Our RMI Expedition Skills Seminar- Winter checked in this morning from about 6,000 feet on Mt. Rainier. Six inches of snow yesterday and another foot through the night has kept Casey and Jake and the team busy training. Sturdy winter camp construction, a focus on avalanche awareness and how to travel in winter conditions have been the focus. Today’s plans include scouting the route uphill but waiting until the winds abate before attempting to move higher. Stay tuned!
Hi Elizabeth, we are thinking of you very much from Zinal! We are so proud to know you! A big hug from the bottom of our Heart! All the best for you and your team. Annick & Pieder
Posted by: Annick Chatellenaz Caduff on 3/18/2011 at 2:41 pm
Elizabeth,.. Jean just flicked me the link….wow, there’s a saying, ” if your not living life on the edge your taking up too much room”... Your on the edge!:).... You can do it:)....
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall radioed in from the summit of Mt. Rainier at 11:15 a.m. PT with 100% of the team on the top.
It is a beautiful, crisp, clear day and they enjoyed the views for a little while before starting their descent. They will return to Camp Muir to celebrate and warm up.
The team will spend tonight at Camp Muir (10,060') and begin their descent tomorrow after some additional training.
Congratulations to the team!
Hello!
We are checking in from Camp Muir. The team is enjoying the nice sun at 10,000'. We have had a great day of training. The weather has been pleasant with a cold wind from the north. Sunny conditions are warming everyone’s spirits. Today we are working on some advanced climbing techniques, and tonight if weather allows we may be going for a summit push. The weather looks good things are lining up in our favor but a strong north wind could thwart our summit attempt. We will check in tomorrow with our updated status.
Wish us luck!
RMI Guide Seth Waterfall
We had a really great week! Lots of super successful training!
I wish we could have gone to the summit on the first day because it was such a spectacular day to be in the mountains, beautiful, sunny and not a breath of wind! We couldn’t, though, because we hadn’t completed our basic mountaineering training yet, and then the weather just closed the window.
The winds seemed to have hammered the slopes pretty hard prior to our arrival as everything was sporting a windslab. Nothing had released naturally, but we saw several releases propagated by icefall.
We really focused on our training and spent a lot of time outside. Avalanche hazard awareness, beacon searches, and the decision-making process of travel in avy terrain dominated much of the week. We also spent quite a bit of time on camp craft – building bomber snowcaves and setting up expedition-style camps. Of course, rope and anchor work, fixed line travel, crevasse rescue systems and other Denali-prep skills kept us busy as well.
A great week!
The winter seminar had one of the most spectacular sunny and wind free days possible on Mount Rainier yesterday! Our entire team successfully made the long walk to Camp Muir just in time to watch the sun set. We had warm drinks, a hot meal, a lot of laughs, and a nice night's sleep in the bunkhouse.
Today we woke to a wonderful sunrise with great views of Mt. Adams, Hood, St. Helens, and Jefferson. This morning we worked on ice axe, crampon, and rope travel skills on the flanks of the Cowlitz Glacier. We plan to train in avalanche beacon skills and avalanche terrain assessment for the afternoon as clouds swirl and conditions remain reasonable.
We are enjoying the winter beauty up on Mount Rainier!
-RMI Guides Tyler Jones, Walter Hailes, Andy Bond and Solveig Garhart
The One Step Closer Climb for organ donation was a project started by transplant surgeon Dr. Andrew Precht of Swedish Transplant in Seattle. The goal of the project was to put climb Mt. Rainier with a group of transplant recipients, organ donors, and transplant medical professionals including Dr. Andrew Precht and team members from Swedish Medical Transplant Program to promote organ and tissue donation awareness and demonstrate what is possible after a life-saving organ transplant. The expedition was lead by guides from RMI.
This is from KING 5 News special coverage about United Way's Climb for the Community up Mount Rainier, which took place July 5-8, 2009. The climb team, which was lead by mountaineering legend Ed Viesturs, included NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Seattle Seahawks coach Jim Mora and United Way CEO Jon Fine.
Hi Elizabeth, we are thinking of you very much from Zinal! We are so proud to know you! A big hug from the bottom of our Heart! All the best for you and your team. Annick & Pieder
Posted by: Annick Chatellenaz Caduff on 3/18/2011 at 2:41 pm
Elizabeth,.. Jean just flicked me the link….wow, there’s a saying, ” if your not living life on the edge your taking up too much room”... Your on the edge!:).... You can do it:)....
Posted by: Andy patterson on 3/18/2011 at 1:50 pm
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