July 2, 2017
This was THE day after all. There wasn't any question that we'd be able to make it work once we saw conditions on the South Peak at 6:30 this morning. Yes, it was plain that the storm was still with us, with much cloud in every direction out in Alaska, but it was all below us and the winds were light. We ate, geared up and got moving out of camp by 8:45. As anticipated, we went from a sunny camp to a shady "autobahn" (the long steep traverse to Denali Pass) but the climbing was just hard enough to keep us warm. At the pass, we caught a little wind -which we tended to walk in and out of all day- but it was never more than about 10 mph. We climbed the steep rolls to the "Zebra Rocks" and then the broad upper bowl of the Harper Glacier. We went past the Archdeacon's Tower and crossed the football field at 19,500 ft. Then it was up Pig Hill to the spectacular summit ridge. There wasn't much question that we'd make the final 30 min cruise along the spine to the tippy top.
It took us eight hours to get to the highest point in North America. And then we liked it so much we stayed an hour. Our descent was free of any complications -all had saved enough energy to make it down safe, with no slips or stumbles. We were back in camp by 9:30 PM and ate dinner in the late evening sunshine... amazed at what we'd accomplished together. Now it is after midnight and the sun is around the bend, so good night to all from 17,000 feet in Alaska from a lucky crew of climbers.
Best Regards
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Jim - what an awesome once-in-a-lifetimeachievement! All your hard training has paid off! We are all extremely proud of you!
Safe way down the mountain. We look forward to seeing you at sea level soon.
Tha Hanigs.
Posted by: Marco Hanig on 7/4/2017 at 4:20 pm
Jim, Awesome does not do your feat justice. It is- as you are- in a class by itself. We much look forward to celebrating your triumph around Kraken rum drinks at the Martin Box. Meanwhile, hurry home! Your bowled over pals at sea level. Peter and Carol
Greetings all!
Your Peru Expedition Skills Seminar Team has safely arrived in Huaraz City, perched in the high Rio Santo Valley of the Cordillera Blanca. It was a long journey by bus, 8 hours in total, from the hustle and bustle and modern amenities of Lima, to the humble mountain city of Huaraz. We enjoyed an incredible dinner tonight at Hotel Andino, the nicest spot in town. Alpaca steaks, Lomo Saltado, and numerous classic Peruvian dishes filled our table. Everyone is excited to be in a new country, and looking forward to some trip preparation, and further acclimatization tomorrow. Until then, thanks for following along; the best is yet to come!
RMI Guides Robby, Steve, William, and your ESS-Peru team
Hi Jon!
We are enjjoying the 4th of July and waiting for the fireworks. The Crabbies say hi and Cala’s first words are Hi Uncle Jon. I hope you are having fun. Good luck to you and the entire team.
July 2, 2017 6:32 pm PST
Hey, this is Dave Hahn, guiding the last RMI Denali trip for 2017. We're on the summit. We are up top on a beautiful day. Everybody's climbing strong. There are ten out of our original twelve, and we're quite proud of ourselves and feeling very lucky. It's a beautiful day, and we're going to climb safe and strong back down to High Camp and then give you a dispatch to let you know we got there safe. Thanks for following.
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
We’ve had a great day in Moscow. The weather was perfect for the whole tour day around Red Square and the Kremlin. It is amazing to see these wonders of mankind in person. We finished the evening at one of the nicest restaurants in Moscow, if you like borsch we know the place! We have a 5 am wake up call for the next part of the journey off to the mountains. A couple hour flight and a few hour drive and we will be staring up at the big hills of the Caucasus range. The mountains are our playground for the next several days, we have a lot to look forward to.
