Entries from Expedition Dispatches

Good evening from beautiful Guanacos camp!

The sun is setting and it’s a radiant orange and pink sky surrounding our tents. This is our third night here and we are feeling good. Today we carried a load of gear up, up, up to Camp 3 - new altitude record for the whole team at 19,600 feet! The saying of the day was “stress the system, rest the system.” We stressed our bodies moving up to that altitude in the hopes that it will help us on summit day. But before our headaches were too bad, we started downhill back to Camp 2. We got back in the early afternoon and then it was time to rest the system.

We prepared for our summit push with a big talk about what to expect, what to carry, tips and tricks to stay warm and so much more. We know some anxiety is normal as there are so many unknowns as we head uphill but preparing as much as we can helps.  Jack also led us in some improv games where we laughed and joked and that helped too!

Tomorrow we head to Camp 3 with a hopeful summit on the horizon.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the "Skittles" team 

It has been a rewarding and exhausting week and a half traveling around Ecuador and venturing into the high mountains. Yesterday, we concluded the trip with an attempt of Cotopaxi, followed by a celebration dinner in Quito. We did not summit Cotopaxi and yet, had a meaningful and memorable experience. There are some days that the mountain does not grant reasonably safe passage and that is just how it goes. Reflecting on my own experiences climbing in this country, some of the windless, sunny days where we reached big summits have begun to blend together. On the other hand, those nights with unrelenting wind, rain, snow, rime ice or lightning really stand out. Our attempt of Cotopaxi falls into that category.

As we left the hut, the feeling was that the steady 20-30mph wind would need to relent during the early morning hours as we went higher on the mountain. Adding to this, we were occassionaly spritzed by rain or very moist clouds. I know that may sound like the same thing, but there is a subtle difference. Either way, by the time we reached the glacier our clothing was thoroughly coated in rime ice and we found ourselves in even more need of improvements in the weather. We began the long, steep traverse from the entrance of the glacier to the Yanasacha Ridge and the weather never improved. At 17600' we made the decision for the team to turn around. That is a tough call to make, albeit the right one. Most people's reflection seemed to include some continued dialing of how much weather is too much weather. I often reflect using a thought process along the lines of: if I continue to the summit in these conditions 100 times, does something catastrophic occur? Of course, we can't know for sure the answer to that, but we can begin to imagine the variety of outcomes and I think we all know a 1 in 100 chance of catastrophe is not worth the reward. We can feel proud to have pushed ourselves in adverse conditions and have had a learning experience.

Today the team is parting ways. Most are headed home to family, while some are extending their vacations or climbing plans further into South America. Wherever it is, this team now carries with them some great memories and stories to be shared.

RMI Guide Dustin Wittmier & Team

Hello from Kili. 

Just a quick recap today. 

All of the the team happily and successfully stood on the “Roof of Africa” today. 

Thankfully the weather cooperated and it was pretty calm most of the day. However, the recent rain/storm deposited a boat load of snow for us to enjoy. You might say the Snows of Kilimanjaro are back, but it’s probably only temporary. 

We hiked up almost entirely on snow, which was a first for me.  The team did an incredible job of taking care of themselves and fought hard when it was needed.  

We have safely descend to our high camp where we will take a short break to eat and recharge before descending further down the mountain to our last camp on the mountain. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the summit crew!

The team is thriving here at Camp 2, acclimatizing at just over 18,000 feet. Spirits are high, and everyone’s feeling strong as we continue to prepare for the next steps on our journey. This altitude is no joke, it can feel like you have the flu or a fever, but with proper rest and acclimation, the team is handling it like pros.

This morning kicked off on a high note—literally and figuratively—with an incredible breakfast courtesy of guides Jess and Jack. They whipped up breakfast burritos that had everyone’s appetite soaring, proving once again that good food can work wonders at altitude.

Of course, camp life always has its quirks, and we have experienced cases of mountain “loud streaming.” For those unfamiliar, this is when someone in a nearby tent decides to play music or watch a movie at full volume without headphones, sharing their entertainment with the entire camp. While it added an unexpected movie soundtrack to our attempts to sleep, we’ve all taken it in stride and had a few laughs about it.

Aside from the impromptu movie soundtracks, the team is doing great. We’ve spent the day packing gear for tomorrow’s carry to Camp 3. The plan is to haul supplies up, then return to Camp 2 to sleep and rest. The next few days are critical as we move higher and prepare for the summit push.

The weather outlook is promising—clear skies and manageable winds—so we’re all excited to get rolling. With strong morale and solid progress, we’re ready for what’s ahead. Stay tuned as we move closer to the top!

RMI Climber Elburz Sorkhabi

Hello again everyone, 

The team had a good nights rest last night and today was just a short 3 hour hike up to 15,000ft to our high camp. Everyone is excited and maybe just a touch nervous, which is very normal! 

The team has just wrapped up lunch and discussed in great detail the plan for tomorrow’s climb. Everyone knows what we’ll be wearing, what will be in the pack, as well as the schedule. 
Our game plan will be to wake at 10:30pm and have a quick breakfast at 11, then hopefully hit the trail around 11:30pm. The weather is still being a little fickle and it’s currently sleeting here at camp. Hopefully that will taper off here soon and we’ll have a calm night for climbing. 

