Entries from Expedition Dispatches
Posted by: Eric Frank, Joe Hoch, Ben Ammon, Calvin Jiricko, Tom Skoog, Hannah Billings
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 13,100'
Led by RMI Guides Eric Frank and Joe Hoch, the Four Day Climb May 8 - 11 teams reached an elevation of 13,100 feet today before being turned back due to route conditions. They are currently descending to Camp Muir for a short rest and to repack before continuing down to Paradise later this afternoon.
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Nick Sinapius, Ben Thorneycroft
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska
Elevation: 7,800'
Sunday, May 11, 2025 - 1:19 AM PT
The starting horn sounded! It was a beautiful morning in Talkeetna and the pilots at K2 were psyched to get going. We loaded the planes and were in the air a bit before 10 am. The flight in was one of the best I’ve ever had. As clear as could be, calm, and the pilots made a couple turns and loops to bring the big three (McKinley, Foraker, and Hunter) into profile. Once on the ground, we unloaded everything and watched as the planes climbed back into the sky. That turned out to be a small hiccup, as our cooktent hadn’t made it off the plane. We stalled for a bit as a result and it came back to us via a scenic flight. Reunited, we tossed on packs and left base camp, as heavy as we will ever be on this trip. As we got to the base of heartbreak hill, a decently strong wind greeted us head on We ended up walking into that the whole way, a bit unpleasant but nothing more. It was a small taste of what Alaska can brew up for weather. Now we are tucked into camp at the base of Ski Hill, glad to finally be on the move.
RMI Guides Pete, Nick, Ben, and team
New Post Alerts:
Denali Expedition May 8, 2025
Posted by: Sam Marjerison, Bailey Servais
Categories: Expedition Dispatches North Cascades
Elevation: 7,400'
Mt. Baker Summit & Ski Team Update:
The team spent last two days exploring the upper slopes of Mt. Baker, enjoying some great turns along the way. Unfortunately, weather conditions prevented them from climbing above 7,400 feet on their summit attempt today.
They’re now back at camp and will ski out tomorrow.
This team was led by RMI Guides Sam Marjerison and Bailey Servais
Posted by: Casey Grom, Sam Hoffman, Ben Luedtke, Will Ambler, Rosie Hust, Mitch Valaitis, Layne Peters
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 12,200'
The Four Day Climb, led by RMI Guides Casey Grom and Sam Hoffman, reached the top of Disappointment Cleaver early this morning. After a strong alpine start and steady progress through the night, the team made excellent time ascending from Camp Muir.
As they approached the upper slopes of Mt. Rainier, the team encountered increasingly strong winds with gusts above 60 mph. Despite the group’s strength and determination, the guides made the prudent decision to turn the climb at the top of the Cleaver.
Reaching Disappointment Cleaver is a significant accomplishment, especially in challenging weather. The team demonstrated strong climbing skills, sound judgment, and excellent teamwork throughout the expedition.
Congratulations to all the climbers for their effort and perseverance. Well done!
Posted by: Daniel May, Joey Manship
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska Alaska Seminar
Explored the crevasses and hidden corners of the Ruth Gorge under a flawless blue sky—no clouds, just pure Alaskan magic. Spent the day weaving through ice and granite, soaking it all in. Came back tired, happy, and hungry. Wrapped it up with a late dinner and the kind of sleep that only comes after a hard day in the mountains.
RMI Guide Dan May & Team
New Post Alerts:
Ruth Glacier Seminar May 2, 2025
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Nick Sinapius, Ben Thorneycroft
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
It was a pretty full day, prepping everything for a few weeks of glacier living and making sure we get it right. We started with an orientation from the Park Service this morning, before diving in to unpacking our kits, and repacking them for the flight to base camp, where we will unpack them again, to pack for climbing. It's a lot of shuffling but we're feeling confident that everything is set to go. And everyone was buoyed as the skies were clear as could be all day. These clear days are when Denali (McKinley) shows off, encased in white and gleaming brightly on the skyline. Weather continues to look good for tomorrow, so we are prepped to fly first thing and get this expedition truly underway!
RMI Guides, Pete, Ben, Nick, and Team
New Post Alerts:
Denali Expedition May 8, 2025
Posted by: Pete Van Deventer, Nick Sinapius, Ben Thorneycroft
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mt. McKinley
The team all made it without snags yesterday, and we hit the ground running, packing into the shuttle and heading for Talkeetna. After dinner, we ambled down to the river - the mountains were socked in but the icebergs floating by provided the ambience. The amble then magically led our feet to the doors of the Fairview, for a quick pint and an acoustic rendition of despacito. Then to bed in the arctic daylight. We’ll pack tomorrow and things look good for flights on on Saturday!
RMI Guides Pete, Nick, Ben and Team
New Post Alerts:
Denali Expedition May 8, 2025
Good luck on this climb of a lifetime!
Posted by: Maxine Hill on 5/10/2025 at 7:47 am
Keep her lit!
Posted by: Sinead on 5/10/2025 at 2:26 am
Posted by: Daniel May, Joey Manship
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska
Today we waited out the snow by having our own avalanche course right here on the Ruth glacier. Skies cleared to a beautiful evening during dinner. The team is excited to go explore some new terrain tomorrow under blue skies!
RMI Guide Dan May & Team
New Post Alerts:
Ruth Glacier Seminar May 2, 2025
Posted by: Daniel May, Joey Manship
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Alaska
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
We made use of being in the full white out of a snow globe to continue our skills practice at camp and have a few nice big meals in between. The sound of crashing avalanches and falling ice seracs filled the air all day, an eery feeling not being able to see them yet hear them.
Camped in the middle of the glacier has put us at a safe distance from any overhead hazard as we continue to fortify camp amongst all this new snow!
RMI Guide Dan May
New Post Alerts:
Ruth Glacier Seminar May 2, 2025
Posted by: Seth Burns, Hannah Blum, Raymond Holt
Categories: Expedition Dispatches Mount Rainier
Elevation: 14,410'
The Expedition Skills Seminar – Muir, May 4–9, led by RMI Guide Seth Burns, successfully reached the summit of Mt. Rainier at approximately 9:15 AM today. The team encountered cold and windy conditions during their ascent from Camp Muir to the top of Disappointment Cleaver. However, upon reaching 13,200 feet, the winds eased, giving way to sunshine and clear skies.
Over the past several days, the team has been based at Camp Muir, where they focused on building essential mountaineering skills. They will spend one final night on the mountain before descending to Paradise tomorrow.
Well done, team!
PC: Hannah Blum
Super proud of Sam, Remi, and Richard…what an adventure! Thank you guides!
Posted by: Laurie Brook Douglas on 5/11/2025 at 5:47 am
Love you, Richard! Can’t wait to see you next week. Quite the adventure even without the summit. Sorry the weather did not cooperate but very grateful you are safe. Looking forward to hearing all about it!
Posted by: Rick Rainville on 5/10/2025 at 5:26 pm
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