camp tomorrow.

RMI Guide JJ Justman

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Mexico’s Volcanoes: Team Makes Acclimatization Hike

Posted by: Adam Knoff, J.J. Justman | March 03, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mexico
Elevation: 10,000'

Breakfast came early this morning at the BW Majestic Hotel, located in the heart of the world’s second largest city.  By 7 am the group was assembled on the Majestic’s top floor where the restaurant is located and to our surprise,  we could clearly make out the glaciated peak of Ixta far out to the south.  This was indeed confirmation that Mexico really does possess snow and ice.  A fact most North Americans are unaware of.  With our excitement clearly building we loaded the waiting van and headed straight to- oh ya!  Wal Mart.  Yup, glaciers and Wal Mart, these go hand in hand on successful mountain climbing trips.  After we saved a bunch of pesos on today’s everyday low price, we gunned it to La Malinche where we moved promptly into our dorm style cabanas and motivated for our first acclimating hike up the flanks of La Malinche itself.  With the summit laying a hop skip and jump out of our reach, the team took its final rest break at 13,700 feet and quickly descended.  Nothing better to toughen one up!  We are now off to dinner and preparations for tomorrow’s move to Ixta.  Team Orizaba out.

RMI Guides JJ Justman & Adam Knoff

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Mt Rainier: Expedition Skills Seminar Update

Posted by: Adam Knoff, J.J. Justman, Jason Thompson, Katie Bono | February 07, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 11,500'

Today our winter team made it to 11,500 feet on Mt. Rainier! It was tough going at the end. We had thigh deep snow and we decided to make the safe decision to turn around.

The weather is beautiful but the conditions are tough. However, that didn’t stop the team from having a great day up high.

It’s a unique feeling being up here in the winter. We are all alone and we are enjoying Rainier’s pristine beauty that can only be enjoyed in winter.

RMI Guide Jason Thompson is now giving a lecture in snow science and avalanche awareness.

That’s all for now.

RMI Guide JJ Justman

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Mt. Rainier: Winter Seminar Training on the Cowlitz Glacier

Posted by: Adam Knoff, J.J. Justman, Jason Thompson, Katie Bono | February 06, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier

Our winter seminar awoke to pancakes and a view! We have a little break in the weather. So we are busy taking photos. It still is a little blustery but we plan on continuing big mountain training. On the agenda, building anchors, crevasse rescue and self rescue.

RMI Guide JJ Justman

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Mt.Rainier:  Winter Seminar Update

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Jason Thompson, Katie Bono, J.J. Justman | February 05, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 10,080'

Our team made it to Camp Muir!

It was a long, arduous day but everyone put their heads down, gritted their teeth and made it to 10,000 feet in great style.

The action continues! Despite a little bit of weather to keep us cool we are having a lot of fun training in the snow.

RMI Guide JJ Justman

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Expedition Skills Seminar - Winter:  Team Gathers at Rainier BaseCamp

Posted by: Adam Knoff, J.J. Justman | February 03, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 1,800'

RMI’s Expedition Skill Seminar - Winter is a go! And the first thing we are doing is the 1st principal of Leave No Trace…plan and prepare. Adam Knoff and I are busy with the team organizing and packing gear, practicing knots and hitches, and teaching various self rescue techniques all in the comfort of RMI BaseCamp in Ashford.

We have a decent forecast and our hope is to make a big push up to Camp Muir tomorrow. Will we summit? How high will we get in the frigid snows of Rainier? Stay tuned to find out.

One thing is for sure, we will be having fun while going through advanced training for big mountain climbing.

RMI Guide JJ Justman

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Ecuador Seminar: Illiniza Sur Summit and Seminar Winds Down