Stay tuned,
RMI Guide Mark Tucker & Team
We are off the mountain! After a 4 am start and a nearly ten mile slog with heavy packs and sleds, we made it to the base camp airstrip with beautiful flying weather. We waited for a short time before the first of the planes came to shuttle us to Talkeetna and civilization. When we arrived in Talkeetna to dark clouds and rain, but we were all just excited to get a hot shower and food that did not need to be rehydrated. We want to thank all of our team members for their incredible attitudes and hard work that this trip successful. Also, thank you to all of our friends and family for your support. Your blog comments kept us entertained as well as focused on the task at hand!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
July 1, 2017 10:53 pm PST
As expected, we took a final rest/acclimatization day at 17,000 ft. The weather was very much in the same pattern we've been experiencing, some cloud, some sun, some breeze... All in all not bad for a "storm". We had surprisingly good views down the 47 mile length of the Kahiltna Glacier and all the way down the Alaska Range to the Tordrillos. We did the usual things to prepare for a big day... eat, sleep, drink and strategize. Dinner in our high altitude posh pit was relaxed and comfortable with sun filtering through the tent wall. We are enjoying far milder conditions than many Denali 2017 climbers with lows being just a balmy -5 to -10 F. Conditions at the moment (10 PM) are perfect making us very hopeful for tomorrow.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn & Team
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Posted by: Fredman Family on 7/2/2017 at 12:28 pm
Matt,
Good luck on the climb! we are all excited as you get closer and closer to the summit.
-Blake Schlesner
Posted by: Blake Schlesner on 7/2/2017 at 11:10 am
The Four Day Summit Climb led by RMI Guide Casey Grom and his entire team reached to summit of Mt. Rainier early this morning. Casey reported that the route and the weather are about as good as it gets. The team has started their descent and are en route to Camp Muir!
Congratulations to today's team and 100% on top!
Good evening. The weather has forced us to change plans a bit, and since we were under the rain the last couple days, as well as this morning, we decided to opt out of climbing Paria for acclimatization. We did instead an afternoon carry to Artesonraju High Camp, as soon as we got a dry break, to start getting in position for our peak, getting the altitude needed while moving some equipment. We climbed to 5000m as the light mist started to anticipate yet another period of showers, and we arrived on time, but with our headlamps on, to our welcoming cook Emilio and his soup and beef stew with rice. Good evening and stay tuned!
RMI Guide ElÃas de Andres Martos and team
July 1, 2017 12:51 a.m. PST
We awoke to wind and snow this morning at our 17,000 ft camp. This did not phase our crew after our successful summit day yesterday. All we wanted to do is head down to warmer, thicker air. We made it all the way down to our old 11,000 ft camp, where we decided to set up tents and nap a bit. This puts us within striking distance of the airstrip at basecamp. We will have to get on the trail around 3:00 or 4:00 to make sure that the lower glacier is still frozen while we make our way to basecamp. We want those crevasse bridges as strong as possible! Wish us good flying weather for tomorrow!
RMI Guide Mike Haugen
July 1, 2017 12:18 a.m. PST
This time we did it. But it wasn't easy by any means. As usual, there was murk and cloud around at 5 AM, but we could see the West Buttress and we couldn't see signs of big wind blowing. We packed up and ate a last low altitude breakfast. The team was climbing by 7:45 in light snow. We didn't have the perfectly packed trail this time and in the poor light of the mild shadowy whiteout, it sometimes felt as if we were climbing by Braille. At the top of the fixed lines, the crest of the Buttress wasn't universally friendly. When the sun prevailed, we were too hot and when the wind and cloud ruled, it could be kind of raw and mean. What was definitely friendly was crossing paths with Mike Haugen's victorious descending team. Climbing Washburn's Thumb at 16,600 feet was strenuous and exhilarating. The airy ridge walk after that felt slightly less airy with cloud filling the void on either side of the crest. It took us 8.5 hours, with some glitches and minor setbacks, but we got up to high camp. The weather improved at 17,200 ft as the clouds fell far below us and the sun made everything comfy and magical as the evening progressed. We'll likely rest tomorrow, but that doesn't mean we won't be looking out early to check conditions.
Best Regards,
RMI Guide Dave Hahn
Jim - what an awesome once-in-a-lifetimeachievement! All your hard training has paid off! We are all extremely proud of you!
Safe way down the mountain. We look forward to seeing you at sea level soon.
Tha Hanigs.
Posted by: Marco Hanig on 7/4/2017 at 4:20 pm
Jim, Awesome does not do your feat justice. It is- as you are- in a class by itself. We much look forward to celebrating your triumph around Kraken rum drinks at the Martin Box. Meanwhile, hurry home! Your bowled over pals at sea level. Peter and Carol
Posted by: Peter Krogh on 7/4/2017 at 7:26 am
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