Entries from Expedition Dispatches

After a full week of training on the lower slopes of Mt. Rainier the Expedition Skills Seminar - Kautz team reached the summit of Mt. Rainier. RMI Guide Dominic Cifelli said the Kautz route was in awesome shape. They left the crater rim around 9:30 am and will return to their camp for a final night on the mountain. The skills acquired will help these climbers pursue more advanced climbs like Denali, Aconcagua, or Mt. Baker North Ridge.

Congratulations team! 

Tuesday, June 6, 2023 - 9:53 am PT

The weather is cooperating and we're taking off to the Alaska Range and landing on the Kahiltna glacier! Our next update will be via satellite messenger and the climb will have started! 

Bon voyage!

RMI Guides  Andy Bond, Jack Delaney and Joey Manship

Hello readers,

What a day, what a day. We woke again to snow and all you can see, white. The forecast didn't call for all this snow and white but it's what we got for 36 hours straight. Hope wasn't lost and the team enjoyed a group activity of stomping out the runway. It didn't look like we would fly but we would at least be ready for those planes. The hours went by and no change. Surely we would spend another night at basecamp...then all of a sudden the clouds started to lift. There was a bustle around camp...planes were coming. The team having done a few false alarm pack ups was dialed. In less than 30 minutes we were fully packed up waiting next to the airstrip for our plane. It is a whirlwind experience to be one second in your sleeping bag on the mountain and the next loading a plane to take you off. In no time we were back in civilization, stinky, tired, and a few shades darker from the sun. A long shower, a hot meal not cooked over the XKG stoves, and a mattress you don't have to blow up later, we are new people. It's been an amazing trip full of ups and downs and always lessons learned about ourselves. We are grateful to be back safe and already look forward to our next adventures. 

Thanks for following along! Till next time,

RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team

Here's one more haiku,

The otters finally flew

We have made it back.

After a few long days sitting and waiting in our tents at Basecamp, K2 Aviation was able to make their way up glacier to come and grab our teams and sneak us back to Talkeetna last night.

We unpacked all the group gear, took our first shower in a long time, and got to enjoy a hot meal not prepared by an RMI guide.

After a long and challenging trip, we were all very thankful to make it back to land safe and sound.

Until next year!

Nikki

The Five Day Climb June 1 - 5 led by RMI Guides Steve Gately and Avery Parinello reached the summit of Mt. Rainier this morning.  The team enjoyed some time in the crater and reported a very pleasant climb although a bit cold and windy.  They started their descent from the crater rim at 8 am and will return to Camp Muir for a quick stop before continuning the remaining 4,500' to Paradise later today.  Their program will conclude this afternoon with ceremony at Rainier BaseCamp.

Congratulations to today's climbers!

Sunday, June 4, 2023 - 11:33 am PT

Well, Denali didn't disappoint, nor did it ever relent, but we've wrapped up a safe and successful expedition. Stormy weather bookended our trip, delaying flights both onto and off of the glacier. Not to be outdone, we endured snowy and windy weather throughout the trip, taking advantage of the sunny days in between to climb and get into position for a calm and warm (albeit cloudy with no views) summit day. 

Our team was elated to see K2 Aviation's de Havilland Otters approaching Basecamp to pick us up. As excited as we were to get to town, there's always a little sadness watching the beauty of the Alaska Range, our home for the past twenty-three days, disappear underneath the wings of the ski plane. 

Thanks for following our adventure. Now we're off to climb in the Cascades!

RMI Guide Mike Walter and team

Saturday, June 3, 2023 - 9:28 pm PT

After a another day of waiting, false starts on packing and taking down our tents, and some general finger twiddling, we suddenly got the very positive news that K2 had launched all four of their otters to come get us yesterday evening. The trusty planes hit the runway in quick succession, not unlike a military drill and we were loading duffels, packs, and sleds with excitement. We went on the slide down the runway one more time and we were off, airborne for Talkeetna. The flight out was a bit bumpy and we dodged clouds through the Alaska range to get home. It was quite evident how hard the pilots had worked to come get us. 

We landed in Talkeetna and disembarked to the fragrant smell of plants, technicolor hues of leaves and grass, and gratefully removed our boots and traded for flip flops. And just like that, we had reached the end of the expedition and achieved our ultimate goal - to come home whole. We gathered at the Denali Brew Pub for a celebratory dinner and poked our head in the historic Fairview Inn for a touch more celebrating. 

This morning we dried our gear, repacked bags for flights home, and got ready to head our separate ways. There is a strong bond that develops sharing tents and some trials over 23 days on a glacier. It's bittersweet to move on, but we do so knowing that this team came together in a way that made everyone stronger, they stretched to meet all of the many challenges we faced, and we came back successful. From Henry, Tatum, and myself, we would like to thank all of our team sincerely for being so strong, fun, and patient, and many thanks to everyone's families for the support and for following along. This is a long strange trip that none of us will soon forget. Flight plan closed. 

RMI Guide Pete Van Deventer

Saturday, June 3, 2023 - 9:14 pm PT

It's us again,

We woke to snow and it hasn't stopped since. Needless to say no planes came to pick us up. Morale is holding but we are getting a bit antsy as a team. There has been lots of laying down. Backs are sore, legs restless, minds are going stir crazy. It's only been a couple days but our exit is so close. Tomorrow may be better for weather, so fingers crossed its clear in Talkeetna and clear here so we can hop on that plane and get some much needed showers.

Till than we lay once again in our sleeping bags listening to the pitter patter of the snow.

Holding strong,

RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team

June 3, 2023 10:48 am PDT

We woke up to snow,

Was hoping to be in town,

More freeze dried it is.

June 2, 2023 10:01 pm PDT

The planes come and go,

but we are still here waiting,

tomorrow we fly?

RMI Guides Nikki, Leif, Lauren & Team

Hello readers,

We woke with hopes of people flying. It snowed over a foot during the night. A light fluffy snow, good for skiing. The clouds lingered and the sun tried to poke out here and there. The once fluffy snow soon turned into nice sticky snow for snowman making. In order for Plane to leave or arrive the runway needed to be stomped down so the planes didn't get stuck. All of basecamp came together on skis and snowshoes to consolidate the snow for the planes to land safely. By late afternoon, the plane that slept overnight revved up its engine and flew away. Five K2 Aviation planes made their landing and two RMI teams made it off. Before four of those planes could U-turn back the clouds rolled back in, and we were told they would try again tomorrow.

Snow began to lightly come down as we got back in our tents and ready for another night. Fingers crossed Saturday clears up and we too can fly off This mountain.

Still at Basecamp,

RMI Guides Hannah, Devin, Erika, and Team