Entries from Expedition Dispatches

In my brief mountaineering experience over the last 3 years, the quality of these journeys have largely been influenced by the quality of the guides and the people you are climbing with. We have been fortunate to hit home runs on both. 

On day 10 of our adventure as we attempt to summit Aconcagua. Today was a rest day at camp 2. We stretched our legs with a short hike up to 18,500’ where we had a crampon tutorial with guides Ray and Bhati. Ray even let me try his crampons on. We returned to camp 2 to rest, and prepare our gear for the push to camp 3 a.k.a. “high camp“. 

I’ve often compared climbing a mountain to a football season and how fitting that analogy is for this time of year. The trek to base camp is like the regular season. In terms of distance it’s the longest part of the journey just as there are more games in the regular season than in the playoffs. For those fortunate enough, the regular season/trek to base camp is only the preamble for why we do this. We didn’t come here just to get to basecamp and we don’t play football to put the pads away when the playoffs start. 

We do this to push ourselves, to see what’s inside our competitive souls. To join forces with other like minded individuals to work together so we can all stand on the mountain top or hoist the championship trophy. And for some of us, it’s to see if maybe we can shine the sun on our physical accomplishments once more before Father Time starts the slow sunset of our bodies. We are not looking for an easy path, we are looking for a challenge that requires our individual & collective best.

As the playoffs/push up the upper mountain began. Each climb to the next camp or round of the playoffs gets tougher. When climbing every step we take will be greeted with less oxygen, less sleep, more wear and tear on our joints and muscles. Unlike a football game the action is slow and monotonous. It is tedious work. We have to overcome the mental hurdle of knowing that each and every step will be harder. To the point of pure exhaustion, and yet we push on. Why, many will ask. Why would you put yourself through that? The reality is those who ask such questions will never quite understand the answer. In simplest terms I would sum it up like this; if you want to have “Fun” go to Disney World or the beach. If you want an incredible sense of accomplishment, one that few people on this earth will ever know, grab a pack, a pair of boots, a few friends or meet some new ones, hire some experienced guides and hit the trail!

As we stand here at camp 2 looking up at the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere, 22,842’ in sky stands the summit of Aconcagua. The next round of our playoff push is the carry and move to camp 3. Survive and advance is the motto we use during a playoff run and that certainly applies to climbing Aconcagua. Regardless of how our bodies feel and our mind telling us to tap out and return to a hot shower and good night’s sleep in Mendoza, we WILL press on. The “Mountain Don’t Give A F*<£” (MDGAF) and we are determined to “Find A Way!”

It is a battle of ultimate respect between the mountain and the climber. I don’t know if I/we will be turned around or if I/we will dance on the summit in the next few days. I do know that regardless of the outcome, the thousands of hours training we have put in and years of preparation are worth it. Life is about your process and your approach day after day, month after month and year after year. The score/outcome will take care of itself.

I want to thank everyone who has supported my teammates and myself on our respective journeys to this point. The collective commitment of time and resources is substantial. To Shelley, Avery, TJ and Luke I love you all! To the CGG it’s been an amazing 30+ yrs doing life together…it truly is a great day to be alive!

RMI Climber Tim Schafer

Sunday, January 18, 2026 - 2:17 pm PT

The clouds started to lift last night and by time we were ready to attempt Chimborazo the sky was completely clear for the first time during our adventure.
We woke at 11 p.m. to start our day and it was virtually perfect for a summit attempt; cool temps, no wind, and a sky full of stars.
The route starts with a rocky traverse but quickly changes to a step snow slope. At 18,000+ feet elevation steep slopes really take their toll, but our team was ready for the challenge. Six hours later, just as the sun was rising, we reached the summit. It was quite cold and a little breezy on top so we watched the sun rise, enjoyed our first real views of the many mountains of the Ecuador skyline, and headed down.
Chimborazo was a challenge but everyone on our team met that challenge with smiles.

RMI Guide Walter Hailes

Our excited team of climbers met face to face for the first time last night in the lobby of our lovely Hotel Geneve in Mexico City. They have been messaging excitedly on WhatsApp for months, so even the Bills' heartbreaking loss to the Broncos couldn't stifle the excitement (our thoughts go out to Micheal). 

After a logistics chat we headed of to the local taco spot. We have a great crew and everyone is excited for our week to come. 

Off to Malinche and our first climb!

RMI Guide Joe Hoch

We left Riobamba late this morning for our approach to high camp on Chimborazo. One of the great things about climbing in Ecuador is that we can drive to nearly 16,000 ft. From there, it was a two‑hour hike to our new dome‑tent home at 17,500 ft on Chimborazo.

The weather is looking good, so we’re heading to bed early in anticipation of an early wake‑up to climb our third—and biggest—volcano of the trip.

Wish us luck!

RMI Guide Nick Sinapius & Team

Here at camp 2 (18,000’) while enjoying the views of this Sentinel of Stone - There’s a moment on every expedition that I live for - we’ve reached it. 

When Strangers Become a Team

It happens somewhere between the initial introductions and the summit push we have ahead of us, in that subtle shift when a group of strangers transforms into something more. We’re not just individuals sharing a mountain anymore. We’re a team.

You can feel it in the way we move now. Tasks that once required coordination or instruction just happen. The little things that make life at altitude manageable—we just get done, because we’ve all started thinking as one unit rather than separate climbers. We have the same goal in mind, but it takes a team to reach it.  

