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Ecuador’s Volcanoes: The Team Acclimatizes on Rucu Pichincha

Posted by: Casey Grom, Eric Frank | December 13, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 9,350'

Hola from Quito!

We started the day with another wonderful breakfast here at the hotel full of fruits, eggs, fresh baked breads and plenty of coffee. We then took a short cab ride to the Teleferico and rode the gondola up to around 13,500’. From here we hiked for about 3 hours to the top of Rucu Pichincha (15,696’). It was mostly cloudy on our acclimatization hike until we nearly reached the summit. The clouds broke up a bit and allowed us a few views of the surrounding valley. The team did great on the hike and a few team members reached new altitude records. We spent the rest of the day doing a little shopping, sightseeing and a few of us took siestas.

All is well here in Ecuador and we are looking forward to tomorrow’s adventure.

RMI Guide Casey Grom and crew

On The Map

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Ecuador’s Volcanoes: Team’s Arrival & First Day in Quito

Posted by: Eric Frank, Casey Grom | December 13, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Ecuador
Elevation: 9,350'

Hello everyone. After a day of long flights, our team arrived in Quito last night and moved into the Hotel Mercure Alameda to rest and recover.

This morning the team indulged in a great breakfast including various local fruits and dishes. After a quick orientation meeting, we headed out for a city tour and visit to the Equator. Warm weather and a sunny day made our time walking around the city enjoyable. We were able to visit Independence Plaza, the Jesuit church La Compania, and the Virgin of Quito - a 100+ foot statue with gorgeous views overlooking the city.

Seated at 9,350 feet, the air in Quito is thin, especially for those of us coming from sea level. The city tour, in addition to exposing us to some of the best sights in Quito, gave us a chance to stretch our legs and aid in the acclimatization process. The time that we spend here is building the base to increase our chances of success later in the trip.

We spent the afternoon exploring the Equatorial line and phenomenon associated with it. We watched basins of water, only a dozen feet apart, swirl opposite directions on each side of the line and learned when the indigenous people first discovered their location.

After taking a few hour siesta, the team met for our first dinner to round out the day.  The conversation and laughter at our table made it feel like a group of old friends, who will only grow closer in the coming days.

RMI Guide Casey Grom

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Mt. Rainier: September 23rd Summit!

Posted by: Geoff Schellens, Eric Frank | September 23, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'

RMI Guide Eric Frank called in from the crater rim of Mt. Rainier at 7:30 a.m.  The Five Day Summit Climb September 19 - 23 was just approaching the summit.  They reported cold temperatures with light winds and an overall beautiful day.  RMI Guide Geoff Schellens led the Four Day Summit Climb September 20 - 23 to the summit also.  The teams spent just over an hour on the summit before starting their descent.  They will return to Camp Muir to re-pack their gear before continuing down to Paradise.  We look forward to seeing both teams at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.

Congratulations to today’s summit climbers!

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Mt. Rainier: September 17th Summit!

Posted by: Eric Frank, Elias de Andres Martos | September 17, 2012
Categories: *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'

Our Four Day Summit Climb September 14 - 17 reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning led by RMI Guides Eric Frank and Elias de Andres Martos.  The teams reported calm winds and warm temperatures.  The sky is hazy due to the wildfires in eastern Washington.  They were able to spend some time on the summit before starting their descent around 9 am PT.  The teams will return to Camp Muir to repack and then continue their descent to Paradise.  We look forward to seeing them at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.

Congratulations to today’s summit climb teams!

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Mt. Rainier: September 8th Summit!

Posted by: Mike Walter, Eric Frank | September 08, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: Summit

Our Four Day Summit Climb teams led by RMI Guides Mike Walter and Eric Frank are standing on the summit of Mt. Rainier today.  Eric reported 10 – 15 mph winds, and beautiful weather.  They will spend about an hour on the summit before starting the descent back to Camp Muir.

Congratulations to today’s teams!

