Entries By 12/2025

Sunday, December 7, 2025 - 8:45 pm PT

Tim and I said goodbye to a lot of friends today.  We had time for all of that though as the jet landed at Union at 3:30 PM.  We had plenty of time to catch a lecture on jellyfish, to eat a big lunch and to go for a 10K fat bike ride out in the bright sunshine.  It was another great day in Antarctica.  It was a slightly novel experience to load onto a 757 with only 16 other passengers.  Things were relaxed, to say the least.  We both got window seats and thus had a spectacular view of Vinson as the pilot took us way closer than normal leaving Union.  Four hours later we put down in Punta Arenas.  It was just getting dark -an unfamiliar thing to us- as we drove into town.  Checking in to the hotel at 10 PM meant that dinner would be tough to find on a Sunday evening, but we were able to find a comfortable cafe still willing to serve pisco sours.  So we toasted each other and a fine adventure.  We got oh so lucky… and we used that luck to achieve some dreams. 

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Sunday, December 7, 2025 - 7:03 am PT

Tim and I spent a restful day and night at Union Glacier.  It was another very calm and sunny day here… easy to enjoy. We alternated eating and napping with attending lectures and riding fat bikes on a groomed 10K track. 
We are on course for flying back to South America later today and so we are both experiencing the usual mix of excitement for moving on and regret at leaving this wonderful place.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Friday, December 5, 2025 - 6:16 pm PT

It was another cloudy, cool day at Vinson Basecamp… right up until about six o’clock in the evening when the clouds melted away.  We ate a last mountain dinner and then caught a twin otter to Union Glacier.
Now we’re in the big camp, with scientists, climbers, tourists and adventurers of every stripe. It is a bit like a school reunion, bumping into friends and teammates from around the world and from decades of expeditions. 
Tim and I proceeded to the dining tent for a nightcap before heading to our comfy “clam” tent.

Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Thursday, December 4, 2025 - 6:39 pm PT

Today was a no fly day at Vinson Basecamp… too much cloud.  But Tim and I were quite happy to relax with the ALE staff in the comfortable dining tent.  It is still something of a novelty to have WiFi way out this way and we enjoyed catching up and eating and reading.  For being a “weather day” it really wasn’t all that unpleasant. Just a little cooler without direct sunshine.  Now, close to midnight, it is snowing lightly.

Best
RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Wednesday, December 3, 2025 - 4:43 pm PT

We got a good rest at high camp.  There was some concern that winds would hit overnight but the morning was calm, sunny and easy.  Just what we’ve come to expect.  We ate a good breakfast, knocked down our tents and began climbing downhill.  As expected, it was a pretty good workout getting down the fixed ropes, but then it was a cruise (a multi hour, pack carrying, sled hauling cruise) to reach Basecamp.  We were greeted with champagne and handshakes.  Just after Tim and I spread out our sleeping bags in our basecamp tent, the possibility arose that we’d fly to Union Glacier. Clouds were hovering around base but broke up enough for one airplane to get in.  But that was it and the second flight that would have taken us was scrubbed for the evening. Tim and I were actually relieved to relax in Vinson Basecamp and to share a victory dinner with Jon Gupta.

Best Regards,

RMI Guide Dave Hahn

Good news!

RMI Guide Dave Hahn and climber Tim along with their ALE Guide Jon Gupta reached the summit of Mt. Vinson yesterday, December 2nd.

Congratulations team!