And when someone struggles—whether it’s battling altitude sickness, fumbling with tying a tent knot in 40 mph wind, or simply having a rough day—the response is immediate. We help each in those moments. There’s no judgment, no hesitation. Just hands reaching out to help, encouragement offered freely, and the quiet understanding that today it’s them, tomorrow it might be me.

This is what I love most about mountaineering. Not the summit, not the views (though both are incredible and Yes, the ultimate goal). 

It’s this: the alchemy of shared hardship that turns strangers into teammates, and teammates into something that feels a lot like family.

RMI Climber Andrew Hall 

Climbing High 

Ultimate Battle

Reaching Up & Beyond

Ecuador continues to deliver beautiful scenery as we travel south of Quito. The long driveway for the hacienda was lined with 100’ tall eucalyptus trees providing a refreshing smell as we drive out this morning. The country side is covered with verdant fields dotted with cows or greenhouses growing red and yellow and pink roses. The roads are lined with vendors selling ice cream and hot snacks and the freshest fruit. And the skyline is dotted by the giant glaciated volcanoes we came here to climb. We’re lucky to enjoy this beautiful country with a group of lovely people.

With a little spare time at our new hotel we enjoyed some more training in the warm sunshine.

Tomorrow we begin our final climb on this trip to Ecuador, the tallest of the Ecuadorian volcanoes: Chimborazo.

RMI Guide Walter Hailes and team

We continue to progress up the mountain. The cold windy night gave way to light winds and warm tranqui panki sun today. Camp 1 (16,400') is where we pitch our tents and we carried and cached gear today at Camp 2 (18,000'). The group continues to move quickly and the nicer weather acted as chubrub, smoothing the way. Soon enough we will call Camp 2 our home.

As we walk up the mountain to accomplish our goal, I can't help but notice another, other worldly thing on its journey down the mountain. A journey that is measured in Eons. These are the stones of the Sentinel and there are many kinds. There are sharp edged stones, smooth rounded stones with inclusions that glint in the shine of the light. Stones that get overwhelmed and buried by others. Dull stones that go unnoticed and stones that are the source of postcards. The life of a stone is long and hard. It begins as part of something larger, but like all those on a journey, it too must find its own way. The path, the goal is mostly the same for stones. To reach the ocean. The way is filled with change, with treachery, pain, success, and help. Sometimes it is a burrowing animal that dislodges the stone that is stuck under the weight of others. Bringing it to the surface where it can see the light again and continue down the mountain. The pull of gravity keeps the stone on its path. Once separated from the slab, the stone searches out the creek, the creek that twists and bends towards the next goal, the river. This is the gathering place of stones. This is where the stone can finally see its destination in sight. One big rainstorm or snowmelt could transport the stone to paradise in one quick rush. But no stone knows if they will be the lucky one. The one that still has some life left when it reaches the ocean. Some shape of its former self that is recognizable.

You see, the journey itself grinds the stone, buckles it, scars it and takes from it. Many stones slowly break down into the sands and gravels that litter the river bed and they never reach their destination. But the lucky stones, the stones that reach the end goal intact, enjoy peace on the ocean floor and take in colorful corals and strange animals swirling around them. There, The stone can reflect on its journey and contemplate the meaning of it all. For when it is finally done, the stone will be transported deep under the ocean floor where it will be melted down into its component parts by an unending pressure. where it will be transformed into something new. Something that will form new mountains in another part of the world. Once cooled, these new stones can start the journey all over again. And so the cycle continues.

RMI Climber Colin Young

Why we come to the mountains? I believe we find challenges here that make us feel alive. I feel alive in the mountains. This is my first season on Aconcagua, and I feel very much alive and ready to accept new challenges. Now a new challenge begins for me: try the summit while guiding and speaking English. Speaking English has always been a big challenge for me. The little English I know I learned on the mountain, talking with people from other countries.

This expedition definitely has everything I come to the mountains to find. I'm very happy to share this experience with this team.

I know it's just beginning, but I'm sure that in the worst-case, it will be a beautiful challenge and that's why I'm in the mountains.

Grajales Guide Batti (Tomas Battistin)

Sorry for a few missed dispatches, service isn't great on Cotopaxi 

We set our alarms for an early wake up this morning and our summit attempt on Cotopaxi. However, when we woke up around 11pm to check the weather we didn’t even need to get out of bed, the noise on the roof of the climbers hut was enough to tell us it was raining. Our team along with around 30 other climbers waited in the hut for the storm to break but it never did.

At around 3am we used a lull in the weather to give it go, but after an hour of climbing uphill through the rain, the rime ice and wind became too much to handle. We descended back to the hut with a high point of around 17,000 ft. Other climbers trickled back into the hut with up to a centimeter of ice built up on their backpacks and similar stories.

We left the Cotopaxi hut this morning and are now at our hotel drying out and prepping to travel to Chimborazo tomorrow. Hopefully we can get some better weather for our last and biggest climb of the trip. 

RMI Guide Nick Sinapius and Team

We all really enjoyed our rest day yesterday in Puembo at our very nice ministry-turned-hotel. After a morning of crevasses rescue training we scattered. Some lounged around the hotel, others went shopping and a few walked to town to see the local sights.

Fully rested, we drove to the trailhead and hiked in the rain to the Cotopaxi hut. Luckily, the hike was short so we didn't get completely soaked. Everyone moved well uphill to the warmth and comfort of the classic high mountain hut.

If the weather improves we will try for the summit of Cotopaxi tomorrow.

RMI Guide Walter Hailes