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Mt. Rainier: August 28th Update

Posted by: Shaun Sears, Eric Frank | August 27, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 11,500'

The Four Day Summit Climb August 24 - 27 led by RMI Guides Shaun Sears and Eric Frank were unable to summit today.  High winds kept the teams from leaving Camp Muir as scheduled.  The Camp Muir Telemetry shows an average wind speed between 55 - 80 mph. over night.  The teams did climb to Ingraham Flats later in the morning.  The wind was still blowing approximately 40 mph and they began their descent from this high point just before 8 am.  The teams returned to Camp Muir to repack and rest before starting their descent to Paradise shortly after 10 am.

RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer and the Expedition Skills Seminar - Paradise checked in this morning from the Paradise Glacier.  The team will be breaking camp and moving to Camp Muir.  They plan to do some additional training around Muir today and will be making their summit attempt tomorrow morning.

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Mt. Rainier: August 23rd Summit!

Posted by: Casey Grom, Eric Frank, Thomas Greene | August 23, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: Summit

Our Four Day Summit Climb Teams led by Casey Grom and Eric Frank reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at 7:40 a.m. PST.  RMI Guide Thomas Greene reported clear and cold conditions on the top with winds of 20 - 25 mph and the cloud deck at 7500’.  The teams spent some time in the crater and have started their descent back to Camp Muir.

The Expedition Skills Seminar - Emmons led by Billy Nugent also reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. The team will spend the remainder of their time on the mountain training and plan to arrive back at Ashford Basecamp in the early afternoon on Friday.

Congratulations to today’s teams!

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Fisher Chimneys: August 8th Summit!

Posted by: Mike Walter, Eric Frank, Geoff Schellens | August 08, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *North Cascades
Elevation: Summit

Hey gang…all is good here on Shuksan. We’re on top at 9:30 am with 100% success! The weather is perfect, with no clouds above us and barely a breath of wind. We have great views of many northwest peaks from Rainier to Canada.

We’ll be in touch after we return to our camp.

Cheers,

RMI Guide Mike Walter

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Mt. Rainier: August 1st Summit!

Posted by: Brent Okita, Eric Frank, Mike Haugen | August 01, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'

“By far the best of the year” was RMI Guide Brent Okita’s description of today’s weather on the summit of Mt. Rainier.  Brent led the Four Day Summit Climb July 29 - 1 August to the top this morning.  RMI Guide Eric Frank led the Five Day Summit Climb July 28 - 1 August to Rainier’s summit with 100% of his team.  Both teams reported warm temperatures with just a whisper of wind.  They began their descent from the crater rim just before 8 am.  The teams will return to Camp Muir and then continue their descent to Paradise.

RMI Guide Mike Haugen led the Expedition Skills Seminar on the Kautz Glacier.  The team spent the week training at Rainier BaseCamp and on the mountain.  This morning they packed up their camp at 13,000’ atop Wapowty Cleaver and reached the summit of Mt. Rainier.  The team will descend via the Disappointment Cleaver Route. This marks the 100th summit of Mt. Rainier for RMI Guide Mike Haugen.  Congratulations Mike!

RMI Guide Jake Beren called to check-in from Mt. Shuksan.  The team is back at camp after being 100% on top today.  Jake reported that the route is “near perfect” with an amazing sunrise, views of Mt. Baker and the surrounding Cascades.  They ascended the central gulleys of the summit pyramid and stood on top with windless, sunny conditions.  The team had a great descent, rolling in to camp at the same time as the fog.  They are back at camp hydrating and resting before hiking out tomorrow. 

We look forward to seeing all the groups at Rainier BaseCamp this afternoon.  Congratulations to today’s teams!

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Mt. Rainier: July 19th Summits!

Posted by: Billy Nugent, Brent Okita, Gabriel Barral, Eric Frank | July 19, 2012
Categories: *Expedition Dispatches *Mount Rainier *North Cascades
Elevation: 14,410'

The Four Day Summit Climbs for July 16 - 19 reached the summit today.  RMI Guides Brent Okita and Gabriel Barral reported clear skies and moderate winds on the summit this morning. 

RMI Guide Billy Nugent led the Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz to the summit also.  The team will descend back to their high camp for a final night on the mountain.

In the North Cascades, RMI Guide Eric Frank and team reached the summit of Forbidden Peak yesterday.  The team is making their final descending today and returning to the trail head.  Near by, RMI Guide Jake Beren and team reached the summit of Mt. Shuksan via the SE Ridge.

Congratulations to today’s summit teams!

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