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Casey Grom | January 22, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Ecuador Skills Seminar 2013 is coming to a close.  Although we did not attempt to climb the tallest of our three chosen mountains which should have taken place today, we settled for a 17,500 foot consolation prize, Illiniza Sur.  We left our hostel this morning at 1 am and began the two hour approach to the hut at 1:45.  Forty five minutes into the hike we had to stop and don rain gear to ward off the cold mist that was beginning to soak us.  By the time we reached the hut the mist had turned to snow.  Sadly the weather was not the only thing going south.  By the time we were ready to depart, Jaime our local guide was too ill to continue, Suzanne was too knackered from her battle with a loose gut and Jan began to have stomach cramps.  By the time we filed out, only Gary and Clark were able to ascend with both Casey and myself.  With a one to one ratio the steep, technical terrain we encountered was greatly entertaining.  Not to mention the weather broke just as we were approaching the glacier.  From bottom to top and back again, this climb was a fantastic way to end our time together as a climbing team.  I am really bummed we could not all stand on top together but tonight we become a party team.  It is always important to remember the summit isn’t everything.  Tonight we are all ready for a grand fiesta of both food and spirits.  Our time in Ecuador has been packed with good laughs, good climbing and great people.  We will miss it.  But now we are all deeply anticipating the reunion with family friends and ice climbing.  Thanks to everyone who followed along and gave support.  Hasta mañana. 

RMI Guide Adam Knoff

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Ecuador Seminar: Go With the Flow

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Casey Grom | January 15, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Yesterday we drove five hours south of Quito to Ecuador‘s highest mountain, Chimborazo.  News from other local guides provided mixed information.  We heard there was a bit of new snow on the route which contrary to popular belief actually makes the route safer.  What we found was nothing of the sort. For many years the north side of Chimborazo has been melting making rockfall an increasing concern.  Having a bad gut feeling I could not ignore, I spoke with the other guides and we decided climbing up with ten other climbers ahead of us was too risky on a route with substantial rock fall hazard.  During the night two team members began having diarrhea and a guide threw up. I took this as a sign and began to reevaluate the situation.  Over breakfast the guides laid out an alternative mountain that we felt would have a much better chance of success given the teams health and über challenging route on Chimborazo.  A discussion was held and a difficult but good decision was made to abandon Chimborazo and go to Illiniza Sur.  This will be a more technically challenging but safer and shorter climb.  We are all a bit bummed to not be giving our main objective a shot but also psyched we are all still together.  We leave the hostel tonight at eleven and will send word of the climb tomorrow.  Stay tuned.   

RMI Guide Adam Knoff

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Ecuador Seminar: Team Readies for Chimborazo Summit Bid

Posted by: Casey Grom, Adam Knoff | January 14, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 16,400'

Hello everyone.

The team has traveled south and we have arrived at our last climbing objective, Chimborazo. It took us about five hours to drive here from Quito. This is the biggest mountain here in Ecuador and it stands proud at 20,700’.

We have currently just downed our dinner and are getting ready for bed. Everyone is doing well and ready to climb so we can return home to our loved ones. I’m keeping it short as we will be getting up early for this one.

We’ll update tomorrow.

RMI Guides Casey Grom, Adam Knoff and crew  

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Ecuador Seminar: Team Celebrates in Quito

Posted by: Adam Knoff, Casey Grom | January 14, 2013
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador

Domingo.  This is the Spanish equivalent to Sunday.  And as we all know, on the seventh day of God’s exhausting work week he rested.  Granted he did create all living things, the land and sea as well as the heavens so deservingly so he earned the right to sit on the couch and mourn a Green Bay packers loss.  Our team simply climbed a 19,000 foot mountain which God would dismiss as child’s play but we are mere mortals.  Regardless, Sunday greeted our freshly washed group at La Cienega with beautiful sunshine and happy humming birds.  After breakfast we loaded the van and rolled back to Quito to celebrate Ginger and Albert’s time with us.  By mid afternoon the team had sniffed out the most American sports bar this side of the amazon and watched what us gringos consider “real” football.  Jaime keeps calling it hand ball and for some reason I can’t find a witty comeback.  All I can say is God is a Green Bay packer fan.  After football we rested some more and then headed out for our fair well dinner.  We have all passed this one Mexican restaurant with a short mariachi man standing on the corner blowing a toy trumpet trying to persuade any hungry looking gringo into his place.  Because I seem to promise this funny little guy we will come in next time, I figured it would be bad karma to pass him up again.  So Mexican it was.  Sadly they can’t serve beer after 4pm on Sundays because too many people were getting sloshed after church and crashing their cars, so I had to sooth my jalapeño burns with red wine.  The food turned out to be great so the team went back to the hotel content.  We now head south to Chimborazo.  Albert and Ginger, we will miss you.  Wish us luck. 

RMI Guides Adam Knoff & Casey Grom

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