Entries from Expedition Dispatches
This morning our team woke up at one the most impressive haciendas I’ve had the pleasure to visit in this beautiful country. I think what added to the splendor of the place was the outright need for rest after two big mountains in a row. The beds were superb, the food amazing and the amenities top notch. But in mountain climbing, as in life, all good things come to an end.
So where are we now?
Currently I am writing this at 17,500' from my sturdy but noisy tent on the southern flanks of Ecuador’s biggest mountain, Chimborazo. We were just fed dinner by our awesome camp staff so life could be much worse. On the other hand the wind is tumbling down hill at 30+ mph crashing into the tents and buckling them over on a routine basis making the sound of jet engine stuck in place. Not exactly last night’s digs.
But now the full moon has begun to rise, we are wrapped up warm in our bags and the summit cleared up catching the last rays of sun enticing us to venture upward.
Which we intend to do in five hours from now.
Wish us luck as we attempt to reach the place farthest from the center of the Earth.
And Ecuador’s highest point.
RMI Guide Adam Knoff
We could not have asked for a better day to pack up and move our camp to 16,400’. With little wind and warm temperatures, the Team did well today. They shaved some time from the carry day, better acclimatization, slightly lighter packs and nicer weather made all the difference. Camp is located between Cerro Ameghino and one of the many rock buttresses that make up Aconcagua. There are great views to the East and often we see lighting in the clouds that develop over the high desert once the sun sets. There is still a lot of mountain left to ascend. Tomorrow we carry some food, fuel and gear to Camp 2 located at 18,000’ and return to Camp 1 for some rest and continued acclimatization. The Team sends it’s love to family and friends following along. We are all ducked into the tents to avoid the sun for a little while.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
I can see the reason one would climb to such heights in order to stare into the beauty of the world around all of you. Continued success Team
Chris’s Dad
Posted by: John Condon on 1/19/2019 at 6:20 pm
Today the team had a very welcome rest day. After breakfast and loading our duffels onto the bus (again), we made our way to Ambato for groceries and a stop at Rey del Burrito, the Burrito King. It was far from your everyday lunch, as we were featured stars in a project by some local film students, and witnessed our teammate Dan take down "El Rey" - a 50 cm monster burrito. After Dan's dance with the King we made our way to Riobamba, the capital of Chimborazo province. The eponymous mountain was just barely visible through heavy clouds as we arrived at our hotel, getting us excited for a closer look. However, we were distracted from Chimborazo by the tremors of a distant magnitude-5 earthquake! Ecuador is certainly a dynamic place. After dinner and some trash talk-filled pool, we returned to the rooms to pack for our move to Chimborazo high camp tomorrow. The team is getting psyched for our shot at this beautiful mountain!
RMI Guide Taylor Bickford
I ditto that from Sean. Glad to hear you are doing well. Got home yesterday, and am “hobbling” along. Love Mom
Posted by: Mary Accettura on 1/20/2019 at 6:11 pm
Proud of you brother! Can’t wait to hear all about your experiences and climbs over a nice cool hops and barley beverage.
Posted by: Sean Condon on 1/19/2019 at 2:56 pm
The winds have calmed down here at Plaza Argentina. The Team is enjoying a rest day before we move up the mountain tomorrow. This second rest day is necessary for the Team to acclimate properly with the quick ascent to 14,000’. Aside from sorting some gear, working on tents and a few naps, we are all eager to head up to Camp 1. The winds are forecasted to build over the next few days so we will get our camp established at 16,400’ and see what the weather and mountain give us.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
Posted by: Casey Grom
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Kilimanjaro
Hello everyone
We spent yesterday touring Tarangire National Park which is home to many elephants, in fact, it has more per square kilometer than any place on earth and it didn’t disappoint.
There were plenty of other animals as usual, and we got close to a few big giraffe, which was amazing plus a leopard sighting too.
We ended our day at a remote and off grid camp within the National Park and surrounded by wildlife. The camp has screened in rooms that allow the night sounds of Africa in and also last night's big thunderstorm.
It's been a memorable experience for everyone and great friendships forged. But finally it's time to return home to our families.
Jambo from RMI Guide Casey Grom and the Safari crew!
There is nothing like the mountains shadow on clouds below as the sun turns everything pink. We were fortunate to experience sunrise on the summit of Orizaba this morning after spending the previous 6 hours slowly rest-stepping and pressure-breathing our way to 18,500 feet.
RMI Guide Christina Dale
Terrific! Proud of you Sue! Can’t wait to hear all about it when you get back!
Posted by: Norm Symonds on 1/19/2019 at 12:54 pm
Outstanding pictures!!! Thanks for sharing! Have fun Sue!
The Havasu/OC team!