The team has been doing great thus far and I am expecting us to reach the summit in 7 to 8 hours if things go according to plan. 

We had another trivia challenge, and one lucky winner will get a phone call from the summit. 
So everyone back home please keep your phones handy and if you receive a call from a strange number please answer. We are 8+hrs ahead of the east coast time zone. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and the RMI summit bound team!

Hello friends and family!

The team made a strong move today, climbing from Camp 1 to Camp 2 in great form. It was a challenging push, but everyone handled the route with grit and determination. Now, at over 18000 ft, we’re resting at Camp 2, which will be home for a little while as we wait for the right weather window to move up to Camp 3 and prepare for our summit push.

Camp 2 is buzzing with activity. Climbers from different expeditions are coming and going, creating a lively atmosphere. Despite the hustle and bustle, we’ve managed to carve out a little corner of the camp for ourselves. We made the best (and flattest) tent platforms possible by “reading the green” - I’ll be honest, that’s a new term for me but not for all the golfers in the group!

Of course, space is tight up here, which makes our usual card and dice games a bit of a challenge. Finding a flat spot where things don’t roll away is harder than you’d think! But we’re getting creative and working on a setup that’ll keep the fun going as we rest.

The team is doing great—strong, motivated, and full of positive energy. For now, it’s all about resting, fueling up, and staying sharp. The summit is getting closer, and we’re ready for the next step when the mountain says it’s time. Stay tuned for more updates from Guanacos Camp.

RMI Guide Jess Wedel and the Team

Hello again everyone. 

Right out of camp we were faced with the only significant technical obstacle for this climb. This hurdle is the great Barranco Wall, which rises about 1,000ft and looks as intimidating as it sounds. Thankfully there is a nice narrow trail that weaves its way up and through the wall and all the way to the top. Most of it feels more like steep hiking, but there are a few places that require the use of our hands to help us climb up. 

The team did a great job of moving steady and allowing a few porters through with their loads precariously balanced on their heads, while we clung to the wall like scared cats. 

After reaching the top we took a nice break and enjoyed some hot tea and fresh snacks. The team then continued our hiking for two more hours before reaching camp. 

All in all, it took only about four hours for us to reach our next camp called Karanga, named for the big and beautiful valley which it overlooks. Unfortunately it mostly obscured by the thick clouds that seem to be following us and we ducked into the tents right before the rain arrived, lucky us. 

Spirits are high and there have been few complaints from this tough crew, even though it’s been more cloudy and damp than we’d like!

RMI Guide Casey and the Kili crew!

A lovely day out.

After a night of less than stellar sleeping due to gusty winds and adjusting to the altitude we awoke to still skies and lovely sunshine. We ate a quick breakfast and we packed up all the gear we would carry up to cache at Camp 2 (Guanchos 3). The slow trudge uphill was a test and a new highest altitude reached for a majority of the team. Even though the air was thinner by the step we moved smoothly and efficiently. 

Once we arrived at Camp 2, we sorted our gear and lounged about for an hour stressing our bodies to ready them to stay at this new altitude of 18,000'. Tomorrow we will move to up to make this camp our home, but today we followed the tried and true acclimatization method of climbing high and sleeping low. After returning to Camp 1, everyone relaxed for the rest of afternoon and enjoyed the now thick seeming air. After a hearty dinner of loaded mac and cheese it was off to bed for what will hopefully be a more restful night of sleep.

RMI Guide Jack Delaney and the team

Hello Blog people!

Oh the weather is a changing!

Sadly the clouds and rain have found us. Today we had a a few views of Kilimanjaro and all of the new snow that has fallen on the upper mountain. 

We hit the trail once again around 8 am and hiked for an hour before taking our usual 15 minutes break, then back on the trail for another hour. In total today we hiked for just over 6 hours before reaching camp which is set up and ready for us by our incredibly hardworking and gracious crew of 31. 

Along the way we passed by the famous and beautiful Lava Tower reaching just over 15,000ft, setting new altitude records for some teammates. Weather-wise, it was a bit of everything. Rain, sleet, snow and even a touch of sunshine. Not enough to cause any concern, but enough to have us hiking in our gore-tex and questioning if we were on a trail or riverbed. Good times!

Everyone is doing well and in good spirits. 

RMI Guide Casey Grom and team Kili

Monday, January 27, 2025 - 11:43 pm PT

What a proper effort that was. Every member of our team pushed themselves today and some reached the summit of Cayambe, while others reached personal high points. Overall, the climb was a great learning experience.

It was a pretty challenging climb. We sat in the hut for most of the day yesterday because it was too rainy to go outside. Then knowing we needed to get an early start, we left the hut with wind and a light mist, wearing hard shell jackets and pants. We had to push towards the upper mountain gambling on some clearing in the weather and we got just that, SOME clearing. We faced moderate winds for most of the remainder of the climb as well as clouds that obscured visibility at times. Everyone had a thin layer of rime ice.

We're now headed to a hacienda for two nights of rest before heading off to Cotopaxi!

RMI Guide Dustin Witmier