Posted by: Laura Thompson on 1/18/2019 at 11:12 am
Today the Team took off after breakfast for Camp 1 located at 16,400’. We carried food and fuel with a little personal gear up to continue our acclimatization. The route from base camp winds through a series of scree slopes and the Relinchos glacier. This day is typically one of the more difficult stretches on Aconcagua due to the distance, elevation gain and first day with heavy packs above 14,000 feet. The weather began with a strong breeze that would bring gusts of 40 mph at times. The Team got to Camp 1 and put in the cache of food and fuel. With strong gusts of wind sweeping through camp there wasn’t much incentive to hang out. Everyone is back in Plaza Argentina and looking forward to our last rest day here before moving up the mountain. Tomorrow we’ll take it easy.
RMI Guide Mike King
On The Map
I’m thrilled to announce that 100% of team Ecuador made it to the summit of Cotopaxi this morning. As I mentioned yesterday the mountain got whipped up into a mood which made the prospect of summitting today fairly uncertain. But like I also said, you never know what can happen.
Keeping this in mind I poked my head out of the hut at 11:45 last night and was amazed to see stars glimmering in the clear sky. This at least solved the moisture problem but the wind still rattled the walls and made roofs squeal, which we aptly named Godzilla.
Once we motivated and committed to climbing, things just worked. Our local guides and RMI guides had a bit of differing ideas about pace, which is why there is no group photo, but all in all the climb was superb.
Because we got separated a bit, some climbers made it back to the hut a good hour before the last but by the end, everyone was covered in thick rime ice. The good weather again lasted only long enough for us to get up and down before turning to a wet blowing soaker we are happy to be sheltered from.
Now we are packing up and getting ready to once again load the magic bus and head down to the lowlands for our celebration meal and nap.
Tomorrow is a well earned rest day.
Before I close this I would like to wish happy birthday to the wonderful lady in my life. These beautiful summits remind me of you.
RMI Guide Adam Knoff
Awesome! Way to go…Looking forward to hearing about the next mountain!
Hugs,
Beck (Chris’s wife)
Posted by: Beck Condon on 1/18/2019 at 6:15 am
Congrats on another safe and successful summit. Always thx fo the blog. Excellent! Mom
Posted by: Jane Knoff on 1/17/2019 at 5:51 pm
Posted by: Christina Dale
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mexico
We loaded up all our gear and added 10 liters of water to our already four gallons and hit the trail for High Camp. It was slow going with heavy packs ,loose scree steps, and not much atmosphere above us but all went well. We made many friends along the trail who are all rooting for the tall blond lady team. Tonight we will hopefully get some sleep and wake up at midnight for the summit bid.
Think warm and speedy thoughts!
RMI Guide Christina Dale
One step at a time. That’s how we do it…from a stateside rooter for the tall blond lady team.
Posted by: Norm Symonds on 1/17/2019 at 2:09 pm
Cotopaxi is 19,300 feet short and considered the Jewel of Ecuador. Yesterday we arrived at the mountain and were welcomed with beautiful views and pleasant temps. Hopes were high that our good fortune would continue and the next few days might give us stars at night and sun during the day. Last night however those hopes were dashed as the mountain came into a mood hammering the hut with high winds driving sleet.
These unfavorable conditions didn’t threaten us like they did the climbers attempting the summit today but they did squash some of our training plans.
At 8 am this morning everyone was up feeling much better than they did after their first night on Cayambe. Despite that refugio sitting at 15,000 feet, our acclimatization was so much better that a night at 16,000 feet here on Cotopaxi produced fewer headaches and more restful sleep than the latter. Which is good because an altitude hangover feels like you drank a bottle of whiskey but had none of the fun that goes along with it. All in all a lose lose.
So after breakfast we watched the climbers roll in looking much like a popsicle left in the freezer too long so we took a nap and waited for the weather to settle just a bit. Which it did by 10:30, opening a small window for us to climb into and train for just a bit. It only took an hour for everyone to begin getting cold and wet, standing in a cloud blowing 25 mph so by 1 pm we were pulling the plug and heading back down to the security of the hut. During the afternoon we snacked on good meats and cheeses, thanks to John, and then studied anchors and crevasse rescue on coat hangers and picnic tables. Setting up a pulley system while drinking coke is sometimes better than doing the same while shivering in the howling wind.
So after training we crawled into bed for some nice down time and will be having dinner shortly. As of now the wind has mellowed a bit so we are hoping that for our 11:30 wake up call the mountain will be over her mood and things will be nicer. But in mountain climbing you never know! It is the mystery we all enjoy.
Stay tuned for news of our summit attempt.
Buenas Noches,
RMI Guide Adam Knoff
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Good Morning- I am anxiously waiting to hear how everyone is doing! If anyone reading this blog has information on this Summit please email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call me at5419482777. Many Thanks,
Beck Condon
Posted by: Beck Condon on 1/21/2019 at 8:06 am
Travel safe, team! Praying for a successful summit. The full moon and new light to guide you all to the summit. Upward bound! :)
Posted by: Chrissy on 1/19/2019 at 9:56 pm
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